in_the_blue | Dear Yuletide Writer... (Reply)

Thank you in advance, dear writer. I always say that if you write what you love, I know I'll love it too. We might be strangers or we might be friends, but I'll tell you this: I'm easy. I have some preferences, which I'll outline for you here, then get into the meat of each of my requests. (If you're curious about what I've written and received before, I'm on AO3 as

r_lee.)

My favorite things in fanfic are attention to characterization, attention to canon, and a well-thought-out backstory.

- I'm such a sucker for fics that fill in missing pieces or that expand on something that might have seemed initially like a throwaway line or action, but that through a fic is brought to bear in important ways.
- It's also important to me that the characters act and sound like they do canonically -- for instance, I would hate to see Walter White don a tutu and take center stage at the ballet, or see Chane Laforet randomly falling for Ladd Russo (although if you could do either of those things convincingly while keeping them in character and giving good reasons for it... bless your soul!).
- I've requested these characters and their related canons because I love the source material. This isn't to say you can't let your imagination run wild in an AU sort of way! I love the creativity that comes from that! As long as the characters are still the characters we know and love, it will work.
- I like all characters, good, bad, or neutral, to be nuanced with their own tinge of humanity.
- I like fics that help me understand characters' motivations.
- Character studies thrill me.
- Moody introspective pieces thrill me.
- Action-adventure pieces thrill me.
- Romantic pieces are delightful, and even if the pairing isn't canon I will love it as long as there's a believable reason for the pairing.
- Dramatic tension is beautiful.
- Backstory is my favorite thing of all
- I love to know what characters are thinking, feeling, dreaming about, wishing for.
- I like crossovers! My list of interests in my profile is a good place to start if you want to know what other fandoms I might enjoy.

There are a few things I really prefer not to see.
- Unless the canon is dark and filled with unsavory things, I would rather not see gratuitous violence, rape, incest, non-con, dubcon, and the like. I don't mind graphic content when it's called for and appropriate to the story.
- I don't like seeing female characters being demeaned/shamed unless canon dictates that behavior.
- I'm not a fan of slash for the sake of slash, so if it's not there canonically I don't need to see it in a gift fic.

Most of all, I would love for you to have fun writing in any of these canons. If you love them as much as I do, let that love shine through and in turn I will be so pleased with whatever you write. Now for the requests, in no particular order whatsoever:

Cowboy Bebop is one of the fandoms of my heart. I love this show and everything about it with such passion. I will take a piece about any of the nominated characters, so consider this as me just throwing out ideas: Gren and Julia and their time in Blue Crow. Gren and Vicious on Titan. Vicious and Spike as young upcoming Syndicate hit-men. Faye and Ed having a sisterly moment. Faye and Jet post-canon: did they stay together or drift apart? Spike and Julia, in those moments canon doesn't show us during their reunion. Spike and Julia or Spike and Julia/Vicious before, during, or after Vicious went to Titan. A look at Annie and Spike and their friendship. Annie's relationship with Mao and the Syndicate. Spike and Jet, becoming bros. Gren and Faye and everything those two episodes leave unspoken. Spike and Faye's griping while they were banished from smoking in the main cabin in Boogie Woogie Feng Shui. The possibilities are endless, and you might have even better ideas than any of these, or you might want to combine some of them. Tell me about the characters, give me glimpses into their hearts, I will love it. Please note that as far as pairings go, I'm not a fan of Spike/Jet, Spike/Vicious, or Spike/Ed.

If you're here because of All American Tooles, I salute you and would like to become friends! I confess I watched this because of Michael Trucco, and think his Todd Toole is one of the best ridiculous characters ever created. From the t-shirts to the retainer to squelching how angry he is with fatherhood to hiding his smoking, there's either a whole lot more to him or a whole lot less. What do you think? How did he and Cindy come to be married? What on earth made them decide to become parents, and how can they afford all that state-of-the-art stuff? Or tell me about a day in the life at the survival goods store, or Cindy's adventures in keeping Trigger as safe as he can be (I can only imagine her web browsing history). Alternately, tell me what happens next with the Tooles. Or give me a look into Feita corporation, and where Dr. Vermillion really fits into the picture: does he ever make significant time with Ivana or does he get booted back to That 70s Show in disgrace? How does Ivana end up in Wisconsin in Love Actually?

The ending of the film reminded me so much of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind that I have this theory: when Mary from Eternal Sunshine busted Lacuna, Patrick went off to work at Feita with their monitoring system... if you write me that, I will have the biggest smile on my face come Christmas morning. Since this canon is pure crack, don't hold back. Let your imagination run wild and have fun!

In Twin Peaks, everyone thinks they know Laura Palmer but nobody really does. She's the catalyst for everything that happens during the series, but even her best friends only knew little bits and pieces of what she was like. I would appreciate it if you could round out the picture for me: show me a fully-balanced picture of who exactly Laura was, what drove her to do the things she did. I know if I were in her shoes I'd be crazy, so... was she? If not, how did she withstand the pressure? What led her to show up in Cooper's dreams? Did she have specific goals from beyond the grave? If you go the ghost route, how did she feel watching Maddy move in on her friends and literally move into her place in her own home? This is one request where you can go as dark as you need to go, considering the source material.

If you want to tell the story from Laura's point of view, I'm good with that. If you want to tell her story from anyone else's POV, I'm good with that, too! Or from multiple perspectives. Any of the characters would be fine, as well as any of the characters not listed (Harold Smith might have known more about Laura than anyone else, for instance, or maybe Hawk had some insights into her in his own quiet way).

Baccano! is one of those shows that's impossible for me to watch without a smile on my face, even at its most gruesome. When I look at the offered character set, I'm delighted because I love them all and would truly be happy with any. Here are some suggestions to get you going: a story about Nice and Jacuzzi as children, either before or after the accident (I love that they were dedicated to one another even as kids). A future scenario (as far in the future as you want to go) with Isaac and Miria (one of my favorite moments is when they realize they haven't aged, then promptly go about their business as if it was nothing). A nice quiet moment with Ennis and Firo, maybe when she realizes she's losing some of her homonculus rigidity (I love that he's determined to wait for her for however long it takes). A look at the life of Claire and Chane post-canon (what on earth would it be like being married to Claire Stanfield?). Any of them post-canon. While I haven't read the light novels, I do know the basic post-show storylines for most of these characters. You can either incorporate those if you're familiar with the novels or ignore the books completely, whichever works best for you.

Lost in Translation is one of my all-time favorite films. I've seen it a dozen times, and it's so nuanced that I catch new things in it with every viewing. This year the only nominated characters are Bob and Charlotte and I would love a fic centered on them, although I would be delighted if the fic included any of the other characters from the film. When Bob tells Charlotte at the bar that he's going to make a break for it and asks if she's in or out, she says she's in. What would it be like if they had made their big getaway? Would they have stayed in Japan? Left the country? Gone to Charlie Brown's place and holed up? What would the repercussions have been with John? With Lydia? Would she still have gone for the burgundy carpet?

If they're not making their getaway -- if that idea does nothing for you -- then I sure wouldn't say no to a character study about either or both of them. They seem like such an unlikely pair. What is it about Bob that attracts Charlotte? What is it about her that makes him feel alive again?

Finally, a simple one for John Dies at the End: what's John's story? Include as many characters as you like from the book. I'm easy. Maybe even as easy as John. If you need a less vague suggestion, how about a clean-up mission like the one with the meat monster, but centered on John? Or the time loop where John Fedexed himself the package? Anything like that would be fantastic.

These prompts are all just suggestions, all optional details. If you have something else in mind, go for it. I will be delighted, I assure you. And thank you, from the bottom of my little fangirl heart, for writing for me. If you have any questions,

lostinapapercup (DW) /