Yuletide Letter
Dear Writer,
First, I’d like to say I’m so excited for Yuletide this year! This is my first year participating, so I’m anticipating a lot of fun. You and I must have matched up in one of these fandoms, and I love all of them, so thank you for offering and I hope you have fun too!
All of these suggestions are just that, so if you’ve already got an idea in mind, feel free to write it! If you’re like me, and you prefer a few starting off points, I hope this letter gives you some ideas. I'll try to go through each canon with some things I like about it and what I'd particularly like to see, with some general stuff at the end! God, I'm sorry this is so long, I'm serious in that you don't need to read it if you've already got an idea.
General Things
Looking at my fandoms this year, I apparently really like stories with aspects of time travel/bad futures that need to be set right! Please don’t feel pressured to write something like that, but I do love time travel shenanigans for just about all of these (um, if you happen to be familiar with multiple of these fandoms, or even another time-travel series if you want to check if I'm familiar with it, a crossover of the timetravellers would make my year). On that note, I love AUs of the sort where one thing is changed in canon and the fic explores the changes that would occur as a result, though I'd prefer not to get genderswapping for this challenge. I love mundane-type ‘day in the life’ stories with over the top characters—how do their experiences/powers/etc color things like, say, sitting in history class or going grocery shopping? I also like stories about ensemble casts, especially for "found families," those groups of people who are so close they're family even if they're not officially related. I'm really drawn to family dynamics in fic, and how that doesn't necessarily mean they always like each other.
Shipping-wise, I love both shippy fic and gen; a lot of the fun for me for ships comes from seeing why the author thinks they should be together, especially for pairings that aren't particularly UST-filled (or characters who have barely even met!). I'll read het, slash, and femslash for ships though I've tried to specify where I've had a preference, and I'll read fic with any range of rating. I really like dysfunctional ships, so long as I get the sense that the author's aware they're dysfunctional, even if the characters themselves don't.
Thematically, I have a thing for dark, creepy settings with the promise of everything working out okay, though the promise doesn't actually need to be there either. I also like happy fic! I should definitely mention that. Just don't be afraid to go dark if you want to! I'm fine with death fic if that's the story you want to tell. I don't mind holiday fic if it's in a fandom where it's appropriate (aka please don't stick Christmas into the Zeldaverse, but if you want to make up a different winter holiday, that's fine!)
Guilty Gear- Any.
I’m a relative newcomer to this fandom, and I love everything about it. A lot of the appeal to me is how over-the-top everyone is, the wackiness of the universe in a setting that is still pretty dark. I like how basically any of the characters has the potential to be treated super seriously or like an absolute joke. I'm not too concerned about getting the timeline absolutely perfect (it's a fighting game that feels like they're just making it up as they go along, don't worry about it) or that you know absolutely every piece of canon. If you can cram your fic full of as many music references as possible, I’ll basically be over the moon.
I picked 'any' for this series because I would honestly be happy with any of the characters-- this doesn't mean they all need to be in the fic! (Though it would be pretty impressive and I'd marvel at your skills all day). Nitpicky little canon details that I do prefer, though you're not required to mention either of them so much as I prefer that you not state the opposite: Justice is a woman, Venom is gay.
I main as Millia, and I’d love to see any fic of her, whether it’s something serious with the Assassins (I adore her interactions with Venom!), introspection with another character, or just something mundane like what her daily routine looks like when she can do it hands-free. I-no is another character I love—for her, I’d prefer not to get too much backstory, I like her best as a mysterious UNKNOWN 50x times in a profile section. Anything with her dicking around in the timeline would be fantastic, or just being antagonistic at other characters (especially Dizzy! I love how she just won't stop antagonizing the weapon of mass destruction). There is no way I will not love something with Robo-Ky in it. Anything. He's my favorite.
I’d be really interested in some Ky fic in the aftermath of the war—it was basically his entire life, so how does he react when it’s finally over? (If you feel the need to slip Kliff in, I’ll love you forever for it!) What the Assassins were doing at this time is also really interesting for me (assassinating the leaders of countries and potentially creating another war? arguing about relationship drama while doing so?), along with the Jellyfish (air raids on Gears and playing Robin Hood <s>to score with ladies?</s>). Black Side (the drama CD!) set fic would also be great-- we know Sol was leading the Order, working with Zepp and the Jellyfish; fic about evil!Dizzy or Johnny's Last Stand or anything here would be awesome. I'm serious about liking "bad end" universes.
I do ship SolKy, so feel free to write that if that’s what you’re interested in! I also played (and enjoyed, sob) Overture, but I understand that it’s a pretty significant departure from the rest of canon and you shouldn’t feel pressured to include it. If you do choose to write Overture-era fic, I’d prefer that Dizzy’s existence is at least acknowledged (adorable Ky-and-Dizzy-fumbling-with-a-kid fic would make my heart soar, for the record!) For that matter, I’d be fine with any ship, should you feel like including one, between any of the characters available with the exception of Sol x Dizzy.
Back To the Future- Any.
This trilogy is my favorite movie (movies?) and you can’t go wrong with just about anything for this fandom! The one thing I do request is that I don’t get any Doc x Marty shipping fic; I love their relationship but I prefer them platonic.
I really, really enjoy the second movie, ridiculous as it is! Anything set in alternate 1985 would be fantastic, with its zeerusty 80’s future and all the changes from our time if Biff intervened in history (for one thing, we’d have no computers, but we would have hoverboards!) I love any sort of time-travel shenanigans for this fandom, so don’t worry if you’re not as into the second movie. Additional trips to other periods of time or the aftermath of any of Marty’s trips are greatly appreciated-- how does he adjust to coming back after the first movie, when there are all sorts of changes he doesn't remember, or coming back from both 1985-A and the Wild West and being relieved how everything's the way he remembered it? Of course, if you don't want to go as seriously, humorous stuff here is also great. Maybe Marty's history teacher gets something wrong about the 1800s, or thinks it's ridiculous that you'd be able to watch two TV shows at once.
I’d love to see something of Clara exploring the modern day (or other time periods!). She and Doc seem to spend a lot of time travelling around before they go back to see Marty, so what does she want to go see? Does she go to a bookstore in the 1990s? Attend concerts? Suffragette meetings? How does she feel about leaving the 1880s? I also have a soft spot for Biff, whether it's 1950s greaser Biff, business bully Biff, modern pushover Biff, futuristic grandpa Biff, Biff-but-actually-his-ancestor-but-come-o
Something else I'd really like, as we're actually approaching 2015, would be fic where they come into the real future, whether as an alternative to the second movie, time-traveling after the series, or even future fic where they grow up the old-fashioned way. How do they react with the internet, but no flying cars? Will Marty popularize the hoverboard? Do they attribute these changes to their own actions in the past? Will I get a hoverboard?
For this series, 80’s references, running gags, and lampshade moments for the future in general are all extra appreciated. I haven't played the game(s?) yet or seen the cartoon, but if you have and you want to use information from them, feel free! I would prefer something that is at least understandable with just movie knowledge, but that's just for my own sake. For the record, you don't need to include all of the characters in the fic! Pick whoever works for the story you want to tell. I'd also prefer things more on the gen side in this fandom-- I don't mind ships appearing in the fic, but I'd prefer they not be the focus!
If you came here for another fandom and it's not working for you for whatever reason, this would probably be your best bet as an alternative!
Pretty Little Liars- Hanna.
Pretty Little Liars is my newest fandom, and it's a little sad how into it I am. Hanna is my favorite character, followed shortly by Spencer. I love Hanna's casual theft, her issues with her weight and her father, her adjusting her old friends into her popularity and dealing with having less money coming in than before. I think her story is one of the most realistic of them-- it's screwed up but believable in a way that blinding a girl while she's forcing sex with her stepbrother isn't. (This is where I should note that I do like Emily, and of course her storyline is also realistic, but I like this show for how slightly over the top it is and Emily always seemed so normal out of all of them.) I understand that a lot of Hanna's issues can be difficult to write about because of how familiar they can be, so please don't feel pressured to, say, write a detailed story of her mentality re: her eating issues; I'd actually prefer not to get issuefic for this story, and just have her issues be a part of her rather than the focus.
I’m fascinated by the girls’ relationships with Alison, so I’d love fic focusing on that, or just a snapshot of their lives operating around being stalked by a mysterious all-knowing gossip. Truthfully, I find Aria the least interesting of the Liars, so I’d prefer not to get a fic focusing on her and her alone; I’m also not very interested in any of the boys, though of course I don’t mind if any of these people show up in story!
Out of all the relationships in the show, it’s Hanna and Emily’s with Alison that interests me the most; they’re both under Alison’s control for things they can’t help about themselves. Something dealing with that would be fantastic! Alison in general fascinates me.I’d also love seeing some Hanna/Spencer, if it should happen to come my way…
I’ve read the first book and know the major basic spoilers for the book series (mainly who A is); I’ve also seen all that’s available of the series so far. I do prefer the television show, for the record!
Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask- Any.
The Zelda series is my forever fandom, and I can’t properly express just how much I love it here. Majora’s Mask was always my favorite game, even if I conceded that everyone would always be talking about Ocarina of Time. I love all the dark little moments hidden in this game, the sense of control you have over the entire setting mixed with the inevitable destruction looming overhead. I love all the little side stories, how each of the side characters are dealing with their inevitable deaths in a really quiet, personal way, that we as the player would miss if we didn't explore as thoroughly as we can. I love the eerieness of the inside of the moon, with the children with the masks and their questions; I love the creepiness that is all of the masks, but especially the transforming ones. This is, uh, probably the part where I say I like dark themes, huh?
For this series, I’d love any sort of worldbuilding (through the experiences of a character, or Link exploring and discovering different parts of the world), moments acknowledging the darkness, or Link trying to find moments of happiness in such a bleak setting. This story doesn't have to be super depressing! Link coming in and making it better would actually be fantastic, or even just the knowledge outside of the story that Link will come in and fix it is enough. I suppose I should mention that you don’t have to worry about giving Link a voice or not! I prefer him not to be physically mute in-story, because I think the game does imply he’s capable of talking, and I’m not picky about how he ‘sounds’ if you do choose to have him speak!
I also love everyone’s favorite couple, Anju and Kafei—anything with either of them would be great. The end of their quest will never fail to make me tear up, and it could go as happy or as sad as you like. I’d also like stories dealing with Skull Kid—maybe what the influence of the mask feels like to him, or something about his friendship with the giants (before or after the game!) Like the other 'any' requests, you don't need to use all the characters in one fic! Use whoever makes sense for the story you want to tell.
My favorite parts of the game (atmosphere-wise, if not always gameplay-wise) are the Gerudo pirates, Romani Ranch, and the inside of the moon, so if those settings are speaking to you, go ahead and use them! I love the idea of turning Stone Tower Temple upside-down (what purpose does this serve in-universe? Why would anyone build something like that?!) and the Elegy of Emptiness, and I feel like those could also be interesting aspects to explore (note: I'm aware of the Ben Drowned creepypasta and started to get into it, but ultimately it didn't interest me; please don't include it in the fic) . In general, I like it when fics give an in-universe explanation for gameplay mechanics-- what do the townfolk see when Link skips ahead 6 hours? How does the banker know the amount of money Link has when he's never seen the kid before in his life, as far as he can remember? Even though I've been writing this as if it's a super serious canon, I think there's definitely a lot of humor to find in the game, and these situations could definitely be played lightheartedly.
One of the things I love most about each of the Zelda games is its connections to the others. Obviously, you've only signed up to write for Majora's Mask, and that's fine! But if you do happen to be familiar with the rest of the series, I'd love little references to other games, to the point that it would make sense in what is basically a parallel universe from the rest of them. Things like the "paper" hand appearing in Skyward Sword made me scream with glee, for instance, and I love the reappearance of certain memetic phrases-- if you could work in an "excuse me, princess," I'd be thrilled, or maybe someone grumble grumbles, or is error, or has something that's a secret to everybody. I like feeling like the story is part of a larger universe, and that's one of the main appeals for me with Zelda.
Thanks again for offering to write for one of these fandoms, and I hope this letter has been helpful. I'm sorry my journal is just about empty, so I've been trying to list everything I can in here in exchange. Happy Yuletide!
First, I’d like to say I’m so excited for Yuletide this year! This is my first year participating, so I’m anticipating a lot of fun. You and I must have matched up in one of these fandoms, and I love all of them, so thank you for offering and I hope you have fun too!
All of these suggestions are just that, so if you’ve already got an idea in mind, feel free to write it! If you’re like me, and you prefer a few starting off points, I hope this letter gives you some ideas. I'll try to go through each canon with some things I like about it and what I'd particularly like to see, with some general stuff at the end! God, I'm sorry this is so long, I'm serious in that you don't need to read it if you've already got an idea.
General Things
Looking at my fandoms this year, I apparently really like stories with aspects of time travel/bad futures that need to be set right! Please don’t feel pressured to write something like that, but I do love time travel shenanigans for just about all of these (um, if you happen to be familiar with multiple of these fandoms, or even another time-travel series if you want to check if I'm familiar with it, a crossover of the timetravellers would make my year). On that note, I love AUs of the sort where one thing is changed in canon and the fic explores the changes that would occur as a result, though I'd prefer not to get genderswapping for this challenge. I love mundane-type ‘day in the life’ stories with over the top characters—how do their experiences/powers/etc color things like, say, sitting in history class or going grocery shopping? I also like stories about ensemble casts, especially for "found families," those groups of people who are so close they're family even if they're not officially related. I'm really drawn to family dynamics in fic, and how that doesn't necessarily mean they always like each other.
Shipping-wise, I love both shippy fic and gen; a lot of the fun for me for ships comes from seeing why the author thinks they should be together, especially for pairings that aren't particularly UST-filled (or characters who have barely even met!). I'll read het, slash, and femslash for ships though I've tried to specify where I've had a preference, and I'll read fic with any range of rating. I really like dysfunctional ships, so long as I get the sense that the author's aware they're dysfunctional, even if the characters themselves don't.
Thematically, I have a thing for dark, creepy settings with the promise of everything working out okay, though the promise doesn't actually need to be there either. I also like happy fic! I should definitely mention that. Just don't be afraid to go dark if you want to! I'm fine with death fic if that's the story you want to tell. I don't mind holiday fic if it's in a fandom where it's appropriate (aka please don't stick Christmas into the Zeldaverse, but if you want to make up a different winter holiday, that's fine!)
Guilty Gear- Any.
I’m a relative newcomer to this fandom, and I love everything about it. A lot of the appeal to me is how over-the-top everyone is, the wackiness of the universe in a setting that is still pretty dark. I like how basically any of the characters has the potential to be treated super seriously or like an absolute joke. I'm not too concerned about getting the timeline absolutely perfect (it's a fighting game that feels like they're just making it up as they go along, don't worry about it) or that you know absolutely every piece of canon. If you can cram your fic full of as many music references as possible, I’ll basically be over the moon.
I picked 'any' for this series because I would honestly be happy with any of the characters-- this doesn't mean they all need to be in the fic! (Though it would be pretty impressive and I'd marvel at your skills all day). Nitpicky little canon details that I do prefer, though you're not required to mention either of them so much as I prefer that you not state the opposite: Justice is a woman, Venom is gay.
I main as Millia, and I’d love to see any fic of her, whether it’s something serious with the Assassins (I adore her interactions with Venom!), introspection with another character, or just something mundane like what her daily routine looks like when she can do it hands-free. I-no is another character I love—for her, I’d prefer not to get too much backstory, I like her best as a mysterious UNKNOWN 50x times in a profile section. Anything with her dicking around in the timeline would be fantastic, or just being antagonistic at other characters (especially Dizzy! I love how she just won't stop antagonizing the weapon of mass destruction). There is no way I will not love something with Robo-Ky in it. Anything. He's my favorite.
I’d be really interested in some Ky fic in the aftermath of the war—it was basically his entire life, so how does he react when it’s finally over? (If you feel the need to slip Kliff in, I’ll love you forever for it!) What the Assassins were doing at this time is also really interesting for me (assassinating the leaders of countries and potentially creating another war? arguing about relationship drama while doing so?), along with the Jellyfish (air raids on Gears and playing Robin Hood <s>to score with ladies?</s>). Black Side (the drama CD!) set fic would also be great-- we know Sol was leading the Order, working with Zepp and the Jellyfish; fic about evil!Dizzy or Johnny's Last Stand or anything here would be awesome. I'm serious about liking "bad end" universes.
I do ship SolKy, so feel free to write that if that’s what you’re interested in! I also played (and enjoyed, sob) Overture, but I understand that it’s a pretty significant departure from the rest of canon and you shouldn’t feel pressured to include it. If you do choose to write Overture-era fic, I’d prefer that Dizzy’s existence is at least acknowledged (adorable Ky-and-Dizzy-fumbling-with-a-kid fic would make my heart soar, for the record!) For that matter, I’d be fine with any ship, should you feel like including one, between any of the characters available with the exception of Sol x Dizzy.
Back To the Future- Any.
This trilogy is my favorite movie (movies?) and you can’t go wrong with just about anything for this fandom! The one thing I do request is that I don’t get any Doc x Marty shipping fic; I love their relationship but I prefer them platonic.
I really, really enjoy the second movie, ridiculous as it is! Anything set in alternate 1985 would be fantastic, with its zeerusty 80’s future and all the changes from our time if Biff intervened in history (for one thing, we’d have no computers, but we would have hoverboards!) I love any sort of time-travel shenanigans for this fandom, so don’t worry if you’re not as into the second movie. Additional trips to other periods of time or the aftermath of any of Marty’s trips are greatly appreciated-- how does he adjust to coming back after the first movie, when there are all sorts of changes he doesn't remember, or coming back from both 1985-A and the Wild West and being relieved how everything's the way he remembered it? Of course, if you don't want to go as seriously, humorous stuff here is also great. Maybe Marty's history teacher gets something wrong about the 1800s, or thinks it's ridiculous that you'd be able to watch two TV shows at once.
I’d love to see something of Clara exploring the modern day (or other time periods!). She and Doc seem to spend a lot of time travelling around before they go back to see Marty, so what does she want to go see? Does she go to a bookstore in the 1990s? Attend concerts? Suffragette meetings? How does she feel about leaving the 1880s? I also have a soft spot for Biff, whether it's 1950s greaser Biff, business bully Biff, modern pushover Biff, futuristic grandpa Biff, Biff-but-actually-his-ancestor-but-come-o
Something else I'd really like, as we're actually approaching 2015, would be fic where they come into the real future, whether as an alternative to the second movie, time-traveling after the series, or even future fic where they grow up the old-fashioned way. How do they react with the internet, but no flying cars? Will Marty popularize the hoverboard? Do they attribute these changes to their own actions in the past? Will I get a hoverboard?
For this series, 80’s references, running gags, and lampshade moments for the future in general are all extra appreciated. I haven't played the game(s?) yet or seen the cartoon, but if you have and you want to use information from them, feel free! I would prefer something that is at least understandable with just movie knowledge, but that's just for my own sake. For the record, you don't need to include all of the characters in the fic! Pick whoever works for the story you want to tell. I'd also prefer things more on the gen side in this fandom-- I don't mind ships appearing in the fic, but I'd prefer they not be the focus!
If you came here for another fandom and it's not working for you for whatever reason, this would probably be your best bet as an alternative!
Pretty Little Liars- Hanna.
Pretty Little Liars is my newest fandom, and it's a little sad how into it I am. Hanna is my favorite character, followed shortly by Spencer. I love Hanna's casual theft, her issues with her weight and her father, her adjusting her old friends into her popularity and dealing with having less money coming in than before. I think her story is one of the most realistic of them-- it's screwed up but believable in a way that blinding a girl while she's forcing sex with her stepbrother isn't. (This is where I should note that I do like Emily, and of course her storyline is also realistic, but I like this show for how slightly over the top it is and Emily always seemed so normal out of all of them.) I understand that a lot of Hanna's issues can be difficult to write about because of how familiar they can be, so please don't feel pressured to, say, write a detailed story of her mentality re: her eating issues; I'd actually prefer not to get issuefic for this story, and just have her issues be a part of her rather than the focus.
I’m fascinated by the girls’ relationships with Alison, so I’d love fic focusing on that, or just a snapshot of their lives operating around being stalked by a mysterious all-knowing gossip. Truthfully, I find Aria the least interesting of the Liars, so I’d prefer not to get a fic focusing on her and her alone; I’m also not very interested in any of the boys, though of course I don’t mind if any of these people show up in story!
Out of all the relationships in the show, it’s Hanna and Emily’s with Alison that interests me the most; they’re both under Alison’s control for things they can’t help about themselves. Something dealing with that would be fantastic! Alison in general fascinates me.
I’ve read the first book and know the major basic spoilers for the book series (mainly who A is); I’ve also seen all that’s available of the series so far. I do prefer the television show, for the record!
Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask- Any.
The Zelda series is my forever fandom, and I can’t properly express just how much I love it here. Majora’s Mask was always my favorite game, even if I conceded that everyone would always be talking about Ocarina of Time. I love all the dark little moments hidden in this game, the sense of control you have over the entire setting mixed with the inevitable destruction looming overhead. I love all the little side stories, how each of the side characters are dealing with their inevitable deaths in a really quiet, personal way, that we as the player would miss if we didn't explore as thoroughly as we can. I love the eerieness of the inside of the moon, with the children with the masks and their questions; I love the creepiness that is all of the masks, but especially the transforming ones. This is, uh, probably the part where I say I like dark themes, huh?
For this series, I’d love any sort of worldbuilding (through the experiences of a character, or Link exploring and discovering different parts of the world), moments acknowledging the darkness, or Link trying to find moments of happiness in such a bleak setting. This story doesn't have to be super depressing! Link coming in and making it better would actually be fantastic, or even just the knowledge outside of the story that Link will come in and fix it is enough. I suppose I should mention that you don’t have to worry about giving Link a voice or not! I prefer him not to be physically mute in-story, because I think the game does imply he’s capable of talking, and I’m not picky about how he ‘sounds’ if you do choose to have him speak!
I also love everyone’s favorite couple, Anju and Kafei—anything with either of them would be great. The end of their quest will never fail to make me tear up, and it could go as happy or as sad as you like. I’d also like stories dealing with Skull Kid—maybe what the influence of the mask feels like to him, or something about his friendship with the giants (before or after the game!) Like the other 'any' requests, you don't need to use all the characters in one fic! Use whoever makes sense for the story you want to tell.
My favorite parts of the game (atmosphere-wise, if not always gameplay-wise) are the Gerudo pirates, Romani Ranch, and the inside of the moon, so if those settings are speaking to you, go ahead and use them! I love the idea of turning Stone Tower Temple upside-down (what purpose does this serve in-universe? Why would anyone build something like that?!) and the Elegy of Emptiness, and I feel like those could also be interesting aspects to explore (note: I'm aware of the Ben Drowned creepypasta and started to get into it, but ultimately it didn't interest me; please don't include it in the fic) . In general, I like it when fics give an in-universe explanation for gameplay mechanics-- what do the townfolk see when Link skips ahead 6 hours? How does the banker know the amount of money Link has when he's never seen the kid before in his life, as far as he can remember? Even though I've been writing this as if it's a super serious canon, I think there's definitely a lot of humor to find in the game, and these situations could definitely be played lightheartedly.
One of the things I love most about each of the Zelda games is its connections to the others. Obviously, you've only signed up to write for Majora's Mask, and that's fine! But if you do happen to be familiar with the rest of the series, I'd love little references to other games, to the point that it would make sense in what is basically a parallel universe from the rest of them. Things like the "paper" hand appearing in Skyward Sword made me scream with glee, for instance, and I love the reappearance of certain memetic phrases-- if you could work in an "excuse me, princess," I'd be thrilled, or maybe someone grumble grumbles, or is error, or has something that's a secret to everybody. I like feeling like the story is part of a larger universe, and that's one of the main appeals for me with Zelda.
Thanks again for offering to write for one of these fandoms, and I hope this letter has been helpful. I'm sorry my journal is just about empty, so I've been trying to list everything I can in here in exchange. Happy Yuletide!