cyphomandra

I am now back in a more respectable climate, although somehow 7.5kg of assorted reading material managed to accompany me and is currently lurking in a distracting fashion on my floor. Anyway, thanks for signing up for this and, as I said last year, I hope you enjoy writing your story - I look forward to reading it!

My request should have the details for individual fandoms in it, which are hopefully helpful. I've selected characters based on a desire to see them as important to the story, but that doesn't mean they have to be the protagonists or even there, as long as they're significant in some way. Looking at what I've chosen, one of the things that holds true for all of the fandoms requested is that, in the source material, the characters are integral parts of their world; even when they try and change things, there's still an acknowledgment that they're very much part of the thing they're attacking. I like that a lot, and if you find a way to remind me of it for whichever world you chose I'll be thrilled (and you don't have to destroy the world, or write an epic - sometimes just day-to-day life is unusual enough).

Copying this over from last year, because it hasn't changed all that much; in general terms I like plot (particularly if you can surprise me with characters doing consistent but unexpected things), humour, and justified angst, not necessarily all at the same time. I can cope with unhappy endings without slitting my wrists and am in fact rather fond of the Casablanca-style bittersweet resolution. I'd prefer something not written in the present tense, but if you do that and make me like it I will respect you even more. But anyway, all of these are just suggestions and you should feel free to ignore them if the story that fires you with enthusiasm is from somewhere else entirely (and along those lines – wildly out there formats, prequels, sequels, extrapolations etc are also fair game). As I've been reading mostly in anime fandoms this year I would prefer that you not write angsty plotless internal monologue songfic as I have more than fulfilled my reading quota, but as this was entirely self-inflicted you may feel free to ignore my sufferings.

I've written for Yuletide twice before - An Unwilling Heart and Good and Faithful. I am always in the wrong country for Christmas Day itself - this year I'll be in Tokyo - and usually manage to get my email address mixed up into the bargain, but I will read your story as soon as conceivably possible. Merry Christmas/Happy Yuletide in advance!