Dear author,

Here we go! So sorry for the delay in posting this letter; I know it sucks to get a blank assignment!

I also hope you'll forgive me that huge chunks of my letter (*coughs*including this apology*coughs*) are copied from previous years--my preferences and requests are pretty stable.

Most of my requests are very broad and/or brainstorm-y. Part of that is because I really don't have particularly concrete expectations or must-haves, and the thing I like most about a gift is the surprise. In addition, I want to give you free rein so you can write something you enjoy and are good at. So, seriously: everything I suggested is just that--a suggestion. When I say "any characters" or "any genre", I mean that! Even if I'm talking about specific characters or scenarios in the prompt--that was just what my mind could come up with at the time. Doesn't mean that I won't enjoy another story more, just because I didn't come up with that idea.

In conclusion: Do whatever you feel works best for you and feel free to ignore pretty much everything I'm saying here or in my prompts if that helps you to write a good story.

However, if you'd like some more info about my preferences, here it is.


I generally like:

- Worldbuilding and The Department of Backstory. The main reason I got into fandom was that I wondered about all the details that are never explained in canon. Where do the characters come from? What made them the way they are? Which part of their world have we never seen and how does it function? I also like future fic, for similar reasons.

- Gen fic and character studies. I like romance--in all gender combinations--but I'm picky about my ships. I have listed ship options and preferences for each fandom below. I think the general rule is: if I mention a pairing in my prompt, writing about that pairing is good but not at all required. I love gen fic for the reasons above--it's an opportunity to explore the motives, experiences and personality of a character beyond what's provided in canon.

- Minor characters. I'm a sucker for minor characters, because there's so much room for speculation and experimentation there.

- Character interaction and exploration of relationships. I'm generally fond of fics that explore the relationship dynamics between characters--whether that's romance, friendship, or antagonism. Good, in-character dialogue is awesome. Snarky, witty dialogue and banter is beyond awesome. I have a huge thing for characters who have a history together and who (think they) know each other inside out. I'm usually part of the minority in any shipping fandom that just wants more established relationship fic.


About AUs: I like AUs, but I don't have a preference for them. And I'd like the spirit of the original 'verse to be recognizable in an AU.

About crossovers and fusions: I love crossovers and fusions! If you have a sudden inspiration for a crossover or fusion between any of my fandom requests, I salute you and I want that fic now!

About the general tone and style: I'm easy here. I'll read dark, angsty stuff as well as teeth-rotting fluff. I've gotten pretty much every genre in past Yzuletides and loved them all to bits. I'm also open to all kinds of unusual or experimental formats, epistolary fiction, poetry, interactive fiction, or multimedia works. If you've always wanted to write a whodunnit in iambic parameter, have at it!

DNW: I have no hard DNWs, squicks, or triggers. I can be convinced to read anything as long as there's an element in there that interests me (see above). That said, I don't want graphic gore/violence/abuse/rape for the sake of it. No character bashing.




Something about each of my fandoms:

A Busy Night Market with a Vegetable Stall - Petrus van Schendel
I was not the one who nominated this artwork -- in fact, I didn't know of its existence until about two weeks ago. I generally have a look at all the artwork that's nominated for Yuletide, and I often find something in there that really interests me, and this time, it was this painting. To me, the title and the painting are somewhat at odds with each other: The women in the foreground don't look all that busy to me (or at least not in a hurry to buy or sell anything), they look like they are in the middle of a conversation or gossip. I really want to know what the woman in the foreground is talking about and how the third woman in the background comes into it.

I have to confess that I am pretty clueless when it comes to art history and how this piece fits into it. But I do love to learn about these things, and I do love when people geek out, so if you are an expert on 19th century Dutch paintings and that's something that you want to incorporate in your fic, please do!


Calvin and Hobbes
I adore the strip, and I'll take any kind of fic for it! All and any characters are fine! Run wild! If the story doesn't go anywhere, put it in the Transmogrifier and see it turn into something completely different (and possibly covered in radioactive slime). Calvin and Hobbes is a staple Yuletide request for me. With comic strip fandoms I'm always interested to see how the source material translates to another medium. Seeing a typical Calvin and Hobbes comic strip in prose is often not that interesting (but hey, feel free to prove me wrong!), but I've read some great crossover and fusion fics, explorations of minor characters or POV changes, and Calvin-as-a-teen/grownup in this fandom. So yeah, any of those would be great, especially fusions/crossovers or fic about any of the minor characters. I'd happily read about a day in the life of Miss Wormwood without any appearance by Calvin or Hobbes. Particular minor character favorites would be Susie, Rosalyn, and Calvin's parents. But as I said: All and any characters are welcome!

If you want to go in a romantic direction, the following pairings are fine with me: Calvin's parents, Calvin/Susie, anyone else/anyone else.

If you decide to go with Calvin's parents, this note from a past Dear Author letter of mine is still relevant, I think: Calvin's dad always seemed to have much more personality (defined as a recognizable voice and also interests and a life independent from Calvin) than Calvin's mom. I love him, he is great. But I always have mixed feelings about Calvin's mom. I'm not quite sure whether to read her lack of personality (outside of her roles of wife and mother) as a failure of the comic or a very astute observation on the typical room for self-expression that our society grants to mothers in contrast to fathers. Because the comic is from Calvin's perspective and because I love it, I tend to give Bill Watterson the benefit of the doubt. But fanfiction means that she can finally be a character in her own right!


The Tiffany Aching Series - Terry Pratchett
I love Discworld, and I also love YA fiction, so I have no idea why it took me until this year to read the Tiffany Aching series, but there you go. I think it was mostly the result of bad timing -- when the books came out, I was just starting uni and more interested in other parts of Discworld, and then I never got round to them and then Pterry died and I stopped reading all of his books for a few years because I was just sad. Anyway -- I read or listened to all of them this year and I love what they bring to the Discworld, especially a slightly altered, slightly expanded view of the meaning of witchcraft.

Tiffany is a very intriguing character and at least for me, she's hard to get a grip on. She's certainly not a typical YA main character and that alone makes her interesting to me. Tiffany's role as an outsider -- both because of her personality and her abilities and position in society -- is something that's reflected on quite a bit in the books as well. I'd love to see her character and her relationships with those around her explored some more, whether in the future or during or between any of the books. Hell, even before the first book there's a lot to explore -- it's clear that she's not the golden child in the family and that she doesn't have the warmest feelings towards Wentworth and that there's a rich history with Granny Aching on the other hand. Of course, like veryone else, I also adore Granny Weatherwax and would love to see her or any of the other witches as well.

Finnair Panda Commercial
My one-minute fandom! Watch it here.

Personal story time! Back in the day, I used to watch the Tour de France on Eurosport religiously, and they tended to have about five commercials in total that they played all the time. This was one of them. So possibly, it's Stockholm syndrome, but I still think this is one of the cutest things I've ever seen. Sometimes when I need a pick-me-up, I'll google Finnair Panda and listen to the cheesy music and watch this tiny Panda travel the world and smile and coo. Sixteen years after its debut, this commercial is still the cutest thing I've ever seen and I just want to know more about this adorable panda and her? his? their? adventures around the world!

Would prefer fluffy, funny or plotty fic, but if you're watching this commerial and are struck with the sudden urge to write a satire or something serious, I'm not going to say no! Anything goes, as long as no pandas are permanently harmed in the production of your fic. (If you want to write a meet-cute story, I think there was chemistry there with that Chinese panda...)

The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett: Mary Lennox
Did I say I like YA and untypical heroines? In stomps Mary Lennox, spoilt and grumpy and eminently practical and resolute.

I want future fic, please. The novel takes place at the beginning of the 20th century, and as we all know, the world described there is about to change drastically. I'd like to see how Mary copes with all that.

Unlike Tiffany Aching, this is a book that I read and loved as a child, and that I've reread frequently (and read aloud to my own daughter twice). I think that motivation was thinking about the way our perspectives change when we grow up -- both my perspective as a reader and the characters' perspectives. This is a chance for worldbuilding (what happens to Misselthwaite?) or character exploration (how do Mary, Colin and Dickon experience the war and how does it influence their relationships?). You are allowed to make this dark, but you definitely don't have to, if you want to keep the hopeful spirit of the book preserved.

I think I should add that this essay by Sarah Rees Brennan has influenced my perception of the book a great deal.


I hope this helps. Most of all, I hope you have fun with this assignment, and that you have a great Yuletide!