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Yuletide 2013 letter
Dear Yuletide writer,
First of all, thank you for writing for me. I'm thrilled that you share my interest in one of these fandoms, and I can't wait to read your story.
What follows is a little more information about what I like and don't like. But I want to say right away that I hope you will write a story you find interesting and enjoy writing, even if it doesn't exactly fit what I mention here. It could well turn out to be the story I didn't know I wanted.
Two of my favorite things are characterization and worldbuilding. I love to discover more about characters: their history, their hopes and fears, their secrets, their little quirks. And I love visiting unexplored corners of a world, whether it's a POW camp in Germany, a subculture of gay British men during the Second World War, or an Oxford police station in the 1960s. Details are divine; plot is, for me, non-compulsory. (If you write plot, I envy your skill and would be glad to have plot in my story. But if you don't, I'd be just as pleased with a slice-of-life tale or some in-depth characternavel-gazing introspection.)
I love male/male slash, but if that's not your cup of tea, gen is absolutely welcome! I've tried to give gen prompts as well as slashy ones for each request. I'm not much interested in het, though, so I'd rather the story didn't focus on a heterosexual relationship.
Along similar lines, if you do write a pairing story, don't feel obliged to include a sex scene if you'd rather not or if you don't think it develops the characters or the emotional arc. Some stories need a sex scene and others don't; I'm not a huge fan of porn for porn's sake, and I'm every bit as happy with a nonexplicit story as a porntastic one. If you do include a sex scene, my taste is pretty vanilla; in particular I'm not a fan of hitting, humiliation (I have a huge embarrassment squick), or formalized dominance/submission dynamics.
In general I enjoy a wide range of styles and tones. I like happy stories and melancholy stories, straightforward narratives and stylistic experiments, missing scenes and metacommentary, canon-compliance and what-ifs, backstory and futurefic. Feel free to take an idea and run with it.
There are a few things that distress or squick me, however. I ask that you not write something that features a rape scene or even an off-screen rape that's a major story element. Also, while I'm fine with stories including or addressing issues of homophobia and transphobia, I'd rather not receive something terribly bleak about the victimization of queer characters.
In terms of genre, I like AUs of the "what if X canonical event happened differently" type, but not extreme AU/alternate reality stories where all the characters are vampires, baristas, high school students, etc. As for crossovers, I tend to consider almost everything set during the World Wars to be part of one big fandom, so if you want to cross, for example, Colditz with The Charioteer or the Wimseyverse with Regeneration, feel free! And while we're on the subject of genre, Christmas-themed stories are welcome for any of my requested fandoms, especially if they're slightly bittersweet rather than pure fluff. I not-so-secretly love Christmas as a tradition; however, I am an atheist and I'm not especially interested in a religious-themed story. Writing from the POV of Christian or culturally-Christian characters is absolutely fine, but I'd rather not feel that the story itself is promoting a religious view.
For any of my requests, you're welcome to include any other characters from the source, not just the ones I specifically requested.
Below, I've reposted my requests along with information on source availability. In some cases there are also links to my posts about the fandoms, in case you find that kind of thing helpful.
Biggles - W E Johns
James Bigglesworth
When we first meet Biggles in "The White Fokker," he's showing the stress of war: he's always unconsciously fidgeting with his tunic fastening and he's got "an irritating little falsetto laugh" that he can't seem to suppress. I'd love a story with this Biggles rather than the imperviously heroic Biggles of the later books. A story where he actually develops shell-shock or "war neurosis" would be great, or if you want to keep things a little lighter, a story where his nerves drive him into one of his ridiculously dangerous adventures would be very welcome too. So would a character study or a friendship or slash story in which Algy tries to comfort and look after him. A crossover with the BBC series Wings or with Pat Barker's Regeneration trilogy (I don't know if Craiglockhart historically treated RFC officers, but it's a cool premise) would be lovely if you feel so inclined. I should note that although Biggles's thwarted affair with Marie Janis is canonically the cause of his near-breakdown at the end of The Camels Are Coming, I'd prefer a story that didn't focus on that.
Source availability: Mostly out of print, I think, but many are available secondhand or through other online means.
The Charioteer - Mary Renault
Bim Taylor
Bim only appears in one scene, but in a few short pages he subverts The Charioteer's mostly negative depiction of camp and/or feminine gay men. Bim is camp and a war hero, and I'd love any story that shows both sides of his character. It would be fascinating to see him in an RAF context: does he tone down the camp then, or is he, as some men historically were, happily outrageous? Is he friends with the other men in his squadron, and do they know he's gay? Is he part of a gay circle in the RAF? Does he see his camp social self as separate from his almost iconically masculine role as a fighter pilot, or are they a continuity for him? If the RAF side of things doesn't interest you, seeing Bim's friendships or socializing with other gay men during the war would also be great, as would backstory. Feel free to bring in other characters from the novel, but I'd prefer that Bim's unrequited love for Ralph not be the main focus. You can certainly mention it, but I think there's a lot more to him than this bit of private unhappiness.
Source availability: In print and also easy to find secondhand.
Additional notes: I've posted about The Charioteer here if you're curious.
Colditz (1972)
George Brent
You could go two ways with this request: you could actually write about George (I love him!) or you could background him and focus on just about any other character (I love most of them too!).
My favorite thing about George, if you want to write about on him, is that he's not a fearless, heroic escaper. He's neurotic, pessimistic, nervous, depression-prone, and sensitive, and he's also witty and artistically gifted. I'd be thrilled to receive something that explores him in more depth than canon could manage, whether it's backstory, futurefic, a slice-of-Colditz-life story, etc. I should note that although George is canonically married, I read him pretty definitely as gay. Gen fic that doesn't get into sexuality would be absolutely welcome if you don't want to take the character in that direction, but I'd prefer not to get a het pairing story about George. On the slash side, I find him shippable with almost everyone except Phil Carrington, of whom I'm not especially fond.
If you want to focus on someone else, I'd be happy with a story about any of the regulars except Phil Carrington (this includes the German characters--I really like the Kommandant and Ulmann, and I'm fascinated in a horrified way by Mohn if you want to try your hand at him), or about the more interesting minor characters such as Larry Page or Harry Turner.
Source availability: Out on DVD in the UK; some episodes are on YouTube (search by episode title, not series title), but the visual and sound quality there ranges from poor to terrible.
Additional notes: I've posted a lot about Colditz, but please don't feel you have to pay any attention to my ridiculously elaborate head-canon. A fresh interpretation or the story I couldn't have thought of would be very welcome.
Endeavour
Fred Thursday
Thursday is a solid, stable mentor, but occasionally the canon hints at a lot more complexity, and I'd love to see that explored. Backstory about Thursday's experiences during the Second World War (he would have seen some bitter combat during the Italian campaign) or after the war as he readjusts to civilian life would be great. I'd also be delighted with Endeavour-era fic that includes Morse. I find their emotional back-and-forth compelling, with Thursday offering closeness and Morse sometimes accepting and sometimes unwilling (unable?) to accept. Slash would be very welcome, but so would an exploration of Thursday as a substitute father (or both--pseudo-incest is cool with me!).
Source availability: Out on DVD in the UK and the US.
King Rat - James Clavell
Sean Jennison
Steven (King Rat)
We never see Sean and Steven interact in canon, which saddens me. I'd love a story with friendship, or at least queer solidarity, between them. A fix-it for what happens to Sean at the end of the novel would be welcome if you feel so inspired. I'd strongly prefer that there be no sex or romance between these characters, since Steven is gay and Sean is a trans* woman.
Source availability: Still in print, I believe, and fairly easy to find.
Lord Peter Wimsey - Dorothy L. Sayers
Peter Wimsey
Peter's contradictions, oddities, and lingering trauma fascinate me, and I'd be happy with any story that explores more of his character. A few suggestions: something about his war experiences or his shell-shock, or a case that has some kind of strong resonance for him, or a pure character study, or something about his relationship with his mother or with his friend Charles Parker. I'm extremely fond of Bunter, so if you wanted to write about Peter and Bunter (including slash, if you like), that would be lovely. I'd also be intrigued to read something about the gap between Peter's privileged status and the economic and social upheavals of the 20s and 30s--the kind of thing that The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club touches on. I would prefer that any story you write for me not include Peter/Harriet romance, but if you wanted to write an AU in which Peter and Harriet are platonic friends, that would be great.
Source availability: In print, easy to find.
First of all, thank you for writing for me. I'm thrilled that you share my interest in one of these fandoms, and I can't wait to read your story.
What follows is a little more information about what I like and don't like. But I want to say right away that I hope you will write a story you find interesting and enjoy writing, even if it doesn't exactly fit what I mention here. It could well turn out to be the story I didn't know I wanted.
Two of my favorite things are characterization and worldbuilding. I love to discover more about characters: their history, their hopes and fears, their secrets, their little quirks. And I love visiting unexplored corners of a world, whether it's a POW camp in Germany, a subculture of gay British men during the Second World War, or an Oxford police station in the 1960s. Details are divine; plot is, for me, non-compulsory. (If you write plot, I envy your skill and would be glad to have plot in my story. But if you don't, I'd be just as pleased with a slice-of-life tale or some in-depth character
I love male/male slash, but if that's not your cup of tea, gen is absolutely welcome! I've tried to give gen prompts as well as slashy ones for each request. I'm not much interested in het, though, so I'd rather the story didn't focus on a heterosexual relationship.
Along similar lines, if you do write a pairing story, don't feel obliged to include a sex scene if you'd rather not or if you don't think it develops the characters or the emotional arc. Some stories need a sex scene and others don't; I'm not a huge fan of porn for porn's sake, and I'm every bit as happy with a nonexplicit story as a porntastic one. If you do include a sex scene, my taste is pretty vanilla; in particular I'm not a fan of hitting, humiliation (I have a huge embarrassment squick), or formalized dominance/submission dynamics.
In general I enjoy a wide range of styles and tones. I like happy stories and melancholy stories, straightforward narratives and stylistic experiments, missing scenes and metacommentary, canon-compliance and what-ifs, backstory and futurefic. Feel free to take an idea and run with it.
There are a few things that distress or squick me, however. I ask that you not write something that features a rape scene or even an off-screen rape that's a major story element. Also, while I'm fine with stories including or addressing issues of homophobia and transphobia, I'd rather not receive something terribly bleak about the victimization of queer characters.
In terms of genre, I like AUs of the "what if X canonical event happened differently" type, but not extreme AU/alternate reality stories where all the characters are vampires, baristas, high school students, etc. As for crossovers, I tend to consider almost everything set during the World Wars to be part of one big fandom, so if you want to cross, for example, Colditz with The Charioteer or the Wimseyverse with Regeneration, feel free! And while we're on the subject of genre, Christmas-themed stories are welcome for any of my requested fandoms, especially if they're slightly bittersweet rather than pure fluff. I not-so-secretly love Christmas as a tradition; however, I am an atheist and I'm not especially interested in a religious-themed story. Writing from the POV of Christian or culturally-Christian characters is absolutely fine, but I'd rather not feel that the story itself is promoting a religious view.
For any of my requests, you're welcome to include any other characters from the source, not just the ones I specifically requested.
Below, I've reposted my requests along with information on source availability. In some cases there are also links to my posts about the fandoms, in case you find that kind of thing helpful.
Biggles - W E Johns
James Bigglesworth
When we first meet Biggles in "The White Fokker," he's showing the stress of war: he's always unconsciously fidgeting with his tunic fastening and he's got "an irritating little falsetto laugh" that he can't seem to suppress. I'd love a story with this Biggles rather than the imperviously heroic Biggles of the later books. A story where he actually develops shell-shock or "war neurosis" would be great, or if you want to keep things a little lighter, a story where his nerves drive him into one of his ridiculously dangerous adventures would be very welcome too. So would a character study or a friendship or slash story in which Algy tries to comfort and look after him. A crossover with the BBC series Wings or with Pat Barker's Regeneration trilogy (I don't know if Craiglockhart historically treated RFC officers, but it's a cool premise) would be lovely if you feel so inclined. I should note that although Biggles's thwarted affair with Marie Janis is canonically the cause of his near-breakdown at the end of The Camels Are Coming, I'd prefer a story that didn't focus on that.
Source availability: Mostly out of print, I think, but many are available secondhand or through other online means.
The Charioteer - Mary Renault
Bim Taylor
Bim only appears in one scene, but in a few short pages he subverts The Charioteer's mostly negative depiction of camp and/or feminine gay men. Bim is camp and a war hero, and I'd love any story that shows both sides of his character. It would be fascinating to see him in an RAF context: does he tone down the camp then, or is he, as some men historically were, happily outrageous? Is he friends with the other men in his squadron, and do they know he's gay? Is he part of a gay circle in the RAF? Does he see his camp social self as separate from his almost iconically masculine role as a fighter pilot, or are they a continuity for him? If the RAF side of things doesn't interest you, seeing Bim's friendships or socializing with other gay men during the war would also be great, as would backstory. Feel free to bring in other characters from the novel, but I'd prefer that Bim's unrequited love for Ralph not be the main focus. You can certainly mention it, but I think there's a lot more to him than this bit of private unhappiness.
Source availability: In print and also easy to find secondhand.
Additional notes: I've posted about The Charioteer here if you're curious.
Colditz (1972)
George Brent
You could go two ways with this request: you could actually write about George (I love him!) or you could background him and focus on just about any other character (I love most of them too!).
My favorite thing about George, if you want to write about on him, is that he's not a fearless, heroic escaper. He's neurotic, pessimistic, nervous, depression-prone, and sensitive, and he's also witty and artistically gifted. I'd be thrilled to receive something that explores him in more depth than canon could manage, whether it's backstory, futurefic, a slice-of-Colditz-life story, etc. I should note that although George is canonically married, I read him pretty definitely as gay. Gen fic that doesn't get into sexuality would be absolutely welcome if you don't want to take the character in that direction, but I'd prefer not to get a het pairing story about George. On the slash side, I find him shippable with almost everyone except Phil Carrington, of whom I'm not especially fond.
If you want to focus on someone else, I'd be happy with a story about any of the regulars except Phil Carrington (this includes the German characters--I really like the Kommandant and Ulmann, and I'm fascinated in a horrified way by Mohn if you want to try your hand at him), or about the more interesting minor characters such as Larry Page or Harry Turner.
Source availability: Out on DVD in the UK; some episodes are on YouTube (search by episode title, not series title), but the visual and sound quality there ranges from poor to terrible.
Additional notes: I've posted a lot about Colditz, but please don't feel you have to pay any attention to my ridiculously elaborate head-canon. A fresh interpretation or the story I couldn't have thought of would be very welcome.
Endeavour
Fred Thursday
Thursday is a solid, stable mentor, but occasionally the canon hints at a lot more complexity, and I'd love to see that explored. Backstory about Thursday's experiences during the Second World War (he would have seen some bitter combat during the Italian campaign) or after the war as he readjusts to civilian life would be great. I'd also be delighted with Endeavour-era fic that includes Morse. I find their emotional back-and-forth compelling, with Thursday offering closeness and Morse sometimes accepting and sometimes unwilling (unable?) to accept. Slash would be very welcome, but so would an exploration of Thursday as a substitute father (or both--pseudo-incest is cool with me!).
Source availability: Out on DVD in the UK and the US.
King Rat - James Clavell
Sean Jennison
Steven (King Rat)
We never see Sean and Steven interact in canon, which saddens me. I'd love a story with friendship, or at least queer solidarity, between them. A fix-it for what happens to Sean at the end of the novel would be welcome if you feel so inspired. I'd strongly prefer that there be no sex or romance between these characters, since Steven is gay and Sean is a trans* woman.
Source availability: Still in print, I believe, and fairly easy to find.
Lord Peter Wimsey - Dorothy L. Sayers
Peter Wimsey
Peter's contradictions, oddities, and lingering trauma fascinate me, and I'd be happy with any story that explores more of his character. A few suggestions: something about his war experiences or his shell-shock, or a case that has some kind of strong resonance for him, or a pure character study, or something about his relationship with his mother or with his friend Charles Parker. I'm extremely fond of Bunter, so if you wanted to write about Peter and Bunter (including slash, if you like), that would be lovely. I'd also be intrigued to read something about the gap between Peter's privileged status and the economic and social upheavals of the 20s and 30s--the kind of thing that The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club touches on. I would prefer that any story you write for me not include Peter/Harriet romance, but if you wanted to write an AU in which Peter and Harriet are platonic friends, that would be great.
Source availability: In print, easy to find.