Dear Yuletide Writer Letter
Oct. 1st, 2017 09:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
disgruntled_owlDear Yuletide Writer:
Thanks for participating in the exchange! I hope you enjoy the reading, writing, and excitement of Yuletide. A bit about me:
Relationships: I enjoy gen, het, slash, and femslash. Poly is less of a thing for me, but if you find it makes for a compelling story, go for it.
Likes: Gothic tales, May/December relationships, noir, silver foxes, mentor/student relationships, atmosphere, vampires, ghosts, period settings, sexual extortion, power dynamics, nature (forests, deserts, shores and swamps). Exploration of the minds and motives of villains. Fraught relationships (sexual frustration, longing, unrequited love).
Squicky about: cannibalism, bestiality, zombies, gratuitous graphic violence, scat/watersports, underage (see fandom specific details), body horror. Dub-con is okay; explicit non-con is iffy but not a deal breaker. I’d prefer not to read stories that focus on infidelity, though I know it can play a role in the backstories of some characters.
I’m good with missing scenes and canon divergence, but I like to stay in the world of the story, so I’m less interested in other types of AUs.
Some fandom specifics:
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) - George Smiley
I’d love a Smiley-focused story. He is my kind of hero-- reserved, clever, elegant, sensitive, perceptive. Someone who doesn’t always attract a lot of attention, but quietly observes until he knows when to strike. I really enjoyed Gary Oldman’s portrayal of him in this movie. His reservation and inscrutability makes those moments when he is vulnerable--catching Ann with Haydon at the Christmas party, or trying to negotiate with Karla--all the more powerful. Some ideas:
• A Smiley/Control pairing, or more background on their personal or professional relationship
• Another long, revelatory afternoon with Connie Sachs, discussing their memories and doubts about the Circus.
• More examples of Smiley being a crafty spy or mentoring prodigal spies similar to Ricky Tarr
• Cat and mouse games between Smiley and objects of his espionage or his political rivals
The Innocents (1961) – Any Characters
Among the greatest of ghost story films. I love its setting and mood--the gothic estate, the humid, overgrown environments, the spooky candlelit corridors--and would delight in a story that plays them up. Feel free to play around with any of the core characters. Missing scenes, prequel moments, or an exploration of the immediate aftermath would be especially enjoyable. Go deep into the sense of suspicion and unease, the sexual repression, the dread. Run with whatever strikes you, but here are some ideas anyhow:
• What did Flora or Miles experience when they were alone with the ghosts of Miss Jessel or Quint?
• What is Mrs. Grose’s inner life like as she tries to repress Miss Jessel and Quint’s deaths and the weird happenings that follow? What did she see of Quint and Miss Jessel’s troublesome behavior?
• What goes through Miss Giddens mind as she tries to process Miles’s flirtatious overtures?
• Miles might ultimately be “free” of Quint, but is Flora ever really free of Ms. Jessel?
I acknowledge that in the movie, sexual desires and energies are channeled through the children. That said, I’d prefer not to see them in explicit sexual situations (though I’m okay with such situations for the adult characters). If you’re going to explore these themes with the children, please keep things at the level of the film: kisses and creepy conversation.
Laura (1944) – Waldo Lydecker
Give me some dark moments with Waldo. Show me a glimpse of his sexual frustration and longing as Laura begins to pull away. Look over his shoulder as he tails Shelby Carpenter, trying to dig up dirt on his shady romantic rival. Describe the moment when he decides that it would be better to destroy Laura than to watch her go off with Shelby. Explore the scene after the murder is done. What’s going through his head? What does he think and feel when he starts to suspect that McPherson is in love with the memory of her, or when he realizes that his dreadful deed hasn’t extinguished Laura after all?
L.A. Quartet - James Ellroy - Dudley Smith
Dudley Smith is one of my all-time favorite villains. Cunning, vice-ridden, fueled by his twisted Catholicism and personal mysticism. Alternately charming and cruel, generous and bloodthirsty. I’d love a story from his point of view, or where he is the center of attention. Of the first L.A. Quartet, I’ve only read L.A. Confidential, but feel free to play around with aspects of the other novels if you prefer, or dip into the Second L.A. Quartet and follow him through the events before, during, or after Perfidia (set during the weeks just before and after Pearl Harbor).
Penny Dreadful (TV) - Sir Malcolm Murray, Vanessa Ives
I’m relatively new to this series, although I really like what I’ve seen so far. It’s what I had hoped the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen film would be. I love the Gothic horror tropes. Right now, Sir Malcolm Murray and Vanessa Ives are my favorite characters. I’d really enjoy a story about either one, or featuring them both. I’d be okay with a romantic pairing, a gen fic, or a story that explores some of the tensions between them, without digging too deep into Malcolm’s infidelities. Don’t worry about spoliers; I won’t be. I’m sure I’ll enjoy your story many times as I make my way through the show.
Spy – Aldo, Susan Cooper
I find myself contemplating the goofy, sexy banter between Susan and Aldo long after this movie is over. I really enjoyed the scene in the film where they are trying to help each other escape from Rayna’s bunker, and salacious hijinks ensue. I’d like something in that vein, particularly with the two of them on another mission together. Other characters from the movie are welcome, but I’d like to keep the focus on these two.
Happy writing! I look forward to reading the fruits of your creativity in December.
Thanks for participating in the exchange! I hope you enjoy the reading, writing, and excitement of Yuletide. A bit about me:
Relationships: I enjoy gen, het, slash, and femslash. Poly is less of a thing for me, but if you find it makes for a compelling story, go for it.
Likes: Gothic tales, May/December relationships, noir, silver foxes, mentor/student relationships, atmosphere, vampires, ghosts, period settings, sexual extortion, power dynamics, nature (forests, deserts, shores and swamps). Exploration of the minds and motives of villains. Fraught relationships (sexual frustration, longing, unrequited love).
Squicky about: cannibalism, bestiality, zombies, gratuitous graphic violence, scat/watersports, underage (see fandom specific details), body horror. Dub-con is okay; explicit non-con is iffy but not a deal breaker. I’d prefer not to read stories that focus on infidelity, though I know it can play a role in the backstories of some characters.
I’m good with missing scenes and canon divergence, but I like to stay in the world of the story, so I’m less interested in other types of AUs.
Some fandom specifics:
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) - George Smiley
I’d love a Smiley-focused story. He is my kind of hero-- reserved, clever, elegant, sensitive, perceptive. Someone who doesn’t always attract a lot of attention, but quietly observes until he knows when to strike. I really enjoyed Gary Oldman’s portrayal of him in this movie. His reservation and inscrutability makes those moments when he is vulnerable--catching Ann with Haydon at the Christmas party, or trying to negotiate with Karla--all the more powerful. Some ideas:
• A Smiley/Control pairing, or more background on their personal or professional relationship
• Another long, revelatory afternoon with Connie Sachs, discussing their memories and doubts about the Circus.
• More examples of Smiley being a crafty spy or mentoring prodigal spies similar to Ricky Tarr
• Cat and mouse games between Smiley and objects of his espionage or his political rivals
The Innocents (1961) – Any Characters
Among the greatest of ghost story films. I love its setting and mood--the gothic estate, the humid, overgrown environments, the spooky candlelit corridors--and would delight in a story that plays them up. Feel free to play around with any of the core characters. Missing scenes, prequel moments, or an exploration of the immediate aftermath would be especially enjoyable. Go deep into the sense of suspicion and unease, the sexual repression, the dread. Run with whatever strikes you, but here are some ideas anyhow:
• What did Flora or Miles experience when they were alone with the ghosts of Miss Jessel or Quint?
• What is Mrs. Grose’s inner life like as she tries to repress Miss Jessel and Quint’s deaths and the weird happenings that follow? What did she see of Quint and Miss Jessel’s troublesome behavior?
• What goes through Miss Giddens mind as she tries to process Miles’s flirtatious overtures?
• Miles might ultimately be “free” of Quint, but is Flora ever really free of Ms. Jessel?
I acknowledge that in the movie, sexual desires and energies are channeled through the children. That said, I’d prefer not to see them in explicit sexual situations (though I’m okay with such situations for the adult characters). If you’re going to explore these themes with the children, please keep things at the level of the film: kisses and creepy conversation.
Laura (1944) – Waldo Lydecker
Give me some dark moments with Waldo. Show me a glimpse of his sexual frustration and longing as Laura begins to pull away. Look over his shoulder as he tails Shelby Carpenter, trying to dig up dirt on his shady romantic rival. Describe the moment when he decides that it would be better to destroy Laura than to watch her go off with Shelby. Explore the scene after the murder is done. What’s going through his head? What does he think and feel when he starts to suspect that McPherson is in love with the memory of her, or when he realizes that his dreadful deed hasn’t extinguished Laura after all?
L.A. Quartet - James Ellroy - Dudley Smith
Dudley Smith is one of my all-time favorite villains. Cunning, vice-ridden, fueled by his twisted Catholicism and personal mysticism. Alternately charming and cruel, generous and bloodthirsty. I’d love a story from his point of view, or where he is the center of attention. Of the first L.A. Quartet, I’ve only read L.A. Confidential, but feel free to play around with aspects of the other novels if you prefer, or dip into the Second L.A. Quartet and follow him through the events before, during, or after Perfidia (set during the weeks just before and after Pearl Harbor).
Penny Dreadful (TV) - Sir Malcolm Murray, Vanessa Ives
I’m relatively new to this series, although I really like what I’ve seen so far. It’s what I had hoped the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen film would be. I love the Gothic horror tropes. Right now, Sir Malcolm Murray and Vanessa Ives are my favorite characters. I’d really enjoy a story about either one, or featuring them both. I’d be okay with a romantic pairing, a gen fic, or a story that explores some of the tensions between them, without digging too deep into Malcolm’s infidelities. Don’t worry about spoliers; I won’t be. I’m sure I’ll enjoy your story many times as I make my way through the show.
Spy – Aldo, Susan Cooper
I find myself contemplating the goofy, sexy banter between Susan and Aldo long after this movie is over. I really enjoyed the scene in the film where they are trying to help each other escape from Rayna’s bunker, and salacious hijinks ensue. I’d like something in that vein, particularly with the two of them on another mission together. Other characters from the movie are welcome, but I’d like to keep the focus on these two.
Happy writing! I look forward to reading the fruits of your creativity in December.
