Dear Yuletide Writer

[regndoft]

Dear Yuletide Writer,

Thank you for being here. No, really; if you’re anything like me you’re going to have a lot on your hands at this time of the year and plan on using some of your spare time to indulge a stranger on the internet as well as yourself. If you’re even more like me, you would like some idea of your recipient’s preferences, and maybe even a couple of suggestions if inspiration doesn’t strike immediately.

Of course, this being Yuletide, optional details are optional and you are free to do your own thing – I only wish to help, just in case.

To me, Yuletide is mainly a chance to expand and explore works that don’t get much love in the way of fandom. I adore character studies; elaborate and plotty stuff isn’t too important. I don’t have any ships in these tiny unloved canons, therefore I’m more than fine with gen!fic – though I don’t mind shippy stuff as long as it doesn’t distract from the focus of the story.

I prefer no gratuitous sex and/or violence, though for a couple of these requests one or both are pretty common in canon, and writing them would be in line with the source material; I guess a better way of putting it would be, I don’t mind sex and violence but if I wanted a PWP I have several major fandoms that would provide. Same thing goes for crack!fic.

Palimpsest: As I mentioned in the sign-up, I adore the world-building of this novel, so if you wanted to work with that, I’d love it. Something dealing with the characters’ life after the end of the story, or perhaps a story with the city itself as the main character (because surely it’s so present in the novel it could just as well have been) are two options. A story expanding on the minor characters, the ones that changed our protagonists’ lived and the ones that got left behind could also be interesting.

(I know I have listed November and Ludovico in the character tags, but don’t feel obligated to include them. They resonated the strongest with me when I read it, but I do believe I’d love a Palimpsest story even if they weren’t included.)

A Study in Emerald: Okay, I lied before; I do ship Holmes/Watson, and this is a Holmes story. If you want to include that pairing I’d appreciate it, but it’s nothing I covet. Mostly I’m simply fascinated with the premise of this story (despite only having passing knowledge of Lovecraft’s works) and would like to see more of that world.

Deathless: Repeating myself again to say that I am a complete sucker for Russian folklore as well as meta, which is why I love this book. If you use that there is a 95% chance I’ll love it. As the novel draws on folk tales, archetypes and recurring themes are stellar parts of the narrative, which means there’s quite a bit to work with. Just a couple of suggestions: a further exploration of Ivan the Fool (it’s not like there isn’t a lot to go on!); the Yelenas and Vasilisas and their stories; missing scenes of Marya’s first time in Buyan and how she made friends there.

Rome: I have a weak spot for the female characters in this series, but I’d appreciate pretty much any character in focus (the only ones I don’t particularly care for are Marc Antony and Cleopatra, and I’m only mentioning this because, you know, Shakespeare and everyone’s mother ships it).

This got longer than expected. Hopefully I have only helped and not made you fret. I promise I’m quite easy to please; receiving a fic is a privilege in itself and the content of this post shouldn’t be seen as anything but suggestions.

That being said, thank you once again, and good luck. <3

// Mathilda.

Comments

[megkips.livejournal.com]

For all the s2 is rushed, the character writing in it is so solid and just. Atia. Her entire story is so well done, and I love that the writers have said that they ignored the historical date of her death simply because they liked her character too much. Honestly though, all of the women of Rome are amazing, and I love that they impact the plot just as much - if not more - than the dudes in this series.

And I will never be over Niobe or Vorenus' terrible self blame cycle.

(Also this book is worth your time (http://www.amazon.com/Rome-Season-One-History-Television/dp/1405167750/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351977446&sr=1-5&keywords=rome+hbo) if you can get it)

[taiyou_to_tsuki.livejournal.com]

It's rather interesting, since I remember Rome earned something of a reputation for being, you know, a stellar HBO series and therefore very heavy on the sex and violence... and while the sex and violence didn't always feel necessary, it never took away from the female characters' agencies, to me. If anything, it actually made it stronger, because there were (and still is) only a limited amount of ways for a woman to get what she wanted sometimes, and it's... crude, but it didn't make me uncomfortable. They still had such a strong presence, influencing events - sometimes by using their bodies.

And Atia is such an amazingly layered character, both repulsive and deeply sympathetic; her ending is perhaps the most inspiring, in a way. She holds her head so high even after all her loss and sacrifice.

Man, there is nothing about the s1 finale that is ok except I guess Titus Pullo. And then s2 happens. Which is just... a study in tragedy if there ever was one. Brutus. Servilia. Everyone. D:

(It looks really interesting, but a tad expensive. I have so many books I need to put on my Christmas List. I've been meaning to look for a good, comprehensible book on Ancient Greek history, since I'm studying the language and all. Persians fucking everywhere, I swear to God.)

[megkips.livejournal.com]

Your mention of sex on Rome is actually one of the reasons I've looked at what it contains and have gone, "this is one of the few HBO series where the sex is not overly gratitious and actually acts as solid characterization and sometimes advances the plot." It's such a stark contrast to Game of Thrones and how it uses sex, and remains one of the few series where I'm not completely grossed out by it. It's a part of the world and an organic appendage. (Rome and GoT are fairly similar, mostly because the Lannisters are the cheap, faily version of the Julii.)

Atia is the third main character of the series, I will CUT people who argue otherwise.

Yeah, s2 just makes everything worse unless you're Titus Pullo, and even then it's terrible. Or maybe Octavian. But then history and I Claudius happens to Octavian. (I like to pretend that I Claudius is 100% a part of Rome's continuity and eventually Simon Woods evolves into Brian Blessed.)

(You may be able to get it via interlibrary loan.)

[taiyou_to_tsuki.livejournal.com]

It's strangely refreshing in a way. I... probably could've done without it, but it's nice with a series where the sex has a purpose instead of making me feel alienated? Hmm. Haven't seen Game of Thrones and don't really feel tempted to, so I'm afraid I can't comment on that (I don't make a habit of watching series that just make me feel more or less miserable, really).

I wonder if we can count any character who was introduced in the first episode and still alive by the end of s2 as a main character... because there aren't many of those, really.

Ah, I Claudius. Another of those series everyone, including my parents, keep telling me to watch. Considering how many friends I have with a weak spot for Derek Jacobi (more than you'd think, I promise) I probably should get around to that at some point.