Dear Yuletide Writer
Oct. 21st, 2023 13:04![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
evil_plotbunnySince I've got a bad track record of actually replacing my placeholders, here are my sign-up prompts, at least. Hopefully to be edited to a proper letter this evening.
AO3 name: hhertzof
Enter Three Witches - Kate Gilmore
Bren West (Enter Three)
Worldbuilding (Enter Three)
Miranda West (Enter Three)
Bob West (Enter Three)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags; or it may use exceptions I explain in the form
I thought about nominating Rose, Louise, Erika or Eli, but what I'm really interested in here is Bren's family relationships and magical worldbuilding. However, I love them all, so include them if you choose.
For the family relationships, I'd be interested in learning more about Bob and Miranda's relationship - whether it's how they met, their break-up or the hints at the end of the book that they might be getting back together. In the book it's very much a teenage boy's perspective of his parents, which is perfect in context but left me wanting to know what he wasn't seeing. This is my exception to all characters, because if you go back to the beginning of Bob & Miranda's relationship, I wouldn't expect Bren to show up.
For the worldbuilding, build on what we see and what we don't see. The author is very good at hinting at a magical community hidden within our world, but unlike in modern urban fantasy, we only get one book to see it. There's clearly multiple non-exclusive traditions around, and I'd like to see Bren exploring more of that world (possibly introducing Eli or Erika to stuff Bren takes for granted.
Warnings section (If you don't know this fandom): This was published in the 90s and is very dated in some ways, especially in its handling of diversity, especially when it comes to Louise. There's some hints of dubious usage of magic to force other people to do things and mentions of necromancy.
DNW Section: I'd rather not have anything above PG-13 (horror or smut)- though I don't mind shipping (het/femslash/slash are all fine, incestuous pairings not so much), I'm not really in this for the smut and I'd prefer that all of the characters stayed alive.
Jordon Family Series - Janet Lambert
Gwenn Jordon
Alice Jordon
Andrea "Tippy" Parrish
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags; or it may use exceptions I explain in the form
This is one of those fandoms where I've been trying to make fic happen for years. The problem is that it's several different series intertwined, and was out of print for many years. It's currently in print from a small press, but you wouldn't know about it unless you were looking specifically for books published in this era (1940s-1970s).
I hesitate to call this a teen romance series, though there is romance in it. It's more like a sprawling military family saga. The characters grow up, marry, start families and fade into the background as their younger sisters or cousins or children take center stage. The Parrish and the Jordan series start off separate, and then crossover, with some intermarriage between the two families along the way.
I've chosen one subseries, at the point where the two families (Parrishes and Jordons) are getting to know each other (before all the intermarriage happens). Alice and Tippy meet on the army base where their fathers are stationed and quickly become the best of friends. I love the way their friendship is portrayed in canon, from making a pact at a young age to marry each other's brothers, to the point in the series where three subseries collide at the airport when Tippy comes home from Europe.
Gwenn is Alice's older sister, and the "bad example" of the bunch...she starts out merely petulant and a little selfish, and later in the series elopes with a former child star, and yet there are periodic hints that she's not all bad.
I'd like either teenage hijinks with all three or possibly a story later in life when they're grown-up and married and either catching each other up on their lives/dealing with some sort of crisis (possibly getting Gwenn out of another scrape). I'd rather not have anything set during or after A Bright Tomorrow (I love the book, but there's a tragedy which changes everything). I love the flavor of the books, but I wouldn't mind the addition of a bit more modern outlook on certain topics.
Tippy does have her own series , but Janet Lambert is good at recapping what you need to know. Alice & Gwenn are featured in books 2-3 of the Jordon series, after which they're backgrounded to let younger sisters Susan and then Bitsy take the stage.
Warnings section (If you don't know this fandom): This was published in the middle part of the 20th century and is very dated in some ways, especially in its handling of diversity, sexism, and so many other things. There are hints that Gwenn takes stimulants, seditives, and drinks to excess after her marriage (but it was very much a teen series of its time so this is glossed over). The World War II parts contain an overdose of US patriotism (though not as bad as Little Miss Atlas, in which Tippy's father is stationed in Germany after the war). There are at least two major character deaths over the course of the series.
DNW Section: I'd rather not have anything above PG-13 (horror or smut)- though I don't mind shipping (het/femslash/slash are all fine, incestuous pairings not so much), I'm not really in this for the smut and I'd prefer that all of the characters stayed alive. I also don't want to see Gwenn portrayed as unredeemable.
Chalet School - Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
Worldbuilding (Chalet School)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)
There's a great selection of characters in the tagset, so use as many or as few as you like and feel free to add in other characters who weren't nominated.
There are so many great worldbuilding possibilities here, including but not limited to:
* The school, it's customs and traditions
* The various transitions that were just elided over - school rules and arrangements change behind the scenes and it's referenced in a throw-away sentence
* The world EBD is writing in, which seems more and more stuck in the past and/or her ideosyncracies (put up your hair, marry a doctor, how does the school still have pupils after so many have gotten badly hurt?, Joey sees all, Joey knows all, we all obey Joey and/or our one and only Mary Lou)
Some possible prompts:
Multiple mistresses working together on something (most of the characters nominated are staff, so go wild here)
What would the school look like in 2023?
Does Margot stick with her plan of becoming a nun, or does she realize it's not for her, throw it over and go to Australia to be with Emmy and study medicine?
Alternately Margot and Robin discussing Margot's plan to join a holy order, either before it is announced in the books or after Margot has been with her order for a while.
Warnings section (If you don't know this fandom): This was published in the middle part of the 20th century and is very dated in some ways, especially in its handling of diversity, sexism, and so many other things. Lots of falling off cliffs, marrying doctors, and occasionally being given sedatives without consent.
DNW Section: I'd rather not have anything above PG-13 (horror or smut)- though I don't mind shipping (het/femslash/slash are all fine, incestuous pairings not so much), I'm not really in this for the smut and I'd prefer that all of the characters stayed alive (canonical deaths are fine, but see above re: A Bright Tomorrow).
The Trixie Belden Mysteries - Julie Campbell Tatham & Kathryn Kenny
Trixie Belden
Honey Wheeler
Diana "Di" Lynch
Hallie Belden
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)
While I've often written this fandom, I don't think I've ever requested it for yuletide, so here goes.
I used to resent the books that excluded Di from the narrative. and I always feel like we never learn as much about her as Trixie and Honey. I imagine Hallie is polarizing, but I always liked the way she and Trixie interacted. And I love the way Trixie and Honey complement each other's strengths, weaknesses and experiences/view of the world. We've got four distinct personalities here and I'd like to see them having a bit of time together.
So I'd like a story focused on the four girls doing something (with or without the boys) - it could be solving a mystery, prepping a party or event, or just having a girls' night in. If you want to go the route of future fic, I wouldn't object to a reunion at a shower (wedding or baby), or some other where are they now scenario.
Warnings section (If you don't know this fandom): This was published in the middle of the 20th century and is very dated in some ways, especially in its handling of diversity. It's pretty tame but the usual of its era warnings apply
DNW Section: I'd rather not have anything above PG-13 (horror or smut)- though I don't mind shipping (het/femslash/slash are all fine, incestuous pairings not so much), I'm not really in this for the smut and I'd prefer that all of the characters stayed alive. I'm also not a fan of bashing characters, if you don't like Di or Hallie, I'd rather not know that.
Rani Takes on the World (Big Finish Audio Drama)
Rani Chandra (Rani Takes on the World)
Clyde Langer (Rani Takes on the World)
Samira Rustami
Sarah Jane Smith (Rani Takes on the World)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)
I wasn't sure how I would feel about the continuing adventures of Clyde and Rani, but I mostly loved it. Samira is an excellent new character and I like where Clyde and Rani have found themselves as adults, even if they're not where they expected/wanted to be. I'm looking forward to seeing Luke show up in the 2nd set (so feel free to include him, if you want).
I included Sarah Jane because her influence weaves its way through the other characters' lives and there's at least one flashback where she is present but doesn't speak. Also time travel forms the backbone of this universe and there were hints in Farewell, Sarah Jane that maybe her death was faked. She doesn't have to appear in the present day as a character, but her influence should be a part of the story.
Possible prompts:
* A younger Sarah Jane shows up via time travel, with or without the Doctor
* Other time travel shenanigans
* The Trickster
* The Doctor (any Doctor/any companions) runs into Clyde and Rani.
* Explaning stuff to Samira, Samira being awesome.
* Clyde dealing with the aftermath of the events in set one with regard to his "girlfriend"
I don't mind the Clyde/Rani endgame stuff the writers seem to be fixed on, but it's never seemed necessary to me. Write them as friends or as a couple as you choose.
DNW Section: I'd rather not have anything above PG-13 (horror or smut)- though I don't mind shipping (het/femslash/slash are all fine, incestuous pairings not so much), I'm not really in this for the smut and I'd prefer that all of the characters stayed alive (for Sarah Jane, she can be dead in the past, but I'd rather not have a fic focused specifically on her death or the other characters' grief).
Morgan Swift Series - Various Authors
Morgan Swift
Sally Jackson (Morgan Swift)
Jenny Wu
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)
Ah, the mysterious Sam. I think it's time Jenny and Sally met him (or her, I'm not picky) and/or learned more about them. Awesome adventures. Crossovers welcome but not required. Or maybe flashback fic about Morgan's life before Coolidge High. Her summer of surfing/when she met Sting/that Colorado dig.
Morgan Swift was an impossibly awesome high school teacher/adventurer with a mysterious past (think female Indiana Jones/Mary Sue), Sally and Jenny were her two students (best friends despite being very different) who got involved in adventures with her and Sam was mentioned about once a book - a mysterious romance/possible tragedy in Morgan's past. Anyway, adventure, possible romance, mysterious Sam - my wants are simple.
These seem to be easily available used on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. This was a very short series from the 80s - 3 books by Martine Lesley, one by Susan Saunders (which I tend to ignore as it replaces Jenny and Sally with two bland twins and manages to make Morgan Swift bland as well) and two "Find Your Fate" (choose your own adventures) type books which were awful. Feel free to just focus on the Martine Lesley books and ignore the rest.
As much as I like the tone of the books, they were very much of their time, and you should feel free to give them a more modern take. This especially applies to Morgan, who was portrayed on the covers as a white woman, but is also, in one of the books, described as looking as Nefertiti. It wouldn't be the first time a book cover was wrong.
Warnings section (If you don't know this fandom): This was published in the 80s and is very dated in some ways, especially in its handling of diversity. It's pretty tame but the usual of its era warnings apply, plus a warning for a character (villain) pretending to be Asian in one book, and off-screen character death/tragic backstory.
DNW Section: I'd rather not have anything above PG-13 (horror or smut)- though I don't mind shipping (het/femslash/slash are all fine, incestuous pairings not so much), I'm not really in this for the smut and I'd prefer that all of the characters stayed alive (canonical deaths are fine).
AO3 name: hhertzof
Enter Three Witches - Kate Gilmore
Bren West (Enter Three)
Worldbuilding (Enter Three)
Miranda West (Enter Three)
Bob West (Enter Three)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags; or it may use exceptions I explain in the form
I thought about nominating Rose, Louise, Erika or Eli, but what I'm really interested in here is Bren's family relationships and magical worldbuilding. However, I love them all, so include them if you choose.
For the family relationships, I'd be interested in learning more about Bob and Miranda's relationship - whether it's how they met, their break-up or the hints at the end of the book that they might be getting back together. In the book it's very much a teenage boy's perspective of his parents, which is perfect in context but left me wanting to know what he wasn't seeing. This is my exception to all characters, because if you go back to the beginning of Bob & Miranda's relationship, I wouldn't expect Bren to show up.
For the worldbuilding, build on what we see and what we don't see. The author is very good at hinting at a magical community hidden within our world, but unlike in modern urban fantasy, we only get one book to see it. There's clearly multiple non-exclusive traditions around, and I'd like to see Bren exploring more of that world (possibly introducing Eli or Erika to stuff Bren takes for granted.
Warnings section (If you don't know this fandom): This was published in the 90s and is very dated in some ways, especially in its handling of diversity, especially when it comes to Louise. There's some hints of dubious usage of magic to force other people to do things and mentions of necromancy.
DNW Section: I'd rather not have anything above PG-13 (horror or smut)- though I don't mind shipping (het/femslash/slash are all fine, incestuous pairings not so much), I'm not really in this for the smut and I'd prefer that all of the characters stayed alive.
Jordon Family Series - Janet Lambert
Gwenn Jordon
Alice Jordon
Andrea "Tippy" Parrish
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags; or it may use exceptions I explain in the form
This is one of those fandoms where I've been trying to make fic happen for years. The problem is that it's several different series intertwined, and was out of print for many years. It's currently in print from a small press, but you wouldn't know about it unless you were looking specifically for books published in this era (1940s-1970s).
I hesitate to call this a teen romance series, though there is romance in it. It's more like a sprawling military family saga. The characters grow up, marry, start families and fade into the background as their younger sisters or cousins or children take center stage. The Parrish and the Jordan series start off separate, and then crossover, with some intermarriage between the two families along the way.
I've chosen one subseries, at the point where the two families (Parrishes and Jordons) are getting to know each other (before all the intermarriage happens). Alice and Tippy meet on the army base where their fathers are stationed and quickly become the best of friends. I love the way their friendship is portrayed in canon, from making a pact at a young age to marry each other's brothers, to the point in the series where three subseries collide at the airport when Tippy comes home from Europe.
Gwenn is Alice's older sister, and the "bad example" of the bunch...she starts out merely petulant and a little selfish, and later in the series elopes with a former child star, and yet there are periodic hints that she's not all bad.
I'd like either teenage hijinks with all three or possibly a story later in life when they're grown-up and married and either catching each other up on their lives/dealing with some sort of crisis (possibly getting Gwenn out of another scrape). I'd rather not have anything set during or after A Bright Tomorrow (I love the book, but there's a tragedy which changes everything). I love the flavor of the books, but I wouldn't mind the addition of a bit more modern outlook on certain topics.
Tippy does have her own series , but Janet Lambert is good at recapping what you need to know. Alice & Gwenn are featured in books 2-3 of the Jordon series, after which they're backgrounded to let younger sisters Susan and then Bitsy take the stage.
Warnings section (If you don't know this fandom): This was published in the middle part of the 20th century and is very dated in some ways, especially in its handling of diversity, sexism, and so many other things. There are hints that Gwenn takes stimulants, seditives, and drinks to excess after her marriage (but it was very much a teen series of its time so this is glossed over). The World War II parts contain an overdose of US patriotism (though not as bad as Little Miss Atlas, in which Tippy's father is stationed in Germany after the war). There are at least two major character deaths over the course of the series.
DNW Section: I'd rather not have anything above PG-13 (horror or smut)- though I don't mind shipping (het/femslash/slash are all fine, incestuous pairings not so much), I'm not really in this for the smut and I'd prefer that all of the characters stayed alive. I also don't want to see Gwenn portrayed as unredeemable.
Chalet School - Elinor M. Brent-Dyer
Worldbuilding (Chalet School)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)
There's a great selection of characters in the tagset, so use as many or as few as you like and feel free to add in other characters who weren't nominated.
There are so many great worldbuilding possibilities here, including but not limited to:
* The school, it's customs and traditions
* The various transitions that were just elided over - school rules and arrangements change behind the scenes and it's referenced in a throw-away sentence
* The world EBD is writing in, which seems more and more stuck in the past and/or her ideosyncracies (put up your hair, marry a doctor, how does the school still have pupils after so many have gotten badly hurt?, Joey sees all, Joey knows all, we all obey Joey and/or our one and only Mary Lou)
Some possible prompts:
Multiple mistresses working together on something (most of the characters nominated are staff, so go wild here)
What would the school look like in 2023?
Does Margot stick with her plan of becoming a nun, or does she realize it's not for her, throw it over and go to Australia to be with Emmy and study medicine?
Alternately Margot and Robin discussing Margot's plan to join a holy order, either before it is announced in the books or after Margot has been with her order for a while.
Warnings section (If you don't know this fandom): This was published in the middle part of the 20th century and is very dated in some ways, especially in its handling of diversity, sexism, and so many other things. Lots of falling off cliffs, marrying doctors, and occasionally being given sedatives without consent.
DNW Section: I'd rather not have anything above PG-13 (horror or smut)- though I don't mind shipping (het/femslash/slash are all fine, incestuous pairings not so much), I'm not really in this for the smut and I'd prefer that all of the characters stayed alive (canonical deaths are fine, but see above re: A Bright Tomorrow).
The Trixie Belden Mysteries - Julie Campbell Tatham & Kathryn Kenny
Trixie Belden
Honey Wheeler
Diana "Di" Lynch
Hallie Belden
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)
While I've often written this fandom, I don't think I've ever requested it for yuletide, so here goes.
I used to resent the books that excluded Di from the narrative. and I always feel like we never learn as much about her as Trixie and Honey. I imagine Hallie is polarizing, but I always liked the way she and Trixie interacted. And I love the way Trixie and Honey complement each other's strengths, weaknesses and experiences/view of the world. We've got four distinct personalities here and I'd like to see them having a bit of time together.
So I'd like a story focused on the four girls doing something (with or without the boys) - it could be solving a mystery, prepping a party or event, or just having a girls' night in. If you want to go the route of future fic, I wouldn't object to a reunion at a shower (wedding or baby), or some other where are they now scenario.
Warnings section (If you don't know this fandom): This was published in the middle of the 20th century and is very dated in some ways, especially in its handling of diversity. It's pretty tame but the usual of its era warnings apply
DNW Section: I'd rather not have anything above PG-13 (horror or smut)- though I don't mind shipping (het/femslash/slash are all fine, incestuous pairings not so much), I'm not really in this for the smut and I'd prefer that all of the characters stayed alive. I'm also not a fan of bashing characters, if you don't like Di or Hallie, I'd rather not know that.
Rani Takes on the World (Big Finish Audio Drama)
Rani Chandra (Rani Takes on the World)
Clyde Langer (Rani Takes on the World)
Samira Rustami
Sarah Jane Smith (Rani Takes on the World)
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)
I wasn't sure how I would feel about the continuing adventures of Clyde and Rani, but I mostly loved it. Samira is an excellent new character and I like where Clyde and Rani have found themselves as adults, even if they're not where they expected/wanted to be. I'm looking forward to seeing Luke show up in the 2nd set (so feel free to include him, if you want).
I included Sarah Jane because her influence weaves its way through the other characters' lives and there's at least one flashback where she is present but doesn't speak. Also time travel forms the backbone of this universe and there were hints in Farewell, Sarah Jane that maybe her death was faked. She doesn't have to appear in the present day as a character, but her influence should be a part of the story.
Possible prompts:
* A younger Sarah Jane shows up via time travel, with or without the Doctor
* Other time travel shenanigans
* The Trickster
* The Doctor (any Doctor/any companions) runs into Clyde and Rani.
* Explaning stuff to Samira, Samira being awesome.
* Clyde dealing with the aftermath of the events in set one with regard to his "girlfriend"
I don't mind the Clyde/Rani endgame stuff the writers seem to be fixed on, but it's never seemed necessary to me. Write them as friends or as a couple as you choose.
DNW Section: I'd rather not have anything above PG-13 (horror or smut)- though I don't mind shipping (het/femslash/slash are all fine, incestuous pairings not so much), I'm not really in this for the smut and I'd prefer that all of the characters stayed alive (for Sarah Jane, she can be dead in the past, but I'd rather not have a fic focused specifically on her death or the other characters' grief).
Morgan Swift Series - Various Authors
Morgan Swift
Sally Jackson (Morgan Swift)
Jenny Wu
My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)
Ah, the mysterious Sam. I think it's time Jenny and Sally met him (or her, I'm not picky) and/or learned more about them. Awesome adventures. Crossovers welcome but not required. Or maybe flashback fic about Morgan's life before Coolidge High. Her summer of surfing/when she met Sting/that Colorado dig.
Morgan Swift was an impossibly awesome high school teacher/adventurer with a mysterious past (think female Indiana Jones/Mary Sue), Sally and Jenny were her two students (best friends despite being very different) who got involved in adventures with her and Sam was mentioned about once a book - a mysterious romance/possible tragedy in Morgan's past. Anyway, adventure, possible romance, mysterious Sam - my wants are simple.
These seem to be easily available used on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. This was a very short series from the 80s - 3 books by Martine Lesley, one by Susan Saunders (which I tend to ignore as it replaces Jenny and Sally with two bland twins and manages to make Morgan Swift bland as well) and two "Find Your Fate" (choose your own adventures) type books which were awful. Feel free to just focus on the Martine Lesley books and ignore the rest.
As much as I like the tone of the books, they were very much of their time, and you should feel free to give them a more modern take. This especially applies to Morgan, who was portrayed on the covers as a white woman, but is also, in one of the books, described as looking as Nefertiti. It wouldn't be the first time a book cover was wrong.
Warnings section (If you don't know this fandom): This was published in the 80s and is very dated in some ways, especially in its handling of diversity. It's pretty tame but the usual of its era warnings apply, plus a warning for a character (villain) pretending to be Asian in one book, and off-screen character death/tragic backstory.
DNW Section: I'd rather not have anything above PG-13 (horror or smut)- though I don't mind shipping (het/femslash/slash are all fine, incestuous pairings not so much), I'm not really in this for the smut and I'd prefer that all of the characters stayed alive (canonical deaths are fine).
