Yuletide 2013 Letter
Oct. 8th, 2013 09:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
argentum_lsIN PROGRESS
New TTP prompt added 11/11/13.
Dear Yuletide Writer,
Hi! We got matched, so we already have something important in common, right? Everything else is just frosting. I’m very much looking forward to the story you’re going to write and I want to make it as easy for you as possible. So, read on if you wish. And know that I know that ODAO.
My AO3 user name is LadySilver. I'm also on there under my pseud argentum-ls.
Loves
My main love is for plot. Stories without a conflict and resolution are great (and I’ve written more than a few!), but if you ask me the one thing that will truly make me bounce with joy: it’s plot. My tastes in plot are about as wide open as they can be. I love h/c, drama, angst, friendship, family, schmoop, casefic, and humor.
My favorite tropes are: Trapped!, Running Out of Time, Forced Confessions, and Unexpected Allies.
In general, I love character exploration and strong characterization. I love depictions of all kinds of relationships, not just sexual or romantic ones. Two of my favorite relationship dynamics are (pseudo)parent-child and best friend-best friend.
I love crossovers! If that’s up your alley, any live-action show that I’ve written about is fair game for a crossover. I keep a list right on my masterpost. If a crossover does pique your interest, feel free to modify the time setting or modify/ignore geographic settings of the show you're crossing in to better make the shows fit together. If you’re not a crossover writer, no problem; I’m not expecting one at all.
Since I’m not sure what fandom brought you here, I’ll discuss what I like about all of them generically. The common thread of my fandoms is that at least one of the characters has superpowers (or a superstate) that s/he/they have to keep secret from the world at large. I love secrets. I love seeing them kept (and the cost that keeping secrets invariably has), threatened, discovered, or revealed.
Each of my favorite shows is also set in someplace that more-or-less is the real world, with the obvious exception of the inclusion of the superstate. I like this juxtaposition of people trying to maintain a real world identity while dealing with things that no one else can understand. I'm always curious about how the superstate itself or its corollary restrictions influence, change, or challenge our characters' day-to-day lives.
For each of the fandoms listed, I’ve provided some story ideas. Feel free to use them, modify them, or ignore them. I’m one of those people who works best with prompts. Obviously, not everyone is. Write what compels you!
Dislikes
I’m not in a porn mood this year, though romance or low-rated (T/PG-13) sexual activity is perfectly fine. I really dislike character assassination and/or bashing. I’m not a huge fan of horror, and—despite my love of h/c—I don’t like torture-for-the-sake-of-torture (e.g. the Saw movies). I’m weird about AUs in regards to how much is too much, and have no taste for the coffee shop/bakery/mechanic/all!human style AU at all. I dislike stories where someone mis-overhears something, gets wildly upset, and refuses to address the issue. I’d like to think my favorite characters are more mature than that. Please no permanent character maiming or death. Also, I’m not generally into crack!fic.
THE TOMORROW PEOPLE -
As of this writing, the show has only just premiered so I don't know what I'm looking for in fic for it. I will try to keep my letter updated as we get new episodes. Adventure stories, backstories, speculation, character moments, etc. are all appreciated, with the full understanding that Jossing will happen.
The character I asked for was Stephen Jameson. I'm open to any canon character you want to use as well as OCs who fit in the world.
What I'm always interested in is stories dealing with characters with powers needing to balance living in their two worlds, especially in situations where the superstate causes direct conflict with their "normal" lives. I'm fond of the conversations and interstices between big action moments where characters talk about their powers and/or try to make sense of what they can do and why they can do it. As mentioned above, I'm also always interested in stories that explore the weight of secrets, whether it's the cost of trusting someone with them or the cost of needing to weave an ever bigger web of lies to keep him/her in the dark.
Prompt: Set between 1.01 and 1.02. What would a "normal" day be like with Stephen trying (and often failing?) to do regular tasks with powers he doesn't yet have mastery over?
Prompt added 11/11/13: Stephen and Astrid friendship fic. How did they become friends? Why did she stick with him after he pushed everyone else away? Perhaps she gets involved with something where he can help her out.
Crossover bait: This show and any of the other versions of the TP. Is 2013 the great 21st century breakout discussed in the 1973 series? Were Adam et al from the 1992 series a different kind of TP or a precursor group? Did WORLDEX start ULTRA? Why?
Stephen's psychiatrist is Dr. Bloom. What if that's Dr. Samantha Bloom (VR.5) and she decides to use her own diagnostic method to find out what's going on with him?
MY SECRET IDENTITY –
The characters I asked for are Andrew and Kirk. I’m also open to any canon character you want to use besides the nommed ones (e.g. Ruth Shellenbach, Erin Clements, Cassie-the-reporter, first-season-best-friend!Jeff) or OCs who fit in the world.
I'm really interested in Andrew and Kirk's friendship. They're old friends who really don't know that much about each other, and Andrew is keeping a rather large secret from the person he otherwise trusts with everything. I'd love to know more about what keeps them friends, what challenges their friendship, and how far they're willing to go for each other.
In the season 2 episode “Reluctant Hero,” Andrew confessed his powers to Kirk. Naturally, Kirk didn’t believe him, and through the convenience of a plot-device x-ray machine, Andrew was unable to demonstrate them. However, Kirk’s a shrewd guy. Once the seed was planted, did he let it go? Did he suddenly start to notice all the little ways Andrew utterly failed to hide his powers (especially considering what he may have seen during the season 3 ski trip in “Misfire” and Andrew’s near-public-confession in “The Great Indoors”)? Assuming he eventually put the pieces together, did he confront Andrew over it? How? Or did he arrange a new opening for Andrew to come clean? What was it? Also, since the photon beam that gave Andrew his powers still exists, how much pressure did Kirk put on Andrew to hook him up? (Did it work?)
Alternatively, once Kirk does know, what kind of trouble would he goad Andrew into? Perhaps he pushes Andrew too far and they discover new limits to Andrew's powers. Perhaps he gets himself into more trouble than he ever would have managed on his own. Perhaps he finds that trouble courts him now that, conveniently, there's someone who can help get him out of it.
I do ask that the fic be set with Andrew in the 14-20ish age bracket. Him being a teenager/young adult and dealing with his powers is what interests me. If you want to update the year of the setting, that’s fine. I have no particular attachment to 1988-1992. However, I’m not ready for him to grow up and have a family, even if I did.
Crossover bait: Ignore the stipulation above about Andrew's age. Andrew finds himself under investigation from the IIB (The Listener)--perhaps because of Kirk's unfortunate physical resemblance to mobster James McCallan from ep. 3.02--and on the wrong end of Toby's telepathy. Possibly, Andrew's powers turn out to be just the solution the case needs. Or, his powers end up complicating the case in humorous or angsty ways.
H2O: JUST ADD WATER –
The character I asked for was Cleo Sertori, though I’m interested in all of the characters (canon pairings only, please, if you go that direction) and OCs who fit the world. I do not have a favorite mermaid. I asked for Cleo because she was in all three seasons and I feel that her life was the best developed overall.
What I love about this show is the girl-centricness of it. This show was about the girls, even if everything in their lives wasn’t mermaid-related. One of my favorite little scenes is when Cleo and Rikki are trying to cheer Bella up and they tell her that there’s always one thing that will make them happy. Bella assumes it’s swimming. Then the camera cuts to them finishing a shopping trip. They’re mermaids, but they’re girls first, and they aren’t ashamed of that. They’re also tough, vulnerable, smart, fallible, self-reliant, and occasionally needy—just like real girls.
By the end of third season, it looked like Cleo was slowly getting backed into a corner with her family. Kim was calling her on inconsistencies in her story, and her dad and stepmom had both been on the wrong end of the problems that Cleo’s metamorphosis caused. The moment that really stood out to me was when Kim demanded to know why no one ever saw Cleo wash her hands, and it made me realize about how often most people do wash their hands in a given day. (Does Cleo really not wash her hands after using the bathroom? Ugh.) While I’m always a sucker for “and then the secret identity is revealed” stories, in this case, I’d like to know more about the little frictions that are being caused by not revealing. How many times has Cleo thought about spilling the beans? Why hasn’t she? How does she rearrange her life to completely avoid water, considering she’s a dolphin trainer (she never gets splashed at Sea World?), her father’s a fisherman (take your daughter to work day?), they live on the shore (can she avoid swimming in her family’s presence ever again?), and she’s been bribing Kim to do the dishes. How far is the tension going to build before Cleo breaks?
Alternatively, what happens to Cleo when it's time to head off to university? Does she leave her mer-sisters behind? How does she cope with being on her own and having so many new threats to contend with without her support system to help her? While the show gave us elements of mermaid mythology (e.g. Ambergris, full moon fever, the siren song), there's room for more. I know nothing about mer-myth, so feel free to make something up and explore its consequences, as long as it works within the frame of what we know.
If you're looking for something shippier, I'd be interested in Cleo and Lewis exploring their relationship. Would they incorporate the mermaid side into their physical explorations? How? Does the halter top even come off? (Tail!kink is juuuust fine.)
THE LISTENER –
The character I requested is Toby Logan. I’m open to any characters being included, with my favorites being Oz and Tia.
What I like about this show is how badly Toby wanted to find a purpose for his gift, which led to him becoming a paramedic. I'm especially fond of the first season with the focus on him being a paramedic first and a superhero second; however, any story where Toby's telepathy is at the core is my kind of story.
I'd love to know more about Toby's time in foster care. In 4.02 he makes some intriguing comments about how his telepathy caused problems for himself and for those he cared about. What was it like to be a telepathic foster-kid and/or street kid. What was it like for him to be sucked into other people's heads and to not be in control of his own thoughts? How did he deal with all the knowledge that he shouldn't have had access to and all of the social lies that people commit constantly? And how did he finally learn to control his gift? How did he develop a sense of his own identity in all that?
A person who ends up in the interrogation room/a person from another agency that the IIB has to work with on a case turns out to be Toby's brother. Or is he?
An accident/illness leaves Toby with the ability to project his thoughts rather than to hear other's. What does this mean for him? Can it be fixed? Does he want it fixed?
Crossover bait: Toby and the IIB team investigate Andrew Clements (My Secret Identity). (See the entry for MSI.)
The IIB's latest case introduces Toby to a side of Toronto he's never seen before and to an apparent identity scam that spans centuries, if not longer: Forever Knight. (Treat "Last Night" however you see fit, AU or no.).
MAKO MERAMIDS -
The character I requested is Zac Blakely. I'm open to any characters from the show being included as necessary for the story you want to tell. Canon pairings only, please.
I would be asking for friendship fic with Cam. But, given how the season ended, I think end-of-friendship fic may be the better call. The two have been friends forever, and then Cam betrayed Zac. Where does Zac go next? How does he deal with still having to cross the same paths at school, in life saving duty, and around town with a person whom he can no longer trust and yet who knows his greatest secret?
Zac gets stuck in mer-form. How did it happen? How can it be fixed? How does he cover for it, especially without Cam running interference?
If you're looking for something shippier, I'd be interested in a story exploring Zac and Evie's relationship now that she's in the know. Would she want to become a mermaid? Does she feel left out that she isn't one? Would they incorporate the mermaid side into their physical explorations? How? (Tail!kink is juuuust fine.)
Final Note
If you need help or advice, htbthomas can answer your questions.
Thank you again for signing up. I hope you have fun writing. Happy Yuletide!
New TTP prompt added 11/11/13.
Dear Yuletide Writer,
Hi! We got matched, so we already have something important in common, right? Everything else is just frosting. I’m very much looking forward to the story you’re going to write and I want to make it as easy for you as possible. So, read on if you wish. And know that I know that ODAO.
My AO3 user name is LadySilver. I'm also on there under my pseud argentum-ls.
Loves
My main love is for plot. Stories without a conflict and resolution are great (and I’ve written more than a few!), but if you ask me the one thing that will truly make me bounce with joy: it’s plot. My tastes in plot are about as wide open as they can be. I love h/c, drama, angst, friendship, family, schmoop, casefic, and humor.
My favorite tropes are: Trapped!, Running Out of Time, Forced Confessions, and Unexpected Allies.
In general, I love character exploration and strong characterization. I love depictions of all kinds of relationships, not just sexual or romantic ones. Two of my favorite relationship dynamics are (pseudo)parent-child and best friend-best friend.
I love crossovers! If that’s up your alley, any live-action show that I’ve written about is fair game for a crossover. I keep a list right on my masterpost. If a crossover does pique your interest, feel free to modify the time setting or modify/ignore geographic settings of the show you're crossing in to better make the shows fit together. If you’re not a crossover writer, no problem; I’m not expecting one at all.
Since I’m not sure what fandom brought you here, I’ll discuss what I like about all of them generically. The common thread of my fandoms is that at least one of the characters has superpowers (or a superstate) that s/he/they have to keep secret from the world at large. I love secrets. I love seeing them kept (and the cost that keeping secrets invariably has), threatened, discovered, or revealed.
Each of my favorite shows is also set in someplace that more-or-less is the real world, with the obvious exception of the inclusion of the superstate. I like this juxtaposition of people trying to maintain a real world identity while dealing with things that no one else can understand. I'm always curious about how the superstate itself or its corollary restrictions influence, change, or challenge our characters' day-to-day lives.
For each of the fandoms listed, I’ve provided some story ideas. Feel free to use them, modify them, or ignore them. I’m one of those people who works best with prompts. Obviously, not everyone is. Write what compels you!
Dislikes
I’m not in a porn mood this year, though romance or low-rated (T/PG-13) sexual activity is perfectly fine. I really dislike character assassination and/or bashing. I’m not a huge fan of horror, and—despite my love of h/c—I don’t like torture-for-the-sake-of-torture (e.g. the Saw movies). I’m weird about AUs in regards to how much is too much, and have no taste for the coffee shop/bakery/mechanic/all!human style AU at all. I dislike stories where someone mis-overhears something, gets wildly upset, and refuses to address the issue. I’d like to think my favorite characters are more mature than that. Please no permanent character maiming or death. Also, I’m not generally into crack!fic.
THE TOMORROW PEOPLE -
As of this writing, the show has only just premiered so I don't know what I'm looking for in fic for it. I will try to keep my letter updated as we get new episodes. Adventure stories, backstories, speculation, character moments, etc. are all appreciated, with the full understanding that Jossing will happen.
The character I asked for was Stephen Jameson. I'm open to any canon character you want to use as well as OCs who fit in the world.
What I'm always interested in is stories dealing with characters with powers needing to balance living in their two worlds, especially in situations where the superstate causes direct conflict with their "normal" lives. I'm fond of the conversations and interstices between big action moments where characters talk about their powers and/or try to make sense of what they can do and why they can do it. As mentioned above, I'm also always interested in stories that explore the weight of secrets, whether it's the cost of trusting someone with them or the cost of needing to weave an ever bigger web of lies to keep him/her in the dark.
Prompt: Set between 1.01 and 1.02. What would a "normal" day be like with Stephen trying (and often failing?) to do regular tasks with powers he doesn't yet have mastery over?
Prompt added 11/11/13: Stephen and Astrid friendship fic. How did they become friends? Why did she stick with him after he pushed everyone else away? Perhaps she gets involved with something where he can help her out.
Crossover bait: This show and any of the other versions of the TP. Is 2013 the great 21st century breakout discussed in the 1973 series? Were Adam et al from the 1992 series a different kind of TP or a precursor group? Did WORLDEX start ULTRA? Why?
Stephen's psychiatrist is Dr. Bloom. What if that's Dr. Samantha Bloom (VR.5) and she decides to use her own diagnostic method to find out what's going on with him?
MY SECRET IDENTITY –
The characters I asked for are Andrew and Kirk. I’m also open to any canon character you want to use besides the nommed ones (e.g. Ruth Shellenbach, Erin Clements, Cassie-the-reporter, first-season-best-friend!Jeff) or OCs who fit in the world.
I'm really interested in Andrew and Kirk's friendship. They're old friends who really don't know that much about each other, and Andrew is keeping a rather large secret from the person he otherwise trusts with everything. I'd love to know more about what keeps them friends, what challenges their friendship, and how far they're willing to go for each other.
In the season 2 episode “Reluctant Hero,” Andrew confessed his powers to Kirk. Naturally, Kirk didn’t believe him, and through the convenience of a plot-device x-ray machine, Andrew was unable to demonstrate them. However, Kirk’s a shrewd guy. Once the seed was planted, did he let it go? Did he suddenly start to notice all the little ways Andrew utterly failed to hide his powers (especially considering what he may have seen during the season 3 ski trip in “Misfire” and Andrew’s near-public-confession in “The Great Indoors”)? Assuming he eventually put the pieces together, did he confront Andrew over it? How? Or did he arrange a new opening for Andrew to come clean? What was it? Also, since the photon beam that gave Andrew his powers still exists, how much pressure did Kirk put on Andrew to hook him up? (Did it work?)
Alternatively, once Kirk does know, what kind of trouble would he goad Andrew into? Perhaps he pushes Andrew too far and they discover new limits to Andrew's powers. Perhaps he gets himself into more trouble than he ever would have managed on his own. Perhaps he finds that trouble courts him now that, conveniently, there's someone who can help get him out of it.
I do ask that the fic be set with Andrew in the 14-20ish age bracket. Him being a teenager/young adult and dealing with his powers is what interests me. If you want to update the year of the setting, that’s fine. I have no particular attachment to 1988-1992. However, I’m not ready for him to grow up and have a family, even if I did.
Crossover bait: Ignore the stipulation above about Andrew's age. Andrew finds himself under investigation from the IIB (The Listener)--perhaps because of Kirk's unfortunate physical resemblance to mobster James McCallan from ep. 3.02--and on the wrong end of Toby's telepathy. Possibly, Andrew's powers turn out to be just the solution the case needs. Or, his powers end up complicating the case in humorous or angsty ways.
H2O: JUST ADD WATER –
The character I asked for was Cleo Sertori, though I’m interested in all of the characters (canon pairings only, please, if you go that direction) and OCs who fit the world. I do not have a favorite mermaid. I asked for Cleo because she was in all three seasons and I feel that her life was the best developed overall.
What I love about this show is the girl-centricness of it. This show was about the girls, even if everything in their lives wasn’t mermaid-related. One of my favorite little scenes is when Cleo and Rikki are trying to cheer Bella up and they tell her that there’s always one thing that will make them happy. Bella assumes it’s swimming. Then the camera cuts to them finishing a shopping trip. They’re mermaids, but they’re girls first, and they aren’t ashamed of that. They’re also tough, vulnerable, smart, fallible, self-reliant, and occasionally needy—just like real girls.
By the end of third season, it looked like Cleo was slowly getting backed into a corner with her family. Kim was calling her on inconsistencies in her story, and her dad and stepmom had both been on the wrong end of the problems that Cleo’s metamorphosis caused. The moment that really stood out to me was when Kim demanded to know why no one ever saw Cleo wash her hands, and it made me realize about how often most people do wash their hands in a given day. (Does Cleo really not wash her hands after using the bathroom? Ugh.) While I’m always a sucker for “and then the secret identity is revealed” stories, in this case, I’d like to know more about the little frictions that are being caused by not revealing. How many times has Cleo thought about spilling the beans? Why hasn’t she? How does she rearrange her life to completely avoid water, considering she’s a dolphin trainer (she never gets splashed at Sea World?), her father’s a fisherman (take your daughter to work day?), they live on the shore (can she avoid swimming in her family’s presence ever again?), and she’s been bribing Kim to do the dishes. How far is the tension going to build before Cleo breaks?
Alternatively, what happens to Cleo when it's time to head off to university? Does she leave her mer-sisters behind? How does she cope with being on her own and having so many new threats to contend with without her support system to help her? While the show gave us elements of mermaid mythology (e.g. Ambergris, full moon fever, the siren song), there's room for more. I know nothing about mer-myth, so feel free to make something up and explore its consequences, as long as it works within the frame of what we know.
If you're looking for something shippier, I'd be interested in Cleo and Lewis exploring their relationship. Would they incorporate the mermaid side into their physical explorations? How? Does the halter top even come off? (Tail!kink is juuuust fine.)
THE LISTENER –
The character I requested is Toby Logan. I’m open to any characters being included, with my favorites being Oz and Tia.
What I like about this show is how badly Toby wanted to find a purpose for his gift, which led to him becoming a paramedic. I'm especially fond of the first season with the focus on him being a paramedic first and a superhero second; however, any story where Toby's telepathy is at the core is my kind of story.
I'd love to know more about Toby's time in foster care. In 4.02 he makes some intriguing comments about how his telepathy caused problems for himself and for those he cared about. What was it like to be a telepathic foster-kid and/or street kid. What was it like for him to be sucked into other people's heads and to not be in control of his own thoughts? How did he deal with all the knowledge that he shouldn't have had access to and all of the social lies that people commit constantly? And how did he finally learn to control his gift? How did he develop a sense of his own identity in all that?
A person who ends up in the interrogation room/a person from another agency that the IIB has to work with on a case turns out to be Toby's brother. Or is he?
An accident/illness leaves Toby with the ability to project his thoughts rather than to hear other's. What does this mean for him? Can it be fixed? Does he want it fixed?
Crossover bait: Toby and the IIB team investigate Andrew Clements (My Secret Identity). (See the entry for MSI.)
The IIB's latest case introduces Toby to a side of Toronto he's never seen before and to an apparent identity scam that spans centuries, if not longer: Forever Knight. (Treat "Last Night" however you see fit, AU or no.).
MAKO MERAMIDS -
The character I requested is Zac Blakely. I'm open to any characters from the show being included as necessary for the story you want to tell. Canon pairings only, please.
I would be asking for friendship fic with Cam. But, given how the season ended, I think end-of-friendship fic may be the better call. The two have been friends forever, and then Cam betrayed Zac. Where does Zac go next? How does he deal with still having to cross the same paths at school, in life saving duty, and around town with a person whom he can no longer trust and yet who knows his greatest secret?
Zac gets stuck in mer-form. How did it happen? How can it be fixed? How does he cover for it, especially without Cam running interference?
If you're looking for something shippier, I'd be interested in a story exploring Zac and Evie's relationship now that she's in the know. Would she want to become a mermaid? Does she feel left out that she isn't one? Would they incorporate the mermaid side into their physical explorations? How? (Tail!kink is juuuust fine.)
Final Note
If you need help or advice, htbthomas can answer your questions.
Thank you again for signing up. I hope you have fun writing. Happy Yuletide!
