Yuletide Letter

[bobthemole]

Dear Yuletide Writer Person,

This is the first time I've signed up for Yuletide, so I'm fretting over being too specific or not specific enough about what I like to read. Either way, I don't want to limit you in what you feel comfortable writing - and I'll be thrilled to receive what you create, regardless.

My birthday falls on Christmas, so I have an unusually high interest in stories set in the holiday season (or equivalent holidays on other planets). They can be Cratchity or Scroogey, snowy or sandy, miraculous or mundane, I don't mind. Or you can ignore Christmas altogether if you prefer!

I love stories that challenge me - thinky (here's my own attempt), plotty (I'm bad at these), telling me something about the story or characters that I didn't know before. I also love stories that explore the inner lives, motivations and interactions of minor or under-developed characters. Do you want to write about original characters in any of the settings I've listed? Go right ahead! I'd love to read about non-violent separatists among the followers of the One True God in Caprica, kids growing up in Bas-Lag, or actives in the Dollhouse who aren't hired for their looks.

I like subtle weirdness - China Mieville, Neil Gaiman, House of Leaves, the first three-quarters of many Lovecraft stories - where things are just slightly off and that niggles in the back of my mind.

I prefer gen rather than pairings, unless the pairing's interactions tell me something new about them. But it's your call.
I'd like no explicit sex, and certainly no non-con/dub-con situations.

Here's my three "official" requests:

Request 1

Bas Lag - China Mieville
Other tags:   Gen, General Audiences
Details:
    Original characters are welcome. I'm interested in thaumaturgy, the Remade, New Corbuzon and other aspects of world-building - but if you have a brilliant idea about something else in this 'verse, I'd love to read it.

More thoughts: I'm intrigued by how the fundamental differences between that world and ours leads to cultural differences. Remaking fascinates me as a combination of engineering and plastic surgery. Why do some people choose to be modified? How do people feel about modifications forced upon them? How does the general population feel about Remaking as punishment?

Request 2

Caprica (TV)
Details:
    I'm interested in the religious and psychological aspects of the show, rather than the Cylons. I'd be happy with an exploration of New Cap City too.

More thoughts: what's the "objective" of New Cap City? Is it a game that people need to decipher and win? Is it a front for something else? What could a Tamara-Zoe alliance lead to?

Request 3

 Dollhouse
Details:
   Any Doll with hints of self-awareness, or any Active realizing they aren't real. Original characters are welcome. Dollhouses other than LA are welcome.

More thoughts: The reason I love Dollhouse is because the concept raises so many questions about identity. "Belonging" is one of my favorite episodes for that reason. Who has ownership over a body - the person born with it, the person imprinted on it for several decades, or whichever corporation is currently leasing it? Is wiping a self-aware identity the same as murder?  Is erasing the back-up disk murder? Or if you're into Epitaph I and II, what's going on in Neuropolis? Who's running the show? How did they gain power?

I hope this letter doesn't read like a horribly restrictive laundry list. I want to reiterate that all my comments here are just suggestions. If you're moved to write something completely different from what I've asked for, go for it! Surprises are good. And I'll have fun reading anything you had fun writing.

P.S. - If you are a pinch hitter and don't have time to view/read the canon, I'll be happy to see what stories you come up with using internet articles as your sources...something like Not My Fandom Fest, but played straight. Heck, maybe I'll enjoy your interpretation even better than canon!

Thank you for your time and energy!

Comments

[snickfic]

So, are you going to put your requests in? 'Cuz I'm nosy and I'd like to see what they are. :)

[bobthemole.livejournal.com]

I will, but the Yuletide site seems slow at the moment so it may take a while to look it up :)

[snickfic]

Gotcha. Well, I look forward to whenever you're able to get them up. :)

YAY YULETIDE.

[bobthemole.livejournal.com]

Updated!

[snickfic]

Cool! I've not seen Caprica, but the others sound neat. Your Dollhouse one could be particularly interesting; I was never much interested in writing fic about the characters for that show, but I could definitely see writing about the world.