Dear Yuletide Writer Letter 2017
Oct. 1st, 2017 12:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
schlitzie_ramone
Hello, dear writer! Thank you for being willing to create for me. The prompts below are suggestions that I hope might inspire your creativity but feel free to adapt or change things and add other elements as well if the story seems to require it. As long as you stay away from my hard DNWs and include some of what I do like (though of course you don’t need to include absolutely everything), you’re golden! Though some prompts may seem longer than others, I love the fandoms all just as much as each other and would be equally delighted to receive any one of them as my gift. Some I have requested before and want more of, others are new Yuletide treasures for me!
Things I do like in a story: fluff, romance, the deepening of emotional ties between characters, friendship becoming love, overcoming and healing from trauma with the help of a loved one (or loved ones or friends or just kind souls), hurt/comfort, angsty scenarios that wind up with a happy or hopeful ending, strengthening of comradeship bonds and characters being willing to go the extra mile to help someone they care about, fun, humor and someone stumbling on an unlikely but completely right for the situation solution when disaster looks likely to be looming!.
My hard Do Not Wants are: outright non-con, main character death or death of one or both halves of the main pairing, unhappy endings and complete and pure angst with no hope in sight, female characters being submissive to males, darkfic, child abuse.
Now, onto the fandoms and some possible ideas you may be able to use for inspiration! The canons are listed in no particular order and the prompts are guidelines rather than absolute must-haves. If you come up with a totally new plot that avoids my DNWs and incorporates things I do like, feel free to go for it!
1) American Horror Story: Freak Show
Characters: Pepper, Elsa Mars, Salty, Jimmy Darling
I love this canon for a number of reasons – it’s a rattling good story with some awesome characters! Pepper is my absolute fave, so I would love her to play a large part in whatever story you might come up with. Here are some possible scenarios that might inspire you!
Pepper was the first performer Elsa recruited for her freak show, and Elsa and Pepper are shown in canon to have grown to think of each other as family, but what if the relationship deepened? What if Pepper developed desires and needs that her “spiritual husband” Salty could not fulfil and Elsa felt it was her responsibility to take care of Pepper in that regard? How would their love blossom and grow? Would Elsa have doubts and misgivings about what she is doing, or simply enjoy a change in her relationship with Pepper? And what might Pepper’s reactions and emotional state be? How would Salty react, or friends like Jimmy Darling, to Pepper making a life for herself as an adult woman and not the child-like innocent being many choose to stereotype her as?
2) Rise of the Planet of the Apes Movies (2011, 2014)
This fandom and characters have recently become a near-obsession! I am particularly drawn to the character of Koba and all that he has endured – he is a complex character with both horrific flaws and many redeeming features. He turned from an innocent victim into a villain due to his hatred for humans and all the terrible wrongs they had done him, but I believe there was a time when he was happy, especially those 10 years between Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. He was devoted to his leader Caesar then and wanted to please him, before the canon of “Dawn” when he turned against Caesar and everything went to hell.
Some ideas: Perhaps the story could be something set in that period between the two films, the happy times when Koba trusted Caesar and wanted to make him proud. It could be something to do with a brotherly-type love that deepens – the scarred Koba would likely associate touch with pain due to his sufferings at the hands of humans, but Caesar could persuade him to accept physical affection again (which does not have to include sex, but I will not object if it does, and Caesar re-awakens Koba’s bonobo passions). Or they could go on a hunting trip where the two get separated from the main group and have to huddle for warmth somewhere and rely on each other’s strength; it would be particularly interesting if the roles were reversed and Caesar (wounded perhaps) had to rely on Koba for a change…
Or perhaps a three-way love could develop between Caesar/Cornelia/Koba? I would like the same time period mentioned above or a scenario where the events of “Dawn” never happened, and to see the characters all involved equally with each other… m/m as well as f/m, and a specific DNW is a submissive Cornelia – I like her strong and fiery! I would be happy with an established relationship angle, with the three characters going about their daily lives and being supportive of one another in their various tasks within the colony, or taking on some task or challenge together, or a getting together scenario where all three are feeling attracted to each other and work out a happy solution to their situation. Koba with his hunting skill and wisdom could be seen as somewhat of a mentor to younger apes, so his help would be invaluable in raising the young Blue Eyes. I do like kidfic so would be quite happy with this sort of a plot! :D
One note with this fandom – please NO AUs where the characters are human, I want them to stay apes!!!
3) Planet of the Apes (TV Series)
Characters: Galen, Alan Virdon, Peter Burke, Urko
This canon is a childhood favorite of mine, only recently re-discovered! I always enjoyed the adventures portrayed in this series when I was younger, and now in later years I have come to OT3 Galen/Virdon/Burke!
Some ideas: Galen is my favorite character so I would like him to play a large part in the story or perhaps have it be from his point of view. Something focusing on a hurt/comfort theme, overcoming trauma and strong emotional bonds between the three characters would be amazing. Perhaps someone surviving a brush with death, a terrifying encounter with an antagonist (very likely Urko) or something similar might be a good plot. Something that would leave one of the characters in a traumatized state so that the others would have to provide reassurance, comfort, and hopefully a love that would deepen in a romantic sense (sex, of course, is not compulsory to include, but if you are a writer who enjoys writing OT3 sex scenes, you are most welcome to include it!) Angst is OK for this one, but as stated earlier I would want an ending that is at least hopeful, as sad endings are a DNW.
4) Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Character: Kong
This is the one request where I prefer something gen to shippy (unless you decide to count the relationship between Kong’s parents, which I don’t mind being included as I am sure it must have been very sweet – given the capacity Kong shows for more tender emotions along with all his strength and ferocity, I am sure that there is a loving side to these gigantic apes!).
I’m more interested in Kong himself as a character than any of the humans from the film. The element of the story that really intrigued me from the movie was that Kong had not yet reached his full might and potential and still had so many vulnerabilities despite his great size and strength. He was still a juvenile, still growing – as Terry Notary who portrayed the character said, he’s the equivalent of a 14 year old with adult responsibilities thrust prematurely upon him.
Some ideas: Perhaps something about Kong’s infancy and early childhood would be fascinating. What was his relationship with his parents like? Were they the only ones of their kind from the beginning, or were they members of a tribe originally? If so, they may have become somehow separated from the other apes, or the others could have been killed off by the skull-crawlers…
Or how, as a new orphan, would the adolescent Kong cope? He must have been deeply grieved by the loss of his parents and full of rage against the creatures that destroyed them. Did he have any interaction with the Iwi, the human tribe who worship him as their god? Did he perhaps receive some help from them in his early days? How did he cope with his loneliness, his early struggles, and the kingship and godhood that became his at far too young an age?
5) Freaks (1932)
Characters: Schlitzie, Phroso, Elvira (Pinhead Zip), Jenny Lee (Pinhead Pip)
I adore this beautiful old cult classic – so many fascinating characters, and a story that is not so much for me a morality or horror tale, but a slice of life where circus and sideshow folk go about their daily lives, find love, and deal with various challenges.
I tend to ship Phroso/Schlitzie (or Schlitze, I am fine with either spelling variant) and see them as being in a tender, old-fashioned romance-style relationship, so would prefer a delicate, innocent love story here (the kisses and flowers and handholding type), and NOT PWP! And I am fine with whatever pronouns you want to use for Schlitzie, although the movie tends to use “she” and “her” (if you want to stick to movie canon in your method of writing). I tend to view Schlitzie as transgender or gender-fluid (in RL and the film, s/he was very fond of dresses and feminine finery and was always ecstatic when given new ones). Do feel free to include other characters from the movie in the story too, I love them all – even the horrible villains are fascinating! Especially I’d love my other nominated characters, Elvira and Jenny Lee (AKA Pinheads Zip and Pip) playing a large part in the story. Possible (very optional) storylines could include:
a) Schlitzie, Elvira and Jenny Lee somehow help Phroso out with his clown act, and bonding develops, especially between Phroso and Schlitzie.
b) Phroso takes Schlitzie and their friends Elvira and Jenny Lee shopping in Paris, or for a picnic, or some other outing
c) Phroso has to protect Schlitzie, Elvira and Jenny Lee against some kind of threat, possibly from the story’s villains or from hostile members of the circus audience or the townspeople where the circus is visiting.
6) Dad’s Army
Characters: Lance-Corporal Jack Jones, Captain George Mainwaring, Private Frank Pike, Sergeant Arthur Wilson
Another beloved childhood favorite here, recently re-discovered! It’s delightfully funny and sweet and chaotic in so many ways! I just love all the characters so much, and have picked a few faves to appear here, though I would be so happy to see any and all of the cast make appearances in the story as they’re all awesome in their own way!
I’ve always loved Jones best and would really like something focusing on him, with his usual catch-phrases, physical comedy and other assorted nonsense having a part to play. I adore his oddness coupled with his sincere integrity and bravery, the way he always volunteers for everything and almost seems to hero-worship Captain Mainwaring (I even get mildly shippy vibes there if you want to take the story in that direction!)
Pike is another interesting character, as the youngest of the platoon, and with his way of somehow hitting on the right solution to a dilemma now and again through sheer dumb luck, and he is courageous and well-meaning in his own way despite often appearing as an inept mummy’s boy who often has to appeal to dear old “Uncle Arthur” in tight spots.
Perhaps Jones and Pike could work together on an assignment or mission, and get into all sorts of trouble before they finally work something out? Maybe they have to be the ones to get Mainwaring and Wilson out of a jam, and mount a hilarious rescue attempt, or they create some chaos that the entire platoon has to work its way out of? Or maybe what they thought was just another training mission turns out to be a real incident with the Germans and their true brave nature comes to the fore? I am sure whatever you create for this fandom will be amazing, as long as it is funny and despite all the hiccups and pratfalls, ends happily!
Things I do like in a story: fluff, romance, the deepening of emotional ties between characters, friendship becoming love, overcoming and healing from trauma with the help of a loved one (or loved ones or friends or just kind souls), hurt/comfort, angsty scenarios that wind up with a happy or hopeful ending, strengthening of comradeship bonds and characters being willing to go the extra mile to help someone they care about, fun, humor and someone stumbling on an unlikely but completely right for the situation solution when disaster looks likely to be looming!.
My hard Do Not Wants are: outright non-con, main character death or death of one or both halves of the main pairing, unhappy endings and complete and pure angst with no hope in sight, female characters being submissive to males, darkfic, child abuse.
Now, onto the fandoms and some possible ideas you may be able to use for inspiration! The canons are listed in no particular order and the prompts are guidelines rather than absolute must-haves. If you come up with a totally new plot that avoids my DNWs and incorporates things I do like, feel free to go for it!
1) American Horror Story: Freak Show
Characters: Pepper, Elsa Mars, Salty, Jimmy Darling
I love this canon for a number of reasons – it’s a rattling good story with some awesome characters! Pepper is my absolute fave, so I would love her to play a large part in whatever story you might come up with. Here are some possible scenarios that might inspire you!
Pepper was the first performer Elsa recruited for her freak show, and Elsa and Pepper are shown in canon to have grown to think of each other as family, but what if the relationship deepened? What if Pepper developed desires and needs that her “spiritual husband” Salty could not fulfil and Elsa felt it was her responsibility to take care of Pepper in that regard? How would their love blossom and grow? Would Elsa have doubts and misgivings about what she is doing, or simply enjoy a change in her relationship with Pepper? And what might Pepper’s reactions and emotional state be? How would Salty react, or friends like Jimmy Darling, to Pepper making a life for herself as an adult woman and not the child-like innocent being many choose to stereotype her as?
2) Rise of the Planet of the Apes Movies (2011, 2014)
This fandom and characters have recently become a near-obsession! I am particularly drawn to the character of Koba and all that he has endured – he is a complex character with both horrific flaws and many redeeming features. He turned from an innocent victim into a villain due to his hatred for humans and all the terrible wrongs they had done him, but I believe there was a time when he was happy, especially those 10 years between Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. He was devoted to his leader Caesar then and wanted to please him, before the canon of “Dawn” when he turned against Caesar and everything went to hell.
Some ideas: Perhaps the story could be something set in that period between the two films, the happy times when Koba trusted Caesar and wanted to make him proud. It could be something to do with a brotherly-type love that deepens – the scarred Koba would likely associate touch with pain due to his sufferings at the hands of humans, but Caesar could persuade him to accept physical affection again (which does not have to include sex, but I will not object if it does, and Caesar re-awakens Koba’s bonobo passions). Or they could go on a hunting trip where the two get separated from the main group and have to huddle for warmth somewhere and rely on each other’s strength; it would be particularly interesting if the roles were reversed and Caesar (wounded perhaps) had to rely on Koba for a change…
Or perhaps a three-way love could develop between Caesar/Cornelia/Koba? I would like the same time period mentioned above or a scenario where the events of “Dawn” never happened, and to see the characters all involved equally with each other… m/m as well as f/m, and a specific DNW is a submissive Cornelia – I like her strong and fiery! I would be happy with an established relationship angle, with the three characters going about their daily lives and being supportive of one another in their various tasks within the colony, or taking on some task or challenge together, or a getting together scenario where all three are feeling attracted to each other and work out a happy solution to their situation. Koba with his hunting skill and wisdom could be seen as somewhat of a mentor to younger apes, so his help would be invaluable in raising the young Blue Eyes. I do like kidfic so would be quite happy with this sort of a plot! :D
One note with this fandom – please NO AUs where the characters are human, I want them to stay apes!!!
3) Planet of the Apes (TV Series)
Characters: Galen, Alan Virdon, Peter Burke, Urko
This canon is a childhood favorite of mine, only recently re-discovered! I always enjoyed the adventures portrayed in this series when I was younger, and now in later years I have come to OT3 Galen/Virdon/Burke!
Some ideas: Galen is my favorite character so I would like him to play a large part in the story or perhaps have it be from his point of view. Something focusing on a hurt/comfort theme, overcoming trauma and strong emotional bonds between the three characters would be amazing. Perhaps someone surviving a brush with death, a terrifying encounter with an antagonist (very likely Urko) or something similar might be a good plot. Something that would leave one of the characters in a traumatized state so that the others would have to provide reassurance, comfort, and hopefully a love that would deepen in a romantic sense (sex, of course, is not compulsory to include, but if you are a writer who enjoys writing OT3 sex scenes, you are most welcome to include it!) Angst is OK for this one, but as stated earlier I would want an ending that is at least hopeful, as sad endings are a DNW.
4) Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Character: Kong
This is the one request where I prefer something gen to shippy (unless you decide to count the relationship between Kong’s parents, which I don’t mind being included as I am sure it must have been very sweet – given the capacity Kong shows for more tender emotions along with all his strength and ferocity, I am sure that there is a loving side to these gigantic apes!).
I’m more interested in Kong himself as a character than any of the humans from the film. The element of the story that really intrigued me from the movie was that Kong had not yet reached his full might and potential and still had so many vulnerabilities despite his great size and strength. He was still a juvenile, still growing – as Terry Notary who portrayed the character said, he’s the equivalent of a 14 year old with adult responsibilities thrust prematurely upon him.
Some ideas: Perhaps something about Kong’s infancy and early childhood would be fascinating. What was his relationship with his parents like? Were they the only ones of their kind from the beginning, or were they members of a tribe originally? If so, they may have become somehow separated from the other apes, or the others could have been killed off by the skull-crawlers…
Or how, as a new orphan, would the adolescent Kong cope? He must have been deeply grieved by the loss of his parents and full of rage against the creatures that destroyed them. Did he have any interaction with the Iwi, the human tribe who worship him as their god? Did he perhaps receive some help from them in his early days? How did he cope with his loneliness, his early struggles, and the kingship and godhood that became his at far too young an age?
5) Freaks (1932)
Characters: Schlitzie, Phroso, Elvira (Pinhead Zip), Jenny Lee (Pinhead Pip)
I adore this beautiful old cult classic – so many fascinating characters, and a story that is not so much for me a morality or horror tale, but a slice of life where circus and sideshow folk go about their daily lives, find love, and deal with various challenges.
I tend to ship Phroso/Schlitzie (or Schlitze, I am fine with either spelling variant) and see them as being in a tender, old-fashioned romance-style relationship, so would prefer a delicate, innocent love story here (the kisses and flowers and handholding type), and NOT PWP! And I am fine with whatever pronouns you want to use for Schlitzie, although the movie tends to use “she” and “her” (if you want to stick to movie canon in your method of writing). I tend to view Schlitzie as transgender or gender-fluid (in RL and the film, s/he was very fond of dresses and feminine finery and was always ecstatic when given new ones). Do feel free to include other characters from the movie in the story too, I love them all – even the horrible villains are fascinating! Especially I’d love my other nominated characters, Elvira and Jenny Lee (AKA Pinheads Zip and Pip) playing a large part in the story. Possible (very optional) storylines could include:
a) Schlitzie, Elvira and Jenny Lee somehow help Phroso out with his clown act, and bonding develops, especially between Phroso and Schlitzie.
b) Phroso takes Schlitzie and their friends Elvira and Jenny Lee shopping in Paris, or for a picnic, or some other outing
c) Phroso has to protect Schlitzie, Elvira and Jenny Lee against some kind of threat, possibly from the story’s villains or from hostile members of the circus audience or the townspeople where the circus is visiting.
6) Dad’s Army
Characters: Lance-Corporal Jack Jones, Captain George Mainwaring, Private Frank Pike, Sergeant Arthur Wilson
Another beloved childhood favorite here, recently re-discovered! It’s delightfully funny and sweet and chaotic in so many ways! I just love all the characters so much, and have picked a few faves to appear here, though I would be so happy to see any and all of the cast make appearances in the story as they’re all awesome in their own way!
I’ve always loved Jones best and would really like something focusing on him, with his usual catch-phrases, physical comedy and other assorted nonsense having a part to play. I adore his oddness coupled with his sincere integrity and bravery, the way he always volunteers for everything and almost seems to hero-worship Captain Mainwaring (I even get mildly shippy vibes there if you want to take the story in that direction!)
Pike is another interesting character, as the youngest of the platoon, and with his way of somehow hitting on the right solution to a dilemma now and again through sheer dumb luck, and he is courageous and well-meaning in his own way despite often appearing as an inept mummy’s boy who often has to appeal to dear old “Uncle Arthur” in tight spots.
Perhaps Jones and Pike could work together on an assignment or mission, and get into all sorts of trouble before they finally work something out? Maybe they have to be the ones to get Mainwaring and Wilson out of a jam, and mount a hilarious rescue attempt, or they create some chaos that the entire platoon has to work its way out of? Or maybe what they thought was just another training mission turns out to be a real incident with the Germans and their true brave nature comes to the fore? I am sure whatever you create for this fandom will be amazing, as long as it is funny and despite all the hiccups and pratfalls, ends happily!