Dear Yuletide Writer Letter 2023
Oct. 8th, 2023 11:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
flibbertygiggetHeyo! This is my second time doing Yuletide after having a great time last year. I go by flibbertygigget on AO3 as well. Treats are welcome (I'm personally going to try to do one myself).
Likes: angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, strong friendships, canon divergence AUs, missing moments, canon continuation
DNW: explicit rape/noncon/dubcon (allusions are fine), too much focus on romance (I prefer platonic relationships), major AUs (think Coffee Shop or College AUs)
Midnight Radio (Podcast Audio Drama)
The Fandom: Midnight Radio is an ~3 hour long podcast audio drama. Sybil McIntyre is a small-town local radio host in the '50s who begins to receive mysterious letters from an initially anonymous listener (revealed to be named Amelia Birmbaum). Over the course of the story it becomes clear that a) both Sybil and Amelia are lesbians and b) Sybil's dead and the radio announcer is way more sinister than initially apparent.
The Prompts/Suggestions: I've requested Sybil McIntyre, the Announcer, and Worldbuilding for this fandom. The podcast ends with Sybil leaving the radio booth and going into some weird limbo place. I'd like to request some kind of canon continuation that fleshes out the limbo state, the role of the Announcer (is he somehow in charge of whatever's going on? is he stuck too in some way?), and what might happen next now that Sybil's out of the radio booth aspect of her afterlife. I'd appreciate a happy ending where she's reunited with Amelia somehow, though if you want to go darker with it I'm game for that as well.
Repo Man (Movie)
The Fandom: Repo Man is a weird fucking movie from 1984. It centers around Otto Maddox, an L.A. punk who sort of accidentally falls into becoming a repo man after losing his job and his girlfriend. The plot really goes nuts when Otto and his fellow repo men start going after a weirdly valuable Chevy Malibu that has mysterious glowing cargo in the trunk.
The Prompts/Suggestions: I've requested the characters Otto Maddox, Bud, and Lite. I'd really like to see a kind of reverse thing to what happens in canon, tbh. In the movie, most of the emphasis is put on how Otto gets pulled more and more into the world of being a repo man and away from his previous punk life. I'd like for the characters of Bud and Lite, who are the closest to Otto, to get pulled into the L.A. punk scene and lifestyle to some extent instead. This could be either a sort of missing moments type thing or a full-on canon divergent AU. Some L.A./Orange County punk bands from the period that I really like and could factor into the fic are Black Flag, the Minutemen, Circle Jerks, T.S.O.L., and Agent Orange. I'm fine with the focus being on only Otto & Bud or Otto & Lite if that's easier.
The Department of Truth (Comics)
The Fandom: The Department of Truth is a series of comics written by James Tynion IV that's currently at 22 issues collected in 4 TPBs. It centers around Cole Turner, an FBI expert in conspiracy theories who accidentally becomes sucked into the ultra-covert Department of Truth. In this universe, reality isn't a strict dilatation of true and false - if people's belief reaches a critical mass, even the strangest conspiracy theories can become reality. The Department of Truth is charged with ensuring that this doesn't happen - though there are other forces with different agendas and ways of looking at what should be done with this reality, and the Department's missions aren't always morally clear-cut.
The Prompts/Suggestions: I've requested the characters Hawk Harrison and Lee Harvey Oswald. I'm personally most interested in seeing something based in the '80s or '90s, a period seen somewhat in flashback but not the main storyline of the comic. The second and third TPB have the most relevant info if you decide to do this - the second TPB introduces Hawk Harrison and gives some info on his previous missions, while the second TPB goes into most of what we know of Lee Harvey Oswald's backstory in DoT.
I'm most interested in seeing conspiracies or cryptids that the comics haven't really touched on yet. The "Elvis isn't dead" conspiracy (especially the "Elvis was secretly an FBI asset" one), the Contras/CIA/Crack Cocaine connection (especially in regards to how it's still debated, which would be interesting in the sense that maybe the DoT wasn't able to counteract the conspiracy or inserted the conspiracy into reality for some reason), or aspects of the Satanic Panic, such as "Satanic backmasking", that haven't been seen yet are particularly interesting. On the other hand, some cryptids that I like but haven't been seen yet in canon are La Llorona, the chupacabra, and the hodag. Essentially, I'm requesting casefic here lmao.
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (Musical)
The Fandom: God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater is the first musical collaboration between Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, based on the novel by Kurt Vonnegut. Eliot Rosewater, the millionaire heir of a conservative factory magnate/Senator, comes back from World War II with a social conscience and decides to dedicate his father's tax-dodging "charity" to improving the lives of people. Then shit goes down because of Eliot's depressed insurance salesman cousin and an unscrupulous lawyer.
The Prompts/Suggestions: I've requested the characters Eliot Rosewater and Fred Rosewater (the depressed insurance salesman cousin in question). I'm most interested in a kind of canon continuation type thing - does Fred ever return to Rosewater County to try to milk more money out of Eliot? Did they know each other somewhat before the whole scam went down and does this cause them to reconnect later? I also have a headcanon that Fred's depression is partly due to untreated PTSD from WWII, which could be interesting if you go that route since Eliot's WWII PTSD is such a big part of his characterization and decisions - they'd essentially be two guys who responded to their PTSD in nearly opposite ways.
The Thick of It (TV)
The Fandom: The Thick of It is a TV show about petty governmental bullshit and the ways Malcolm Tucker, the meanest, sweariest Scot ever, tries to spin doctor that petty governmental bullshit into gold (or at least into not-a-crisis).
The Prompts/Suggestions: I've requested the characters Malcolm Tucker and Jamie MacDonald. The idea that they both got their start in journalism before becoming basically PR guys for the government is alluded to, and honestly I want something set in the '80s or '90s about these terrible men and their terrible, muckraking time in the cesspool that is the British press. The meaner, more manipulative, and less moral you make them the better, especially if that leads directly into them getting into the position to do what they do in the show. Any romance/situationship/whatever between them is completely optional, I ship it but not super hard.
Cabaret (Musical)
The Fandom: Cabaret is a musical set in the twilight of the Wiemar Republic as the Nazis rise in political power. It revolves around the people in and around the Kit Kat Club in Berlin, which both shows the vibrant, seedy, revolutionary nightlife of the Wiemar period and serves as a metaphor for the deteriorating political situation in Germany at the time.
The Prompts/Suggestions: I've requested the characters Sally Bowles and Cliff Bradshaw. I've always wondered what would happen if they both manage to survive the war - Sally having likely fled back to England, Cliff having likely served in the American army - and wound up running into each other years or decades afterwards. This could either be in England (potentially less depressing, though major cities were pretty bombed out) or in West Berlin (potentially VERY depressing, especially with, y'know, all the ex-Nazis, political upheaval, and Krautrock). I'm fine with them having a one night stand, but I honestly find it very unlikely that they have anything more than that.
General Wants/DNWs
Likes: angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, strong friendships, canon divergence AUs, missing moments, canon continuation
DNW: explicit rape/noncon/dubcon (allusions are fine), too much focus on romance (I prefer platonic relationships), major AUs (think Coffee Shop or College AUs)
Fandom-Specific Requests/Prompts
Midnight Radio (Podcast Audio Drama)
The Fandom: Midnight Radio is an ~3 hour long podcast audio drama. Sybil McIntyre is a small-town local radio host in the '50s who begins to receive mysterious letters from an initially anonymous listener (revealed to be named Amelia Birmbaum). Over the course of the story it becomes clear that a) both Sybil and Amelia are lesbians and b) Sybil's dead and the radio announcer is way more sinister than initially apparent.
The Prompts/Suggestions: I've requested Sybil McIntyre, the Announcer, and Worldbuilding for this fandom. The podcast ends with Sybil leaving the radio booth and going into some weird limbo place. I'd like to request some kind of canon continuation that fleshes out the limbo state, the role of the Announcer (is he somehow in charge of whatever's going on? is he stuck too in some way?), and what might happen next now that Sybil's out of the radio booth aspect of her afterlife. I'd appreciate a happy ending where she's reunited with Amelia somehow, though if you want to go darker with it I'm game for that as well.
Repo Man (Movie)
The Fandom: Repo Man is a weird fucking movie from 1984. It centers around Otto Maddox, an L.A. punk who sort of accidentally falls into becoming a repo man after losing his job and his girlfriend. The plot really goes nuts when Otto and his fellow repo men start going after a weirdly valuable Chevy Malibu that has mysterious glowing cargo in the trunk.
The Prompts/Suggestions: I've requested the characters Otto Maddox, Bud, and Lite. I'd really like to see a kind of reverse thing to what happens in canon, tbh. In the movie, most of the emphasis is put on how Otto gets pulled more and more into the world of being a repo man and away from his previous punk life. I'd like for the characters of Bud and Lite, who are the closest to Otto, to get pulled into the L.A. punk scene and lifestyle to some extent instead. This could be either a sort of missing moments type thing or a full-on canon divergent AU. Some L.A./Orange County punk bands from the period that I really like and could factor into the fic are Black Flag, the Minutemen, Circle Jerks, T.S.O.L., and Agent Orange. I'm fine with the focus being on only Otto & Bud or Otto & Lite if that's easier.
The Department of Truth (Comics)
The Fandom: The Department of Truth is a series of comics written by James Tynion IV that's currently at 22 issues collected in 4 TPBs. It centers around Cole Turner, an FBI expert in conspiracy theories who accidentally becomes sucked into the ultra-covert Department of Truth. In this universe, reality isn't a strict dilatation of true and false - if people's belief reaches a critical mass, even the strangest conspiracy theories can become reality. The Department of Truth is charged with ensuring that this doesn't happen - though there are other forces with different agendas and ways of looking at what should be done with this reality, and the Department's missions aren't always morally clear-cut.
The Prompts/Suggestions: I've requested the characters Hawk Harrison and Lee Harvey Oswald. I'm personally most interested in seeing something based in the '80s or '90s, a period seen somewhat in flashback but not the main storyline of the comic. The second and third TPB have the most relevant info if you decide to do this - the second TPB introduces Hawk Harrison and gives some info on his previous missions, while the second TPB goes into most of what we know of Lee Harvey Oswald's backstory in DoT.
I'm most interested in seeing conspiracies or cryptids that the comics haven't really touched on yet. The "Elvis isn't dead" conspiracy (especially the "Elvis was secretly an FBI asset" one), the Contras/CIA/Crack Cocaine connection (especially in regards to how it's still debated, which would be interesting in the sense that maybe the DoT wasn't able to counteract the conspiracy or inserted the conspiracy into reality for some reason), or aspects of the Satanic Panic, such as "Satanic backmasking", that haven't been seen yet are particularly interesting. On the other hand, some cryptids that I like but haven't been seen yet in canon are La Llorona, the chupacabra, and the hodag. Essentially, I'm requesting casefic here lmao.
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (Musical)
The Fandom: God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater is the first musical collaboration between Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, based on the novel by Kurt Vonnegut. Eliot Rosewater, the millionaire heir of a conservative factory magnate/Senator, comes back from World War II with a social conscience and decides to dedicate his father's tax-dodging "charity" to improving the lives of people. Then shit goes down because of Eliot's depressed insurance salesman cousin and an unscrupulous lawyer.
The Prompts/Suggestions: I've requested the characters Eliot Rosewater and Fred Rosewater (the depressed insurance salesman cousin in question). I'm most interested in a kind of canon continuation type thing - does Fred ever return to Rosewater County to try to milk more money out of Eliot? Did they know each other somewhat before the whole scam went down and does this cause them to reconnect later? I also have a headcanon that Fred's depression is partly due to untreated PTSD from WWII, which could be interesting if you go that route since Eliot's WWII PTSD is such a big part of his characterization and decisions - they'd essentially be two guys who responded to their PTSD in nearly opposite ways.
The Thick of It (TV)
The Fandom: The Thick of It is a TV show about petty governmental bullshit and the ways Malcolm Tucker, the meanest, sweariest Scot ever, tries to spin doctor that petty governmental bullshit into gold (or at least into not-a-crisis).
The Prompts/Suggestions: I've requested the characters Malcolm Tucker and Jamie MacDonald. The idea that they both got their start in journalism before becoming basically PR guys for the government is alluded to, and honestly I want something set in the '80s or '90s about these terrible men and their terrible, muckraking time in the cesspool that is the British press. The meaner, more manipulative, and less moral you make them the better, especially if that leads directly into them getting into the position to do what they do in the show. Any romance/situationship/whatever between them is completely optional, I ship it but not super hard.
Cabaret (Musical)
The Fandom: Cabaret is a musical set in the twilight of the Wiemar Republic as the Nazis rise in political power. It revolves around the people in and around the Kit Kat Club in Berlin, which both shows the vibrant, seedy, revolutionary nightlife of the Wiemar period and serves as a metaphor for the deteriorating political situation in Germany at the time.
The Prompts/Suggestions: I've requested the characters Sally Bowles and Cliff Bradshaw. I've always wondered what would happen if they both manage to survive the war - Sally having likely fled back to England, Cliff having likely served in the American army - and wound up running into each other years or decades afterwards. This could either be in England (potentially less depressing, though major cities were pretty bombed out) or in West Berlin (potentially VERY depressing, especially with, y'know, all the ex-Nazis, political upheaval, and Krautrock). I'm fine with them having a one night stand, but I honestly find it very unlikely that they have anything more than that.
