Not that one didn't know it would happen sooner or later. (He was 95.) Still, it feels like the end of an era, even though he had long since ceased to be the creator/writer/editor who made Marvel what it is.

'Nuff said.

greerwatson on AO3.

First, let me thank you for writing me a story in one of the fandoms we share. I've listed them in alphabetical order, so as not to play favourites.


GENERAL POINTS:

• I love worldbuilding and character pieces—stories that explore more deeply—through backstory, or by elaborating the setting/history/culture or exploring people's motivations and personal interactions.


• I prefer gen; but I'm not asking you to ignore canon relationships. However, I don't care for anything more than PG-13: explicit sexual detail is definitely a DNW for me. (When I encounter it in stories, I skim over it.) When pairings are essential to the story, I feel that curtainfic > romance > smut. BUT character and plot are the best!


• I love casefic; and, more generally, I like stories that are canon-compliant. The general exception to this is ignoring canonical character death if you want. (There may be other specific exceptions.)


• I'm okay with violence if necessary to the story; but not gore for the sake of gore. On the whole, I prefer not to have characters die in the story; but references to canonical deaths are okay. (I'm fine with having original characters murdered in casefic, and that sort of thing.)


• I enjoy comedy—being able to recognize the ridiculous when it pops up; also wit and wordplay. Having said that, I totally leave it up to you whether you write a serious or comic story—or a serious story with comic interludes.


• No second-person fic, please. My feelings on first person vary. As a rule, I don't care for it with TV fandoms; but it is definitely okay for book canons that were written that way by the author. (Please see the specific fandom.)
  

( Read more... )

I know it's hard to believe at this time of year. I mean, the weather pundits in Toronto promise a return to hot-and-humid for the weekend! Nevertheless, the Yuletide mods (yuletide_admin) have already opened nominations.

I plan to nominate Forever Knight, of course. Probably Nick, Natalie, Janette, and LaCroix—those being the characters most likely to be requested by people who aren't the ardent fans some of us are. However, in my opinion, the more characters the better. It would certainly be good to be able to request fanfic focusing on Nick's partners or the Season 3 vampires.

So ... do please consider nominating FK. If you do, leave a note here so that people don't duplicate your noms. (Dupes won't count, and mean a lost opportunity to add someone different.)

Nominations will close on 21 September. At that point the mods will clean up the tag set, removing duplicates and correcting spelling errors. Sign-ups run 10 to 21 October.

( Read more... )

First, let me thank you for writing me a story in one of the fandoms we share. I'm excited about all of them. (They're listed in alphabetical order, so as not to play favourites.) I should also say up front that I'm easy on getting either a trick or a treat.


GENERAL POINTS:

• I love worldbuilding and character pieces—stories that explore more deeply—through backstory, or by elaborating the setting/history/culture or exploring people's motivations and personal interactions.


• I prefer gen; but I'm not asking you to ignore canon relationships. However, I don't care for anything more than PG-13: explicit sexual detail is definitely a DNW for me. For pairings, my tastes are pretty vanilla.


• I love casefic; and, more generally, I like stories that are canon-compliant. The general exception to this is ignoring canonical character death if you want. (There may be other specific exceptions.)


• I'm okay with violence if necessary to the story; but not gore for the sake of gore. On the whole, I prefer not to have characters die in the story; but references to canonical deaths are okay. (I'm fine with having original characters murdered in casefic, and that sort of thing.)


• I enjoy comedy—being able to recognize the ridiculous when it pops up; also wit and wordplay. Having said that, I totally leave it up to you whether you write a serious or comic story—or a serious story with comic interludes.


• No second person fic, please. First person is okay, especially for book canons that were written that way by the author.
  

( Read more... )

Borrowed from toujours_nigel, whose own is here. The idea is to put up the first line of each of the last ten stories I have posted, and see if there are any commonalities or patterns. Going back ten covers everything I've done this year as well as the stories I wrote for Yuletide last year. Rather neatly, too: none of the Yulefic has had to be omitted.

So here goes:

• "All good things must come to an end."
  
  "Hot Buttered Crumpets", 5K, written for artemis1000 in the Everywoman gift exchange.
  
  Crossover between The Chronicles of Narnia and Alice in Wonderland. Back in England after the children's first visit to Narnia, Lucy meets the real Alice.



• "This is the Last Will and Testament of me, Natalya Maria Balandin née Sukhareva…."
  
  "Gone Where the Goblins Go", 5K, written for nycmacysgirl in FK Fic Fest.
  
  Forever Knight. Fill between Seasons One and Two, elaborating on the backstory for Natalie that was introduced in the Season Three episode, "Dead of Night". She is reluctant to go to see her grandmother's lawyer when the old lady dies.



• "The heist was, of course, planned to the second."
  
  "Stopped Cold", 17K, written for rivulet027 in the Worldbuilding Exchange.
  
  The Flash (TV series). Some months after Captain Cold returns to Central City after being rescued from the Oculus explosion, the newly formed Rogues pull their first heist. There are unexpected consequences....



• "‘What the hell just happened?’"
  
  "Truth and Lies", 431 words, written for sperrywink in Chocolate Box.
  
  The Flash (TV series). After the episode "Rogue Air", Cisco and Caitlin talk about the attempt to transfer the prisoners from the Pipeline.



• "He kissed her, caressed her—and sank his teeth into her neck."
  
  "To Perfect Her for the Taking", 572 words, written for monicawoe in Chocolate Box.
  
  Forever Knight. LaCroix's perspective on the events in the flashback to the Season Three episode "Trophy Girl", in which Nick drains Liselle, whom his master had intended as his own prey.



• "‘We should’ve kept the emerald,’ said Mick out of the blue."
  
  "Price above Emeralds", 386 words, written for sperrywink in Chocolate Box.
  
  DC's Legends of Tomorrow. Mick talks to Len after the events of the Season One episode "Blood Ties".



• "After becoming a vampire, Javier did not return to Pizarro’s army for long."
  
  "A Tale of Cain and Abel", 2K, written for androcksandthings in Yuletide.
  
  Forever Knight. In 1531, Vachon slowly flies north from Lake Titicaca, eventually arriving in Mexico City. The Inca is ever in pursuit.



• "Let ol’ Screed tell yer, the advan’age o’ rats is ’ow simple they are as prey."
  
  "A Rat's Eye View of the World", 1K, written for ladygray99 in Yuletide.
  
  Forever Knight. Screed's perspective on food and friendship, and his life as a carouche. Written in his own idiosyncratic idiolectal blend of Nadsat and Cockney.



• "‘He never caned me at school.’"
  
  "Don't Insult My Intelligence", 2K, written for moetushie in Yuletide.
  
  The Charioteer. As Bunny drives back to Bridstow after dropping Laurie at the hospital, he considers the implications of their conversation.



• "She was alone."
  
  "Entire of Herself", ~3K, written for swmbo in Yuletide.
  
  Swallows and Amazons series. While the others go sailing, Susan stays behind on Wild Cat Island to set up camp herself. Takes place shortly after The Picts and the Martyrs.

Ye-e-e-s. I can see one obvious thing most of these have in common. As first lines go, they tend to be short and snappy. They're designed to grab you fast and toss you on to the rest of the paragraph, wherein lies the real interest. In fact, seen in isolation, some of them are remarkably uninformative! One would really need the first paragraph, I think, to make much sense of "All good things must come to an end": it's just a saying, and could lead almost anywhere. And "He never caned me at school" is a direct quotation from the novel.

I wonder if, should I go back further, I'd find that this is true of my earlier stories as well? Is this a consistent aspect of my style or a relatively recent evolution?

Let me thank you right up front for whatever you are going to write. Although you've seen my sign-up, I know that most people like more than that to go on. I hope this letter will prove helpful. I know I've said more about some fandoms than others, but please don't read any significance in that. All are dear to my heart. (I've listed them alphabetically.)


GENERAL POINTS:

• I love worldbuilding and character pieces—stories that explore more deeply—through backstory, or by elaborating the setting/history/culture or exploring people's motivations and personal interactions.


• I prefer gen; but I'm not asking you to ignore canon relationships. However, I don't care for anything more than PG-13: explicit sexual detail is definitely a DNW for me, especially when dealing with children's books.


• I love casefic; and, more generally, I like stories that are canon-compliant. The general exception to this is ignoring canonical character death if you want. (There may be other specific exceptions.)


• I'm okay with violence if necessary to the story; but not gore for the sake of gore. On the whole, I prefer not to have characters die in the story; but references to canonical deaths are okay. (I'm fine with having original characters murdered in casefic or killed in war, and that sort of thing.)


• I enjoy comedy—being able to recognize the ridiculous when it pops up; also wit and wordplay. Having said that, I totally leave it up to you whether you write a serious or comic story—or a serious story with comic interludes.


• No second person fic, please. First person is okay, especially for book canons that were written that way by the author.

( Read more... )

First, let me thank you for writing me a story in one of the fandoms we share. I'm excited about all of them. (They're listed in alphabetical order, so as not to play favourites.)


GENERAL POINTS:

• I love worldbuilding and character pieces—stories that explore more deeply—through backstory, or by elaborating the setting/history/culture or exploring people's motivations and personal interactions.


• I prefer gen; but I'm not asking you to ignore canon relationships. However, I don't care for anything more than PG-13: explicit sexual detail is definitely a DNW for me. (When I encounter it in stories, I skim over it.) When pairings are essential to the story, I feel that curtainfic > romance > smut. BUT character and plot are the best!


• I love casefic; and, more generally, I like stories that are canon-compliant. The general exception to this is ignoring canonical character death if you want. (There may be other specific exceptions.)


• I'm okay with violence if necessary to the story; but not gore for the sake of gore. On the whole, I prefer not to have characters die in the story; but references to canonical deaths are okay. (I'm fine with having original characters murdered in casefic, and that sort of thing.)


• I enjoy comedy—being able to recognize the ridiculous when it pops up; also wit and wordplay. Having said that, I totally leave it up to you whether you write a serious or comic story—or a serious story with comic interludes.


• No second person fic, please. First person is okay, especially for book canons that were written that way by the author.
  

( Read more... )

Let me thank you right up front for whatever you are going to write. Although you've seen the tags on my sign-up, I know that most people like more than that to go on, so I hope this letter will prove helpful.

( Read more... )

I did this last year, so....

I only wrote one story more than I did in 2016, fourteen in all. Mostly, they were a fairly average sort of length, plus a couple of ficlets. Sadly, I was not inspired to write any longer fic. (I'm a bit disappointed in myself.)

Most of the stories were written for gift exchanges; and, not for the first time, I got matched with Flo a couple of times. This is fine if I've deliberately angled for it in order to write her a pet fandom-of-the-rarest. Otherwise, it's a nuisance: there's more of a challenge (and more fun) in writing for anyone else.

Sadly, two exchanges I've done in the past, Rarewomen and My Old Fandom, didn't run last year, and seem likely not to do so in the future either. However, I did the new Worldbuilding Exchange, Exchange at Fic Corner, Everywoman, Trick or Treat, and Yuletide. Plus, of course, FK Fic Fest (which has its own special place in my heart!) for the however-manyeth time. In addition, it occurred to me—not for the first time—that the very abrupt ending of Dick Francis's Flying Finish, which I was rereading, left quite a large number of dangling questions. As the Be the First Challenge was just shy of reveals, I had time to dash off a hasty postscript.

All in all, an adequate but not very exciting showing. I'm reasonably pleased with what I wrote; but I had a hard time getting fingertips to keyboard.

( The list: )

This Yuletide looked at first as though it was going to be rather frustrating—not because of my assignment in itself (for it was fine), but because I had writer's block. My story ground itself out slowly, even though I had it planned out well ahead of the deadline. Then, when I was finally raring to write treats in the last days before Christmas, there was so much shopping to do that I never seemed to have time to write.

Still, all's well that ends well. I did manage to squeeze out writing time, especially on Christmas Eve. At least in part this was because much of the tree-decorating was done by Flo. So much thanks to her!

( Read more... )

First, let me thank you for writing me a story in one of the fandoms we share. I'm excited about all of them.


REQUESTS:

Forever Knight (Nicholas Knight & Natalie Lambert, Nicholas Knight & Lucien LaCroix, Nicholas Knight & Don Schanke)

I love the cop aspect of the series; so perhaps Schanke as Nick's partner or Natalie as pathologist. Or Natalie as Nick's "doctor", searching for a cure (especially if you focus on the science rather than her nagging him to stop drinking blood). If you write about Nick and LaCroix, then either an incident in their centuries' long history, or a tale set at the Raven.

I prefer not to have characters die in the story; but references to canonical deaths are okay. DNW second person fic. Any other characters you want to include would be fine. Do feel free to ignore "Last Knight" if you want.

The Flash (TV 2014) (Barry Allen/Leonard Snart, Cisco Ramon & Caitlin Snow)

Cisco and Caitlin are the core of Flash's back-up team. Maybe their perspective back in the Cortex while he's off saving the day? Or some off-duty friendship chat; or maybe backstory before the Particle Acclerator explosion when Star Labs was a busy research site.

For ColdFlash, I like snarky banter during heists and other meet-ups, fix-it fic (no way is Snart dead!), and ethical dilemmas about their CSI/thief relationship.

DNW soulmates, A/B/O, mpreg, wingfic, genderswap, kidfic. I prefer not to have characters die in the story; but references to canonical deaths are okay. DNW second person fic. Any other characters you want to include would be fine.

DC's Legends of Tomorrow (Mick Rory & Leonard Snart)

The friendship between Mick and Len is often tense, but always works out in the end. Perhaps a scene on board the Waverider before the Oculus explosion? Or backstory: when they were teenagers, pulling early jobs, in jail, or before they started working together again in The Flash. I like snarky banter, fix-it fic (no way is Len dead!), and ethical dilemmas.

DNW soulmates, A/B/O, mpreg, wingfic, genderswap, kidfic. I prefer not to have characters die in the story; but references to canonical deaths are okay. DNW second person fic. Any other characters you want to include would be fine.

GENERAL POINTS:

• I love worldbuilding and character pieces—stories that explore more deeply—through backstory, or by elaborating the setting/history/culture or exploring people's motivations and personal interactions.


• I prefer gen, unless otherwise specified. However, I don't care for anything more than PG-13: explicit sexual detail is definitely a DNW for me. (When I encounter it in stories, I skim over it.) For pairings, my tastes are pretty vanilla.


• I love casefic; and, more generally, I like stories that are canon-compliant. The general exception to this is ignoring canonical character death if you want. (There may be other specific exceptions.)


• I'm okay with violence if necessary to the story; but not gore for the sake of gore. On the whole, I prefer not to have characters die in the story; but references to canonical deaths are okay. (I'm fine with having original characters murdered in casefic, and that sort of thing.)


• I enjoy comedy—being able to recognize the ridiculous when it pops up; also wit and wordplay. Having said that, I totally leave it up to you whether you write a serious or comic story—or a serious story with comic interludes.


• No second person fic, please. First person is okay, especially for book canons that were written that way by the author.
  

First, let me thank you for writing me a story in one of the fandoms we share. I've listed them in alphabetical order, so as not to play favourites.


GENERAL POINTS:

• I love worldbuilding and character pieces—stories that explore more deeply—through backstory, or by elaborating the setting/history/culture or exploring people's motivations and personal interactions.


• I prefer gen; but I'm not asking you to ignore canon relationships. However, I don't care for anything more than PG-13: explicit sexual detail is definitely a DNW for me. (When I encounter it in stories, I skim over it.) When pairings are essential to the story, I feel that curtainfic > romance > smut. BUT character and plot are the best!


• I love casefic; and, more generally, I like stories that are canon-compliant. The general exception to this is ignoring canonical character death if you want. (There may be other specific exceptions.)


• I'm okay with violence if necessary to the story; but not gore for the sake of gore. On the whole, I prefer not to have characters die in the story; but references to canonical deaths are okay. (I'm fine with having original characters murdered in casefic, and that sort of thing.)


• I enjoy comedy—being able to recognize the ridiculous when it pops up; also wit and wordplay. Having said that, I totally leave it up to you whether you write a serious or comic story—or a serious story with comic interludes.


• No second-person fic, please. First person is fine, especially for book canons that were written that way by the author.
  

( Read more... )

First, let me thank you for writing me a story in one of the fandoms we share. I'm excited about all of them. (They're listed in alphabetical order, so as not to play favourites.) I should also say up front that I'm easy on getting either a trick or a treat.


GENERAL POINTS:

• I love worldbuilding and character pieces—stories that explore more deeply—through backstory, or by elaborating the setting/history/culture or exploring people's motivations and personal interactions.


• I prefer gen; but I'm not asking you to ignore canon relationships. However, I don't care for anything more than PG-13: explicit sexual detail is definitely a DNW for me. (When I encounter it in stories, I skim over it.) When pairings are essential to the story, I feel that curtainfic > romance > smut. BUT character and plot are the best!


• I love casefic; and, more generally, I like stories that are canon-compliant. The general exception to this is ignoring canonical character death if you want. (There may be other specific exceptions.)


• I'm okay with violence if necessary to the story; but not gore for the sake of gore. On the whole, I prefer not to have characters die in the story; but references to canonical deaths are okay. (I'm fine with having original characters murdered in casefic, and that sort of thing.)


• I enjoy comedy—being able to recognize the ridiculous when it pops up; also wit and wordplay. Having said that, I totally leave it up to you whether you write a serious or comic story—or a serious story with comic interludes.


• Having recently read some fic written in the second person, I find don't care for it. First person is okay, especially for book canons that were written that way by the author.
  

REQUESTS:

Blockbuster Pet Shop Commercials (Carl | Rabbit, Ray | Guinea Pig)

Halloween at the pet shop. Feel free to use the mice, or other animals at the shop. Don't feel that you have to mention Blockbuster itself: as far as I'm concerned the actual ads aren't the point. I just think the characters are hilarious.

These commercials go back a ways, video rentals being a thing of the past nowadays. Inevitably, at the time, they were shown to death; but then a new one would come out, to be enjoyed ... for the first few times. They hold up well, all things considered.

The main characters are the rabbit and guinea pig (often misstated to be a hamster), who share a cage in the pet-shop window, which looks out on a video-rental store across the street. The specials advertised in the window may have been the point of the ad from Blockbuster's perspective; but they are of far less interest to me. I just enjoyed the edgy friendship between the two pets, and (if you want) the other animals in the shop.

This is literally a five-minute fandom; and I doubt anyone would want to come up with a Yule-length fic for it. On the other hand, it strikes me as being well suited to the bite-size of ToT.

You can find most of the commercials on Youtube.


The Charioteer - Mary Renault (any nominated characters)

I'd like a seasonal story—but not necessarily Halloween (given that the book is set in the south of England). Could be autumn; could be a spooky element, could be World War 2 references.

Halloween wasn't commonly celebrated in the south of England at the time this book is set. However, if you want to include Halloween, I'm sure you can contrive something plausible. Alternatively, you could write about Guy Fawkes Night (or the lack thereof, in war time). If you prefer not to write holiday fic, an autumn setting would be fine, especially if you work in appropriate wartime references.

Either tricks or treats could have a spooky element, such as ghosts, premonitions, bad dreams, or superstition; or, if you prefer something more realistic, there's the horror of an air raid.


DC New Earth (Crispus Allen, Daria "Dee" Hernandez, Josie MacDonald, Maggie Sawyer, Renee Montoya, Romy Chandler)

Halloween in Gotham. The GCPD copes. Casefic, team feels at the precinct, or focus on just one of the characters. If you want to use their personal lives, fine; but please bring in some of the GCPD side of things. Curtainfic > romance > smut BUT character and plot are the best! DNW the characters outside the Gotham Central timeline.

The point of view in Gotham Central was an intriguing novelty at the time it was published. Even occasional stories focusing on non-costumed supporting cast were rare; a whole series devoted to them was unheard of. Yet, in Gotham Central, the focus was always on ordinary folks' perspective on life in Gotham. For the most part, costumed characters didn't appear: at most, they might be mentioned or make cameos. Nevertheless, this is Gotham, with all that implies for crazy danger.

The fact that the protagonists are detectives at Gotham Central means that they have to deal with the fallout from supervillainy as well as regular cop-type cases. And Halloween!—not just the perfect time for villains in fancy dress; but the time for little kids out trick-or-treating, and people having themed parties. Any of which might need the intervention of the GCPD.


The Flash (TV 2014) (Barry Allen, Leonard Snart, Lisa Snart, Mick Rory, Hartley Rathaway)

I'd like a story about the Rogues at Halloween. Whichever Rogues you want. Could be a heist, get-together at Saints and Sinners, personal time, etc. If you want to include Barry, I like ColdFlash (esp. the snarky tease), but would prefer the emphasis to be on character interaction. Humour would be great.

I've read The Flash since Carmine Infantino days, which was a decade or two ago, to say the least. So, yes, there are obvious differences between the comics then and now; and The Flash TV series is its own thing. Still, each iteration can be enjoyed for itself; and I loved Season One enormously. Since then ... well, there's been a measure of drift, to put it mildly. Perhaps my biggest regret has been the diminished significance of Flash's Rogues Gallery. They've always been a distinctive crew; and I'd love to see any or all of them, with or without Flash himself.

I think the sign-up basically says it. However, if you don't want to work Halloween into the story, that's okay.


Forever Knight (any nominated characters)

With vampires in the cast, this show is made for Halloween stories. However, you have centuries of history to play with, depending on the character(s) you write about, as well as Nick's current role as a detective on the Toronto force. If you want to play with treats rather than tricks, then there's Halloween in the squad room or at the Raven; or maybe something about Schanke and his young daughter.

If you've never heard of Forever Knight, it's a '90s TV series whose hero is a homicide detective on the Toronto police force who was turned into a vampire in 1228.

I love the cop aspect of the series, both the interplay back at the station, and also the detective story plots. I like both Tracy and Schanke as Nick's partner, as well as Natalie's role as pathologist. You might, on the other hand, prefer to write something with an historical focus. This could be about Nick's centuries' long history, on his own or with LaCroix and Janette. Alternatively, you could write about the vampires introduced in Season Three, Vachon and his crew, about whose past we know very little. Then again, of course, there's the vampire scene in Toronto. Basically, I'm pretty easy on what you write, though my preference is for gen. Any other characters you want to include would be fine. Do feel free to ignore "Last Knight" if you want.

Availability: Most of the series is available on DVD, and some episodes are on YouTube. There's a Forever Knight wiki, if you just want to check details.


Puck of Pook's Hill - Rudyard Kipling (Puck)

I'd like a seasonal story. Perhaps local harvest customs; or an autumn event in history that Puck brings someone to tell the children about. Or Guy Fawkes' Day: by the time Kipling wrote Puck of Pook's Hill, the south of England had pretty well abandoned Halloween for Guy Fawkes' Day. What's Puck's reaction to changing customs? Feel free to use other characters from the book(s).

What it says on the tin.

Seriously, I am interested in this request; I just can't think of much more to say. Autumn rituals past and present, basically; but how you tackle it is up to you.

Available from Project Gutenberg.


Sime~Gen - Jacqueline Lichtenberg & Jean Lorrah (no characters were nominated)

Given the usual relationship between Simes and Gens (not to mention the tentacles that Simes have), there is an obvious horror element here that you might play with.

No characters were nominated: I'd like worldbuilding here, whether you write a trick or a treat. Any period in Sime~Gen history would be fine, from just after the time of the Ancients through to the Tecton; but I'd prefer that you not go into the space era.

In the Sime~Gen Universe (created by Jacqueline Lichtenberg and added to by Jean Lorrah), a mutation—natural or artificially induced—has created a split in humanity that is as fundamental as gender. Superficially, Gens look like modern-day humans; but they produce a life energy called "selyn". Simes must take selyn from Gens in order to survive; this is done through tentacles that they have on their forearms. For centuries, this is fatal to the Gen from whom the selyn is stripped. However, a new mutation among Simes produces "channels" who can take selyn safely from Gens, store it, and then pass it to regular-stype Simes. Eventually, there is a major cultural shift; but it takes literally centuries.

Despite events in many stories, the authors have a basically romantic (if not absurdly optimistic) view of all this. I tend to see the series through less rosy spectacles.

It's that time of year again! Yuletide nominations are now open, and will close on September 16th at 9 a.m. UTC (which basically, for most of us, means Thursday night).

I've added Forever Knight, with Nick, Natalie, LaCroix, and Vachon. I figure that to be a selection that gives people scope for requesting vampire, cop, or historical fic, as well as stories focusing on the new third-season characters.

On the other hand, it's a pretty short list! Is anyone else planning to nominate Forever Knight?

I hope so. With so many characters to pick from, but only four permitted per nominator, it would be good to have at least one other person (even two!) adding more characters. If so, we should coordinate our efforts so that we don't waste any slots through duplication.

Information about nominating can be found here on yuletide_admin. You're allowed to suggest a maximum of three fandoms, with up to four characters for each of them.

After the tag set is checked over by the moderators, sign-ups will open on October 1st.

Sign-ups for this year's Trick or Treat Exchange are about to open.

Trick or Treat is a Halloween event (though stories do not have to be about the holiday). You can offer/request either a story or art, with the minimum word count being 300 words. A tasty little treat, in other words. Of course, you're free to write something longer if you want. A lot of people also write additional gifts, whether for their assigned recipient or other participants.

Forever Knight has been nominated, with the following characters: Nick Knight, Lucien LaCroix, Natalie Lambert, Janette DuCharme, Don Schanke, Tracy Vetter, Javier Vachon, and Screed.

If you want to see what other fandoms have been nominated, take a look at the tagset. You have to request at least three different fandoms and offer at least four. Requests will be visible; so, if you want to write additional stories, you'll be able to see what people are asking for.

“Oh, boy! ‘Man and his World’, yeah!”

The other two looked at Schanke, wondering what he meant. The phrase “man and his world” had cropped up in their own conversation; but, as he’d been typing up the day’s report, his focus had been on the form in front of him. Whatever he thought he’d overheard, his enthusiasm was contextually incomprehensible.

“Man and his World!” he repeated, looking at them. “You know—the Expo ’67 site, only the next year.” He looked a bit glum. “We never did go to Expo ’67, would’ve been great. But we did go to Man and his World. Drove all the way … ROAD TRIP!!!” He grinned broadly, and pumped the air.
( Read more... )

Let me thank you right up front for whatever you are going to write, be it fic or meta. Although you've seen the tags on my sign-up, I know that most people like more than that to go on. I hope this letter will prove helpful. All these fandoms are dear to my heart: I've listed them alphabetically.


DNW: explicit sex, on-screen death of canonical protagonists.


Likes & Dislikes:

I prefer gen. However, I'm not asking you to ignore canon relationships (i.e. in the background) if you want to work them in. (Not sure that's relevant here, though.) For original characters, any romance should be subordinate to plot. No more than PG13, please.

I'm okay with violence if necessary to the story; but not gore for the sake of gore.

I enjoy stories with a sense of humour: being able to recognize the ridiculous when it pops up; also wit and wordplay. (Having said that, I totally leave it up to you whether what you write is serious or comic. I like both.)


Fandoms:

Choir School series - William Mayne
Characters: Charles Unwin Sutton, Dr Sunderland (Choir School), Mr Ardent (Choir School), Trevithic (Choir School)

I'd like you to write about some incident at the school, similar to the sort of thing that Mayne used to flesh out his books. Preferably seen from the point of view of one of the boys (since that's how he wrote), but not leaving out the adults, who are so much part of the series. Which boys to include is up to you: Trevithic is the only one nominated; but feel free to use any of the others Mayne mentioned, or an O.C.

DNW any rating higher than PG13.

Although each of the four choir school books has a plot, it's the incidents that really make up the story. Through them we get to know the characters; and, when I say "characters", I refer less to the protagonists (though Mayne does distinguish them) than I do to the many and varied people in the supporting cast, references to any of whom would be welcome, though I think I nominated the most obvious ones. Don't feel you need to work all of them into one short story. Still, the more the merrier.

Suggestions.... Well, the setting is a school (with the inevitable lessons in various academic subjects); but, more specifically, it is a choir school. Music lessons and practice, as well as cathedral services, are a major part of the boys' lives. As well, it's a boarding school: you might perhaps write of personal rivalries, interactions between boys and staff outside school hours, hobbies, or holidays.

As these are boys whose voices have not yet broken, the oldest Choristers cannot be more than 13 or 14 (and the youngest Probationer is only about 7 or 8); so please keep to a PG rating.


The Dalemark Quartet - Diana Wynne Jones:Characters: Tanaqui (Dalemark Quartet), Duck (Dalemark Quartet)

I'd love a story about one of Duck's alter egos, or Tanaqui's future as Cennoreth. (You don't need to put both in the story if you don't want to.)

DNW any rating higher than PG13.

There seem to be quite a few untold tales about the characters from The Spell-coats. I'd love a story about one of Duck's alter egos, or Tanaqui's future as Cennoreth.

Alternatively, there's so much we don't know about the Undying in the Dalemark Quartet. Where do they come from? How is Undyingness inherited? What are the differences, if any, between the status of the One, the other Undying who are actually worshipped (such as Libby Beer), and those who present more as folk heroes (such as Duck, in his various guises)? How do the "lesser" Undying relate to the older/stronger/? ones?

If you prefer to write about the Riverlands era: perhaps something about Tanaqui and Duck's family before the invasion, or the other villagers' perspective on their family.


Paddington Bear - Michael Bond
Characters: Paddington Bear

I'd like "another" Paddington story please, similar in subject and style to canon.

Aside from P. Bear himself, I'm not requesting any specific characters: not all would fit in the same story necessarily, anyway; so I'd prefer to leave that part of it open. However, I would like to see other familiar faces in the story, whether nominated or not.

DNW any rating higher than PG.

I met Paddington as an adult; but immediately realized that, if I'd known the books as a child, I would have been delighted. He's a real charmer—though the havoc he leaves in his wake would be the despair of anyone in real life. Still, young bears from Darkest Peru are hardly the stuff of real life; so one can simply strip away the decades and enjoy his antics for the entertainment.


The Witch's Brat - Rosemary Sutcliff
Characters: Lovel (The Witch's Brat)

I'd like a story set during the period when Lovel was still at the monastery, before he followed Rahere to London. I'm fond of gardens; so I'd appreciate it if you could work that in.

Aside from Lovel himself, I'm not requesting any specific characters: not all would fit in the same story necessarily, anyway; so I'd prefer to leave that part of it open. However, I would like to see other familiar faces in the story, whether nominated or not.

DNW any rating higher than PG.

Nominations for the Everywoman Exchange (everywoman) are currently open. This is a fanfic and fanart exchange for works involving women; and, with the demise of the late lamented Rarewomen Exchange, could provide a substitute for anyone looking to write stories focusing particularly on female characters.

Yes, I know that fkficfest is ongoing. However, Everywoman's due date is June 23 (i.e. a month later). If you think you won't be utterly written out by then, you might fancy signing up. The minimum length is only 500 words.

The current tag set is on AO3. Nominations continue until May 8th.

Posted to Maryrenaultfics under this title on March 29, 2012, 23:10.


For more than twenty years now, I have attended the annual International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts in the third week of March. Over the years, I have given papers on comics, SF, fantasy, genre theory, and popular culture. This year, for the first time, I spoke about our own maryrenaultfics.

You may, of course, be wondering how we qualify as an appropriate subject for such a conference: after all, Mary Renault's books may be !!!FaNtAsTiC!!!, but they hardly qualify as fantasy (or SF, either). However, our community has created the ITOWverse; and that most definitely does qualify.

Our beloved moderators have expressed interest in seeing the paper. For those among the members who are academics, I should point out, though, that it was written specifically for oral presentation. It therefore has a less formal style than would be acceptable to a journal. Indeed, people will note a number of places where emphasis or interpolation has been made explicit so that I won't forget how to read my lines—all in order to improve the "performance"! Furthermore, the paper lacks such supporting apparatus as notes and bibliography (though there were some references listed in the handout). I have, however, added a few pertinent links, so people can, if they wish, check out my sources.

I might add that the most frustrating thing about the paper is the fact that, with only twenty minutes allowed, so much had to be left out!

( So this is the paper, as I read it at the conference.... )

Let me thank you right up front for whatever you are going to write, be it fic or meta. Although you've seen the tags on my sign-up, I know that most people like more than that to go on. I hope this letter will prove helpful. All these fandoms are dear to my heart: I've listed them alphabetically.


DNW: explicit sex, on-screen death of canonical protagonists


Likes & Dislikes:

I prefer gen. However, I'm not asking you to ignore canon relationships (i.e. in the background) if you want to work them in. (Not sure that's relevant here, though.) For original characters, any romance should be subordinate to plot. No more than PG13, please.

I'm okay with violence if necessary to the story; but not gore for the sake of gore.

I enjoy stories with a sense of humour: being able to recognize the ridiculous when it pops up; also wit and wordplay. (Having said that, I totally leave it up to you whether what you write is serious or comic. I like both.)


Fandoms:

Alderley Edge series a/k/a Tales of Alderley Series - Alan Garner:

Characters: Atlendor (Alderley Edge series), Cadellin Silverbrow (Alderley Edge series), Colin Whisterfield (Alderley Edge series), Fenodyree (Alderley Edge series), No Characters (Alderley Edge series), Original Character(s) (Alderley Edge series), Susan Whisterfield (Alderley Edge series)

Worldbuilding: elves (Alderley Edge series), Worldbuilding: dwarfs (Alderley Edge series), Worldbuilding: events after The Moon of Gomrath (Alderley Edge series), Worldbuilding: Old Magic (Alderley Edge series), Worldbuilding: the sleeping knights in Fundindelve (Alderley Edge series)

fan fiction

I'd love to know more about the culture and history of (either or both) the two main supernatural species in the series, elves and dwarfs. There are hints, especially in the first book when Fenodyree and Durathror talk together; but Garner goes frustratingly little into the background of his world.

Then, of course, there's the question of what exactly happens after the conclusion of The Moon of Gomrath. Although nominally a sequel, Boneland is so allusive as to provide the merest sketch, and leaves out most of the worldbuilding of the earlier two books. What happened from that perspective (regardless of how Colin dimly remembers it sans elves, dwarfs, and overt magic).

If you prefer to go back in time, I'd also be curious to know more about any of the following:

• the first battle against evil that led to the knights being ensorcelled
• the decision and means taken by the wizards to imprison the Old Magic
• someone in the modern era encountering both Colin (as he is now) and the supernatural (in the style of the earlier books)
• Susan's perspective on her disappearance and transformation

The Dalemark Quartet - Diana Wynne Jones:

Characters: No Characters (Dalemark Quartet), Original Character(s) (Dalemark Quartet), Tanaqui | Cennoreth (Dalemark Quartet), Duck (Dalemark Quartet)

Worldbuilding: Riverlands prehistoric era (Dalemark Quartet), Worldbuilding: the Undying (Dalemark Quartet)

fan fiction, meta

There's so much we don't know about the Undying in the Dalemark Quartet. Where do they come from? How is Undyingness inherited? What are the differences, if any, between the status of the One, the other Undying who are actually worshipped (such as Libby Beer), and those who present more as folk heroes (such as Duck, in his various guises)? DWJ gave us endnotes to The Spell-coats: it would be great to see a scholarly article, encyclopedia entry, school text (or what have you) about Dalemark religion/folklore.

Alternatively, there seem to be quite a few untold tales about the characters from The Spell-coats. I'd love a story about one of Duck's alter egos, or Tanaqui's future as Cennoreth.

Or how about a closer look at the Riverlands era? Why did the Haliglanders invade? What was life like for the other villagers pre-invasion? How did losing the River affect daily life (which it must have done in a major way)? This could be fanfic set in that era; but you could also tackle it from an archaeological perspective, either as meta or using original characters.



Forever Knight:

Characters: Nick Knight (Forever Knight), Natalie Lambert (Forever Knight), No Characters (Forever Knight)

Worldbuilding: vampire physiology

Fan fiction, meta.

Although the series often references Natalie's attempts to find an acceptable blood substitute for Nick, we don't actually see much of her research into his condition except in "The Fix". I'd love to see more of this—either a story about her research into some aspect of vampirism, or perhaps a look at her notes. Alternatively, maybe meta from a future when vampires are common knowledge, an article from the Encyclopedia Galactica or the like.

Possible topics: vision, fangs, immortality, rapid healing, the process of becoming a vampire, allergy to religious objects (or anything else that appeals).



Forever Knight:

Characters: Amanda Cohen (Forever Knight), Joe Reese (Forever Knight), Joe Stonetree (Forever Knight), Natalie Lambert (Forever Knight), Tracy Vetter (Forever Knight), Feliks Twist (Forever Knight), Javier Vachon (Forever Knight), Screed (Forever Knight)

Worldbuilding: backgrounds and backstory (Forever Knight), Worldbuilding: Vachon's crew (Forever Knight), Worldbuilding: Carouches (Forever Knight)

fan fiction

Given the focus on Nick as protagonist, secondary characters in FK tend to get short-changed. I'd like to know more about the background of the various human characters in the series: the families/careers of the police captains; Natalie's childhood and medical training; Tracy's family, decision to become a police officer, and time in uniform.

Alternatively, tell me more about Feliks Twist. A vampire who likes to garden (albeit under grow lights) sounds fascinating; but we only saw him once.

Although Season 3 did include a few flashbacks focusing on Vachon and his friends, there are centuries of their history that were never touched on. How did the "crew" get together? Why did they stick together—and why did they eventually break up shortly before "Black Buddha"? If you want, feel free to create new members of the group, or include characters who were mentioned in the Season 3 bible but never appeared on screen. If you prefer not to deal with the crew together, it's okay to focus only on the backstory of a specific member of the crew.

For Screed, in particular, I'd be interested in seeing more about carouches—how they differ from regular vampires and/or more about vampire prejudice towards them (and why).



Hellspark - Janet Kagan:

Characters: Geremy Kantyka (Hellspark), Maggy | Margaret Lord Lynn (Hellspark,) No Characters (Hellspark), Original Character(s) (Hellspark), Tinling Alfvaen (Hellspark), Tochohl Susumo (Hellspark), Buntec (Hellspark)

Worldbuilding: Worldbuilding: linguistics (Hellspark), Worldbuilding: planetary societies (Hellspark), Worldbuilding: sentient computers (Hellspark), Worldbuilding: Ste Veschke (Hellspark)

fan fiction

There are so few Hellspark stories that practically anything would be gratefully received. However, if a few prompts would be helpful:

• Maggy is now the only legally sentient computer: what if someone challenged this, or simply found it impossible to believe? Is she mentoring Garbo? How is Geremy dealing with Garbo?
• I'd be fascinated to see more of the planetary societies alluded to in the book, whether the homeworld of one of the survey team, a new world, or Hellspark itself.
• The pin of high change is significant, whether symbolically or in actual power, in terms of Tocohl's maturity. What is Veschke's story?
• More of Lassti? Bayd is now acting as the survey team's translator: does she run into any further problems dealing with the sprookjes' language? Or perhaps Tocohl (or some other Hellspark) has to cope with language-related complications elsewhere in the galaxy.

Sime~Gen - Jacqueline Lichtenberg & Jean Lorrah:

Characters: No Characters (Sime~Gen), Original Character(s) (Sime~Gen)

Worldbuilding: linguistics (Sime~Gen), Worldbuilding: pre-Channel era (Sime~Gen), Worldbuilding: Transition Era (Sime~Gen)

fan fiction, meta

What happened in the very earliest days as the Sime and Gen mutations spread? How did Sime and Gen Territories become separate? What was life like for the early Simes and Gens, long before the appearance of the channel mutation? I'm assuming, if you write fanfic, that you'll use original characters. On the other hand, from the perspective of people in later ages, this is history (if not archaeology): an excavation of ruins? School history, academic article, encyclopedia entry?

I'd also be interested in something on the evolution of Simelan and Genlan. Given the thousand-year history of the series (and comparing to the history of English over the same period!), neither would be comprehensible to anyone today. Do the Gens in Sime Territory speak the same language/dialect as those in Gen Territory; and, if not, what are the implications? Furthermore, given the spread of Gen and Sime Territories across the continent in the Dark Ages, one would expect the emergence of distinct languages in different parts of North America. How does this impact trade and diplomacy in the Householding and Tecton eras? Either meta or fanfic would suit me fine.