Dear Yuletide writer

[pearwaldorf]

So. Hello. Thanks for doing this. Also, sorry for not putting optional details in my sign-up. I went out of town and sign-ups closed before I realized I should have done that.

I’m always delighted when people take time to consider anything I want when writing fics, so I’m sure whatever you write I’m going to love. But if you need something more concrete to work with (as I do), please feel free to look below.

You probably don’t know me. Here are places you can find me:

I hang out mostly on Tumblr and Twitter. I have an AO3 at pearwaldorf and this is some fic that I have read and liked.

Things I love in fic, in no particular order

Female-centric (although as long as your characterization is true I won’t care who you focus on)
Friendship/genuine regard between characters, especially when they’ve clashed in the past
Friends/lovers hanging out
As a corollary to the previous two points, hurt/comfort, caretaking
People finding their way in the world, especially after something bad has happened
Found families
OT3s/poly relationships and negotiations surrounding such
Worldbuilding of all sorts (give me specific details of the nerd-ass thing you’ve always wanted to explore about the work!)
Comedies of manners
Banter/snark
Fake relationships/forced intimacy, especially when feelings make it awkward
Pining

In general, I prefer established relationships to getting together fics. There is a lot of depth and exploration that I think gets missed when people focus on getting people together.

I really love attempts at connection and understanding, both of self and other characters, especially when they succeed.

I am agnostic on explicit sex/porn. Don’t write it if it makes you uncomfortable, but I’m certainly not going to be sad if it’s there.

Please do not feel obligated to make your fic holiday themed. If you think it will add to the story, great!

Do not want

Unhappy endings (if things get bad/dark but are resolved by the end that’s fine)
Non-canonical character death
Non-con (dubcon is OK)
Character bashing/sidelining to further ships (especially if they’re female)
Jealousy/possessiveness/general relationship creepiness as a good thing
A/B/O AUs
Soulmate AUs
Mpreg

Please do not consider this a moral judgment if you’re into any of those things.

Fandoms
 

Moonlight
Kevin, Chiron, Teresa, Juan

I keep thinking about Trevante Rhodes's statement about how Kevin and Chiron are holding hands in Central Park when they're 90. What happens in the years in between? Does Chiron introduce Kevin to his family, biological and/or chosen? What do they think of him? Does Kevin's family meet Chiron? What good things happen? What tragedies? What mundane stuff do they enjoy together? What food does Kevin cook for Chiron in these times, and vice versa?

Crimson Peak
Edith Cushing, Lucille Sharpe, Thomas Sharpe

An acquaintance (who is a cis white dude) once mentioned that he didn't really understand Crimson Peak, and I told him it was because it wasn't made for him. I mean, Guillermo del Toro is a cis man, but he understands girls/women better than a lot of male filmmakers. Crimson Peak is a more modern gothic romance, where the girl saves herself, and I appreciate that.

On the other hand, WHERE IS ALL OF THE DARK POSSIBLY DUB-CON FEMSLASH WE DESERVE? Or the fucked-up incestuous threesomes? If you feel comfortable writing jealousy/possessiveness/obsessive dynamics for this fandom, that's totally cool.

Logan
Laura Kinney, Logan, Charles Xavier

Oh, this movie fucked me up. I watched it after my grandma died, and I just bawled. A family can totally be a cranky old man weighed down by the consequences of his actions, an aging supersoldier who's given up on human connection (because lbr, it never really goes well for him), and his little precious murder princess clone.
I would like a story about Laura and her new friends. What does she learn from Charles and Logan (and Gabriela) that helps her in her new life?

KOTOR 2

I came very very late to this work, despite being a giant Star Wars and Bioware (Obsidian by proxy I guess) fan. I think I would have weathered the era between the prequels and the new trilogy much better if I'd played/watched this sooner. It's basically everything I wanted about the Force, war, trauma, and the things we do to survive them.

I love how rich and deep all the companions in this game are. Like, there were companions I liked a lot in the first one (Juhani, Jolee Bindo, Mission Vao), but it felt like my connection and affection for these ones kicked up a whole other level. Tell me about the quiet moments on the Ebon Hawk, the ones after a hard bout of training, when everybody catches their breath. Does the Exile appreciate having bonds with her new students? Is it weird to have people in her head again after not being able to feel the Force?

Horizon: Zero Dawn
Aloy, GAIA, Elisabet Sobeck

I love the way the game shows you the world as it is, and then peels it back, layer by layer, to show you how it was. And in doing so, it has a lot to say about hope, survival, cultural memory, and legacy; in some cases, literal seeds of a garden you’ll never get to see. I love Aloy: her determination and focus, her incredible strength (physical and otherwise), and the way she smirks when she knows she's going to whack something into the ground.

I'm curious to see what Aloy does after the end of the game. Does she wander the world, visiting the friends she's made (and bang all the ladies)? Or does she find a place and settle down, perhaps with one of the nice ladies we meet? One of the things I would love to see explored is her relationship with GAIA, and how both sides navigate and negotiate. Obviously Aloy is not Elisabet, but there's no way that doesn't influence how they interact.

I hope you have fun writing, and I look forward to your story!