Dear Yuletide Creator 2025
Oct. 24th, 2025 04:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reynardoDear Amazing Yuletide Creator,
This year you will be giving me, your very grateful recipient, my 10th year of Yuletide joy. Thank you. You're amazing. Never, ever forget that.
Now, most importantly, I am NOT welded to the characters and scenarios I have listed. Characters are loud, opinionated, and know where they want to be. If they're telling you something different from what I have suggested, accept their input. Use any other characters that make sense to you in the story. You know them. You are listening to their voices, so write who they are.
Also, I love origin stories and filling in the gaps. I love "But what if..." If, instead of my prompts, something other ferocious plot bunny comes along and bites hard, go with it. Plot bunnies are to be respected.
And if, for some reason, you're wondering about doing dark fiction or interactive or something artistic or interpretive dance or anything - do it! I'll love you still!
Now, some clarifications
---------------------------------------------
The State Within (2006)
The original series was shown on the BBC, and is currently on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGe5xw0ZFUk
George Blake and Nicholas Brocklehurst are two very clever characters who understand each other, and respect each other. They're not a romantic pairing by any means, but imagine them as an investigative team. I seek sparkling conversation, insightful dialogue, complete understanding of each other's domestic situation (we know Nicholas' preferences but not George's), and a willingness to collaborate. So use their brilliant minds and glorious interactions to give me something worthy of both of them. Feel free to bring in anyone else from the series (that's not dead, of course).
Random Harvest - Greer Garson, Ronald Coleman (1942)
One of my favourite movies. A shellshocked patient escapes from the mental sanatorium when WWI ends, but he doesn't know who he is. It's a lovely gentle heartbreaking story, with lovely characters. I'd love the ideas I've put in the main request, or anything else that the Plot Bunnies demand. Please include or exclude any characters who tell you so.
Cadfael Chronicles - Ellis Peters
I adored these books after I stumbled over them in a bookshop in Sydney 40 years ago. So I'm looking for something that will use the knowledge of Cadfael, the sense of Hugh, and the history of Shrewsbury. After the Anarchy is finally resolved and the country settles down, you have feudal systems, a strong Church, politics - and the everyday people trying to live while famine and flood and disease and injuries happen. Please use anyone(s) in the Cadfael universe to flesh this story out, as long as Cadfael and Hugh are the centre of it all.
Numbers (Anthropomorphic)
I'm a maths nerd, so go for it. You must be a nerd if you've looked at this. Use any numbers and do to them as you will. Go negative, go imaginary, go irrational - your call. But maybe the different types of number aren't comfortable around those that are ... different. In fact, if you can include terrible maths puns, please do it. The more the better. Or less. Or infinite. Or none ... Your call! Use any and all other numbers to make your story work (even better if you can include an equation, identity, expression, inequality - and then make a story about it).
A Queen from the North (Book - Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese)
I love this book. It's an Alternative History - what if the Wars of the Roses didn't finish as we know them, and the North of England is still considered an enemy of the Crown. It's the modern day, the Prince of Wales needs to marry, and the sister of his northern friend from University is young, single, intelligent and quite suitable.
That's the main story. I'm looking at some of the secondary characters who are desperate to have their own stories told - and I'd love if you can do it.
Strong Poison - Lord Peter Wimsey (Book - Dorothy L Sayers)
When Harriet under arrest for the murder of her ex-live-in-lover, and Peter Wimsey is on the case, the book is very much (as always) from the point of view of Peter, with occasional other characters doing things to help the investigation. But there's many more characters involved than that. I adore seeing things from other points of view, so I'd love to find out what Sylvia, Eiluned, Charles Parker, the Dowager Duchess, even Helen, thought about what was happening. Especially those people on Harriet's side. Or did Norman Urquhart have any inkling that the investigation was heading towards him?
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
I love background stories, explanations of how people got to be who they are. Edgin and Holga are a wonderful pair of co-parenting friends, and they've brought up an amazing daughter. I'd love to know how Kira went from "toddler learning how to walk" to "talented little thief". As always, bring in anyone else you think makes the story better.
-----------------------------------
Feel free to ask for clarification through our beloved Moderators, and once more, whatever you create, I think you're awesome. Because you are.
This year you will be giving me, your very grateful recipient, my 10th year of Yuletide joy. Thank you. You're amazing. Never, ever forget that.
Now, most importantly, I am NOT welded to the characters and scenarios I have listed. Characters are loud, opinionated, and know where they want to be. If they're telling you something different from what I have suggested, accept their input. Use any other characters that make sense to you in the story. You know them. You are listening to their voices, so write who they are.
Also, I love origin stories and filling in the gaps. I love "But what if..." If, instead of my prompts, something other ferocious plot bunny comes along and bites hard, go with it. Plot bunnies are to be respected.
And if, for some reason, you're wondering about doing dark fiction or interactive or something artistic or interpretive dance or anything - do it! I'll love you still!
Now, some clarifications
---------------------------------------------
The State Within (2006)
The original series was shown on the BBC, and is currently on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGe5xw0ZFUk
George Blake and Nicholas Brocklehurst are two very clever characters who understand each other, and respect each other. They're not a romantic pairing by any means, but imagine them as an investigative team. I seek sparkling conversation, insightful dialogue, complete understanding of each other's domestic situation (we know Nicholas' preferences but not George's), and a willingness to collaborate. So use their brilliant minds and glorious interactions to give me something worthy of both of them. Feel free to bring in anyone else from the series (that's not dead, of course).
Random Harvest - Greer Garson, Ronald Coleman (1942)
One of my favourite movies. A shellshocked patient escapes from the mental sanatorium when WWI ends, but he doesn't know who he is. It's a lovely gentle heartbreaking story, with lovely characters. I'd love the ideas I've put in the main request, or anything else that the Plot Bunnies demand. Please include or exclude any characters who tell you so.
Cadfael Chronicles - Ellis Peters
I adored these books after I stumbled over them in a bookshop in Sydney 40 years ago. So I'm looking for something that will use the knowledge of Cadfael, the sense of Hugh, and the history of Shrewsbury. After the Anarchy is finally resolved and the country settles down, you have feudal systems, a strong Church, politics - and the everyday people trying to live while famine and flood and disease and injuries happen. Please use anyone(s) in the Cadfael universe to flesh this story out, as long as Cadfael and Hugh are the centre of it all.
Numbers (Anthropomorphic)
I'm a maths nerd, so go for it. You must be a nerd if you've looked at this. Use any numbers and do to them as you will. Go negative, go imaginary, go irrational - your call. But maybe the different types of number aren't comfortable around those that are ... different. In fact, if you can include terrible maths puns, please do it. The more the better. Or less. Or infinite. Or none ... Your call! Use any and all other numbers to make your story work (even better if you can include an equation, identity, expression, inequality - and then make a story about it).
A Queen from the North (Book - Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese)
I love this book. It's an Alternative History - what if the Wars of the Roses didn't finish as we know them, and the North of England is still considered an enemy of the Crown. It's the modern day, the Prince of Wales needs to marry, and the sister of his northern friend from University is young, single, intelligent and quite suitable.
That's the main story. I'm looking at some of the secondary characters who are desperate to have their own stories told - and I'd love if you can do it.
Strong Poison - Lord Peter Wimsey (Book - Dorothy L Sayers)
When Harriet under arrest for the murder of her ex-live-in-lover, and Peter Wimsey is on the case, the book is very much (as always) from the point of view of Peter, with occasional other characters doing things to help the investigation. But there's many more characters involved than that. I adore seeing things from other points of view, so I'd love to find out what Sylvia, Eiluned, Charles Parker, the Dowager Duchess, even Helen, thought about what was happening. Especially those people on Harriet's side. Or did Norman Urquhart have any inkling that the investigation was heading towards him?
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)
I love background stories, explanations of how people got to be who they are. Edgin and Holga are a wonderful pair of co-parenting friends, and they've brought up an amazing daughter. I'd love to know how Kira went from "toddler learning how to walk" to "talented little thief". As always, bring in anyone else you think makes the story better.
-----------------------------------
Feel free to ask for clarification through our beloved Moderators, and once more, whatever you create, I think you're awesome. Because you are.
