Dear NoFM Writer Letter
Apr. 10th, 2017 09:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
doranwenThis is my first time trying Night on Fic Mountain! I'm looking forward to it. :D I did a lot of describing the awesomeness about each character or pairing, and gave a few prompts in case you find them useful. I hope you have a lot of fun writing for me. :)
I love characters who are strong, characters who have quiet depth, characters with an active inner life, characters who think… You'll probably see this in the characters I requested. :)
What I love about relationships is all the emotional depth: vulnerability, loyalty, knowing someone so well you know what they feel/think/need, even just having someone there as an emotional "rock". The whole "not being alone" feeling is such a powerful theme.
I once made up a 101 favorite tropes list (in no particular order), so feel free to make use of those if any of them get your muse going: http://doranwen.livejournal.com/246063.html
Besides those tropes, here are my general likes:
deep platonic friendship, romantic friendship, asexual romance, found families, apocalyptic fic, hurt/comfort, nonsexual physical touch (including cuddling), self-sacrifice, characters being vulnerable, character redemption, survival fic, positive treatment of religion, characters dealing with trauma, trust building, missing scenes, alternate universe (especially fix-it fic)
DNWs: sex or sexual feelings, supernatural/fantasy beings (elves, vampires, werewolves, gnomes, zombies, etc.), certain AUs (medieval, fantasy, supernatural, fairytale, feudal, space, historical), deathfic or horror, calling an adult "baby" or "darling", mpreg, crackfic, gore (mild violence is OK, just not as graphic as a surgery documentary), uncensored profanity, first/second person fic
Don't worry if someone's written a similar idea before. My first real fandom was one where people used to write a dozen versions of the same TV ep, and I loved reading them all. There are never too many versions of the same story, in my opinion.
And now to the requests (in the order of which I found them in the tagset):
Mary Russell - Laurie R. King
Basic premise: Mary Russell, a highly intelligent 15-year-old girl, comes to live in Sussex after the death of her family. One day she stumbles across Sherlock Holmes, who has retired to a nearby farm. The great detective takes her as an apprentice, which develops into a stronger attachment over the years.
I love these books and the characters so much; I first discovered them in high school, and managed to keep up with them through The Game, but then life got in the way. When I wanted to get back into them, I realized I'd need to re-read the entire collection, so it took awhile to get started, but I just finished reading all the way to The Murder of Mary Russell (more on that one in a bit). I am not remotely bothered by the age gap between them, and love the wit and sarcasm present in their conversations. I love the way Holmes cares for her without letting her know of his full affections until she is fully grown. (I must confess I like the wife husbandry elements.)
You ought to know that I have not read any of the other Sherlock Holmes canon (unless you count a Great Illustrated Classics version of one of the books, which I read as a child and cannot remember a single thing from). Any reference to previous cases he solved will probably sail over my head the same way they do in the Russell books, unless enough details are provided to pick it up. I have a vague knowledge of his history, picked up from the books and the occasional fanfic I've read.
While I like the canon as it is, I'm also very happy with AUs, as long as they're not dreadfully depressing (an AU where Holmes never meets Russell would be depressing to me!). In particular, I found the revelations in The Murder of Mary Russell foundation-shaking enough that if you haven't read that one or if you don't care about the details in it, you are most welcome to ignore it and pretend it didn't exist! I don't think I had a particular backstory for that character planned in my head, but what was in the book was most certainly not what I could have imagined!
My favorite book of the series is probably the first one: The Beekeeper's Apprentice. I love the early dynamic, especially when Holmes loves her and she hasn't a clue how much. That trope I love to pieces.
Prompts by tag:
Mary Russell:
I love this character so much. I love her intelligence, her bent towards theology, her prickliness that hides a great need to belong and be loved (a need which Holmes fulfills in so many ways)… Mary Sue or not, Mary Russell is awesome. We already get a ton from her POV but I would still love to see more! There were tons of scenes skipped over in the books, particularly in the early years. I'd love to see her recognizing a little of how much Holmes loves her, or observing actions that we as readers can pick that up but she cannot. I'd love AUs with alternate first meetings with Holmes, where her family doesn't die in the Accident, or where she discovers Holmes' love for her too early (however you want to interpret that) and has to come to grips with it. I'd love interactions with Mrs. Hudson or Dr. Watson, or a glimpse of some of the lessons she undertook. I'd love scenes fleshing out little lines dropped in the book. (I ran across a fic once that went into how she managed to return home with "two-thirds of a motorcycle", for instance, lol.)
Relationship: Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes:
These two are delightful. I love how their relationship is more wit than overt affection, and that you can find the affection tucked into tiny word choices, little actions, glances… The level of affection in the books is perfect, to me, and I'd love something along the same lines. I'd love to see snark (with the underlying caring) or one of them taking care of the other in their ways, or just the two of them facing a case together each with the other at their side. I'd also love an AU where their relationship begins differently - either too early (again, however you want to interpret that), or later, and how that affects things. (I am totally not squicked by the ages here.)
Relationship: Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes:
The friendship between these two is just as wonderful as the romantic relationship. I'm going to end up repeating things from the previous prompts because it's just all the same wonderfulness. :) I'd love to see an average day of banter, Holmes training Russell in the first book, an alternate way they met, even something as crazy as time travel! (I read a fic once where Mary got transported back in time to meet a younger Sherlock Holmes, but it was set after she married her Holmes. What if she'd only been trained by him for a few years before that?) I just love seeing them together, and more of that will make me very happy. :)
Where to find canon:
You can find the series for sale all over the 'net, in both physical and electronic forms. If you can't get your hands on your copies to check details, you might find Libgen helpful.
Worldweavers - Alma Alexander
Basic premise: Galathea Winthrop (aka Thea) is a Double Seventh, a seventh child of seventh children. This should mean she's good at something really special, right? Except she can't do magic at all. And Ars Magica is part of the curriculum of every school in the entire nation—except for one: the Wandless Academy (which is sometimes called the Last Ditch School for the Incurably Incompetent). But between a summer school (with a class of one) like no other, and various unusual events, Thea begins to discover the gifts she has never known she had. Oh, and save the world in the process.
I didn't nominate/request any characters because I'd like to leave things open for worldbuilding. The sheer idea of a world where Ars Magica is part of the entire school curriculum—really, where magic is so woven into the way things happen that coffeeshops use spells to keep people's orders straight, you can buy a spell to keep gardens tidy, and a magic allergy is extremely life-threatening. Oh, and throw in the feral libraries, with elevators that act like four-year-olds! I fell in love with the world with that part. Just pure awesomeness! I also enjoy that part of it is set in my region of the US (the Pacific Northwest).
I also love Thea's story, so if you're feeling more of a character-driven story, I'd love fic about her!
For this fandom I'd love OCs, especially since I'm more interested in the way things work than in the specific characters' stories (other than Thea).
I like how Thea's friends grow over time, and you can totally throw them in, but I'd prefer that the fic not focus on them. I'm less interested in the Anasazi, Grandmother Spider/Tawaha/the Trickster, Tesla and all of that; feel free to leave them out. The Alphiri and Faele are not my thing, and we know little of the Dwarrowrim, so I'd prefer if the fic not focus on those polities, as they're called in the books.
Prompts: I'd love something about the education system, from a child starting their first Ars Magica classes to the creation of the Wandless Academy. I'm a teacher; I'd love to see more of it from a teacher's perspective! (or any student, really) I mean, they mention mathemagic! (spell-solving of equations! fractionators! for a math teacher this is great stuff) Or write something about magic run amok, like feral libraries, or magic as used in crimes and criminal justice, etc. Or explore some of the other types of magic (the ones mentioned in the list of all the things they tried in order to find Thea's magic). Or maybe something with society setup, like the Federal Bureau of Magic, or how it's integrated into the everyday lives of people (note the bit in the first book about people not using cars much due to portals, slipways, transfigurations . . .), even as regards to having magic allergies (the medical profession would be interesting!) Use whatever you know well. I'm not into sports (the only possible exception is Olympic gymnastics or ice skating which I watched back in the '90s, mainly) or fashion, but I'll find just about any other industry fascinating; I like complex systems and how they work (hence my fascination with air traffic control and airports in general). The world of Worldweavers feels familiar but there are so many interesting changes!
If you find yourself inspired by Thea, I'd love something set after Dawn of Magic, where she settles into her full power, finishes at Amford, etc. Does she create anything really special in her life? Like the Elemental houses, for instance. Something that no one else could do.
If you're into crossovers, feel free to cross this with just about anything! It makes for an excellent fusion fandom. For instance, take Lois & Clark from L&C:TNAOS and have them grow up in the Worldweavers world. Or Cassie & Nick from Push (how would that affect their story?). Or how would Lindsay Boxer from Women's Murder Club solve crimes using the magic like in Worldweavers? Or what if the X-Men from the first two movies (ignore the prequel films) grew up in the Worldweavers world? Or what if Beth and Jody from Gold Diggers were in the Worldweavers world? How would that have changed the film story? If I've requested it or listed it as a possible crossover fandom in one of my other exchange letters, you can totally use it (noting, of course, that big fandoms shouldn't be the main focus of the fic to keep to the spirit of this exchange).
Where to find canon:
You can find the books on Amazon, both paperback and e-book forms. The e-book versions, last I looked, were relatively cheap.
Tomorrow When the War Began (2010)
Basic premise: Seven Australian teens (Ellie, Corrie, Kevin, Homer, Fiona aka Fi, Lee, and Robyn) go camping in the bush, and come back to find their country's been invaded; they become guerilla soldiers and fight back. One of the few films for teens that does not glorify violence but shows the (sometimes) necessity—and horror—of it, and its effects on the psyche. The focus of the film is Ellie (played by Caitlin Stasey), who's a farm girl with a lot of inner toughness. Another character is Robyn (played by Ashleigh Cummings), whose religious convictions draw her into an internal struggle between what she believes is right and the upside-down world she's suddenly living in.
This movie is AMAZING. One of the best book-to-movie adaptations I've ever seen, it brings John Marsden's Tomorrow world to life. I requested Ellie and Robyn because I find both of them fascinating. :D
Prompts by tag:
Ellie Linton:
Ellie carries the film with her strength. The actress pulled off subtleties of mood and emotion with the slightest twitch of facial features, and showed us all just why Ellie was the one everyone tends to look to. Homer may have taken over leadership, but if Ellie would assert it, she'd have it in a heartbeat. When Ellie knows what she wants, she will get it done, no matter what. But dealing with the consequences of her actions, on the other hand . . . my favorite scene in the film is when Ellie, Corrie, and Kevin meet up with Homer and Fi back at Fi's house. It's so emotional underneath it all.
I'd love to see some of what's going on inside Ellie's mind. We see so much on her face, but I'd love to hear it brought out. I'd love anything from a foreshadowing scene of a younger Ellie to a plotty fic where they attack the enemy again. I would love to see more wrestling with the moral issues; that scene where they're having the council and she says she has blood on her hands… love it!
Robyn Mathers:
Robyn is fascinating because she has strong convictions and is torn between following them and trying to keep her friends alive. The scene at the end of the movie is partly why I nominated her; the fact that it's a deviation from the book doesn't bother me, as it conveys her character development in a way that fits. I highly respect Robyn and find her struggle to maintain her beliefs alone in a world that's collapsing around her to be a compelling one. If I ended up in that world, I would find myself in a very similar position.
I'd love to see more of Robyn dealing with her actions at the end of the film; would love to see inner thoughts! I'd also love to see her building relationships with the others more (she's always felt a bit reserved to me), finding her place. Perhaps a fic where one of the others (Fi?) helps her with her guilt, is there for her. While I'm sure my beliefs aren't quite the same as Robyn's, I would find a lot of them to agree with, and you're welcome to explore that part of her if it appeals to you.
Relationship: Ellie Linton & Robyn Mathers:
Both of these characters have had to deal with directly killing people and it's changed them in different ways. I'd love to see them address some of that with each other, or just support each other. It would also be really neat to see their first meeting - how long ago? - or some of the circumstances that brought them to be good friends. Robyn's deeply religious/spiritual and Ellie is not; I'd love to see that acknowledged in a fic.
Where to find canon:
You can find this film for sale at Amazon and other places; it's also available on torrents if you can't purchase it.
C-16: FBI
Basic premise: Amanda Reardon (played by Angie Harmon) and another rookie join Criminal Division 16, the Major Case Squad, whose four experienced agents includes Annie Rooney (played by Christine Tucci). The squad tackles cases from kidnappings to mob hits to bank robberies, with arcs following each character through various situations in their life. Amanda, as a newbie, doesn't always do things right, and has a lot of friction with her assigned partner and training agent, a much older man named Jack DiRado (played by Zach Grenier). Annie is a competent agent who juggles her career with being a single mother to a little boy of about four years old; her messy divorce causes a lot of stress as her ex-husband seeks custody of their son.
I love the show in its entirety pretty much, except for the addition of the romance between Amanda and Scott. That's the only thing I can think of; Scott just isn't one of my favorite characters (though I love when he's being supportive of Annie in the pilot), and I can't buy him in a relationship with any of the others on their team. You could definitely sell me on either romantic or platonic Amanda/Jack. I also enjoy seeing Annie as a mentoring agent; I think she does a good job with Mal.
It's impossible to pick a single favorite episode, but I love the pilot (there's a lot of really good conversations in the second half, ep # 2, from Annie talking to Scott while sitting on the squad car, to John talking to his boss Dennis at the end). I also love the way ep # 3 ends (the one about the radio station). I love the scenes where Amanda's dealing with Jack hurt (particularly in the hospital!), and I love how Jack handles her in the episode where she witnesses the shooting.
Annie Rooney:
I love Annie's competence, and the fact that she is trying to be both awesome FBI agent AND mommy—and she struggles, like many women do in her situation. It's not clear-cut; she's good at both (as boss John tells her in one ep), but they both demand so much of her and it's a constant balancing act. I find the realism very fascinating; I haven't seen the like on many shows (when they show women being good at their jobs, they don't usually have a family, or if they do, they don't have a lot of issues trying to do both, and that's just not how it is for a lot of women).
I'd love to see a fic dealing with her being a mom, whether it's a glimpse of her caring for her son (the little she gets to do that) or the custody battle. I'd also love a fic of her being a kicka** agent (I loved it when she figured out who the target was in that one ep and tackled them to save them).
Amanda Reardon:
I love Amanda's earnestness, trying to get it right, be good at what she does, and trying to earn respect from Jack. She witnesses a lot during the show, and I really feel for her in that. I also love her snark; Angie Harmon seems to have been destined to play snarky characters (a decade later, her role of Lindsay in Women's Murder Club and recent role of Jane in Rizzoli & Isles both have lots of snark).
I'd love to see more of Amanda growing as an agent, bonding with Mal, learning from some of the more experienced agents, etc. I'd also love to see some of her backstory, what made her become an FBI agent, her experiences at Quantico, etc.
Relationship: Amanda Reardon & Jack DiRado:
I'd love to see more of these two coming to an understanding. Whether that be platonic (as requested) or even romantic (I could see it), I'd be good with it. I mostly nominated/requested platonic only just because I couldn't really see Jack being outright romantic in any way! But the line between caring friend and hidden love is rather thin, especially from Amanda's POV, and I'd love a fic that skirted that or played with it. Or perhaps a fic from Jack's POV showing his thoughts on Amanda over time - from verging on harassment to respect?
I'd also love something plotty focusing on any of them, if that's what interests you! So many possibilities for that…
Where to find canon:
The show is not available for purchase yet, but you can find them all on Youtube. (Only 13 episodes! Easy to pick up.)
Also available on public torrents (last I checked) if you need them on your hard drive.
Women's Murder Club (TV)
Basic premise: A small group of friends (three to start, with a fourth working her way in during the first couple episodes) who all work in related fields share information to help each other solve cases. Lindsay Boxer (played by Angie Harmon) is a homicide inspector (aka detective) who works in San Francisco's police department. She's friends with Jill Bernhardt, a deputy district attorney and Claire Washburn, the medical examiner. As the show unfolds, she begins to respect (and maybe even like?) Cindy Thomas (played by Aubrey Dollar), a young reporter who gets assigned to the crime beat. The show is an excellent mix of drama, comedy, and romance, and has a lot of similarities to Rizzoli & Isles.
I got into Women's Murder Club because I love watching Angie Harmon in Rizzoli & Isles, and this sounded like a similar role for her. After I saw the video titled "The Best of Women's Murder Club" and read this comment, I was positive I had to see the whole show: "Now it all makes sense. Jane Rizzoli is an extension of Lindsay Boxer. The only difference, they keep butching up Angie Harmon." It is so true. Lindsay is like a milder version of Jane in some ways. But in the ways she's different, I fell in love with her character all over again. Lindsay can actually cry, she hates being vulnerable but she can actually do it and be real with her friends. And that just won me over. (Seriously, make Angie Harmon be all vulnerable and cry in a scene and you have me. Completely.) I love her dedication to her work, the toughness she can bring to the job, but I also love that she can still be human, still be vulnerable, that she doesn't feel like she has to be tough to be respected (Jane Rizzoli, in many ways, hardens herself in order to be respected in her job). I love that she cares about her friends, and that she's torn about her ex but still knows what the right thing is and even respects his fiancée. While Lindsay doesn't always take the best care of herself (or act the most responsibly), it helps that Claire can act as "mom" and give her the lectures she needs but sometimes doesn't accept even from her other friends (something Maura isn't very good at giving Jane in R&I).
Cindy stole my heart because of several reasons. One, she's cute and adorable (I don't usually find redheads fascinating but there's something about Cindy . . .). Two, she has a delightful personality, bubbly, a little lacking in some common sense now and then, which the others are happy to lecture her about. And three, she has a bravery and courage that is pretty amazing. When she volunteers for the dangerous decoy task in "Father's Day" . . . that took guts. Real guts. I think Lindsay had to respect her for that. And then with what happens to her in "And The Truth Will (Sometimes) Set You Free", well . . . I want to hear more. (I also have to admit, I might not be a sports fan, but I loved Cindy in "Play Through the Pain", especially her interaction with Claire's son.)
I love Claire's motherliness, particularly with Lindsay, and I can see her totally mothering Cindy. Jill is less of an interest for me so you need not include her, or can just keep her focused on case stuff or being general friends. As for the guys in the women's lives, I'd prefer they have minor or no roles in the fic, with the exception of Ed. (You're welcome to pretend Pete never existed, or he left early, etc. if you like.)
Prompts by tag:
Cindy Thomas:
Cindy is just such a fun character. I'd love to see some of her backstory, or a behind-the-scenes fic from her POV. Maybe another situation where she breaks the rules for a story… Or where Claire is there for her (for advice, perhaps).
Lindsay Boxer:
I love tough characters with soft centers, and Lindsay is a classic example. I'd love to see her dealing with the events at the end of the series, or dealing with the emotional aftermath of the wedding in ep # 9. Or what if the pregnancy test came back positive? So many AU possibilities with this show, lol. Also, if you feel crossover-y, given that the same actress plays both Amanda from C-16: FBI and Lindsay from Women's Murder Club (TV), you could do something interesting with them being related somehow. Or else they get mistaken for each other, or work together on something…
Relationship: Lindsay Boxer & Cindy Thomas
I love the interactions between these two. I see a bit of hero worship—and maybe a crush of sorts—on Cindy's side, and annoyance that turns to fondness and respect on Lindsay's. What you do with that is up to you. I requested the friendship tag but I'm OK with making it deeper. It's hard to know where that line is sometimes, especially when you're just focusing on the connection between them. I'd love to see Cindy being ridiculous in front of Lindsay, or Lindsay saving her life. Or more of Lindsay and Cindy regarding the shooting in ep # 12. Maybe an alternate ending where Jill isn't the one that stays at the hospital? Or maybe a fic about Lindsay and Cindy's friendship starting to grow from the beginning. I see a bit of insecurity in Cindy with regards to her friendships with the others. Or a missing scene with the two women? One possibility is right after Cindy was a decoy, or later that day. I'm sure you can come up with more.
Where to find canon:
The show's not available for sale (unless you buy the not-professional DVD-Rs from Amazon), but you can find all the eps (including the unaired version of the pilot, which is substantially different from the regular show in some areas so shouldn't be treated as canon for this) on Youtube. Just search for "Women's Murder Club" and you should find them--they're all titled WMC - Season 1 - Episode **.
Happy writing! :D
I love characters who are strong, characters who have quiet depth, characters with an active inner life, characters who think… You'll probably see this in the characters I requested. :)
What I love about relationships is all the emotional depth: vulnerability, loyalty, knowing someone so well you know what they feel/think/need, even just having someone there as an emotional "rock". The whole "not being alone" feeling is such a powerful theme.
I once made up a 101 favorite tropes list (in no particular order), so feel free to make use of those if any of them get your muse going: http://doranwen.livejournal.com/246063.html
Besides those tropes, here are my general likes:
deep platonic friendship, romantic friendship, asexual romance, found families, apocalyptic fic, hurt/comfort, nonsexual physical touch (including cuddling), self-sacrifice, characters being vulnerable, character redemption, survival fic, positive treatment of religion, characters dealing with trauma, trust building, missing scenes, alternate universe (especially fix-it fic)
DNWs: sex or sexual feelings, supernatural/fantasy beings (elves, vampires, werewolves, gnomes, zombies, etc.), certain AUs (medieval, fantasy, supernatural, fairytale, feudal, space, historical), deathfic or horror, calling an adult "baby" or "darling", mpreg, crackfic, gore (mild violence is OK, just not as graphic as a surgery documentary), uncensored profanity, first/second person fic
Don't worry if someone's written a similar idea before. My first real fandom was one where people used to write a dozen versions of the same TV ep, and I loved reading them all. There are never too many versions of the same story, in my opinion.
And now to the requests (in the order of which I found them in the tagset):
Mary Russell - Laurie R. King
Basic premise: Mary Russell, a highly intelligent 15-year-old girl, comes to live in Sussex after the death of her family. One day she stumbles across Sherlock Holmes, who has retired to a nearby farm. The great detective takes her as an apprentice, which develops into a stronger attachment over the years.
I love these books and the characters so much; I first discovered them in high school, and managed to keep up with them through The Game, but then life got in the way. When I wanted to get back into them, I realized I'd need to re-read the entire collection, so it took awhile to get started, but I just finished reading all the way to The Murder of Mary Russell (more on that one in a bit). I am not remotely bothered by the age gap between them, and love the wit and sarcasm present in their conversations. I love the way Holmes cares for her without letting her know of his full affections until she is fully grown. (I must confess I like the wife husbandry elements.)
You ought to know that I have not read any of the other Sherlock Holmes canon (unless you count a Great Illustrated Classics version of one of the books, which I read as a child and cannot remember a single thing from). Any reference to previous cases he solved will probably sail over my head the same way they do in the Russell books, unless enough details are provided to pick it up. I have a vague knowledge of his history, picked up from the books and the occasional fanfic I've read.
While I like the canon as it is, I'm also very happy with AUs, as long as they're not dreadfully depressing (an AU where Holmes never meets Russell would be depressing to me!). In particular, I found the revelations in The Murder of Mary Russell foundation-shaking enough that if you haven't read that one or if you don't care about the details in it, you are most welcome to ignore it and pretend it didn't exist! I don't think I had a particular backstory for that character planned in my head, but what was in the book was most certainly not what I could have imagined!
My favorite book of the series is probably the first one: The Beekeeper's Apprentice. I love the early dynamic, especially when Holmes loves her and she hasn't a clue how much. That trope I love to pieces.
Prompts by tag:
Mary Russell:
I love this character so much. I love her intelligence, her bent towards theology, her prickliness that hides a great need to belong and be loved (a need which Holmes fulfills in so many ways)… Mary Sue or not, Mary Russell is awesome. We already get a ton from her POV but I would still love to see more! There were tons of scenes skipped over in the books, particularly in the early years. I'd love to see her recognizing a little of how much Holmes loves her, or observing actions that we as readers can pick that up but she cannot. I'd love AUs with alternate first meetings with Holmes, where her family doesn't die in the Accident, or where she discovers Holmes' love for her too early (however you want to interpret that) and has to come to grips with it. I'd love interactions with Mrs. Hudson or Dr. Watson, or a glimpse of some of the lessons she undertook. I'd love scenes fleshing out little lines dropped in the book. (I ran across a fic once that went into how she managed to return home with "two-thirds of a motorcycle", for instance, lol.)
Relationship: Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes:
These two are delightful. I love how their relationship is more wit than overt affection, and that you can find the affection tucked into tiny word choices, little actions, glances… The level of affection in the books is perfect, to me, and I'd love something along the same lines. I'd love to see snark (with the underlying caring) or one of them taking care of the other in their ways, or just the two of them facing a case together each with the other at their side. I'd also love an AU where their relationship begins differently - either too early (again, however you want to interpret that), or later, and how that affects things. (I am totally not squicked by the ages here.)
Relationship: Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes:
The friendship between these two is just as wonderful as the romantic relationship. I'm going to end up repeating things from the previous prompts because it's just all the same wonderfulness. :) I'd love to see an average day of banter, Holmes training Russell in the first book, an alternate way they met, even something as crazy as time travel! (I read a fic once where Mary got transported back in time to meet a younger Sherlock Holmes, but it was set after she married her Holmes. What if she'd only been trained by him for a few years before that?) I just love seeing them together, and more of that will make me very happy. :)
Where to find canon:
You can find the series for sale all over the 'net, in both physical and electronic forms. If you can't get your hands on your copies to check details, you might find Libgen helpful.
Worldweavers - Alma Alexander
Basic premise: Galathea Winthrop (aka Thea) is a Double Seventh, a seventh child of seventh children. This should mean she's good at something really special, right? Except she can't do magic at all. And Ars Magica is part of the curriculum of every school in the entire nation—except for one: the Wandless Academy (which is sometimes called the Last Ditch School for the Incurably Incompetent). But between a summer school (with a class of one) like no other, and various unusual events, Thea begins to discover the gifts she has never known she had. Oh, and save the world in the process.
I didn't nominate/request any characters because I'd like to leave things open for worldbuilding. The sheer idea of a world where Ars Magica is part of the entire school curriculum—really, where magic is so woven into the way things happen that coffeeshops use spells to keep people's orders straight, you can buy a spell to keep gardens tidy, and a magic allergy is extremely life-threatening. Oh, and throw in the feral libraries, with elevators that act like four-year-olds! I fell in love with the world with that part. Just pure awesomeness! I also enjoy that part of it is set in my region of the US (the Pacific Northwest).
I also love Thea's story, so if you're feeling more of a character-driven story, I'd love fic about her!
For this fandom I'd love OCs, especially since I'm more interested in the way things work than in the specific characters' stories (other than Thea).
I like how Thea's friends grow over time, and you can totally throw them in, but I'd prefer that the fic not focus on them. I'm less interested in the Anasazi, Grandmother Spider/Tawaha/the Trickster, Tesla and all of that; feel free to leave them out. The Alphiri and Faele are not my thing, and we know little of the Dwarrowrim, so I'd prefer if the fic not focus on those polities, as they're called in the books.
Prompts: I'd love something about the education system, from a child starting their first Ars Magica classes to the creation of the Wandless Academy. I'm a teacher; I'd love to see more of it from a teacher's perspective! (or any student, really) I mean, they mention mathemagic! (spell-solving of equations! fractionators! for a math teacher this is great stuff) Or write something about magic run amok, like feral libraries, or magic as used in crimes and criminal justice, etc. Or explore some of the other types of magic (the ones mentioned in the list of all the things they tried in order to find Thea's magic). Or maybe something with society setup, like the Federal Bureau of Magic, or how it's integrated into the everyday lives of people (note the bit in the first book about people not using cars much due to portals, slipways, transfigurations . . .), even as regards to having magic allergies (the medical profession would be interesting!) Use whatever you know well. I'm not into sports (the only possible exception is Olympic gymnastics or ice skating which I watched back in the '90s, mainly) or fashion, but I'll find just about any other industry fascinating; I like complex systems and how they work (hence my fascination with air traffic control and airports in general). The world of Worldweavers feels familiar but there are so many interesting changes!
If you find yourself inspired by Thea, I'd love something set after Dawn of Magic, where she settles into her full power, finishes at Amford, etc. Does she create anything really special in her life? Like the Elemental houses, for instance. Something that no one else could do.
If you're into crossovers, feel free to cross this with just about anything! It makes for an excellent fusion fandom. For instance, take Lois & Clark from L&C:TNAOS and have them grow up in the Worldweavers world. Or Cassie & Nick from Push (how would that affect their story?). Or how would Lindsay Boxer from Women's Murder Club solve crimes using the magic like in Worldweavers? Or what if the X-Men from the first two movies (ignore the prequel films) grew up in the Worldweavers world? Or what if Beth and Jody from Gold Diggers were in the Worldweavers world? How would that have changed the film story? If I've requested it or listed it as a possible crossover fandom in one of my other exchange letters, you can totally use it (noting, of course, that big fandoms shouldn't be the main focus of the fic to keep to the spirit of this exchange).
Where to find canon:
You can find the books on Amazon, both paperback and e-book forms. The e-book versions, last I looked, were relatively cheap.
Tomorrow When the War Began (2010)
Basic premise: Seven Australian teens (Ellie, Corrie, Kevin, Homer, Fiona aka Fi, Lee, and Robyn) go camping in the bush, and come back to find their country's been invaded; they become guerilla soldiers and fight back. One of the few films for teens that does not glorify violence but shows the (sometimes) necessity—and horror—of it, and its effects on the psyche. The focus of the film is Ellie (played by Caitlin Stasey), who's a farm girl with a lot of inner toughness. Another character is Robyn (played by Ashleigh Cummings), whose religious convictions draw her into an internal struggle between what she believes is right and the upside-down world she's suddenly living in.
This movie is AMAZING. One of the best book-to-movie adaptations I've ever seen, it brings John Marsden's Tomorrow world to life. I requested Ellie and Robyn because I find both of them fascinating. :D
Prompts by tag:
Ellie Linton:
Ellie carries the film with her strength. The actress pulled off subtleties of mood and emotion with the slightest twitch of facial features, and showed us all just why Ellie was the one everyone tends to look to. Homer may have taken over leadership, but if Ellie would assert it, she'd have it in a heartbeat. When Ellie knows what she wants, she will get it done, no matter what. But dealing with the consequences of her actions, on the other hand . . . my favorite scene in the film is when Ellie, Corrie, and Kevin meet up with Homer and Fi back at Fi's house. It's so emotional underneath it all.
I'd love to see some of what's going on inside Ellie's mind. We see so much on her face, but I'd love to hear it brought out. I'd love anything from a foreshadowing scene of a younger Ellie to a plotty fic where they attack the enemy again. I would love to see more wrestling with the moral issues; that scene where they're having the council and she says she has blood on her hands… love it!
Robyn Mathers:
Robyn is fascinating because she has strong convictions and is torn between following them and trying to keep her friends alive. The scene at the end of the movie is partly why I nominated her; the fact that it's a deviation from the book doesn't bother me, as it conveys her character development in a way that fits. I highly respect Robyn and find her struggle to maintain her beliefs alone in a world that's collapsing around her to be a compelling one. If I ended up in that world, I would find myself in a very similar position.
I'd love to see more of Robyn dealing with her actions at the end of the film; would love to see inner thoughts! I'd also love to see her building relationships with the others more (she's always felt a bit reserved to me), finding her place. Perhaps a fic where one of the others (Fi?) helps her with her guilt, is there for her. While I'm sure my beliefs aren't quite the same as Robyn's, I would find a lot of them to agree with, and you're welcome to explore that part of her if it appeals to you.
Relationship: Ellie Linton & Robyn Mathers:
Both of these characters have had to deal with directly killing people and it's changed them in different ways. I'd love to see them address some of that with each other, or just support each other. It would also be really neat to see their first meeting - how long ago? - or some of the circumstances that brought them to be good friends. Robyn's deeply religious/spiritual and Ellie is not; I'd love to see that acknowledged in a fic.
Where to find canon:
You can find this film for sale at Amazon and other places; it's also available on torrents if you can't purchase it.
C-16: FBI
Basic premise: Amanda Reardon (played by Angie Harmon) and another rookie join Criminal Division 16, the Major Case Squad, whose four experienced agents includes Annie Rooney (played by Christine Tucci). The squad tackles cases from kidnappings to mob hits to bank robberies, with arcs following each character through various situations in their life. Amanda, as a newbie, doesn't always do things right, and has a lot of friction with her assigned partner and training agent, a much older man named Jack DiRado (played by Zach Grenier). Annie is a competent agent who juggles her career with being a single mother to a little boy of about four years old; her messy divorce causes a lot of stress as her ex-husband seeks custody of their son.
I love the show in its entirety pretty much, except for the addition of the romance between Amanda and Scott. That's the only thing I can think of; Scott just isn't one of my favorite characters (though I love when he's being supportive of Annie in the pilot), and I can't buy him in a relationship with any of the others on their team. You could definitely sell me on either romantic or platonic Amanda/Jack. I also enjoy seeing Annie as a mentoring agent; I think she does a good job with Mal.
It's impossible to pick a single favorite episode, but I love the pilot (there's a lot of really good conversations in the second half, ep # 2, from Annie talking to Scott while sitting on the squad car, to John talking to his boss Dennis at the end). I also love the way ep # 3 ends (the one about the radio station). I love the scenes where Amanda's dealing with Jack hurt (particularly in the hospital!), and I love how Jack handles her in the episode where she witnesses the shooting.
Annie Rooney:
I love Annie's competence, and the fact that she is trying to be both awesome FBI agent AND mommy—and she struggles, like many women do in her situation. It's not clear-cut; she's good at both (as boss John tells her in one ep), but they both demand so much of her and it's a constant balancing act. I find the realism very fascinating; I haven't seen the like on many shows (when they show women being good at their jobs, they don't usually have a family, or if they do, they don't have a lot of issues trying to do both, and that's just not how it is for a lot of women).
I'd love to see a fic dealing with her being a mom, whether it's a glimpse of her caring for her son (the little she gets to do that) or the custody battle. I'd also love a fic of her being a kicka** agent (I loved it when she figured out who the target was in that one ep and tackled them to save them).
Amanda Reardon:
I love Amanda's earnestness, trying to get it right, be good at what she does, and trying to earn respect from Jack. She witnesses a lot during the show, and I really feel for her in that. I also love her snark; Angie Harmon seems to have been destined to play snarky characters (a decade later, her role of Lindsay in Women's Murder Club and recent role of Jane in Rizzoli & Isles both have lots of snark).
I'd love to see more of Amanda growing as an agent, bonding with Mal, learning from some of the more experienced agents, etc. I'd also love to see some of her backstory, what made her become an FBI agent, her experiences at Quantico, etc.
Relationship: Amanda Reardon & Jack DiRado:
I'd love to see more of these two coming to an understanding. Whether that be platonic (as requested) or even romantic (I could see it), I'd be good with it. I mostly nominated/requested platonic only just because I couldn't really see Jack being outright romantic in any way! But the line between caring friend and hidden love is rather thin, especially from Amanda's POV, and I'd love a fic that skirted that or played with it. Or perhaps a fic from Jack's POV showing his thoughts on Amanda over time - from verging on harassment to respect?
I'd also love something plotty focusing on any of them, if that's what interests you! So many possibilities for that…
Where to find canon:
The show is not available for purchase yet, but you can find them all on Youtube. (Only 13 episodes! Easy to pick up.)
Also available on public torrents (last I checked) if you need them on your hard drive.
Women's Murder Club (TV)
Basic premise: A small group of friends (three to start, with a fourth working her way in during the first couple episodes) who all work in related fields share information to help each other solve cases. Lindsay Boxer (played by Angie Harmon) is a homicide inspector (aka detective) who works in San Francisco's police department. She's friends with Jill Bernhardt, a deputy district attorney and Claire Washburn, the medical examiner. As the show unfolds, she begins to respect (and maybe even like?) Cindy Thomas (played by Aubrey Dollar), a young reporter who gets assigned to the crime beat. The show is an excellent mix of drama, comedy, and romance, and has a lot of similarities to Rizzoli & Isles.
I got into Women's Murder Club because I love watching Angie Harmon in Rizzoli & Isles, and this sounded like a similar role for her. After I saw the video titled "The Best of Women's Murder Club" and read this comment, I was positive I had to see the whole show: "Now it all makes sense. Jane Rizzoli is an extension of Lindsay Boxer. The only difference, they keep butching up Angie Harmon." It is so true. Lindsay is like a milder version of Jane in some ways. But in the ways she's different, I fell in love with her character all over again. Lindsay can actually cry, she hates being vulnerable but she can actually do it and be real with her friends. And that just won me over. (Seriously, make Angie Harmon be all vulnerable and cry in a scene and you have me. Completely.) I love her dedication to her work, the toughness she can bring to the job, but I also love that she can still be human, still be vulnerable, that she doesn't feel like she has to be tough to be respected (Jane Rizzoli, in many ways, hardens herself in order to be respected in her job). I love that she cares about her friends, and that she's torn about her ex but still knows what the right thing is and even respects his fiancée. While Lindsay doesn't always take the best care of herself (or act the most responsibly), it helps that Claire can act as "mom" and give her the lectures she needs but sometimes doesn't accept even from her other friends (something Maura isn't very good at giving Jane in R&I).
Cindy stole my heart because of several reasons. One, she's cute and adorable (I don't usually find redheads fascinating but there's something about Cindy . . .). Two, she has a delightful personality, bubbly, a little lacking in some common sense now and then, which the others are happy to lecture her about. And three, she has a bravery and courage that is pretty amazing. When she volunteers for the dangerous decoy task in "Father's Day" . . . that took guts. Real guts. I think Lindsay had to respect her for that. And then with what happens to her in "And The Truth Will (Sometimes) Set You Free", well . . . I want to hear more. (I also have to admit, I might not be a sports fan, but I loved Cindy in "Play Through the Pain", especially her interaction with Claire's son.)
I love Claire's motherliness, particularly with Lindsay, and I can see her totally mothering Cindy. Jill is less of an interest for me so you need not include her, or can just keep her focused on case stuff or being general friends. As for the guys in the women's lives, I'd prefer they have minor or no roles in the fic, with the exception of Ed. (You're welcome to pretend Pete never existed, or he left early, etc. if you like.)
Prompts by tag:
Cindy Thomas:
Cindy is just such a fun character. I'd love to see some of her backstory, or a behind-the-scenes fic from her POV. Maybe another situation where she breaks the rules for a story… Or where Claire is there for her (for advice, perhaps).
Lindsay Boxer:
I love tough characters with soft centers, and Lindsay is a classic example. I'd love to see her dealing with the events at the end of the series, or dealing with the emotional aftermath of the wedding in ep # 9. Or what if the pregnancy test came back positive? So many AU possibilities with this show, lol. Also, if you feel crossover-y, given that the same actress plays both Amanda from C-16: FBI and Lindsay from Women's Murder Club (TV), you could do something interesting with them being related somehow. Or else they get mistaken for each other, or work together on something…
Relationship: Lindsay Boxer & Cindy Thomas
I love the interactions between these two. I see a bit of hero worship—and maybe a crush of sorts—on Cindy's side, and annoyance that turns to fondness and respect on Lindsay's. What you do with that is up to you. I requested the friendship tag but I'm OK with making it deeper. It's hard to know where that line is sometimes, especially when you're just focusing on the connection between them. I'd love to see Cindy being ridiculous in front of Lindsay, or Lindsay saving her life. Or more of Lindsay and Cindy regarding the shooting in ep # 12. Maybe an alternate ending where Jill isn't the one that stays at the hospital? Or maybe a fic about Lindsay and Cindy's friendship starting to grow from the beginning. I see a bit of insecurity in Cindy with regards to her friendships with the others. Or a missing scene with the two women? One possibility is right after Cindy was a decoy, or later that day. I'm sure you can come up with more.
Where to find canon:
The show's not available for sale (unless you buy the not-professional DVD-Rs from Amazon), but you can find all the eps (including the unaired version of the pilot, which is substantially different from the regular show in some areas so shouldn't be treated as canon for this) on Youtube. Just search for "Women's Murder Club" and you should find them--they're all titled WMC - Season 1 - Episode **.
Happy writing! :D
