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arduinnaI lucked out this year; I got one of my favorite fandoms for my primary story, and a Treat in a fandom I had totally never expected to get as a second story.
My main gift was was An Honest Man, by Michelle Christian (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
movies_michelle), for Peacemakers, which is a fandom so dear to my heart I can't even say.
It's lovely. It's a slash story that weaves in and out of canon, using games of chess as a throughline to show Stone and Finch's deepening relationship, which is just perfect. (They play, canonically, and by the time we see it, it's clearly an established habit that they both enjoy a great deal, and it's a moment I adore for the sheer comfortable connection between them.) The character and emotional arcs in this are just wonderful; she starts from the literal beginning, when they barely know each other and don't like each other much, and builds steadily and gorgeously from there.
I almost didn't ask for Peacemakers this year, since I've been lucky enough to get a fabulous story for it in a previous Yuletide, but I'm so glad I decided to include it on my list. *hugs story*
The second story I got was a Yuletide Treat -- extra stories that anyone could write for anyone, if they saw a request that sparked an idea. And someone wrote one for me!
It's Joey and Michael, Sitting in a Tree, byzortified, for My Two Dads. Yes, My Two Dads. That sitcom you maybe kinda remember from the 80s, with the two guys and the kid. Seriously, I had no hope that anyone would pick this up; it had a whopping three offers on the requested-fandoms page, and I was the only person to request it.
And yet! A story! Slash, even, which was what I most hoped for, but expected even less than I expected the fandom. And it's adorable. I don't know howzortified did it, but she nailed the voices and tone of the show, and gave me exactly what I wanted. It's a little cliched, but that is perfect for this show, and for its era. *hugs this story too*
Both of these stories make me ridiculously happy, and I rec them both whole-heartedly. Go, read! You'll love them.
As for what I wrote, it was also Peacemakers, which is a first -- there have never been two stories in one year for this fandom. Woot!
True Gold
slash, Stone/Finch
44k, PG
Summary: A rash of fires in Silver City strikes close to home.
written for Dorinda
On the Yuletide archive
On my site
Every year, Yuletide challenges me in a different way, which is one of the things I love about it.
This year, the challenge was writing for a good friend, without her finding out about it.
Here's how it went:
1. Assignments! I get a stranger, and we match on WKRP. Okay!
2. Assignments were wrong, ohnoes. Here is your new assignment! I get Dorinda, who is a dear friend and one of my favorite writers in the world. (And here's why. Go read everything there, I'll wait.)
2a. Realize that for first time ever, have matched up on more than one of recipient's fandoms. In fact, have matched up on three out of four. Go tharn at thought of picking one.
3. Panic at friends, but chortle at thought of reveal, because we always have friends in this situation -- it's a Yuletide tradition, at this point.
4. See Dorinda on IRC a day or so later, and be completely calm because Dorinda never asks what someone is writing for Yuletide. Panic when Dorinda asks what I'm writing for Yuletide, realize I still have my first assignment, and blurt out, "WKRP! I need to refresh myself on the source, but it'll be fun."
5. Do not giggle inappropriately in channel when Dorinda replies, "Do you need source? Maybe I can help!" and take her up on her generous offer to help in plan to deceive her.
6. Laugh head off a week later, when DVD arrives in mail with cheery "good luck!" sticky attached.
7. Spend a few weeks rewatching I Spy, Persuaders, and Peacemakers, waiting to see which triggers best story idea, writing down notes and timelines and whatnot.
8. Buy WKRP and Persuaders in deepdiscount sale. Hey, you never know.
9. Go to Thanksgiving attherienne's new house. Watch movies after dinner. Now know all four of Dorinda's requested fandoms. Add story ideas for movie to pile of possibilities.
10. Start three different stories, plus barebones beginning to WKRP story. Eventually come across a random picture that shouts "o hai, I am for a Peacemakers story, use me!!". Shift focus entirely to Peacemakers. Start researching madly.
11. Start writing Peacemakers, realize I have a plot. Panic! Keep writing.
12. Upload story. Look at it again, realize am not completely happy with it, go hat in hand to elynross and ask to have it deleted so I can upload corrected version after I fix problems.
13. Start flinging corrected bits at betas, who agree with fixes. Polish polish polish. Upload story!
14. Commiserate with Dorinda on IRC when she arrives to announce her phone and Internet are out at home, and she doesn't think they'll be back till the 27th. Tell her that her writer is sure to understand!
Get messaged byelynross, who is also on IRC talking with Dorinda and me about this, with this:
[14:47] elyn: This is just an official notice, as your Yuletide mod,
that your recipient is experiencing sudden disconnect from the
internets, and may not be able to read your story for a couple days
after the opening of the archive!
[14:47] elyn: at your recipient's request.
[14:47] * Arduinna cracks UP
[14:47] * elyn dies.
15. See Dorinda on IRC on the 26th, because her internets came back. Distract her by telling her I got Peacemakers! Feign utter ignorance when she says "me too!", claim to have not even looked because Peacemakers never gets more than one story (true!). Promise to read story she got, real soon now. Claim to be reading archive by letting the new random browser dictate which letter is to be read next.
16. Decide that's actually good strategy for reading archive, implement. Start reading randomly. Stay away from all P-fandoms so can honestly say have not reached the Ps yet, and therefore haven't seen her story yet. Develop backup plan: will tell Dorinda am planning to bookend Yuletide with Peacemakers stories.
17. Don't see Dorinda on line again until author reveal. Cannot use clever backup plan, woe. OTOH, giggle madly at Dorinda's reaction.
18. Yay!
All in all, it's been a heck of a fun Yuletide.
I'll have more recs, as soon as I finish going through the fandoms I know. Meanwhile, I'm tagging my favorites on del.icio.us.
My main gift was was An Honest Man, by Michelle Christian (
movies_michelle), for Peacemakers, which is a fandom so dear to my heart I can't even say. It's lovely. It's a slash story that weaves in and out of canon, using games of chess as a throughline to show Stone and Finch's deepening relationship, which is just perfect. (They play, canonically, and by the time we see it, it's clearly an established habit that they both enjoy a great deal, and it's a moment I adore for the sheer comfortable connection between them.) The character and emotional arcs in this are just wonderful; she starts from the literal beginning, when they barely know each other and don't like each other much, and builds steadily and gorgeously from there.
I almost didn't ask for Peacemakers this year, since I've been lucky enough to get a fabulous story for it in a previous Yuletide, but I'm so glad I decided to include it on my list. *hugs story*
The second story I got was a Yuletide Treat -- extra stories that anyone could write for anyone, if they saw a request that sparked an idea. And someone wrote one for me!
It's Joey and Michael, Sitting in a Tree, by
zortified, for My Two Dads. Yes, My Two Dads. That sitcom you maybe kinda remember from the 80s, with the two guys and the kid. Seriously, I had no hope that anyone would pick this up; it had a whopping three offers on the requested-fandoms page, and I was the only person to request it. And yet! A story! Slash, even, which was what I most hoped for, but expected even less than I expected the fandom. And it's adorable. I don't know how
zortified did it, but she nailed the voices and tone of the show, and gave me exactly what I wanted. It's a little cliched, but that is perfect for this show, and for its era. *hugs this story too*Both of these stories make me ridiculously happy, and I rec them both whole-heartedly. Go, read! You'll love them.
As for what I wrote, it was also Peacemakers, which is a first -- there have never been two stories in one year for this fandom. Woot!
True Gold
slash, Stone/Finch
44k, PG
Summary: A rash of fires in Silver City strikes close to home.
written for Dorinda
On the Yuletide archive
On my site
Every year, Yuletide challenges me in a different way, which is one of the things I love about it.
This year, the challenge was writing for a good friend, without her finding out about it.
Here's how it went:
1. Assignments! I get a stranger, and we match on WKRP. Okay!
2. Assignments were wrong, ohnoes. Here is your new assignment! I get Dorinda, who is a dear friend and one of my favorite writers in the world. (And here's why. Go read everything there, I'll wait.)
2a. Realize that for first time ever, have matched up on more than one of recipient's fandoms. In fact, have matched up on three out of four. Go tharn at thought of picking one.
3. Panic at friends, but chortle at thought of reveal, because we always have friends in this situation -- it's a Yuletide tradition, at this point.
4. See Dorinda on IRC a day or so later, and be completely calm because Dorinda never asks what someone is writing for Yuletide. Panic when Dorinda asks what I'm writing for Yuletide, realize I still have my first assignment, and blurt out, "WKRP! I need to refresh myself on the source, but it'll be fun."
5. Do not giggle inappropriately in channel when Dorinda replies, "Do you need source? Maybe I can help!" and take her up on her generous offer to help in plan to deceive her.
6. Laugh head off a week later, when DVD arrives in mail with cheery "good luck!" sticky attached.
7. Spend a few weeks rewatching I Spy, Persuaders, and Peacemakers, waiting to see which triggers best story idea, writing down notes and timelines and whatnot.
8. Buy WKRP and Persuaders in deepdiscount sale. Hey, you never know.
9. Go to Thanksgiving at
therienne's new house. Watch movies after dinner. Now know all four of Dorinda's requested fandoms. Add story ideas for movie to pile of possibilities.10. Start three different stories, plus barebones beginning to WKRP story. Eventually come across a random picture that shouts "o hai, I am for a Peacemakers story, use me!!". Shift focus entirely to Peacemakers. Start researching madly.
11. Start writing Peacemakers, realize I have a plot. Panic! Keep writing.
12. Upload story. Look at it again, realize am not completely happy with it, go hat in hand to elynross and ask to have it deleted so I can upload corrected version after I fix problems.
13. Start flinging corrected bits at betas, who agree with fixes. Polish polish polish. Upload story!
14. Commiserate with Dorinda on IRC when she arrives to announce her phone and Internet are out at home, and she doesn't think they'll be back till the 27th. Tell her that her writer is sure to understand!
Get messaged by
elynross, who is also on IRC talking with Dorinda and me about this, with this:[14:47] elyn: This is just an official notice, as your Yuletide mod,
that your recipient is experiencing sudden disconnect from the
internets, and may not be able to read your story for a couple days
after the opening of the archive!
[14:47] elyn: at your recipient's request.
[14:47] * Arduinna cracks UP
[14:47] * elyn dies.
15. See Dorinda on IRC on the 26th, because her internets came back. Distract her by telling her I got Peacemakers! Feign utter ignorance when she says "me too!", claim to have not even looked because Peacemakers never gets more than one story (true!). Promise to read story she got, real soon now. Claim to be reading archive by letting the new random browser dictate which letter is to be read next.
16. Decide that's actually good strategy for reading archive, implement. Start reading randomly. Stay away from all P-fandoms so can honestly say have not reached the Ps yet, and therefore haven't seen her story yet. Develop backup plan: will tell Dorinda am planning to bookend Yuletide with Peacemakers stories.
17. Don't see Dorinda on line again until author reveal. Cannot use clever backup plan, woe. OTOH, giggle madly at Dorinda's reaction.
18. Yay!
All in all, it's been a heck of a fun Yuletide.
I'll have more recs, as soon as I finish going through the fandoms I know. Meanwhile, I'm tagging my favorites on del.icio.us.
