Beavers in California!

I had no idea there were ever beavers here. And now, some people want to
bring them back!

Dear Yuletide Writer

First, thank you! I'm looking forward to this so much, and I hope you'll have fun writing.

As for what I like and don't like, mostly the answer is "it depends." There are very few things I would say a flat-out no to: graphic torture; prolonged graphic violence; incest; rape. But even these, if necessary for the story, character, or setting, might be okay. So some of the prompts include exceptions (e.g. to allow canon-typical levels of violence). What I really don't like to see is violence and cruelty normalized or justified. My attitude about explicit sex depends on the fandom, as noted in the prompts. In general, I prefer sex not to be the raison d'être of a story.  

Things I especially like:

• backstory, for both characters and setting
• underdogs
• outsider perspectives
• characters being in character
• appealing but flawed protagonists
• a setting that feels rich and real
• unexpected or incongruous friendships
• romance that goes against gender and/or sex stereotypes
• actually, anything that goes against gender and/or sex stereotypes
• non-sentimentalized parent-child relationships
• people working through difficult problems together
• respect for the original source (which can include being critical)
• slice of life stories
• endings with a sense of forward motion
• good grammar and spelling
• things I wouldn't think of myself (like what? I don't know!)

Most of all, I hope you write a story that you like and feel excited about.

As for me, I'm a middle-aged woman who likes to read children's fiction; I'm a scientist who likes to read about magic; I'm a physically inactive person who likes to read about adventures and derring-do. My interests are broad and the polite description of my education would be "eclectic." I started off writing Narnia fic, and that's still the setting for the bulk of my fics, but I am trying to branch out! All of my published fics are here. If you want a general idea of the kind of thing I write, I suggest The Little Sea (Narnia), Giddy (Swallows and Amazons) and/or Pensing (Green Sky).


Notes on specific prompts

I have written a lot more on some of the prompts than others. That is not because I am more interested in receiving a story based on those prompts! It's mainly just the difference between a) a standalone novel vs. a series, and b) newly published work vs. a work that's been around a while. 

( Green Sky )

( Queen's Thief )

( Melendy Quartet )

( The Lie Tree )

( Cuckoo Song )