Dear Worldbuilder 2017
Jan. 1st, 2017 09:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
minutia_rDear Worldbuilder:
Once again, I am truly sorry. If you've had an idea of your own and started planning it or writing it already, that's great, I'm sure I'll love it! If you are still looking for inspiration, I hope you will find it in this letter, even if it is several days late and dollars short.
First off, a couple of Do Not Wants (I am especially sorry if you've come up with an idea that hits one of these in the meantime, although it seems fairly unlikely.):
-AUs. Exceptions: Canon-divergence AUs, or crossovers/fusions with other fandoms I’m into. Those are great.
-Purely introspective stories with no action or character interaction (for this exchange, however, extended reflections on external circumstances--aka infodumps--are peachy keen.)
-Choose-Your-Own-Adventure/interactive/game-style fic
DNW (smut) (not that I have any smut-focused requests, but to be on the safe side):
-Sounding
-Infantilization
-That thing where one or more of the people involved doesn’t know what sex is or realize they’re having it
-Religion kink--like, naughty nuns and priests and what have you
General likes: I really like all kinds of fic, from silly fluff, action and adventures and to smut and hurt/comfort. Feel free to take it darker, too: violence, character death, betrayal, consent issues sexual and otherwise, bad things happening to characters I like AND characters I like doing bad things. I’m open to different POVs and tenses, and unusual fic formats like poetry and epistolary/documentary fic. In-world documents would be great, too, as long as they've got some of the requested characters in them (which include original characters for all of my requests, I'm just not that interested in getting fic with absolutely no characters.)
A brief and really not exhaustive list of story elements I especially like: Comfort after a nightmare, self-sacrifice, loyalty and trust issues, platonic bed-sharing, hugs, language geekery, communication issues, breakups (either the kind where the original relationship is eventually patched up, or where the people involved manage to forge a different but still mutually satisfactory type of relationship afterward, or where nothing is okay again and everything hurts), ethical dilemmas, food porn and food preparation, parenting/childcare, exploration of canon-appropriate religious themes.
Oh and, especially for this exchange, free space: In some of these canons I've requested it specifically, in others I haven't, but write me a story about an election in any of these fictional universes and I will be a happy camper.
Darkangel Trilogy
The world of the Darkangel Trilogy is so big and so weird, and we only get to see a very limited slice of it--I'd like to see how its off-kilter mix of science fiction and fairy-tale logic looked like to the Ancients--did they only see the science fiction side of it? Or else, how did they feel about being cast (or casting themselves) as the monsters and fairy godmothers? Duarough society also seems so separate from the society of Aeriel's people that we see in the books, and apparently less affected by Oriencor's drought and depredations. What was happening there when the world was falling apart, and what part do they play in the world's rebuilding? Any stories about Aeriel and Erin working on rebuilding the world, maybe even contacting other civilizations seeded by the Ancients, would be wonderful--or a story set on one of those worlds even if none of the characters we know from the books show up. (Aeriel/Erin would be very much appreciated but absolutely not required. I'd be happy to see any other characters from the books as well!)
Rick Riordan’s Demigods
Hunters of Artemis
I’m interested in stories about the Hunters of Artemis from mythological times right up to the present day, or even in the future (hunters of Artemis IN SPACE?) What might have led girls from different societies and places to join the hunters, and how do such a variety of girls from different backgrounds get along together? Are there tensions between hunters of mortal and demigod origins and nature spirits--how about hunters who are monsters: harpies, cyclopes, sirens? Is the society of the hunters different under Thalia’s leadership than under Zoe’s?
I'm also interested in the possibility of trans girls becoming hunters, whether they're contemporary girls or if they come from societies whose constructions of gender might be different from modern Western ones. Do they find unconditional acceptance with the hunters or are there tensions? What form would the Blessing of Artemis take for them (I imagine it might vary based on the individual)?
Zhang Family
Once again, I'm interested in the whole sweep of history of the Zhang family, from the time the legion arrived in China through their forming relationships with the local people, mythologies, deities and spirits, through Frank's branch of the family coming to North America and afterwards. I'm also curious about Frank’s meeting with his ancestors, which was kind of hurried past in the books.
I like all the Zhangs we've seen--Emily, Frank, and Grandma--and would be happy for any or all of them to make an appearance, but I'd especially like a focus on original characters.
Children of Hecate and the Titan War
There are indications that the children of Hecate formed their own unit as part of Kronos’ forces--what was their role, how were they recruited, what was the war like for them? Were there any of them who didn't want to accept the amnesty and go to Camp Half-Blood or abandon Alabaster afterwards, and how did that play out?
What about children of Hecate who fought on the Olympians’ side--were there any? How did they make the choice between their friends and fellow campers on one hand and their siblings on the other? What is it like after the war, when these former enemies are sharing a single cabin?
Lou Ellen: I love Lou Ellen’s cheerful, twisted sense of humor, and I really want to know more about her background. What was she doing during the Titan war? If she fought with the Hermes cabin and the rest of Camp Half-Blood, how does that affect her relationship with her siblings, most of whom fought for the Titans, and were only granted amnesty after the war? Or alternatively, if she fought for the Titans, how does that affect how she gets along with the rest of the camp, especially her fellow head counselors? Or was she a lone half-blood surviving with her wits and magic who took no part in the war and was thus an acceptable compromise to both sides? What relationship does she have with Alabaster, if any, and is she still in touch with him?
I ship Lou Ellen with Miranda Gardiner based on their like two lines of interaction in The Lost Hero, and despite the fact that we know basically nothing about Miranda. So if you want to write me anything with them I’d be thrilled.
SkyWorld
This album isn’t a straightforward narrative, and there are a lot of possible interpretations of what’s going on here, but what I find really fascinating is the tension between utopia and dystopia, loss and return, sky and earth. Who are the lost and fallen race, and how did they happen to fall? Are the dancing dead the same ones from the Cherokee story of the deluge? Did Icarus ever meet the Queen of Crows, and what happened between them?
This is one canon where you really have a lot of blanks to fill in, so I’m not sure what else to tell you except that I would especially love unearthly worldbuilding and not-quite-human characters, but I will basically be delighted with anything that captures the weird, wide-open feel of this album.
Stand Still Stay Silent
Iceland reopening its borders
This must have been such a world-changing event, second only to the collapse of the Old World itself, and unlike the collapse of the Old World, we haven’t seen it in canon at all aside from passing mentions. I’m especially interested in things from the non-Icelandic side, although if you have an idea for a story told from the Icelandic side, I’d love to read that instead. What was it like for people who still had memories of the Old World, to suddenly have access to technology, culture, and material wealth that they thought was lost forever? How about people who grew up in the New World and had thought things like that were old stories at best? On the other hand, there must have been a lot of resentment towards the Icelanders for hiding themselves away for the rest of the world for so long, not to mention their previous policy of killing anyone who got too close. How did we get from there to a world where everyone is seemingly one big happy Nordic family, and Icelandic is the Lingua Franca? Were there illicit contacts between Iceland and the outside before the borders officially opened, possibly between Icelandic and Norwegian mages meeting in the Dreamworld?
(Note: I got a couple of stories that addressed some of these issues in the recent Silent Night Exchange, and they were great, but I am greedy and want MOAR.)
Surviving Communities Outside the Known World, Mages and Magic in Surviving Communities Outside the Known World
This one is a bit of an open-ended request, sorry, but--just, anything about surviving communities outside the Known World. Where are they? Who are they? What are their magic and religious systems like? How do they defend and provide for their communities? What technology have they preserved from the Old World, what traditions from their pre-industrial past have they revived and repurposed, what new knowledge have they gained? Write me a story about the daily life of a Madagascan mage or the adventures of a Filipino sea-beast hunter! Sigrun, at least, has expressed interest in finding some of the other survivors and saying hi, and I’d love to see her leading a future expedition with that purpose, possibly with some of the other members of the current crew.
Vorkosigan Saga
I am so curious about the fallout of the events of Ethan of Athos. How does Athosian society change when the first telepathic children are born, or when most of Athos becomes telepathic--or are steps taken to try and prevent this from happening? Are Ethan and Terrence ever called to account for their crimes? Does Cetaganda ever try to clone more telepaths, or House Bharaputra, or any other government or quasi-governmental body? Do rumors of Athos ever reach telepaths from other parts of the galaxy, as a place where telepaths can live in peace among their own kind? What happens to Athos, with a policy of welcoming refugees with no questions asked (as long as they're male), and a founding ethos as a refuge for people who are persecuted in the galaxy at large, if galactic telepaths actually start showing up on their doorstep in significant numbers?
A couple of notes:
- If you've seen my previous exchange letters, you may have noticed that I sometimes list long fic in my DNWs. I'm not doing that for this exchange, because I realize it can be hard to flesh out interesting worldbuilding ideas and original characters in under 5000 words. But if you do have a story you can tell at a shorter length, that would be great too--some of my favorite stories I've gotten in exchanges have been just over the word limit (or even treats under it.)
- I'm only requesting fic just because I don't want to have to come up with art requests on top of everything else. But if you were thinking of making me an art treat, they are always loved and appreciated!
If for some reason you want to stalk me , I am dead easy to stalk; I'm minutia_r (or occasionally minutia-r) all over the internet: LJ/DW, AO3, tumblr, deviantart, ff.net, 8tracks, and probably one or two other places I don't recall off-hand.
Thank you! You are awesome, I am really looking forward to seeing what you make for me, and I hope you get great stories and/or art out of this exchange, too!
Once again, I am truly sorry. If you've had an idea of your own and started planning it or writing it already, that's great, I'm sure I'll love it! If you are still looking for inspiration, I hope you will find it in this letter, even if it is several days late and dollars short.
First off, a couple of Do Not Wants (I am especially sorry if you've come up with an idea that hits one of these in the meantime, although it seems fairly unlikely.):
-AUs. Exceptions: Canon-divergence AUs, or crossovers/fusions with other fandoms I’m into. Those are great.
-Purely introspective stories with no action or character interaction (for this exchange, however, extended reflections on external circumstances--aka infodumps--are peachy keen.)
-Choose-Your-Own-Adventure/interactive/game-style fic
DNW (smut) (not that I have any smut-focused requests, but to be on the safe side):
-Sounding
-Infantilization
-That thing where one or more of the people involved doesn’t know what sex is or realize they’re having it
-Religion kink--like, naughty nuns and priests and what have you
General likes: I really like all kinds of fic, from silly fluff, action and adventures and to smut and hurt/comfort. Feel free to take it darker, too: violence, character death, betrayal, consent issues sexual and otherwise, bad things happening to characters I like AND characters I like doing bad things. I’m open to different POVs and tenses, and unusual fic formats like poetry and epistolary/documentary fic. In-world documents would be great, too, as long as they've got some of the requested characters in them (which include original characters for all of my requests, I'm just not that interested in getting fic with absolutely no characters.)
A brief and really not exhaustive list of story elements I especially like: Comfort after a nightmare, self-sacrifice, loyalty and trust issues, platonic bed-sharing, hugs, language geekery, communication issues, breakups (either the kind where the original relationship is eventually patched up, or where the people involved manage to forge a different but still mutually satisfactory type of relationship afterward, or where nothing is okay again and everything hurts), ethical dilemmas, food porn and food preparation, parenting/childcare, exploration of canon-appropriate religious themes.
Oh and, especially for this exchange, free space: In some of these canons I've requested it specifically, in others I haven't, but write me a story about an election in any of these fictional universes and I will be a happy camper.
Darkangel Trilogy
The world of the Darkangel Trilogy is so big and so weird, and we only get to see a very limited slice of it--I'd like to see how its off-kilter mix of science fiction and fairy-tale logic looked like to the Ancients--did they only see the science fiction side of it? Or else, how did they feel about being cast (or casting themselves) as the monsters and fairy godmothers? Duarough society also seems so separate from the society of Aeriel's people that we see in the books, and apparently less affected by Oriencor's drought and depredations. What was happening there when the world was falling apart, and what part do they play in the world's rebuilding? Any stories about Aeriel and Erin working on rebuilding the world, maybe even contacting other civilizations seeded by the Ancients, would be wonderful--or a story set on one of those worlds even if none of the characters we know from the books show up. (Aeriel/Erin would be very much appreciated but absolutely not required. I'd be happy to see any other characters from the books as well!)
Rick Riordan’s Demigods
Hunters of Artemis
I’m interested in stories about the Hunters of Artemis from mythological times right up to the present day, or even in the future (hunters of Artemis IN SPACE?) What might have led girls from different societies and places to join the hunters, and how do such a variety of girls from different backgrounds get along together? Are there tensions between hunters of mortal and demigod origins and nature spirits--how about hunters who are monsters: harpies, cyclopes, sirens? Is the society of the hunters different under Thalia’s leadership than under Zoe’s?
I'm also interested in the possibility of trans girls becoming hunters, whether they're contemporary girls or if they come from societies whose constructions of gender might be different from modern Western ones. Do they find unconditional acceptance with the hunters or are there tensions? What form would the Blessing of Artemis take for them (I imagine it might vary based on the individual)?
Zhang Family
Once again, I'm interested in the whole sweep of history of the Zhang family, from the time the legion arrived in China through their forming relationships with the local people, mythologies, deities and spirits, through Frank's branch of the family coming to North America and afterwards. I'm also curious about Frank’s meeting with his ancestors, which was kind of hurried past in the books.
I like all the Zhangs we've seen--Emily, Frank, and Grandma--and would be happy for any or all of them to make an appearance, but I'd especially like a focus on original characters.
Children of Hecate and the Titan War
There are indications that the children of Hecate formed their own unit as part of Kronos’ forces--what was their role, how were they recruited, what was the war like for them? Were there any of them who didn't want to accept the amnesty and go to Camp Half-Blood or abandon Alabaster afterwards, and how did that play out?
What about children of Hecate who fought on the Olympians’ side--were there any? How did they make the choice between their friends and fellow campers on one hand and their siblings on the other? What is it like after the war, when these former enemies are sharing a single cabin?
Lou Ellen: I love Lou Ellen’s cheerful, twisted sense of humor, and I really want to know more about her background. What was she doing during the Titan war? If she fought with the Hermes cabin and the rest of Camp Half-Blood, how does that affect her relationship with her siblings, most of whom fought for the Titans, and were only granted amnesty after the war? Or alternatively, if she fought for the Titans, how does that affect how she gets along with the rest of the camp, especially her fellow head counselors? Or was she a lone half-blood surviving with her wits and magic who took no part in the war and was thus an acceptable compromise to both sides? What relationship does she have with Alabaster, if any, and is she still in touch with him?
I ship Lou Ellen with Miranda Gardiner based on their like two lines of interaction in The Lost Hero, and despite the fact that we know basically nothing about Miranda. So if you want to write me anything with them I’d be thrilled.
SkyWorld
This album isn’t a straightforward narrative, and there are a lot of possible interpretations of what’s going on here, but what I find really fascinating is the tension between utopia and dystopia, loss and return, sky and earth. Who are the lost and fallen race, and how did they happen to fall? Are the dancing dead the same ones from the Cherokee story of the deluge? Did Icarus ever meet the Queen of Crows, and what happened between them?
This is one canon where you really have a lot of blanks to fill in, so I’m not sure what else to tell you except that I would especially love unearthly worldbuilding and not-quite-human characters, but I will basically be delighted with anything that captures the weird, wide-open feel of this album.
Stand Still Stay Silent
Iceland reopening its borders
This must have been such a world-changing event, second only to the collapse of the Old World itself, and unlike the collapse of the Old World, we haven’t seen it in canon at all aside from passing mentions. I’m especially interested in things from the non-Icelandic side, although if you have an idea for a story told from the Icelandic side, I’d love to read that instead. What was it like for people who still had memories of the Old World, to suddenly have access to technology, culture, and material wealth that they thought was lost forever? How about people who grew up in the New World and had thought things like that were old stories at best? On the other hand, there must have been a lot of resentment towards the Icelanders for hiding themselves away for the rest of the world for so long, not to mention their previous policy of killing anyone who got too close. How did we get from there to a world where everyone is seemingly one big happy Nordic family, and Icelandic is the Lingua Franca? Were there illicit contacts between Iceland and the outside before the borders officially opened, possibly between Icelandic and Norwegian mages meeting in the Dreamworld?
(Note: I got a couple of stories that addressed some of these issues in the recent Silent Night Exchange, and they were great, but I am greedy and want MOAR.)
Surviving Communities Outside the Known World, Mages and Magic in Surviving Communities Outside the Known World
This one is a bit of an open-ended request, sorry, but--just, anything about surviving communities outside the Known World. Where are they? Who are they? What are their magic and religious systems like? How do they defend and provide for their communities? What technology have they preserved from the Old World, what traditions from their pre-industrial past have they revived and repurposed, what new knowledge have they gained? Write me a story about the daily life of a Madagascan mage or the adventures of a Filipino sea-beast hunter! Sigrun, at least, has expressed interest in finding some of the other survivors and saying hi, and I’d love to see her leading a future expedition with that purpose, possibly with some of the other members of the current crew.
Vorkosigan Saga
I am so curious about the fallout of the events of Ethan of Athos. How does Athosian society change when the first telepathic children are born, or when most of Athos becomes telepathic--or are steps taken to try and prevent this from happening? Are Ethan and Terrence ever called to account for their crimes? Does Cetaganda ever try to clone more telepaths, or House Bharaputra, or any other government or quasi-governmental body? Do rumors of Athos ever reach telepaths from other parts of the galaxy, as a place where telepaths can live in peace among their own kind? What happens to Athos, with a policy of welcoming refugees with no questions asked (as long as they're male), and a founding ethos as a refuge for people who are persecuted in the galaxy at large, if galactic telepaths actually start showing up on their doorstep in significant numbers?
A couple of notes:
- If you've seen my previous exchange letters, you may have noticed that I sometimes list long fic in my DNWs. I'm not doing that for this exchange, because I realize it can be hard to flesh out interesting worldbuilding ideas and original characters in under 5000 words. But if you do have a story you can tell at a shorter length, that would be great too--some of my favorite stories I've gotten in exchanges have been just over the word limit (or even treats under it.)
- I'm only requesting fic just because I don't want to have to come up with art requests on top of everything else. But if you were thinking of making me an art treat, they are always loved and appreciated!
If for some reason you want to stalk me , I am dead easy to stalk; I'm minutia_r (or occasionally minutia-r) all over the internet: LJ/DW, AO3, tumblr, deviantart, ff.net, 8tracks, and probably one or two other places I don't recall off-hand.
Thank you! You are awesome, I am really looking forward to seeing what you make for me, and I hope you get great stories and/or art out of this exchange, too!
