calliopes_pen | Resurrecting The Yuletide Meme Yet Again

Because I keep meaning to post this after each Yuletide, and I keep forgetting to do it again for a couple years at a stretch. First time, did it in 2012. Second time, 2014. 2006-2013 is copy/pasted (or at least small bits of it are) from the other ones, with accompanying notes. If you don’t count 2007, when I had to bow out early on lest it count against me, it’s just one story for each Yuletide.

Yuletide 2006: Fools In Love
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

It’s not that great of a story, because I was still relatively new at fanfic. There’s a chance I only had access to a small number of episodes, because I think the characterization was off. This could be the one story that if given a choice, I might advise people to avoid because it’s my least favorite.

The plot was just what Ares and Aphrodite went through trying to get Cupid and Strife together even though they already were together.

Yuletide 2008: Because We’re Addamses
The Addams Family (the movies).

This one was fun to write at the time, as it was the POV of Wednesday Addams. I think it’s also the one where I had the most number of comments for any story, so I was quite pleased by that. I was stunned to receive any at the time.

Yuletide 2009: Paranormal Pressures
Being Human (The UK Version)

It was just some regular domestic oddness for George, Annie and Mitchell. This would have been written shortly before I ended up falling out of love with the series as a whole and jumping ship. I agree with the bookmark on Ao3, where someone noted that due to its age, there are inaccuracies with the story in regards to being in canon for the series. So if anyone out there chooses to read it, just know it was right as of when it was written (which they pointed out, too).

Yuletide 2010: If You Could Read My Mind
Back To The Future

It’s just set shortly after a time stream collision with the phone booth that Bill and Ted used to travel through time. It was all Doc’s point of view as he worked on his mind reading device, and went off on stream of consciousness mental tangents.

Yuletide 2011: The Nosferatu Effect
My Best Friend Is A Vampire

This was written for someone on my friends list. Therefore, it was interesting trying to keep posts as vague as possible, due to how small the fandom was.* However, I enjoyed writing it. It’s twenty-five years after the film, catching up with two vampires in the graveyard, and seeing how everyone involved has fared in the ensuing time.

*As we now know, this would happen again with a fandom that is, perhaps, tinier. Maybe.

Yuletide 2012: Santacide Is Coming To Town
Pushing Daisies

All my recipient really wanted to see was Santa die, and the gang from the Pie Hole investigate the crime. This, coupled with my own warped desire to kill Santa in some twisted way, meant I had an inordinate amount of fun writing the story. I was pleased to see that a few people thought I had nailed the Narrator’s voice.

This would be the final year that I offered a longer (well, a full season and change) series, because during the writing process I try to rewatch things quite a bit. 22 episodes over and over again can burn you out, and could be why I haven’t had the desire to revisit it since. It will continue to sit on my external hard drive, should I ever feel the need to rewatch.

2013 to the present are stories that have taken a bit of a darker turn, and which I have felt far more comfortable with. Weird, but I’m better with horror, it seems.

Yuletide 2013: Blood Begets A Curse Anew
Legend (1985)

If you click the above link, heed the warnings in the tags. It involves Lili not being saved by Jack, and making the choice to sacrifice the unicorn. I’ve gone on at length over here, as to the writing process for the story and the ways it almost ended. I originally wrote it was both the darkest and longest thing I had ever written…and that’s not true anymore.

Yuletide 2014: Give Your Soul To The Night
Fright Night (1985)

I went on at length here, in regards to the writing process for this one. This story involved Charley getting willingly turned into a vampire. It was fun to write, and I was surprised that I was able to get into Peter Vincent’s head at the time. It’s the story with the most kudos I have ever received, so there’s that. At the time, I worried I went too far with Charley’s reaction to the bite. Given how I went with vampire bites for Dracula (1968), I no longer have that concern for this story.

Yuletide 2015: Let The Shadows Become Your Shroud
Crimson Peak (2015)

I loved Crimson Peak (2015) more than I expected. I went on at length here on the writing process. I had too much fun writing the possession of Alan by the ghost of Lucille in the middle of the story, as well as the eventual defeat of Lucille. Of everything I have written, I must consider this one nearly a personal favorite. It’s competing with this year’s story.

Yuletide 2016: Wrap The Cloak Of Night Around His Shoulders
Dracula (1968)

This time I wondered if the title was really too long or not, before deciding it might have fit either Seward or Jonathan, until the title drop confirmed for readers it was Jonathan. The commentary for the story is over here. As I previously stated, this wasn’t the first time that I ended up writing a story for someone on my friends list. Since

lost_spook and I might be the only ones hopelessly in love with the source material that were likely both offering and requesting, I’m not surprised that she guessed it was me.

I was surprised by how long it became, though…and the fact that it was declared the second longest story written for this Yuletide. Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised by the former, seeing as how I’ve loved many different forms of Dracula in novels and movies since I was very little. The latter will remain a shock. A pleasant one, mind you. It makes sense, given this year the story I wrote didn’t have anything left over, save the small number of deleted scenes (which I included as a bonus part 2 after reveals).

Also, kindly look at the titles from the past few years. It feels like a twisted song. Blood Begets A Curse Anew. Give Your Soul To The Night. Let The Shadows Become Your Shroud. Wrap The Cloak of Night Around His Shoulders. It just happened, and was in no way intentional. Give Your Soul To The Night did originate from a lyric on the soundtrack to one of the Fright Night films, though.