Yuletide 2025 Sign-Ups Open
14 October 2025 14:21![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yuletidemods posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
yuletide_adminPlease read this post even if you have signed up before!
After reading this post, please look at the tag set to see what fandoms are available this year, and make a shortlist of what you plan to offer and request. (The same fandoms can be on both lists, if you want.)
Then sign up at the collection. We recommend you allow at least half an hour to sign up. While you can edit your sign-up over the next week, you will not be able to make any changes after sign-ups close at 9pm UTC 24 October.
If you would like to avoid matching to up to three other participants, with limitations discussed here, you may do so by filling out a Google Form from a link within the AO3 form. If you want to use this feature but cannot use Google Forms, please email the mods. Do Not Match requests will close at the same time as signups.
AND matching and additional tags
Generally, when you select characters in your sign-up form, it means you want and expect your gift to include all of those characters. This is a key principle for matching and assignments. However, some people like to give their author further options. We are using the Additional Tags section of the form for this.
If you requested 0 characters, or you want all the characters you selected to appear, you will tick the first Additional Tag option, which says "My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)". If you think your situation might be different, please read last year’s post about additional tags and select additional tags that are right for your requests. This information is also in the sign-up form.
Optional Details and Do Not Wants (DNWs)
"Optional details" = prompts, ideas, likes, explanations of how you see the canon. Optional details and DNWs can be recorded in the main text section of your requests.
Optional details are optional (ODAO)! Your writer doesn't have to follow your prompts, though they must avoid your DNWs. You don't have to give prompts here, either - though prompts and ideas may be a more inspiring first impression than a list of DNWs on its own. Prompts may be particularly useful if you are requesting a Worldbuilding tag.
See this 2020 post for some considerations when writing your DNWs. Last year, we also clarified our rules and guidance about DNWs.
The Optional Details section of your AO3 requests is especially relevant if you have selected option two of the additional tags, "My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags; or it may use exceptions I explain in the form". In that case, please use this section of the form for explaining how and when your writer is allowed to leave out some of the characters you selected.
Please use minimal html in the optional details field. No images, please.
Please also note in the form if you're able to receive treats - or if you don't want them! Yuletide has a long-established culture of extra gifts, but if you created your account recently, you may have extra gifts turned off by default. Please check your AO3 preferences, and then state in your sign-up form whether you do or do not accept treats.
Letters
You can write prompts and preferences in another space, such as Dreamwidth, Livejournal, Google Docs, or Tumblr, and put a link in your sign-up. This is known as a "letter". Some people write letters; some don't. DNWs and character subsets that are listed in a letter but not in the Optional Details AO3 textbox cause confusion and difficulty for creators, and will not be enforced by the mods. Otherwise, your letter is an extension of your optional details and is treated the same way.
Important: You cannot add a letter after sign-ups close.
If you have several fandoms in which you want to offer to write Any nominated characters, you can make your last offer a "Bucket Offer". You can read about bucket offers in the Sign-ups section of the AO3 FAQ. This older tutorial has pictures!
Please check the tag set or the app when signing up. The autocomplete drop-down list in the sign-up form may not show all available characters. If they're in the tag set, you can enter them manually.
Fandoms at 1-1 on the sign-up summary may mean that the same person is offering and requesting the fandom, not that there is a match.
Welcome to Yuletide!
Feel free to ask us questions.
Thank you tocrantz (who also made images for us to share in 2019 and in 2020). Please use these to encourage friends and other fans to take part!
To repost this image, copy this html:
<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/yuletide2025/profile"><img src="https://www.yuletide.fandom.exchange/images/yuletidegraphic1.jpg" alt="Yuletide exchange promotional image using mountain forest scenery. Text says Write off the beaten path - Yuletide Rare Fandoms Exchange."></a>
To repost this image, copy this html:
<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/yuletide2025/profile"><img src="https://www.yuletide.fandom.exchange/images/yuletidegraphic2.jpg" alt="Yuletide exchange promotional image using an image of an 1887 ice palace. Text says Travel the Worlds of Imagination - Yuletide Rare Fandoms Exchange."></a>
Schedule, Rules, & Collection | Contact Mods | Participant DW | Participant LJ | Pinch Hits on DW | Discord | Tag set | Tag set app
Please either comment logged-in or sign a name. Unsigned anonymous comments will be left screened.
After reading this post, please look at the tag set to see what fandoms are available this year, and make a shortlist of what you plan to offer and request. (The same fandoms can be on both lists, if you want.)
Then sign up at the collection. We recommend you allow at least half an hour to sign up. While you can edit your sign-up over the next week, you will not be able to make any changes after sign-ups close at 9pm UTC 24 October.
If you would like to avoid matching to up to three other participants, with limitations discussed here, you may do so by filling out a Google Form from a link within the AO3 form. If you want to use this feature but cannot use Google Forms, please email the mods. Do Not Match requests will close at the same time as signups.
Requests
- You can request 3-8 fandoms
- Each fandom must be different
- You can request 0*-4 characters in each fandom
- *Requesting 0 characters means "I am happy to receive any nominated character for this fandom. My author gets to choose which one(s)". That includes Worldbuilding for fandoms where Worldbuilding is nominated as a character tag. If no characters are nominated for the fandom, requesting 0 characters means “I am happy to receive any character or worldbuilding for this fandom.”
- "AND" matching means your writer must include every character you select. If you are happy with a subset of your selected characters, indicate this with Additional Tags, and clarify any exceptions in your optional details.
- You can only request characters from the tag set, though your optional prompts may mention other characters to appear too.
- In some fandoms, you can request Worldbuilding as a character. You can find guidance on that here.
AND matching and additional tags
Generally, when you select characters in your sign-up form, it means you want and expect your gift to include all of those characters. This is a key principle for matching and assignments. However, some people like to give their author further options. We are using the Additional Tags section of the form for this.
If you requested 0 characters, or you want all the characters you selected to appear, you will tick the first Additional Tag option, which says "My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags (if 0: any from tag set)". If you think your situation might be different, please read last year’s post about additional tags and select additional tags that are right for your requests. This information is also in the sign-up form.
Optional Details and Do Not Wants (DNWs)
"Optional details" = prompts, ideas, likes, explanations of how you see the canon. Optional details and DNWs can be recorded in the main text section of your requests.
Optional details are optional (ODAO)! Your writer doesn't have to follow your prompts, though they must avoid your DNWs. You don't have to give prompts here, either - though prompts and ideas may be a more inspiring first impression than a list of DNWs on its own. Prompts may be particularly useful if you are requesting a Worldbuilding tag.
See this 2020 post for some considerations when writing your DNWs. Last year, we also clarified our rules and guidance about DNWs.
The Optional Details section of your AO3 requests is especially relevant if you have selected option two of the additional tags, "My gift must feature all of my chosen character tags; or it may use exceptions I explain in the form". In that case, please use this section of the form for explaining how and when your writer is allowed to leave out some of the characters you selected.
Please use minimal html in the optional details field. No images, please.
Please also note in the form if you're able to receive treats - or if you don't want them! Yuletide has a long-established culture of extra gifts, but if you created your account recently, you may have extra gifts turned off by default. Please check your AO3 preferences, and then state in your sign-up form whether you do or do not accept treats.
Letters
You can write prompts and preferences in another space, such as Dreamwidth, Livejournal, Google Docs, or Tumblr, and put a link in your sign-up. This is known as a "letter". Some people write letters; some don't. DNWs and character subsets that are listed in a letter but not in the Optional Details AO3 textbox cause confusion and difficulty for creators, and will not be enforced by the mods. Otherwise, your letter is an extension of your optional details and is treated the same way.
Offers
- You can offer 4-10 fandoms
- Each fandom must be different
- You can offer 2-20 specific characters in each
- If you want to offer a fandom that has 0-1 characters available, tick the "Any" box
- If you are willing to write any combination of nominated characters, including Worldbuilding for fandoms where it is nominated, tick the "Any" box
- "Worldbuilding" can also be selected as a character for many fandoms. Please check here to see how we're using it.
- Offers are secret! Please don't declare openly what you're offering.
If you have several fandoms in which you want to offer to write Any nominated characters, you can make your last offer a "Bucket Offer". You can read about bucket offers in the Sign-ups section of the AO3 FAQ. This older tutorial has pictures!
Signing up!
The sign-up form is here.- Signups will remain open - and editable - until 9pm UTC 24 October.
- You may only sign up to Yuletide with one AO3 account. You must be aged 18 or over to sign up.
- You can find more sign-up information at the Yuletide 2025 FAQ
- There is also specific guidance about how to use Additional Tags
Please check the tag set or the app when signing up. The autocomplete drop-down list in the sign-up form may not show all available characters. If they're in the tag set, you can enter them manually.
Sign-Up Summary
The list of requested/offered fandoms will be available after five people have signed up. Bucket offers do not show up in the list. Checking the sign-up summary for people you may be able to write for is a good idea - although many people sign up at the last minute. The sign-up summary says it updates hourly; in practice it may update less frequently.Fandoms at 1-1 on the sign-up summary may mean that the same person is offering and requesting the fandom, not that there is a match.
Welcome to Yuletide!
Feel free to ask us questions.
Bonus! Yuletide advertisements
Thank you to
crantz (who also made images for us to share in 2019 and in 2020). Please use these to encourage friends and other fans to take part!To repost this image, copy this html:
<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/yuletide2025/profile"><img src="https://www.yuletide.fandom.exchange/images/yuletidegraphic1.jpg" alt="Yuletide exchange promotional image using mountain forest scenery. Text says Write off the beaten path - Yuletide Rare Fandoms Exchange."></a>
To repost this image, copy this html:
<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/collections/yuletide2025/profile"><img src="https://www.yuletide.fandom.exchange/images/yuletidegraphic2.jpg" alt="Yuletide exchange promotional image using an image of an 1887 ice palace. Text says Travel the Worlds of Imagination - Yuletide Rare Fandoms Exchange."></a>
Please either comment logged-in or sign a name. Unsigned anonymous comments will be left screened.
Doctor Who movie (1996)
14 October 2025 02:16annavereLast night I finally watched the Doctor Who movie with Paul McGann, which I've had on my watch pile for a while and postponed because I needed a break after the exhausted end of the Moffat era. I was also expecting it to be of questionable merit, and it was, but it was also very fun. Mostly because it was so stupidly over the top. The whole Frankenstein-intercut regeneration and resulting mirror scene was so try-hard it was rather cute.
The script was clunky. I know the basic lore, and was still astonished by all the drab info-dumps cluttering the script. I can't imagine what a fresh audience was supposed to take away from this, but obviously it didn't work.
The TARDIS set was cool beyond cool. Absolutely the best it has ever looked of what I've seen. Also, compared to the modern show playing coy with the interior, this one just dove right into the place. It also made sense of why the Doctor, finding trouble as he does, didn't burn through all his lives in about 100 years, because this version is an actual vast ship one can picture him living in very contentedly. Wonderful use of 90s TV movie budget.
Also looking great was Paul McGann, the most beautiful Doctor ever. The pre-Raphaelite curls, the sad eyes, the Michelangelo's Next Top Model semi-shirtlessness, the dressy attire. He made the perfect objet d'art, and more seriously, tried his darnedest to sell the script. ( I'll cut the rest for old spoilers and for length )
The script was clunky. I know the basic lore, and was still astonished by all the drab info-dumps cluttering the script. I can't imagine what a fresh audience was supposed to take away from this, but obviously it didn't work.
The TARDIS set was cool beyond cool. Absolutely the best it has ever looked of what I've seen. Also, compared to the modern show playing coy with the interior, this one just dove right into the place. It also made sense of why the Doctor, finding trouble as he does, didn't burn through all his lives in about 100 years, because this version is an actual vast ship one can picture him living in very contentedly. Wonderful use of 90s TV movie budget.
Also looking great was Paul McGann, the most beautiful Doctor ever. The pre-Raphaelite curls, the sad eyes, the Michelangelo's Next Top Model semi-shirtlessness, the dressy attire. He made the perfect objet d'art, and more seriously, tried his darnedest to sell the script. ( I'll cut the rest for old spoilers and for length )
Author Questions (and a question for you!)
14 October 2025 17:59yuletidemods posting in yuletide_adminTagset corrections are in, and signups are opening soon! It’s just about time to decide what you’ll be requesting and offering.
This year, you can request eight fandoms! Previously, it was six. Because of that, we're reviewing our process for sending author questions.
Each year, we receive questions from authors about their recipient’s requests. These might include clarification on prompts or requests to understand how a DNW applies to a specific fandom–for example, does a DNW for character death include discussion of deaths that occur in canon?
We’re always happy to pass these questions along! Please always contact the mods directly rather than reaching out to the recipient yourself.
Traditionally, when we send these questions to recipients, we try to disguise the fandom the author plans to write for, so the gift is still a surprise. If the question is generic and applies to all fandoms, we can pass it along as-is. If the question is specific to one fandom, our team of volunteers writes decoy questions for the other fandoms and sends along the whole set.
This is fun for us to do, but it takes time. It's also extra work for the recipients to read and respond to multiple questions. This year, as we’re allowing up to 8 requested fandoms (which could mean up to 7 mod-created questions), it seems like a good time to check in and see if our participants find it helpful.
So, a poll! Going forward, which would you prefer mods do?
Keep in mind the question may be from a potential treat writer, so receiving questions for a particular set of fandoms isn’t a guarantee that your final gift will be in one of those fandoms.
We may not necessarily change our process this year based on community feedback, but it will be helpful in making our decision!
We'd also love to hear from you if you'd like to share a past experience with sending or receiving questions! If that has never happened to you, we hope you enjoy this peek behind the administrative curtain.
Schedule, Rules, & Collection | Contact Mods | Tag Set | Tag Set App | Community DW | Community LJ | Discord | Pinch hits on Dreamwidth
Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened.
This year, you can request eight fandoms! Previously, it was six. Because of that, we're reviewing our process for sending author questions.
Each year, we receive questions from authors about their recipient’s requests. These might include clarification on prompts or requests to understand how a DNW applies to a specific fandom–for example, does a DNW for character death include discussion of deaths that occur in canon?
We’re always happy to pass these questions along! Please always contact the mods directly rather than reaching out to the recipient yourself.
Traditionally, when we send these questions to recipients, we try to disguise the fandom the author plans to write for, so the gift is still a surprise. If the question is generic and applies to all fandoms, we can pass it along as-is. If the question is specific to one fandom, our team of volunteers writes decoy questions for the other fandoms and sends along the whole set.
This is fun for us to do, but it takes time. It's also extra work for the recipients to read and respond to multiple questions. This year, as we’re allowing up to 8 requested fandoms (which could mean up to 7 mod-created questions), it seems like a good time to check in and see if our participants find it helpful.
So, a poll! Going forward, which would you prefer mods do?
Poll #33725 Author Questions Poll
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 239
Going forward, which would you prefer mods do with author questions?
View Answers
Mods should continue to send decoy questions for all fandoms, along with the author’s actual question, to maximize the mystery of which fandom a recipient will receive. (This is how things work currently.)
39 (16.3%)
Mods should send questions for several fandoms, including the author’s actual question, but possibly not all–even though that could narrow down which fandom a recipient may receive.
190 (79.5%)
Something else (Please let us know in comments!)
10 (4.2%)
Keep in mind the question may be from a potential treat writer, so receiving questions for a particular set of fandoms isn’t a guarantee that your final gift will be in one of those fandoms.
We may not necessarily change our process this year based on community feedback, but it will be helpful in making our decision!
We'd also love to hear from you if you'd like to share a past experience with sending or receiving questions! If that has never happened to you, we hope you enjoy this peek behind the administrative curtain.
Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened.
All assignments have been sent!
13 October 2025 16:22killabeez posting in hlh_shortcutsPlease contact me via message if you have any questions or issues with your assignment. Remember: do not contact your recipient for any reason! If you need to clarify something, please reach out to me or havocthecat and we will contact them for you.
Link to the betareaders available/wanted post.
havocthecat and we will contact them for you.Link to the betareaders available/wanted post.
Weekend
11 October 2025 19:43moon_custaferNo word from the place that interviewed me, so I likely didn’t get it.
Went to a clothing swap today, this one in a David-Bowie-themed bar on Queen West. Brought in my khaki drawstring linen slacks (nice, but I have other pants now); my black jersey mock-turtleneck dress (haven’t worn it in at least a year); and my blue velvet cocktail dress (never worn, not likely to unless somebody I know gets married in the winter months and invites me to the wedding—which I can’t see happening any time soon); along with a few other things.
Got several items I’m pleased with, also a pair of grey nylon joggers I may use in a Hallowe’en costume, and a couple of t-shirts that amuse me. One has the MTV logo, though it’s almost certainly of recent vintage. One has a picture on it of Spongbob dressed as a vampire.
Speaking of pop-culture, I discovered yesterday that at least four productions of Anne Washburn’s Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play are viewable in their entirety on YouTube—thereby preserving on video ephemeral performances of a stage play about recreating and reimagining lost media in a post-apocalyptic world.
Studio Playhouse
Young Theater:
Harvard TEATRO:
GHSTA:
ETA: Here are some clips and interviews from the time of the original production, though I sort of prefer the way the subsequent versions costume Act III (75 years later) in a more stylized way.
Went to a clothing swap today, this one in a David-Bowie-themed bar on Queen West. Brought in my khaki drawstring linen slacks (nice, but I have other pants now); my black jersey mock-turtleneck dress (haven’t worn it in at least a year); and my blue velvet cocktail dress (never worn, not likely to unless somebody I know gets married in the winter months and invites me to the wedding—which I can’t see happening any time soon); along with a few other things.
Got several items I’m pleased with, also a pair of grey nylon joggers I may use in a Hallowe’en costume, and a couple of t-shirts that amuse me. One has the MTV logo, though it’s almost certainly of recent vintage. One has a picture on it of Spongbob dressed as a vampire.
Speaking of pop-culture, I discovered yesterday that at least four productions of Anne Washburn’s Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play are viewable in their entirety on YouTube—thereby preserving on video ephemeral performances of a stage play about recreating and reimagining lost media in a post-apocalyptic world.
Studio Playhouse
Young Theater:
Harvard TEATRO:
GHSTA:
ETA: Here are some clips and interviews from the time of the original production, though I sort of prefer the way the subsequent versions costume Act III (75 years later) in a more stylized way.
Do-Not-Match Option - LIMITED Yuletide edition
11 October 2025 15:28yuletidemods posting in yuletide_adminTag set housekeeping
Thank you for all the tag set issues you’ve let us know about so far! Please continue to check the tag set and let us know of further corrections we should make. Please tell us about these corrections before 9am UTC, Monday 13 October, so we can fix them before sign-ups.
Some exchange moderators also offer participants the option to say "Please do not match me up with [ExampleUserName] or [ExampleUserName2]. I don't want to receive a gift from them or create for them." This feature makes it easier, for example, to offer a fandom requested by six different people including someone you'd prefer to avoid, and have peace of mind that you can still avoid that person.
A Do-Not-Match option is difficult to offer flexibly in Yuletide because of the large number of participants and the large number of people who have only one possible creator or recipient. However, we see a Do-Not-Match option as a valuable tool to reduce friction and make everyone happier, so we intend to offer a limited version of this feature in Yuletide, on a trial basis. Please note that this is not an absolute guarantee you won’t receive a story from one of the people you list.
After we run the matching process, we will check all matches against our master Do-Not-Match list. We will take the following actions:
We will not take the following actions:
Any three AO3 accounts you would prefer to avoid matching to. This can be for any reason, serious or unserious. Do not tell us the reason, please. If the reason is harassment or similar, we recommend reaching out to the Policy & Abuse team separately. You may only give specific names, rather than a description like "anyone who mostly wants porn".
Can't I just block people I don't want to match to?
No. Adding other users to your block list stops them from giving you a treat (see item AO3-6502 on this news post). It also stops them from being able to comment on your work. However, it does not affect challenge matching. A person you have blocked can be assigned to create for you, and you can be assigned to create for them.
Wait, am I allowed to block people in Yuletide?
Yes. Feel free to use the blocking feature to improve your AO3 experience. However, blocking someone and also matching to them could lead to unhappiness for both of you - so please consider using all the tools at your disposal to avoid matching to people you have blocked. This could mean choosing not to offer a fandom if you suspect it has been requested by a person you wish to avoid, or it could mean using the Do-Not-Match option for people you have blocked.
What other AO3 tools exist to manage my gift experience?
If you wish, you can choose to receive gifts only from assigned writers in a gift exchange or people who have claimed your prompts in a prompt meme. This is sometimes described as turning treats on and off. If you created your account after February 2022, please review this setting in your AO3 account preferences. If you select the setting "Allow anyone to gift me works", you can receive treats. If you do not select this setting, only an assigned author can give you a gift in Yuletide.
Will this be a feature of Yuletide going forward?
Maybe, maybe not. It will depend on how well it works out this year!
Schedule, Rules, & Collection | Contact Mods | Tag Set | Tag Set App | Community DW | Community LJ | Discord | Pinch hits on Dreamwidth
Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened.
- We've removed Mouthwashing (Video Game) as that was approved in error. Sorry for getting your hopes up, nominator!
- 烏は主を選ばない | Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai | Yatagarasu: The Raven Does Not Choose Its Master (Anime): It’s come to our attention that Nazukihiko and Wakamiya are the same person, so we’re merging those characters.
- Nominator of Luca (The History of Sound) - it looks like the Wikipedia page for this movie incorrectly listed Luca as the name of Lionel's lover in Rome; according to IMDB and the original stories this movie is based on, it's Vincent (who was also nominated), so we're deleting Luca.
Thank you for all the tag set issues you’ve let us know about so far! Please continue to check the tag set and let us know of further corrections we should make. Please tell us about these corrections before 9am UTC, Monday 13 October, so we can fix them before sign-ups.
Limited Do-Not-Match option
Most of the time, the person assigned to create for you in an AO3-based gift exchange, and the person assigned to receive a gift from you, are determined by the tags you select in the sign-up form.Some exchange moderators also offer participants the option to say "Please do not match me up with [ExampleUserName] or [ExampleUserName2]. I don't want to receive a gift from them or create for them." This feature makes it easier, for example, to offer a fandom requested by six different people including someone you'd prefer to avoid, and have peace of mind that you can still avoid that person.
A Do-Not-Match option is difficult to offer flexibly in Yuletide because of the large number of participants and the large number of people who have only one possible creator or recipient. However, we see a Do-Not-Match option as a valuable tool to reduce friction and make everyone happier, so we intend to offer a limited version of this feature in Yuletide, on a trial basis. Please note that this is not an absolute guarantee you won’t receive a story from one of the people you list.
How it will work
When you sign up on AO3, the sign-up form will also link out to a Google form where you can list the AO3 names of up to 3 people you do not want to match to and can tell us if you want to avoid writing for a person, receiving an assigned gift from a person, or both. We will also ask for those people's AO3 ID numbers, which you can find on their AO3 profiles, and for the email associated with your AO3 name. We will not ask for the reason you wish to avoid a person.After we run the matching process, we will check all matches against our master Do-Not-Match list. We will take the following actions:
- If your assigned recipient or creator is someone you asked to avoid, we will attempt to match you to someone else.
- If your only possible recipient is someone you asked to avoid, we will email you to recommend you expand your offers. However, we will leave the match in place if you do not respond in the first 24 hours following the close of sign-ups.
- If your only possible creator is someone you asked to avoid, we will send out your requests with initial pinch hits.
- If you are the only possible recipient for a creator you asked to avoid, we will leave the match in place, but will prioritize your requests for double-assignment to two creators. [Because of how matching works, there will always be Yuletide participants who start out with two assigned creators; generally we try to choose them at random.]
We will not take the following actions:
- We will not ask a creator to drop out or expand their offers if their only possible recipient is someone who would prefer to avoid them.
- We will not inform a participant that someone else has asked not to match to them. [This information will be restricted only to the core Yuletide mods, Isis, Morbane, and pendrecarc, and will not be shared with the larger pool of Yuletide assistants.]
- We will not review treats for unwanted matches. Putting someone on your Do-Not-Match list will not prevent them from creating a treat for you (but please see FAQs below for other tools to achieve this).
- We will not prevent someone on your Do-Not-Match list from claiming you as a pinch hit. We will check our master Do-Not-Match list when assigning pinch hits, so if the first person to claim you is a person you prefer to avoid, we will leave a short amount of time to see if another claim comes in. But we will not hold your pinch hit indefinitely or tell the first creator they aren't allowed to claim you.
- We will not ask you why you wish to avoid a particular match.
FAQs (foreseeable/anticipated questions)
Who am I allowed to put on my Do-Not-Match list?Any three AO3 accounts you would prefer to avoid matching to. This can be for any reason, serious or unserious. Do not tell us the reason, please. If the reason is harassment or similar, we recommend reaching out to the Policy & Abuse team separately. You may only give specific names, rather than a description like "anyone who mostly wants porn".
Can't I just block people I don't want to match to?
No. Adding other users to your block list stops them from giving you a treat (see item AO3-6502 on this news post). It also stops them from being able to comment on your work. However, it does not affect challenge matching. A person you have blocked can be assigned to create for you, and you can be assigned to create for them.
Wait, am I allowed to block people in Yuletide?
Yes. Feel free to use the blocking feature to improve your AO3 experience. However, blocking someone and also matching to them could lead to unhappiness for both of you - so please consider using all the tools at your disposal to avoid matching to people you have blocked. This could mean choosing not to offer a fandom if you suspect it has been requested by a person you wish to avoid, or it could mean using the Do-Not-Match option for people you have blocked.
What other AO3 tools exist to manage my gift experience?
If you wish, you can choose to receive gifts only from assigned writers in a gift exchange or people who have claimed your prompts in a prompt meme. This is sometimes described as turning treats on and off. If you created your account after February 2022, please review this setting in your AO3 account preferences. If you select the setting "Allow anyone to gift me works", you can receive treats. If you do not select this setting, only an assigned author can give you a gift in Yuletide.
Will this be a feature of Yuletide going forward?
Maybe, maybe not. It will depend on how well it works out this year!
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>10 hours to sign up for HLH_Shortcuts '25
11 October 2025 12:12brightknightie posting in highlander_chatIf you haven't yet signed up for hlh_shortcuts and want to, sign up:
hlh_shortcuts and want to, sign up:- On the AO3 collection.
- By 11:59pm Central Time on Saturday, October 11, 2025.
Yuletide 2025 Tag Set Open!
9 October 2025 15:08yuletidemods posting in yuletide_adminThe 2025 tag set is available here! Please browse and enjoy!
yuletide!
If your fandom is the wrong category. (such as Books when it should be Celebrities & RPF - etc.)...
Tell us about…
For missing nominations and corrections to your nominations, please provide your nominations link.
DO NOT tell us:
Suggested template for corrections requests:
<b>Fandom tag (current)</b>:
<b>Problem</b>:
If correcting a tag or tags:
<b>The current tag(s)</b>:
<b>The correct tag(s)</b>:
This year, we approved 16,466 characters across 4,278 fandoms!
The most nominated fandom this year was Murderbot (TV), with 15 nominators. Close behind it was Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Video Game), with 13 nominators.
Nine Worlds Series - Victoria Goddard is far in the lead by approved characters for a second year in a row, with 39 to select from. Lymond Chronicles - Dorothy Dunnett has 30, and The Goblin Emperor Series - Katherine Addison is in third with 27.
At the other end of the spectrum, 82 fandoms were nominated without characters.
Worldbuilding was nominated 356 times this year! John edged out Jack for the most common first name. Our review suggests the most ubiquitous characters of 2025 are, once again, Dracula and Sherlock Holmes.
Schedule, Rules, & Collection | Contact Mods | Tag Set | Community DW | Community LJ | Discord | Pinch hits on Dreamwidth
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Fixes and Polishing
We're ready to work on corrections. Please tell us what we need to fix! We may make posts with further queries, depending on the issues you raise. Please keep an eye out for those! Sign-ups are projected to start October 14. If nothing's wrong in your fandoms - or if you can multitask - take part in activity atyuletide!If your fandom is the wrong category. (such as Books when it should be Celebrities & RPF - etc.)...
- first, please check if it is also in the right category. If it is also in the right category, we can't help.
- If it's only in the wrong category, please tell us what it is and what category it should be in.
Tell us about…
- if you nominated something, but you can't find it at all
- if you nominated characters in a particular fandom, but you can't find them there
- if the fandom or characters you nominated were changed to something incorrect
- if you see the exact same character tag (including disambiguation) in multiple fandoms
- if a character or fandom name is mis-spelled (we don't care as much about disambiguations, so if the words in brackets entered after your fandom name are wrong (mis-spelled, misleading), feel free to tell us, but this may not be corrected.)
- if you see something that doesn't belong
- if you see two fandoms that are duplicates of each other
- if you see the same character twice under one fandom
- if your new fandom has been categorized in the wrong media category (and it isn't in any other category).
For missing nominations and corrections to your nominations, please provide your nominations link.
DO NOT tell us:
- if your fandom is in the wrong media category (a book under movies, etc), unless that is the only category that it is in. Please check ALL the categories before you report a problem.
- if your fandom is in Uncategorized Fandoms. This is a work in progress, please be patient as we work through these fandoms.
- if the characters in your fandom all belong, but the disambiguation tags entered in brackets after their names aren't all the same. Sometimes we have to enter really long strings after a character name to keep the character where they're supposed to be. We only care if the information in brackets is wrong.
Suggested template for corrections requests:
<b>Fandom tag (current)</b>:
<b>Problem</b>:
If correcting a tag or tags:
<b>The current tag(s)</b>:
<b>The correct tag(s)</b>:
Some Stats
This year, we approved 16,466 characters across 4,278 fandoms!
The most nominated fandom this year was Murderbot (TV), with 15 nominators. Close behind it was Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Video Game), with 13 nominators.
Nine Worlds Series - Victoria Goddard is far in the lead by approved characters for a second year in a row, with 39 to select from. Lymond Chronicles - Dorothy Dunnett has 30, and The Goblin Emperor Series - Katherine Addison is in third with 27.
At the other end of the spectrum, 82 fandoms were nominated without characters.
Worldbuilding was nominated 356 times this year! John edged out Jack for the most common first name. Our review suggests the most ubiquitous characters of 2025 are, once again, Dracula and Sherlock Holmes.
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The Friday Five for 10 October 2025
9 October 2025 15:18anais_pf posting in thefridayfiveThese questions were originally suggested by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
angelicid.
Name five…
1. ... things you can't live without.
2. ... of the best moments in your life.
3. ... celebrities you can't stand.
4. ... books you enjoy(ed) reading.
5. ... items in your purse/backpack/on your desk.
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
angelicid.Name five…
1. ... things you can't live without.
2. ... of the best moments in your life.
3. ... celebrities you can't stand.
4. ... books you enjoy(ed) reading.
5. ... items in your purse/backpack/on your desk.
Copy and paste to your own journal, then reply to this post with a link to your answers. If your journal is private or friends-only, you can post your full answers in the comments below.
If you'd like to suggest questions for a future Friday Five, then do so on DreamWidth or LiveJournal. Old sets that were used have been deleted, so we encourage you to suggest some more!
Writer Meme
8 October 2025 01:25teratornisSaw this on annavere's page and thought it looked like fun, so here is a writer meme. I may have gotten a little verbose with this.
What else is new.
( Read more... )
annavere's page and thought it looked like fun, so here is a writer meme. I may have gotten a little verbose with this.What else is new.
( Read more... )
Updates
6 October 2025 16:56moon_custaferGot our latest covid shots on Saturday—the ‘flu shot apparently isn’t out yet, at least not in our neck of the woods.
In the evening I went to the final night of Bus Stop alone (Andrew didn’t want to risk the flight of steps that leads down to the theatre). The audience filled maybe three-quarters of the seats. The cast told me afterwards they were disappointed by the turnout, as the last night of a run they usually get a full house, but that they’d been in competition with the baseball playoffs. I thought the actual performances were pretty good, especially Brit, the actress who’d had to step into the role of Elma for the final weekend after Spencer (our original Elma) was injured in an accident. I still don’t know exactly what happened—apparently she’ll be ok, but was recovering at home and loopy on painkillers for a few days.
Afterwards I helped move the props back to the storage room, and we had some pizza. Got home around midnight, went to bed, and shortly thereafter my reaction to the shot kicked in. I’m fine today, but Sunday was spent feeling achey and tired.
Did a job interview this morning, don’t know if I’ll get it or even especially want it (1-year contract, no benefits, and a weird-sounding schedule).
Oh, I’ve been asked to be co-costumer for the November show, On the Air. I’d been hoping to get that one—the setting is contemporary, but a couple of the characters sound like they might be fun to dress, especially the crazy ex-rockstar radio disc-jockey (sound familiar?)
In the evening I went to the final night of Bus Stop alone (Andrew didn’t want to risk the flight of steps that leads down to the theatre). The audience filled maybe three-quarters of the seats. The cast told me afterwards they were disappointed by the turnout, as the last night of a run they usually get a full house, but that they’d been in competition with the baseball playoffs. I thought the actual performances were pretty good, especially Brit, the actress who’d had to step into the role of Elma for the final weekend after Spencer (our original Elma) was injured in an accident. I still don’t know exactly what happened—apparently she’ll be ok, but was recovering at home and loopy on painkillers for a few days.
Afterwards I helped move the props back to the storage room, and we had some pizza. Got home around midnight, went to bed, and shortly thereafter my reaction to the shot kicked in. I’m fine today, but Sunday was spent feeling achey and tired.
Did a job interview this morning, don’t know if I’ll get it or even especially want it (1-year contract, no benefits, and a weird-sounding schedule).
Oh, I’ve been asked to be co-costumer for the November show, On the Air. I’d been hoping to get that one—the setting is contemporary, but a couple of the characters sound like they might be fun to dress, especially the crazy ex-rockstar radio disc-jockey (sound familiar?)
Nominations Queries Post 4
7 October 2025 00:19yuletidemods posting in yuletide_adminWe are 214.5 hours into tag approving! We began with 6078 individual fandom nominations to sort (where if two people submitted the same fandom, that would count twice towards the total). We have 28 fandom nominations still to sort. (AO3-savvy users will note that that means we're no longer seeing a random display - instead we can view all remaining unapproved fandoms.)
Please continue to review the questions below to help us sort them quickly and correctly! The sooner we sort out these issues, the sooner we can release the tag set.
The Baileys (Chuck Schumer's RPF) - We plan to approve this as something other than RPF, with Chuck Schumer as the creator of fictional material, since the characters involved aren’t real people. Additionally, we’re wondering about Eileen Bailey vs Eileen O’Reilly and Joe Bailey vs Joe O’Reilly. Nominator, do you see these as separate people, or should they be piped characters? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Dark Star Trilogy - Marlon James - Nominator, we couldn’t find a character named Panther. Did you mean Leopard? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Debí Tirar Más Fotos - Bad Bunny (Album) - Nominator, did you intend the visual album or the short film? The nomination of Señor suggests the latter, but Bad Bunny doesn’t appear as a character. We can combine them as (Album-related Videos) if you mean both. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Golden Hour pt 2 - ATEEZ (Album) and Golden Hour pt 3 : In Your Fantasy - ATEEZ (Album) - Both of these are nominated and so are the music videos for Ice On Your Teeth, Lemon Drop, and In Your Fantasy, which are songs on these albums. We're willing to approve music videos that can stand alone with clear and coherent fictional elements to build on, but it's not clear how the albums are distinct from ineligible lore or how they stand on their own, especially if the music videos also stand on their own. We're willing to hear arguments against, but otherwise will approve the music videos only. Nominators, if making a case, please link your nominations page when you reply.
Marvel 1602 (Comics) - Nominator, from your character choices it's not clear you were interested in the original Marvel 1602 - could we approve as Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four (Comics), or have we misunderstood? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
The Racing Track (GrabFood Webseries) - Nominator, it looks like you’ve selected the actor names instead of character names for this fandom. Can we confirm you’re interested in RPF? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
She-Hulk (Marvel Comics) - Nominator, are you interested in multiple runs at once, or primarily in the 2023-2024 Sensational She-Hulk run? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
自転車屋さんの高橋くん | Takahashi from the Bike Shop - Nominator, did you want the manga or the 2022 drama adaptation? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Twin Peaks (TV 1990) - Nominator of Chantal Hutchens and Gary Hutchens, these characters are only in the 2017 sequel. We realize that tag is a synonym of the 1990 tag; still, would you prefer to split these out into a separate series? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
The Years of Apocalypse - A Time Loop Progression Fantasy - Uranium Phoenix - We could use some help identifying some of these characters. We can only find “Ceiba Yan” in the context of the Ceiba Yan Tree, and we can’t find Xecatl at all. Nominator, can you help us out? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Ghost in the Shell (Anime & Manga) - this is nominated with Kusanagi Motoko, Batou, Kogusa, and Saito; meanwhile, we also have a nomination for Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Anime) with Batou, Hideo Kuze, Motoko Kusanagi, and Togusa. We would prefer to combine these under Stand Alone Complex but are open to hearing otherwise. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Hear Me Cry (1984) (CBS Schoolbreak Special) Craig and David’s parents are distinct characters and so we are not willing to approve each set of parents as a single unit. Nominator, would you like to pick two of the four parents? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
History Boys - All Media Types - Nominator, we won’t approve this nomination as All Media Types. Would you prefer the movie or the play? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Riddick (2013) - Could we please get some information about how this stands alone from the rest of the Chronicles of Riddick saga? If you nominated this, please link your nominations page when you reply.
Trash Taste (Podcast) - This podcast is nominated without characters, but it's difficult to see what you're looking for aside from RPF of the hosts, as this doesn't seem to contain a fictional narrative. Nominator, please clarify what you were hoping for? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Tron - All Media Types - We won't approve this nomination as All Media Types. Nominator, please pick a canon. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
West Coast Avengers (Marvel Comics) - Nominator, did you mean the 2018-19 reboot series? Your character nominations seem to relate to that run, so we'd like to approve as West Coast Avengers (Comics 2018-19), assuming that matches your intention. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Schedule, Rules, & Collection | Contact Mods | Tag Set | Community DW | Community LJ | Discord | Pinch hits on Dreamwidth
Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened.
Please continue to review the questions below to help us sort them quickly and correctly! The sooner we sort out these issues, the sooner we can release the tag set.
Please link your nominations page if telling us what to do about your nomination - thank you! Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened. (You can find your own nominations at this link; keep in mind this gives you an 'Edit' screen where you can't actually submit any edits, but if you delete /edit, that's the page we're looking for.)
If we've processed any of your nominations and something doesn't look right, please comment (with your nominations page) to tell us about the problem and how you think it should be corrected. Questions are welcome.
The Baileys (Chuck Schumer's RPF) - We plan to approve this as something other than RPF, with Chuck Schumer as the creator of fictional material, since the characters involved aren’t real people. Additionally, we’re wondering about Eileen Bailey vs Eileen O’Reilly and Joe Bailey vs Joe O’Reilly. Nominator, do you see these as separate people, or should they be piped characters? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Dark Star Trilogy - Marlon James - Nominator, we couldn’t find a character named Panther. Did you mean Leopard? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Debí Tirar Más Fotos - Bad Bunny (Album) - Nominator, did you intend the visual album or the short film? The nomination of Señor suggests the latter, but Bad Bunny doesn’t appear as a character. We can combine them as (Album-related Videos) if you mean both. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Golden Hour pt 2 - ATEEZ (Album) and Golden Hour pt 3 : In Your Fantasy - ATEEZ (Album) - Both of these are nominated and so are the music videos for Ice On Your Teeth, Lemon Drop, and In Your Fantasy, which are songs on these albums. We're willing to approve music videos that can stand alone with clear and coherent fictional elements to build on, but it's not clear how the albums are distinct from ineligible lore or how they stand on their own, especially if the music videos also stand on their own. We're willing to hear arguments against, but otherwise will approve the music videos only. Nominators, if making a case, please link your nominations page when you reply.
Marvel 1602 (Comics) - Nominator, from your character choices it's not clear you were interested in the original Marvel 1602 - could we approve as Marvel 1602: Fantastick Four (Comics), or have we misunderstood? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
The Racing Track (GrabFood Webseries) - Nominator, it looks like you’ve selected the actor names instead of character names for this fandom. Can we confirm you’re interested in RPF? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
She-Hulk (Marvel Comics) - Nominator, are you interested in multiple runs at once, or primarily in the 2023-2024 Sensational She-Hulk run? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
自転車屋さんの高橋くん | Takahashi from the Bike Shop - Nominator, did you want the manga or the 2022 drama adaptation? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Twin Peaks (TV 1990) - Nominator of Chantal Hutchens and Gary Hutchens, these characters are only in the 2017 sequel. We realize that tag is a synonym of the 1990 tag; still, would you prefer to split these out into a separate series? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
The Years of Apocalypse - A Time Loop Progression Fantasy - Uranium Phoenix - We could use some help identifying some of these characters. We can only find “Ceiba Yan” in the context of the Ceiba Yan Tree, and we can’t find Xecatl at all. Nominator, can you help us out? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Earlier queries…
Batman: Arkham Shadow (Video Game) - we received evidence for this but would like more information, please. Could the nominator, or anyone else who knows this family of games, please help us understand how it is distinct? Please link your nominations page when you reply.Ghost in the Shell (Anime & Manga) - this is nominated with Kusanagi Motoko, Batou, Kogusa, and Saito; meanwhile, we also have a nomination for Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Anime) with Batou, Hideo Kuze, Motoko Kusanagi, and Togusa. We would prefer to combine these under Stand Alone Complex but are open to hearing otherwise. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Hear Me Cry (1984) (CBS Schoolbreak Special) Craig and David’s parents are distinct characters and so we are not willing to approve each set of parents as a single unit. Nominator, would you like to pick two of the four parents? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
History Boys - All Media Types - Nominator, we won’t approve this nomination as All Media Types. Would you prefer the movie or the play? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Riddick (2013) - Could we please get some information about how this stands alone from the rest of the Chronicles of Riddick saga? If you nominated this, please link your nominations page when you reply.
Trash Taste (Podcast) - This podcast is nominated without characters, but it's difficult to see what you're looking for aside from RPF of the hosts, as this doesn't seem to contain a fictional narrative. Nominator, please clarify what you were hoping for? Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Tron - All Media Types - We won't approve this nomination as All Media Types. Nominator, please pick a canon. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
West Coast Avengers (Marvel Comics) - Nominator, did you mean the 2018-19 reboot series? Your character nominations seem to relate to that run, so we'd like to approve as West Coast Avengers (Comics 2018-19), assuming that matches your intention. Please link your nominations page when you reply.
Please either sign in to comment, or include a name with your anonymous comments, including replies to others' comments. Unsigned comments will stay screened.
hlh_shortcuts request letter
5 October 2025 22:32dswdianeI don't actually know what to write here, but I'm trying to figure out how to request what I want on the sign up
Matthew McCormick Project: Interference
4 October 2025 13:10teratornisargentum_ls and I have just finished up the fourth main story in our Highlander: The Agent series, which is wild to me. I don't think either of us completely expected this series to get so extensive when we started it, but we're still having a great time with it.Interference (27311 words) by argentum_ls, Teratornis
Chapters: 10/10
Fandom: Highlander: The Series
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Matthew McCormick & Original Characters
Characters: Matthew McCormick, Original Characters
Additional Tags: Case Fic, TV Logic, Kidnapping, Implied/Referenced Torture, Canon-Typical Violence, Minor Character Death
Series: Part 8 of Highlander: The Agent
Summary: Matthew and Talbot take on a case investigating a serial killer whose victims were all carrying swords at the times of their deaths. It should be the kind of case they're well prepared to handle, until an unexpected encounter proves just how dangerous this killer can be, even to an Immortal.
And some stuff about the process below the cut:( Read more... )