due South Seekrit Santa gift exchange

Here are some ideas to help you write requests that will improve the experience for both you and your giftmaker:

Your request serves two purposes:

1) Lets AO3 (and the mods) match creators with recipients.

AO3 matches on ONE FORMAT (fic, art, etc.) and ONE CHARACTER. If possible, it will also match on one or more relationships, and/or other details. But auto-matching only looks at what you listed in the "Character" and "Additional Tags" (format) fields, so make the best use of those fields!

2) Gives your giftmaker a sense of your taste and multiple options for inspiration/what to make.

So please make multiple requests.

You can make as many as 3 separate requests in your AO3 sign-up. You are required to make at least 2. Multiple requests make it easier to match creators to recipients, and give your giftmaker options!

For example:

Request 1: Benton Fraser, Ray Vecchio, Fraser&Vecchio, Fraser/Vecchio
Request 2: Benton Fraser, Margaret Thatcher, Renfield Turnbull
Request 3: Ray Kowalski, Damien Kowalski

Ask for what you want, but don’t make it too narrow.

Additional details/Dear Santa letter give you an opportunity to explain your want/don’t want boundaries.

For example:

Request: Benton Fraser, Ray Vecchio, Fraser/Vecchio, Kowalski/Vecchio, Fraser/Kowalski/Vecchio

Details: I would like fic about a romantic relationship between Fraser and Vecchio -- could be a threesome, either with Kowalski or with another character (male or female), but Fraser/Vecchio should be the focus. The one threesome I wouldn’t want to see is Fraser/Vecchio/Frannie (incest squick).

If you include optional details, be specific... but not too specific. (And please make sure your Dear Santa letter is not friends-locked! If your giftmaker has to make a friends request to view it, they're no longer a Secret Santa!)

Your request describes the type of gift you would like. It is not a prompt for a specific story/artwork.

Good (open-ended, multiple options):

I love AUs! I’d love to see a steampunk AU (Fraser as mad scientist?) or a historical setting: Canadian and US soldiers meet in WW2, Fraser and the Rays as 18th century Arctic explorers (maybe members of the Franklin expedition), Roman Rays with Fraser as a Celt during the Roman occupation of England.

Not so good (closed, too specific, only one option/inspiration for your giftmaker):

Kowalski is a serial killer and Fraser has been hunting him for years. When Fraser finally arrests Kowalski, they end up snowed-in in a cabin in the wilderness. Fraser falls ill and Kowalski has to nurse him back to health, which leads to them falling in love.

Go ahead and ask for something unusual, but include a “safety request” so AO3 can definitely find you a match!

Variety is good and we encourage requests for minor characters and unusual pairings. BUT we are a small exchange, so matching makers to recipients can be tricky.

So, please do request that Gardino/Bob Fraser fic, but make your second (or third) request something easier to fulfill. At least one request should focus on, minimum, one of the three primary characters (Fraser, Vecchio, and/or Kowalski).

If there are things you don’t want, say so. But please do so respectfully (no character bashing/kink shaming/complaining). And try not to restrict your creator too much!

In general: be honest but flexible. Give your giftmaker something to work with, but leave them room to be creative.

Finally, remember optional details are optional, for both you and your giftmaker. Your giftmaker must make a giftwork in a format you requested, with at least one character you requested, but that’s it. Many giftmakers use extra info you provide as inspiration, but they're not required to do so.