Casefic Exchange Letter 2025
Apr. 14th, 2025 11:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nomadicwriterHello to any prospective ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
caseficexchange writers! This is one of my absolute favourite genres of fic and I have pretty broad tastes when it comes to what I read, so please don't worry about sticking too closely to any specific prompts if you've got your own ideas; I'm just trying to offer a few suggestions because I know casefic plots can be difficult to come up with from scratch.
My AO3 name is Nomad (nomadicwriter). I've requested fic in all the fandoms below, but if you're feeling extra generous both fic and comic treats are very much welcome!
General Likes and Rambling
Anything that feels like a missing episode of canon is a guaranteed winner with me, but I'm also pretty flexible regarding tone and content, so while my requested canons are mostly on the lighter or more comedic end, I'm equally up for seeing the characters deal with cases that get darker or more dramatic than their usual fare. I'm also a big lover of ensemble fic, so feel free to bring in any other members of the canon cast beyond just those I've requested.
In terms of actual cases I'm not someone who's all that fussed about how complex the mysteries are or whether there are enough clues for the reader to solve them ahead of the characters; I like casefic mainly as a vehicle for character interactions, seeing people be clever and do what they're good at, seeing their values and morals in action and which lines they will or won't cross. I particularly love when there's some sort of character or relationship arc going on alongside the case (whether that's something big like a romantic get-together or a minor thing like the characters having an argument that gets resolved over the course of the fic) where the investigation gives them something else to focus on while that's brewing in the background so things can develop more gradually.
Some things I always reliably enjoy:
* Characters who've known each other a long time still learning new things about each other
* Conflicts and clashes between characters where both sides have a fair point
* Antagonistic characters being forced to work together
* Humour, banter, squabbling and bickering
* Small but meaningful gestures from characters who have trouble expressing their emotions openly
* Set-in-their ways older characters making fresh starts or forming unexpected new relationships
Cadfael Chronicles - Ellis Peters
* Solo: Brother Cadfael
Finding it hard to frame a specific request here beyond gesturing vaguely at the books and saying, "More like that, please!" but... more like that, please! I love the tone and atmosphere of the stories, and Cadfael's calm, sensible pragmatism and matter-of-fact kindness. Any sort of case, big or small, works for me here, from murder and people getting swept up in historical events to herbs going missing from Cadfael's stores or the mysterious theft of some low-value trinkets. I feel like this is also a good setting for mysteries involving fake religious miracles or strange apparitions, since people are more likely to take them at face value even if Cadfael himself might dig deeper.
I like the themes around people's various loyalties in the series, and the elegant ways Cadfael sometimes finds to resolve things without anyone publicly losing face. Anything that gets into the attitudes of the era and the characters' different perspectives could be interesting; a case involving same-sex relationships, for instance, and how something like that fits into Cadfael's worldview. I'm also intrigued by his status as a former soldier who's laid down his arms; what happens in a situation where he has to seriously consider physically fighting to protect innocents? How would he react in the moment or feel about it after the fact, even if it doesn't come down to it in the end?
I've requested Cadfael as a solo character here because I'm equally happy to see him interact with any of the recurring cast you'd like to involve, or likewise a group of entirely OCs if you want to have him away from Shrewsbury for some reason or other. Just any story of Cadfael doing his thing at any point in the canon timeline would be great!
Do Not Wants: AUs which change the setting, Cadfael breaking his vow of celibacy. (Other monks are free to misbehave as much as the plot requires.)
Jonathan Creek
* Jonathan Creek & Maddy Magellan
* Jonathan Creek/Maddy Magellan
Equally happy with either gen or shipfic for these two, and in fact rather enjoy their canon in-between dynamic where they're never quite sure which way they're going themselves. A missing adventure from the early years of the show would be great, but I've also seen all the post-Maddy episodes too, so a story set later in the timeline where she comes back from the US (or Jonathan visits her there?) works as well. Feel free to include any other recurring characters you like, including Jonathan's later sidekicks.
I feel like the tone of the show offers a lot of flexibility for different types of cases here, since despite the comedy elements some of the stories do get pretty dark. Anywhere on that spectrum works for me! It doesn't necessarily have to be a murder mystery: any other sort of inexplicable happening could be just as interesting. How does a magician doing a stage vanishing act disappear for real? How does a cat end up with a piece of jewellery from a locked cabinet miles away? What's really going on with a supposed haunted house or claims of alien abductions?
I'm definitely always here for shady magicians and big old houses with elaborate boobytraps, but cases that put them in less usual settings are great too: maybe traipsing round the woods, undercover at a campsite or staying in a creepy old seaside hotel. The two of them on a stakeout together could be fun, or they might be an entertaining duo to throw some cliché fic tropes at - huddling for warmth, only one bed, undercover as a couple - because I'm sure they'd find some way to make an unromantic hash of it and end up in a huff with each other. Or have one of them end up injured or be put in mortal peril! Does that make them wake up and start to realise how important they are to each other? Knowing the two of them, probably not.
Do Not Wants: AUs which change the setting, soulmates, D/s dynamics.
Ludwig
Anything from light comedy to darker more angsty stuff works for me here! Feel free to include additional cast members; I like all the police characters but am also cool with you making any of them involved in the conspiracy if you want to get into that storyline. I've requested a choice of either the gen or the ship versions of my chosen relationships here, and would also be fine with receiving shipfic where it stays at the level of UST or unspoken feelings rather than necessarily a full-blown get-together arc.
* Lucy Betts-Taylor & John "Ludwig" Taylor
* Lucy Betts-Taylor/John "Ludwig" Taylor
I'd love to see these two work together on an investigation: maybe pursuing a lead from the Sinclair files or looking into a mysterious message that may or may not be from James. Lucy seemed pretty impressed by John trapping the killer into confessing in the season finale, so more of her perspective of seeing him in crime-solving mode would be good. Plus of course she's much more of a risk-taker and likely to drag him into all sorts of fun situations he would never get in on his own. Having the two of them do a stakeout together could also be pretty entertaining!
We don't really get to see much of them having to pretend to be husband and wife in front of a third party, so I'd definitely be up for some sort of undercover as a couple plotline, whether platonic comedy hijinks or played in a more shippy way. Maybe 'James' has to make an appearance at some sort of event that Lucy sees as a chance to snoop around, or it could even be a canon-divergence AU where James's colleagues still don't know about the substitution yet.
* Russell Carter & John "Ludwig" Taylor
* Russell Carter/John "Ludwig" Taylor
I really enjoyed their developing friendship over the course of the show, and would love to see more of where it goes after John's real identity becomes known. How does it change their work dynamic now they're no longer in such a strict boss-employee hierarchy and Russell is actually the one with the greater authority? Is there some awkward confusion over who's actually leading the case, or does it make friendly bonding a bit more of a possibility now that they're on a more even footing? Can John cope with such alarming situations as being invited to go for a drink at the pub?
Questions of loyalties and where they lie could be interesting to dig into as well; Russell was willing to break the rules for John to help him save Lucy, yet at the same time John needs to stay wary in case he's involved in the conspiracy, yet on the third hand John doesn't exactly have a lot of friends and the possibility making a new one has got to be pretty compelling. A situation where he has to decide whether or not to put his trust in Russell could be interesting. What happens if a potential lead on James comes up during the course of their police work and they have to decide whether or not to share information? Or if Ziegler tries to lean on Russell to get information about John and his brother?
Do Not Wants: AUs which change the setting, soulmates, D/s dynamics.
Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators
* Frank Hathaway & Luella Shakespeare & Sebastian Brudenell
I enjoy the overall lighthearted and upbeat tone of the series and would definitely love a story along those lines, but cases with darker or more dramatic elements are also welcome too. (Episode 2x10 is a particular favourite of mine for getting that balance just right.) Feel free to put the characters in peril or throw in a bit of hurt/comfort; maybe somebody gets trapped in a room with a bomb or taken hostage, or injured in pursuit of a suspect and fussed over by the others (or perhaps not as much as they'd quite like). Or even just how Frank behaves on a particularly nasty case that he's taking unusually seriously.
On the other hand the series also leaves room for some wackier setups and more off-the-wall cases; we've already seen them visit some fun settings like LARP in canon, so anything else along those lines would be great. Undercover at a karaoke bar? Boxing gym? Local folk music circle? I'd particularly enjoy seeing them investigate more supposed paranormal incidents like vampire attacks or UFO sightings. I also appreciate how these characters unabashedly enjoy their snacks, so a case at a food fair or cake decorating competition might be fun. Or how about an investigation where they end up having to camp out in tents or share a caravan or similar?
I've focused this request on the main trio, but am also happy for any of the police characters to get involved. (I feel like there could be some interesting tales in the gap between seasons two and three, what with the aftermath of 2x10, Marlowe still around, Viola arriving and Keeler's daughter being born.) Keeler also presumably gets a new DI post-Marlowe that we never actually see, so there's room to bring in OCs if you want to do a case involving dodgy coppers or police corruption. I'm always a reliable sucker for characters reluctantly working together or 'better the devil you know' type plots with antagonistic characters like Keeler. Or bring in other recurring characters like Gloria or Spider! I enjoy the whole ensemble here.
Do Not Wants: AUs which change the setting, canon characters dying, canon characters revealed as bad guys.
caseficexchange writers! This is one of my absolute favourite genres of fic and I have pretty broad tastes when it comes to what I read, so please don't worry about sticking too closely to any specific prompts if you've got your own ideas; I'm just trying to offer a few suggestions because I know casefic plots can be difficult to come up with from scratch.My AO3 name is Nomad (nomadicwriter). I've requested fic in all the fandoms below, but if you're feeling extra generous both fic and comic treats are very much welcome!
General Likes and Rambling
Anything that feels like a missing episode of canon is a guaranteed winner with me, but I'm also pretty flexible regarding tone and content, so while my requested canons are mostly on the lighter or more comedic end, I'm equally up for seeing the characters deal with cases that get darker or more dramatic than their usual fare. I'm also a big lover of ensemble fic, so feel free to bring in any other members of the canon cast beyond just those I've requested.
In terms of actual cases I'm not someone who's all that fussed about how complex the mysteries are or whether there are enough clues for the reader to solve them ahead of the characters; I like casefic mainly as a vehicle for character interactions, seeing people be clever and do what they're good at, seeing their values and morals in action and which lines they will or won't cross. I particularly love when there's some sort of character or relationship arc going on alongside the case (whether that's something big like a romantic get-together or a minor thing like the characters having an argument that gets resolved over the course of the fic) where the investigation gives them something else to focus on while that's brewing in the background so things can develop more gradually.
Some things I always reliably enjoy:
* Characters who've known each other a long time still learning new things about each other
* Conflicts and clashes between characters where both sides have a fair point
* Antagonistic characters being forced to work together
* Humour, banter, squabbling and bickering
* Small but meaningful gestures from characters who have trouble expressing their emotions openly
* Set-in-their ways older characters making fresh starts or forming unexpected new relationships
Cadfael Chronicles - Ellis Peters
* Solo: Brother Cadfael
Finding it hard to frame a specific request here beyond gesturing vaguely at the books and saying, "More like that, please!" but... more like that, please! I love the tone and atmosphere of the stories, and Cadfael's calm, sensible pragmatism and matter-of-fact kindness. Any sort of case, big or small, works for me here, from murder and people getting swept up in historical events to herbs going missing from Cadfael's stores or the mysterious theft of some low-value trinkets. I feel like this is also a good setting for mysteries involving fake religious miracles or strange apparitions, since people are more likely to take them at face value even if Cadfael himself might dig deeper.
I like the themes around people's various loyalties in the series, and the elegant ways Cadfael sometimes finds to resolve things without anyone publicly losing face. Anything that gets into the attitudes of the era and the characters' different perspectives could be interesting; a case involving same-sex relationships, for instance, and how something like that fits into Cadfael's worldview. I'm also intrigued by his status as a former soldier who's laid down his arms; what happens in a situation where he has to seriously consider physically fighting to protect innocents? How would he react in the moment or feel about it after the fact, even if it doesn't come down to it in the end?
I've requested Cadfael as a solo character here because I'm equally happy to see him interact with any of the recurring cast you'd like to involve, or likewise a group of entirely OCs if you want to have him away from Shrewsbury for some reason or other. Just any story of Cadfael doing his thing at any point in the canon timeline would be great!
Do Not Wants: AUs which change the setting, Cadfael breaking his vow of celibacy. (Other monks are free to misbehave as much as the plot requires.)
Jonathan Creek
* Jonathan Creek & Maddy Magellan
* Jonathan Creek/Maddy Magellan
Equally happy with either gen or shipfic for these two, and in fact rather enjoy their canon in-between dynamic where they're never quite sure which way they're going themselves. A missing adventure from the early years of the show would be great, but I've also seen all the post-Maddy episodes too, so a story set later in the timeline where she comes back from the US (or Jonathan visits her there?) works as well. Feel free to include any other recurring characters you like, including Jonathan's later sidekicks.
I feel like the tone of the show offers a lot of flexibility for different types of cases here, since despite the comedy elements some of the stories do get pretty dark. Anywhere on that spectrum works for me! It doesn't necessarily have to be a murder mystery: any other sort of inexplicable happening could be just as interesting. How does a magician doing a stage vanishing act disappear for real? How does a cat end up with a piece of jewellery from a locked cabinet miles away? What's really going on with a supposed haunted house or claims of alien abductions?
I'm definitely always here for shady magicians and big old houses with elaborate boobytraps, but cases that put them in less usual settings are great too: maybe traipsing round the woods, undercover at a campsite or staying in a creepy old seaside hotel. The two of them on a stakeout together could be fun, or they might be an entertaining duo to throw some cliché fic tropes at - huddling for warmth, only one bed, undercover as a couple - because I'm sure they'd find some way to make an unromantic hash of it and end up in a huff with each other. Or have one of them end up injured or be put in mortal peril! Does that make them wake up and start to realise how important they are to each other? Knowing the two of them, probably not.
Do Not Wants: AUs which change the setting, soulmates, D/s dynamics.
Ludwig
Anything from light comedy to darker more angsty stuff works for me here! Feel free to include additional cast members; I like all the police characters but am also cool with you making any of them involved in the conspiracy if you want to get into that storyline. I've requested a choice of either the gen or the ship versions of my chosen relationships here, and would also be fine with receiving shipfic where it stays at the level of UST or unspoken feelings rather than necessarily a full-blown get-together arc.
* Lucy Betts-Taylor & John "Ludwig" Taylor
* Lucy Betts-Taylor/John "Ludwig" Taylor
I'd love to see these two work together on an investigation: maybe pursuing a lead from the Sinclair files or looking into a mysterious message that may or may not be from James. Lucy seemed pretty impressed by John trapping the killer into confessing in the season finale, so more of her perspective of seeing him in crime-solving mode would be good. Plus of course she's much more of a risk-taker and likely to drag him into all sorts of fun situations he would never get in on his own. Having the two of them do a stakeout together could also be pretty entertaining!
We don't really get to see much of them having to pretend to be husband and wife in front of a third party, so I'd definitely be up for some sort of undercover as a couple plotline, whether platonic comedy hijinks or played in a more shippy way. Maybe 'James' has to make an appearance at some sort of event that Lucy sees as a chance to snoop around, or it could even be a canon-divergence AU where James's colleagues still don't know about the substitution yet.
* Russell Carter & John "Ludwig" Taylor
* Russell Carter/John "Ludwig" Taylor
I really enjoyed their developing friendship over the course of the show, and would love to see more of where it goes after John's real identity becomes known. How does it change their work dynamic now they're no longer in such a strict boss-employee hierarchy and Russell is actually the one with the greater authority? Is there some awkward confusion over who's actually leading the case, or does it make friendly bonding a bit more of a possibility now that they're on a more even footing? Can John cope with such alarming situations as being invited to go for a drink at the pub?
Questions of loyalties and where they lie could be interesting to dig into as well; Russell was willing to break the rules for John to help him save Lucy, yet at the same time John needs to stay wary in case he's involved in the conspiracy, yet on the third hand John doesn't exactly have a lot of friends and the possibility making a new one has got to be pretty compelling. A situation where he has to decide whether or not to put his trust in Russell could be interesting. What happens if a potential lead on James comes up during the course of their police work and they have to decide whether or not to share information? Or if Ziegler tries to lean on Russell to get information about John and his brother?
Do Not Wants: AUs which change the setting, soulmates, D/s dynamics.
Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators
* Frank Hathaway & Luella Shakespeare & Sebastian Brudenell
I enjoy the overall lighthearted and upbeat tone of the series and would definitely love a story along those lines, but cases with darker or more dramatic elements are also welcome too. (Episode 2x10 is a particular favourite of mine for getting that balance just right.) Feel free to put the characters in peril or throw in a bit of hurt/comfort; maybe somebody gets trapped in a room with a bomb or taken hostage, or injured in pursuit of a suspect and fussed over by the others (or perhaps not as much as they'd quite like). Or even just how Frank behaves on a particularly nasty case that he's taking unusually seriously.
On the other hand the series also leaves room for some wackier setups and more off-the-wall cases; we've already seen them visit some fun settings like LARP in canon, so anything else along those lines would be great. Undercover at a karaoke bar? Boxing gym? Local folk music circle? I'd particularly enjoy seeing them investigate more supposed paranormal incidents like vampire attacks or UFO sightings. I also appreciate how these characters unabashedly enjoy their snacks, so a case at a food fair or cake decorating competition might be fun. Or how about an investigation where they end up having to camp out in tents or share a caravan or similar?
I've focused this request on the main trio, but am also happy for any of the police characters to get involved. (I feel like there could be some interesting tales in the gap between seasons two and three, what with the aftermath of 2x10, Marlowe still around, Viola arriving and Keeler's daughter being born.) Keeler also presumably gets a new DI post-Marlowe that we never actually see, so there's room to bring in OCs if you want to do a case involving dodgy coppers or police corruption. I'm always a reliable sucker for characters reluctantly working together or 'better the devil you know' type plots with antagonistic characters like Keeler. Or bring in other recurring characters like Gloria or Spider! I enjoy the whole ensemble here.
Do Not Wants: AUs which change the setting, canon characters dying, canon characters revealed as bad guys.