Sufficiently Advanced Exchange

Dear JSAMN fic exchange author,


I'm so excited to see what you will write or draw! Gifts are very welcome too.


What I like:


I like stories with a substantial plot or in-depth characterization. I especially like stories with a strong, distinct protagonist's inner voice, and lots of interiority. For me, some of the most fascinating aspects of the Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell world is how magic works. I'm interested in stories where magic plays a significant part. I love to see its inner workings. I am also intrigued by the process of distilling spells from ancient knowledge, the relics of which remain in folk tales, old books, songs, children's rhymes and such - just like Norrell and Strange did.


I also like pseudo-documentary genre: articles from imaginary newspapers and magazines, scholarly papers, letters, course syllabuses, recipe prose, and everything in that spirit, as long as it tells a story.


I like angst and humor equally well - or even both in one.


I like in-depth character study, in-depth worldbuilding, moral ambiguity, moral dilemmas, secrets and subterfuge.


I also love AU, though mostly in the canon era rather than the modern era. Which is to say I'm not too keen on coffeeshop, flowershop, automechanic shop, etc. AUs. But school, academia, or "intersection of magic and computer science" AUs would be fine. However, I especially like AUs that can be described as "here is what would happen if a key part of the book's premise were different".


DNWs


No PWP, please. I'm overall iffy when it comes to smut. M rating is OK, E is on a case-by-case basis. So it comes as no surprise that I prefer not to see some of the more extreme thematic elements that can be found in fanfiction overall. I don't really want to list them here, so please be guided by your common sense: what grosses out an average person is likely to gross me out too. Instead, I prefer a story to knock me out with clever ideas, inventive magic, character depth, complex, ambiguous, fraught interactions, unexpected plot twists, and such.


Regarding the requests I have made, here are some optional prompt ideas. But if you come up with your own, that's just as good!


1. Gilbert Norrell.


He is the character I'm most obsessed with (I know, I know. Guilty as charged), so I would be happy with a story where Norrell is the main character or plays a substantial role. The only thing I ask is not to portray him one-dimensionally, and not make him fodder for cheap laughs. That said, humor is very welcome! Critical portrayal is fine too, since, as we know, he deserves it. It's just that, if you choose this request, I would like to see a deeper exploration of the character.

Optionally, you can ship him with pretty much anyone. There have been wonderful and truly remarkable stories written in this fandom shipping him with Strange and Childermass, so I would like to see a less common ship (perhaps even one that hasn't been written before). For example, Norrell / Segundus has a lot of potential, because, while they are diametrical opposites on the kindness axis, they might be alike in being timid and inclined towards book learning. Or, why not Lascelles or Tom Levy? That said, shipping him with the usual suspects is also fine, I can't get enough of those.

But a gen story about Norrell without any ship would be great too.

DNWs: PWP, heavy smut, extreme kinks, using the character for cheap laughs.


2. Jane Tobias


I would be really interested to see how Jane Tobias learned magic and what kind of spells she performed. I would be very happy if this included Jane Tobias's interactions with Jonathan Strange and / or Arabella Strange (as we know from the title story of LOGA, the Stranges had crossed paths with Jane Tobias). I would be especially interested in seeing how Jane's magic (and, more generally, the magic of the three ladies of Grace Adieu) collided with that of Jonathan Strange. And if Norrell was involved, it would be especially awesome! Same if Jane tried to teach Arabella some magic during the Stranges' visit. Imagine the personal and professional clashes coming from different ideologies and approaches to magic of all the parties involved, with a good deal of sexism thrown into the mix! But in the process they might end up collaborating on some things (especially if the circumstances force them) and discover something deeper about themselves.

Crossovers with JS&MN are welcome!

DNWs: PWP, heavy smut, extreme kinks, using the character for cheap laughs.


3. Strange / Segundus


This rarepair ship has so much potential to be highly charged and complicated. In a way, Segundus was Strange's student (by correspondence, at least), but there are indications that he was not able to master some spells that Strange thought should be easy. So there is potential for Segundus to hero-worship Strange and feel inferior in comparison. But also, at the beginning of the book Segundus was able to invade Strange's dream, so perhaps he had some undiscovered ability for certain kinds of magic at which he was even better than Strange. Teacher / student relationship can mingle in all sorts of ways, both toxic and uplifting, with a sexual or intimate relationship.

My only request is that this involve a good deal of magic, and not just be about sex.

DNWs: PWP, heavy smut, extreme kinks, using the character for cheap laughs.


4. Worldbuilding (JS&MN) and Worldbuilding (Piranesi)


Either worldbuilding for JS&MN alone or a crossover worldbuilding between JS&MN and Piranesi would be fine.

For crossover worldbuilding between JS&MN and Piranesi:

Thaddeus Hickman described the King's Roads as a vast house with endless stone halls and infinite staircases, with deep chasms and canals in which dark water flows. Piranesi lived in an enormous house with giant staircases, statues and an ocean. Could it be the same house? I myself wrote a fic based on that premise, but I would like other people to explore it as well.

More generally, what are some surprising similarities and contrasts between the magic in JS&MN and in Piranesi?


5. Jonathan Strange

I'm especially interested in

- Strange's in-depth interactions with Norrell, whether platonic or romantic. Perhaps their early magic lessons, portrayed in detail?

- Strange teaching someone magic. I would like to see the details of it. It could be one of his canonical three students, of which I'm particularly interested in Tom Levy. But it would be even better if it was a female student! That would make it a canon-divergent fic or even an AU, but I find this prompt especially interesting. Even better if it's Strange teaching Flora Greysteel magic in Venice! On top of that, romantic or sexual tension would be delicious, but is optional.

DNWs: PWP, heavy smut, extreme kinks, using the character for cheap laughs.


6. Jonathan Strange (JSAMN) & Jane Tobias (LOGA)


As we know from the title story of LOGA, the Stranges had crossed paths with Jane Tobias when the Stranges came for a visit to Grace Adieu. I would be interested in seeing how Jane Tobias's magic collided with that of Jonathan Strange. Imagine the personal and professional clashes coming from their different ideologies and approaches to magic, with a good deal of sexism thrown into the mix! But in the process they might end up collaborating on some things (especially if the circumstances force them) and discover something deeper about themselves.

Alternatively (or in addition to that) the story could be centered around Jane Tobias and / or the other ladies of Grace Adieu trying to teach Arabella Strange some magic. How would Jonathan take that? Would he be supportive of his wife or competitive / territorial / jealous of her abilities? Or perhaps Jane would have to teach Arabella in secret, because both she and Arabella thinks Jonathan would not approve?

DNWs: PWP, heavy smut, extreme kinks, using the character for cheap(s) laughs.

7. Worldbuilding: JS&MN


I'm especially interested in the inner workings of magic in the JSAMN world or interactions between characters whose goals and worldviews are at odds with each other. Here are some examples.


7.1. Little Free Magic Library of York


A little free library, but for books of magic. The residents of York freely take and leave magic books in it. How does Norrell react when he finds out? If he sends Childermass to shut it down, is he successful? What if fairies or even John Uskglass himself interfere in keeping the good people of York supplied with books of magic? What part does the Learned Society of York Magicians play in this?


7.2. Jonathan Strange's female students


Canonically Jonathan Strange only had male students, but what if he took women students as well? What if Miss Gray, who was swindled by Drawlight who took her money for correspondence magic lessons from Strange, actually got her wish, and he accepted her as an in-person student? If there were several women students, did they compete for Strange's attention romantically as well (since he was presumed a widower at the time - in 1816)? What disadvantages did they experience as students of magic in a highly sexist society - both from Strange's male students, Strange himself, and the society at large? How did they cope with all that and did they find a silver lining in it?


7.3. Starecross as a coworking space for magicians and software engineers


The two groups of people cross-polinate their ideas. This, of course, would have to be a modern AU, and it is one of the few exceptions to my generally not being keen on modern AUs.


7.4. A pancake shop "De Crepe Labyrinth"


This is probably best-suited as AU. This is another exception where a modern AU would be fine.

Many years after the events of JSAMN, there is a pancake shop called "De Crepe Labyrinth", as a pun on Walter De Chepe and his famous labyrinth. I don't really have more than just the name, so feel free to explore this idea however you like! My only preference is that magic and labyrinths are involved in a non-trivial way.


DNWs: PWP, heavy smut, extreme kinks.



8. Piranesi (Piranesi) & The Other | Valentine Ketterley (Piranesi) & Gilbert Norrell (JSAMN) & Jonathan Strange (JSAMN)


There were interesting parallels between fraught, asymmetrical friendships of Norrell & Strange, and Piranesi & The Other | Valentine Ketterley . For both Norrell and Piranesi their friend (Strange in one case, The Other in, well, the other) was their only friend, who nonetheless could not give them what they truly wanted and alleviate their loneliness. What if some circumstances (i.e. your, dear author, magic) brought these two pairs together? Would they learn something from each other?



These suggestions may seem incredibly detailed, but please be assured that they are only to serve as ideas if you have a hard time coming up with your own. I'm sure you, Dear Writer, can come up with ideas I can't even dream of, and I will be very excited to read them!


The credit for the De Crepe Labyrinth idea goes to the good people of the JSAMN 20th Anniversary Readalong Discord. If you are not there, you are welcome to join! The readalong is long over, but the server is still active, albeit low-traffic. Among other things, we plan fandom events on it. Here is the invite.