The main thing about your optional details is that it's what goes with your assignment. It is also what goes out to the pinch hit list, if that's necessary, so while it doesn't have to be long at all, is nice to give a little hintt of what you'd like for the characters. Do you want it shippy or not? If it's an offbeat fandom where it might not be obvious an example or two of what kind of fic you think it could make. Maybe some fic ideas. But generally optional details is where you can give a brief hint about what you're thinking about or why you chose the fandom/characters (like, "I love Kate so much, she's my favorite, and I just want her to finally be happy!"
Letters are where you can blather on about the fandoms and your likes/dislikes as much or as little as you want. Your writer WILL come looking as long as you link it in your sign up and of course if you write one and link it at the post so it can get picked up by the database, it will then also be prowled by other people looking to write treats. Usually I copy the text from my signup into my letter, and then expand off that, if I need to, but it's mostly for other people to look at who like my fandoms. (this is what I wrote last year: http://lizardbeth-j.livejournal.com/431498.html#cutid1)
This year, since I'm asking for a comics-based tv fandom I'm going to elaborate on my comics knowledge in my letter, but that's kind of unusual.
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Letter vs optional details
Date: 2012-10-18 03:39 am (UTC)Letters are where you can blather on about the fandoms and your likes/dislikes as much or as little as you want. Your writer WILL come looking as long as you link it in your sign up and of course if you write one and link it at the post so it can get picked up by the database, it will then also be prowled by other people looking to write treats. Usually I copy the text from my signup into my letter, and then expand off that, if I need to, but it's mostly for other people to look at who like my fandoms. (this is what I wrote last year: http://lizardbeth-j.livejournal.com/431498.html#cutid1)
This year, since I'm asking for a comics-based tv fandom I'm going to elaborate on my comics knowledge in my letter, but that's kind of unusual.