Tolkien meme

[wiseheart]

Gakked from Lissa

1. How did you get involved in the fandom? What was your first place/haven within the fandom?

After the first movie. I was searching for some good Buffy fic, and one of the better authors, I don't even remember who it was, wrote some LOTR fic, too. I hadn't even been aware of the existence of LOTR fanfic before 2001.

2. When did you first read Tolkien's writing?

Approx. 30 years ago. I was in my early twenties. Yes, as you know I'm actually that old. *g*

3. What did you read first?

The Hobbit, then LOTR. I didn't read SIL until a few years later, and to tell the honest truth, it's my least favourite piece. UT, I read at about the same time, and loved it instantly. HoME I haven't read front to back either, but that's not the way to read it anyhow. I love the early LOTR versions and especially the Book of Lost Tales, though.

4. When did you first see the movies?

About a year after they hit the cinemas everywhere else. We always got the movies much later over here. I hated them like the plague. I still do.

5. How did you come to be involved where you are now in the fandom?

I wrote my first Tolkienfic in 2001, IIRC, and posted it to Least Expected - sadly, the site is gone now. I joined FF.Net a year later. My first story was what has in the meantime become the first two chapters of "Forgotten Song". The original parts have been beta read twice since then but are, basically, the same, and I'm still very fond of them.

6. What was the first fanfic story you read?

I think it was some hair-raising Aragorn/Legolas slash by AJ. I'm still surprised that I gave the fandom a rat's chance after that. But then I found "The Fire Sermon" by altariel and was hooked for life.

To AJ's credit, though, s/he was very supportive for new writers and gave at least one piece of encouragement to everyone who's ever reviewed one of his/her stories, despite being insanely popular at that time. Many of todays Big Name Authors could take an example on her/him.

7. What was the first fanfic story you wrote? Was it Tolkien centric, or another genre?

It was a sci-fi story when I was about ten or eleven. Written after a Sowiet author none of you has likely had heard of. I don't remember his name, either.

8. Name 3 of your favorite Tolkien characters. Why do you like them?

Boromir - he got short shrift from the Professor to push Aragorn forward, he got abused a lot by so-called authors, but he was a heroic character who's sacrificed his whole life for his country... and not just for the ill-fated effort to save Merry and Pippin. I think he was better off dead, the poor sod. His family served Gondor for 26 generations, protected the country rather successfully, and now he'd have to step down, just because Aragorn had the better pedigree? Oh, please...

Thranduil - or, to be more accurate, the Elvenking of Mirkwood. My first, never-ending love, since I read The Hobbit. He managed to protect his realm against Dol Guldur, and that without any magic trinkets, he's gone native among the Silvan folk, rediscovering the very Elven trait to be one with the forest, and he helped the Men of Laketown rebuild their town. The best Elven ruler in all three Ages and some. Not to mention a handsome beast. *g*

9. What are 3 of your least favorite characters? Why?

Fëanor. The guy was obsessed, a kinslayer, and he corrupted his own sons. Not to mention that he brought down practically every single Elven kingdom in Middle-earth due to his cursed jewels.

Elwing. What kind of mother was she anyway? Abandoning her sons to the mercy of the Kinslayers for a frigging Silmaril?

Túrin. Of all the self-centered, egoistic, hotheaded idiots the worst, IMO. I hate that guy with the passion of a thousand burning sons. So, he killed the dragon - and? So did Bard the Bowman, without ruining people left and right before.

I know I don't have more choices, but I really, really dislike Aragorn, too. What sort of justice is it, discarding the Stewards, who had served Gondor faithfully - not to mention successfully - just so that he could marry Arwen?

10. What genres do you like to read the most?

I generally don't read movieverse stories because I hated the movies so much. Otherwise, although I prefer the Third Age, mostly, I read just about everything. I like long stories, with lots and lots of background building, gap-fillers, stories that feature little-known characters and contain lots of hints only those really familiar with Tolkien's universe can find.

In short, I like the kind of stories I write. Which is the reason why I write them: because I don't find them so often as I'd like. Think of it as some sort of self-servicing. *g*

11. What Tolkien eras/cultures/events/ etc. do you feel you have the strongest knowledge in?

That's hard to say for sure. I've done so much research for my stories that I'm pretty well-versed in Tolkien's world. But perhaps Gondor in particular, around the end of the Third Age, as I've worked with that period the most, due to the Halabor Chronicles.

12. What areas do you feel you can help other authors with?

Erm... perhaps with facts about medieval lifestyle? I dunno. Nobody ever wanted me to help them with anything.

13. What do you feel are your weaknesses as a writer? What would you like to improve on?

I'm not a native English speaker, and it's very hard to find a beta reader who'd dig through the amount of stuff I write. So I have to post a lot of my stuff un-betaed, which sometimes leads to nasty nitpicking. I'm trying to improve my English with lots of reading, but it doesn't always help.

14. What Tolkien era/culture/events/etc. would you like to know more about?

Middle-earth in the Second Age, especially concerning Men. The history of Umbar. Everything about the Elven kingdom of Oropher.

15. What are you currently writing, what's your latest work in progress?

Currently trying to finish "The Web of Darkness" and a short Halabor piece. I have about a dozen or so WIPs, some of which have been on the back burner for years. I'd like to finish them all; and I sorely miss the chance to discuss stuff with other people.

16. What is your favorite story you wrote? Why?

Honestly, I love them all. I couldn't pick out one for the life of me. Of course, "Forgotten Song", as the first one, will always have a special place in my heart, even if it's probably not my best.

17. What is your least favorite story you wrote? Why?

Heh! Legolas' torrid affair and wondrous adventures with the red-haired elleth of the tragic past. A classic Mary Sue of the worst sort. Thankfully, it was never written down, only thought out in great detail. It would have been in Hungarian anyway, as at that time I didn't speak English yet.

18. What do you hope to accomplish in your future in the fandom?

I no longer hope to have a future in this fandom. I just lack the special gene that makes an author popular. I've given up... writing is something I do because I can't not write, but that's the only reason I'm still going on.


This was a good meme, really. It made me rethink my feelings towards this fandom, and thus proved useful.

Comments

[lethe-lloyd.livejournal.com]

or, to be more accurate, the Elvenking of Mirkwood. My first, never-ending love, since I read The Hobbit. He managed to protect his realm against Dol Guldur, and that without any magic trinkets, he's gone native among the Silvan folk, rediscovering the very Elven trait to be one with the forest, and he helped the Men of Laketown rebuild their town. The best Elven ruler in all three Ages and some. Not to mention a handsome beast. *g*

I have to agree with you there, although I don't write much of the Silvan Elves, because there are people who do it much better for one thing, ( lol, like you ) and my stories just have not really lead me there. He was the character who first got me interested in the Elves in the Hobbit, after that I just finished it to see if there was more! :)

I agree rather a lot about Boromir and Aragorn also. Tolkien did continually shove Aragorn's ancestry into readers faces. All I was concerned about was what would happen to the Elves if Sauron won. ( one track mind )

I'm not a native English speaker, and it's very hard to find a beta reader who'd dig through the amount of stuff I write. So I have to post a lot of my stuff un-betaed, which sometimes leads to nasty nitpicking. I'm trying to improve my English with lots of reading, but it doesn't always help.

Well, I am in the UK. I am not marvelous, but I don't mind looking, I always hesitate to offer my services such as they are, to good authors, because I can't find any-one willing to look at all my stuff either, which I am almost always going back to faff around with. I did have a wonderful beta for some of my last story, and learned a great deal, ( resulting in even more edit-faffing ) but he beta's for so many people, and works, and cares for some-one.I did not want to add to his workload, or wait four to six weeks, as sometimes I do write pretty fast and don't like hanging about. My fault for asking a very popular - and excellent - beta! He is a lovely person.

I have looked at some people's work, for whom English is not their first language. Quite honestly, most of them need very little editing.

I no longer hope to have a future in this fandom. I just lack the special gene that makes an author popular. I've given up... writing is something I do because I can't not write, but that's the only reason I'm still going on.

You're kidding, right? The first time I saw some of your writing ( and I am not even sure where ) I thought every-one wrote that well and that was the benchmark for all fanfiction and I was as impressed as hell that there were people who were ' expanding ' on Tolkien. Actually there is only a very small amount whom I consider the upper echelon in the fandom. I'm not even sure who the popular authors are as I mainly read on LOTR FF.com, ( which is quite a small site ) not ff.net, and on the SWG, and even though I voted for authors there who did win in the MEFA's, in some cases, it was Silmarillion fic, which does not have a massive fanbase in any case. They are almost all ' niche writers '

I have heard your name mentioned so many times on forums on ff.net as a superb writer and the idea of actually communicating with you scared me witless! And the only reason, the onlyIn short, I like the kind of stories I write. Which is the reason why I write them: because I don't find them so often as I'd like. Think of it as some sort of self-servicing. *g*

That is what CS Lewis said, that no-one wrote the stories he liked to read, so he had to write them himself.

[lissas-elves.livejournal.com]

I hope you and your mother are enjoying Christmas Day. How is she, by the way? Is she past her recent health problems?

>>Name 3 of your favorite Tolkien characters. Why do you like them?
Boromir <<
Oh yes! It seemed as if all his years fighting the enemy were just disregarded. He really was better off dying when he did; he'd most likely have been too proud to become Aragorn's steward. Faramir seemed better able to adapt (he's one of my favourite Men, btw).

Thranduil: So true! The guy deserved a medal - he did a great job, protecting his lands and his people for so many years. He must have been a great leader.

>>Nobody ever wanted me to help them with anything.<<

You'd better be careful what you say, lady! *g*

>>I have to post a lot of my stuff un-betaed, which sometimes leads to nasty nitpicking.<<

I know you're really hurt by those comments and it does seem rude that people post such things in reviews. If people wish to nitpick, they should send an email, IMO. Reviews are about the STORY, not about typos!

But in the MEFAs, there were only few of these; most of the reviews were glowing praises of your stories. And I know that for certain since I read them all to filter out any nasty ones for you - lol.

>>I no longer hope to have a future in this fandom. I just lack the special gene that makes an author popular. I've given up... writing is something I do because I can't not write, but that's the only reason I'm still going on.<<

While I agree that writing is something one does because one can't NOT do it, I don't agree about the rest of your statement. And I don't know if popularity is necessarily something to strive for.

For one thing, your stories are obviously the work of an intelligent and very knowledgeable person and as such may not be suitable for the average FF-reader (wow! that sounded snobbish - bad Lissa! - but quite frankly, it seems that many of them are teens looking for Legolas). However, I have no explanation for the lack of recognition on other sites.

Another thing is that I've seen many wonderful stories receive almost no reviews and get overlooked in the MEFAs etc. That does not diminish the value of these stories or their writers in my eyes, it only proves that we readers are really weird. And it makes me worry that these excellent writers (including you) will stop writing such good stories when they're not recognized.

Finally, I do feel guilty because I don't read or review much myself, even though so many writers have been incredibly supportive towards me and given me advice etc. It's just that reviews really require a major effort, and I really don't have much energy to spare, even on the best of days. But I'll try to improve!

***

I'm glad you thought the meme useful! :-)

[ithilwen.livejournal.com]

So Altariel is the one who suckered into this madness. She has a lot to answer for! ;-)

Merry Christmas!