Tolkien Party - Imladris (A Fanfiction) by Me

I'm including this for the Tolkien Blog Party of Special Magnificence (hosted by Hamlette)

Fourteen years ago, I was so avidly in love with all things Tolkien that I delved into fanfiction. This week, I've done something I almost swore to myself I would never do. I looked back at some of my writings, grimaced at the emotionalism of it all, and decided to give this story, one of which I'm particularly fond, a rewrite. I nearly posted it here without editing it, but couldn't, in all good conscience, do it. The core of what you see is the story I imagined all those years ago, but any skill you might find in these lines is a result of many years of practice and deliberate schooling. Thank goodness I didn't just throw Imladris up here without taking the time to hone it, if you will. May you enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it all those years ago, and as much as I enjoyed editing it yesterday and today.

Synopsis: While Frodo lies wounded in Elrond's house, the hobbits deal with the pain of nearly losing their cousin and friend along with the guilt that they could not protect him.

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A Tolkien Blog Party of Special Magnificence 2015 (hosted by Hamlette)

It is again time for Hamlette's A Tolkien Blog Party of Special Magnificence! And I'm so proud of myself for actually participating this year because I reallllllly love Tolkien and have reallllllly wanted to participate in this blog party before, but never made the time!

Please come and join in the fun if you like, post answers to Hamlette's questionnaire on your own blog, leave a comment on her post letting her know you've done so, participate and revel in all things Tolkien!

Now, on to this lovely questionnaire Hamlette developed!

1. What draws you to Tolkien's stories?  (The characters, the quests, the themes, the worlds, etc.)

A. So, I love fantasy. Hopefully everyone knows that by now. I can pretty much attribute that love first and foremost to Narnia, and because of Narnia, I tried Tolkien's world. Never looked back. You know how they say some stories are epic? An epic love story, an epic adventure, an epic this or that? Tolkien's stories are all of those things and more. The world feels real, the characters feel real, and these are life and death struggles of good against evil, at the very basic level of our being. These stories are alive, and that's why I love them.

2. What was the first Middle Earth book you read and/or movie you saw?  What did you think of it?

A. I saw The Hobbit animated film when I was around 10 or so and then read The Hobbit for the first time when I was 14-years-old and we'd just moved to a new state and I needed some familiarity. Really loved the animated film as a kid until I realized that Gandalf's name was horribly mispronounced. The book? It's still one of my favorite books of all time. A kid's adventure story like The Princess and the Goblin, nothing more or less, and that's what I love about it. Tolkien's world hadn't been fully developed yet and so I love the simplicity of The Hobbit.

3. Name three of your favorite characters and tell us why you like them.

Gandalf

In a world as dark as the one Tolkien penned, the characters need a father figure to guide them. Gandalf is that figure. It doesn't mean he's always right in his judgement calls. Let's be honest, he makes some mistakes. But I always felt that Gandalf was always dependable. I especially love him in The Two Towers film when he says "Look to my coming, at first light, on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the East." And when that fifth day comes, at dawn, guess who's there, riding to save the day?

Gandalf, who is so powerful and mighty, is a lover of small things and small people. He doesn't discount someone simply because they could not be counted among the very wise or the very great. He's a lover of hobbits, a people that don't always love him back, but who he goes out of his way to befriend and defend with his life. What's not to love about a character like Gandalf?

Aragorn

I gave serious consideration to my options for this second choice. I've never actually chosen Aragorn as a favorite character, not when it comes to one of these types of tags or memes. But I do love him know, far more than I ever did when I was young and watching The Lord of the Rings movies for the first time.

When you love Aragorn, you're loving three versions of him. You love Strider, the mysterious Ranger who you're not entirely sure can be trusted. You love Aragorn from the films, the reluctant king. And you love Aragorn the noble-hearted, self-assured king in Tolkien's stories. Three different versions of the same man, and it has taken me 14 years to reach the point of loving all three versions.

Strider, I think, will always be my favorite version simply because he is so enigmatic. I'm rarely drawn to kings, so it makes sense I would love the kingless version of Aragorn the best, but I must deeply respect the Aragorn of Tolkien's original work and empathize with the tortured soul version of Aragorn that Peter Jackson invented. All three have merit.

Bilbo

This should surprise no one and if it does, well, that just means I haven't talked about him enough.

Bilbo was the very first character of Tolkien's that I ever encountered, both in film and in book form and he is steadfastly adhered to my heart. Bilbo is now, and always will be, one of my top 5 favorite characters.

He's the one who you would never, ever suspect of wanting to go on an adventure. He's peaceful and calm at home, and yet, he steps outside himself and into one of the greatest literary stories of all time. He took the literal step of faith and it transformed him. He is like my own personal hero. I'm content and complacent in my life, but if Bilbo can take such an enormous step of faith, then why can't I?

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A Lesson on Transformation from Gandalf and Will Graham

With this being Holy Week, my thoughts have been focused on transformation for the last several days. Christians undergo a transformation when we're saved. Christ himself underwent a transformation on Resurrection Day, suddenly no longer confined by a physical body and its limitations. Transformation is something that everyone on earth undergoes at some point or another. A tipping point, as it were, from evil to good or from good to evil. Literature itself is ripe with the concept.

Think of Gandalf the Grey transforming into Gandalf the White. Gandalf the Grey is impressive in his own right, but he is viewed by many, hobbits especially, as harmless. He is merely an old wizard who specializes in magic tricks. Gandalf the White is something else entirely. He has metamorphosed into a pure version of himself, the version of Gandalf that was always just below the surface but needed death and resurrection to be released.

I've always been partial to Gandalf the Grey, probably because he's kick-ass tough and abounding with sarcasm. But I also appreciate the wisdom of Gandalf the White, who was only born out of sacrifice and death. Gandalf the White is the full interpretation of Gandalf. People who focus only on either Grey or White are missing Gandalf's journey, and thereby missing his point. He is the perfect example in literature of transformation from someone being merely a neutral color to being perfect purity. He is symbolic of Christ's transformation. Whatever else Peter Jackson might have done to Tolkien's work, he got Gandalf right, and for that I will always love him.

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Fanfiction advice needed! :)

All right, so I've got a gal on my Fanfiction.net account who wants to post this Lord of the Rings story on her community. I've already edited it (I wrote it 10 years ago and it needed help), so give me your thoughts if you wouldn't mind. I rarely ask for feedback on my stories before I post them, but since this one's going on a community, having a few readers first is a good plan, I think.

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LucyRavenscar - Crochet Creatures: Fantasy Amigurumi - Elves

These little guys are so freakin' awesome! I really need to contact the designer and get her hobbit pattern figured out. It's better than ripping it out halfway because something doesn't quite work. I wondered when she would branch into LOTR territory. She's made me such a happy woman!

LucyRavenscar - Crochet Creatures: Fantasy Amigurumi - Elves: You may have seen from my previous post that I'm working on a series of Fantasy amigurumi characters. I've already designed a patter...

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Happy Birthday, Elijah Wood!

Or should I say, Happy Birthday, Mr. Frodo Baggins? Anyway, today is Lij's 32nd birthday, approximately 3 years older than me since I just celebrated mine!

I remember the first time I ever saw him in a movie. It was Huck Finn and he was only about 13. I saw it a few years after the release, so I probably saw it when I was 13, and I just absolutely adored him. I think it was those big blue eyes, and his general, all-around snarkiness that won me over. While I'm years past the crush stage, I always smile whenever I see him. He took Frodo Baggins and made him into something memorable.

Seeing him at the beginning of The Hobbit warmed my heart and shot me back 11 years ago to when I saw Fellowship for the 1st time. It was the most amazing experience to relive those emotions.

Happy Birthday, Lij, we'll always love you!

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Happy Birthday, Orlando Bloom!

Orlando is better known as Legolas of Mirkwood, Thranduil's son from The Hobbit. He is the blonde-haired elf from The Lord of the Rings with an insane fandom of teen girls that threw me off him completely. It is only now, over 10 years later, that I'm starting to appreciate Legolas.

So, Happy Birthday, dear Orlando. I'm excited at the prospect of seeing you appear in The Hobbit for old times sake, just as Elijah Wood's smiling countenance in the 1st installment made me grin in return.

My one condition is that you must do something amazingly impossible, like taking down an entire Oliphant single-handedly or skateboarding on an Orc shield down a long flight of stairs, all while firing your mighty arrows at the enemy.

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Women in Tolkien's World

Eowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan

The age old complaint has reared its head again.

"Why didn't Tolkien write women in his stories?"

"Why aren't there any women in 'The Hobbit'?"

Or rather:

"Why does Tolkien's world lack women characters?"

Here's my answer.

It doesn't.

Tolkien wrote Arwen, the elven princess who Aragorn loved so much his heart nearly broke over her, and who gave up her immortality to be with the man she loved. This meant living several thousand years after Aragorn died; using up every one of her years lived as an immortal.

Tolkien created Galadriel, the elven queen, whose beauty was so unimaginable that Gimli the dwarf begged of her a lock of golden hair. She gave Frodo the Light of Earendil to protect and guide him. She is the most powerful and beloved member of the White Council.

And finally, the beloved Eowyn, princess of Rohan, shieldmaiden who knows how to wield a sword in defense of those she loves. Eowyn, who disguised herself as a man so she could follow her uncle, Theoden King, into combat when they defended Minis Tirith in Gondor against the armies of Mordor.

How can you say there are no women in Tolkien's world?

If anything, Peter Jackson enhanced all of the female roles in Tolkien's world. Galadriel is in The Hobbit, a place she has never before been, and will undoubtedly fight against the Necromancer before the end of the series. Arwen, who had only a brief mention in Tolkien's books, rides to the rescue and carries Frodo on her horse Asfaloth to safety when Frodo cannot protect himself. And Eowyn, she is more magnificent than I ever imagined possible, so cool and beautiful and fierce.

Do not tell me that there are no women in Tolkien's world. If anything, they outshine the men because they are not haphazardly tossed into the story, but each one has a glorious purpose of light.

Written in response to the following article:

Why Does Tolkien's World lack Women Characters

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