What are you writing about now?

Aldarion said:

After five years of work, I really hope it will be worth the effort.

Click to expand...

Only 5 years..! "You've only just begun..." sung to the tune of that song including the phrase "you've only just begun." (Yeah, I know... my imagination is a bit limited..!)

I so look forward to your work and product, and continuing to hear of your progress...

Ent said:

Only 5 years..! "You've only just begun..." sung to the tune of that song including the phrase "you've only just begun." (Yeah, I know... my imagination is a bit limited..!)

I so look forward to your work and product, and continuing to hear of your progress...

Click to expand...

Five years of writing historical background, yeah. I still have to figure out some of the more minor (but for story, possibly more important!) details, but I have realized that as history has solidified, most of the issues have in fact solved themselves along the way!

Aldarion said:

I finally finished writing historical background for my world. I have some more stuff to do, but that should be a lot easier. After that, I can finally begin writing the story.

And I say finally because... I started worldbuilding back in 2019. After five years of work, I really hope it will be worth the effort.

Click to expand...

Good for you! Keep at it!

I admit, @david_wendelken, with all you’ve told us about your books and how much thoughtful time and effort you’re putting into them, my interest is greatly piqued. I know you mentioned before you don’t currently have any plans for large-scale international publishing, but nonetheless, I would still love to read them someday.

Fingon_Findekáno said:

I admit, @david_wendelken, with all you’ve told us about your books and how much thoughtful time and effort you’re putting into them, my interest is greatly piqued. I know you mentioned before you don’t currently have any plans for large-scale international publishing, but nonetheless, I would still love to read them someday.

Click to expand...

Thanks! At some point I'll be done writing the 1st and 2nd books in the series and will have figured out the licensing or international copyright issues. I'll make sure this group gets a chance to read it one way or the other!

david_wendelken said:

Thanks! At some point I'll be done writing the 1st and 2nd books in the series and will have figured out the licensing or international copyright issues. I'll make sure this group gets a chance to read it one way or the other!

Click to expand...

I look forward to it! 😁 Will you have to go through the Tolkien Estate to have your books approved, do you think?

Fingon_Findekáno said:

I look forward to it! 😁 Will you have to go through the Tolkien Estate to have your books approved, do you think?

Click to expand...

I would prefer that route! Simple, clean, and opens up the most options. But I can't control whether they accept.

The copyrights on the Hobbit, LOTR and the Silmarillion expire in 4-5 years in half the world, so it's possible (in theory) to publish in those countries. Not an ideal option, but still an option. Might have to go to Monaco, Andorra, South Africa or Macau to buy a copy, though. I have a few other options in mind. Time will tell.

david_wendelken said:

I think my editing task for this coming week or so will be to get rid of the obsolete versions. In the first pass of that, I'll have some competing paragraphs or sections which will be marked as radically different ways of saying the same thing and/or as having inconsistent story elements. Near duplicates will usually be easy to tidy up. I won't worry about cleaning that up. I want to get rid of the bulk of words that are functional duplicates. My guess is about 12,000 to 15,000 words will disappear and I'll be glad to see them gone.

Click to expand...

I spent the last two days going thru two timelines and deciding upon which portions of each were the one true version. I made some changes in what chapters I would need to write based on the changes (none of which exist other than as a chapter stub with more than a paragraph of text) It cleaned up what needed to be done in a few important sections of the book which is "a big thing".

Even better, part of one of those chapters started pouring out so I've got a good middle sketched out. I have a lot more details in the timeline to prompt me when I write the full chapter text. It was two days well spent!

I'm going to pursue that chapter whilst the text is flowing freely. Afterwards, I'll go over to the one remaining chapter that has two major competing sections of text and trim it down to one true version.

Progress!

One of the things I've learned over the last 16 months of solid writing time is the real value of switch-hitting between writing an outline (or timeline in my case), letting the text flow freely, or editing what I've written. All three methods are great for unblocking my brain and getting the story to flow out. If one method won't work for me on a given day, I've got two different methods to try. One of them usually works!

Currently, most of my time is taken by my studies for my finals, but by Sunday this week, they will be finished and I can go back to working on my projects regularly.

I am currently working on a lot of things(in my mind at least!😄)but as for the ones I have done something for, here's the list:

1. Amidst the Misty Glades: Evil Returns

My first ever solo work, and one I really need to get back to work on as it's been months since I last wrote anything for it.
I personally think my difficulty with it is because of the lack of information provided by Tolkien himself. (outside of HoME which I don't have access to.)
I want to keep it as close to the canon as possible and there is little known from Doriath besides the story of Lúthien and Turin. Most of my main characters are OCs or are Tolkien characters with little to know information about their personality or history.(Namely Oropher and Amdir with Oropher being my main protagonist.)
I'd appreciate it if you have any pointers to share with me!

2. Hasty in Guilt

I've changed the course of if a few times already, but I am pretty sure my plan for its future is set, and hopefully, I can finish it over my break. It was supposed to be an easy write, but as it's always with, I made it to be unnecessarily deep!😅

3. Twilight Amidst the Everlasting Darkness

One of my collaborations with @Maedhros_Nelyafinwë and one of the works I am extremely proud of. It is ... almost over, I can say, and is going through some editings to be transformed to fanfiction format from RP format. We've taken a break to finish it off more powerful.😁

4. A little something I'm not going to name yet.

It's a 10k(or perhaps longer) one-shot I have just started to write, and I am no sure when I can finish it.

5. Knowing When to Give Up

I haven't posted it here yet and I am not sure why, but it's a short story I plan to finish as well over my break. Maybe I can post it after my last exam.

david_wendelken said:

I would prefer that route! Simple, clean, and opens up the most options. But I can't control whether they accept.

Click to expand...

Do take time to review the laws regarding copyright and plagarism.

The "5 essential questions needing to be answered by a court of law" in any action are very much more restrictive than I had expected. That is, it's far harder to 'cross the line' and expose onesself to legal action than I had thought.

After careful work, even my own Trilogy (should I actually get it done before I fossilize) would be outside the realm of lawsuit territory...and it will use several of the characters and refer directly to some of the events of Tolkien's works.

That said, it's still 'best' to clear the road rather than take a chance.

Got the duplicated chapter fragments sorted out in Book 1 and a start on a chapter!

Oh Joy, Oh Rapture...!! (Scarecrow, 1939 Wiz of Oz movie.)

Today I finished editing of all the TEXT of the current book. Now I can move to writing the introduction, and the Appendix to it.

Of course, if after I get those to him and he wants me to take another run through it for any final gremlins leaping out, I'll gladly do so...then he can do his final final.

But for now.. tomorrow morning, it's off to writing me own 'original stuff' for the thing.

Getting ever closer to becoming a Scarce Commodity at TTF... (when I start on my own books.) May already be a wee bit closer than I thought... had great time and progress today to put into the work.

Feeling blessed, and pleased.

@Ent , no reason you can't hang around and share your progress on your own work! Enquiring minds want to know!

david_wendelken said:

no reason you can't hang around and share your progress

Click to expand...

too true, and explanations are important.
"...scarce commodity..." comparatively.
"...scarce commodity..." as in not being on every day, sitting here for hours on end (though rarely looking at anything...just hanging out with the crowd, or at times, even all alone.).
"...scarce commodity..." for much of anything valuable as a Mod... might be better to replace me with a sloth at that time.

But I do intend to keep 'popping in'. After all, TTF is much like my intravenous coffee... I just don't know what I'd do without it.

It offers amusement, information, education, and at times even a roller coaster ride. And I don't need to pay for admission..!

Oh I'll be around. None of you can escape me that easily.

Well, in a stunning development, the Introduction I needed to write for the book just flowed out of me onto e-Paper needing only 6 revision reviews.
I just sent it to the author.

Turns out what was needed was a simple single-page link between the Prologue, and the expanded and re-cast Table of Contents, which now attractively and invitingly demonstrates the depth of the book's contents.

So I'm off to work on the Appendix now...which will be a wee bit more complex.

-------------

Just heard back from the author. (I started this post about 20 minutes ago...interruptions abound.)

His comment: -- "The first read-through and.....brilliant!!!"

So I guess he's sufficiently satisfied, though I hope he has some further critique to give for improvement.

NOTE: When I first scanned the initial draft, I confess... I had used two (proper) 'that's.' Never fear... they were eliminated. No 'that' will be left unchurned.

Another stunning developmnt... pondering the rest of the day yesterday, and on the way to work this morning, on the nature and content of the Appendix - (a wide array of possibilities) - it revealed itself to me, including its title.
Author and I are both very excited about it... and now I'm having a terrible time sitting here at work working..!!
Writing is far more fun.
Oh well... we must not be hasty.

Revised and returned the Introduction... disliked my prior wriging (as usual.) it will be reviewed and set into the book shortly.

Thoughts and issues of the Appendix are settled. I changed my direction... the initial direction expanded on his work, but did not really provide anything "additive". Wanted to choose subject matter providing both.

Should be able to wrap the Appendix up in about 2 weeks. Then off I go... into deep Entish pursuits. (Well, there is one more document I want to review for a person who has been waiting for awhile. Won't take long.)

@Ent , glad you're making progress and you're happy with it!

My wife had a full knee replacement surgery on Monday. I've managed to write a page and a half since I brought her home. Sleep deprivation and a host of extra chores are not conducive to any writing, much less good writing. However, I did get a fair bit of thinking about the chapter I'm working on in between stumbling around in a zombie-like state. I've figured out several ideas that flesh out what the character is doing and, more importantly, why they are doing it. About half the writing I got done is jotting down those ideas in their proper place in the chapter.

Well. Had a chat with the rest of the Mods. They don't want to let me go. They assure me I can stay a mod, and just come in 'whenever, for however long, and do whatever." And i don't need to feel any obligation.
In other words: I be chained.



But not really. Self-discipline will rule the day.

Latest status report... this morning the final format for the Appendix burst out of me, section headings with approprate quotes fell onto the page, and more writing was added to the Introductory part to the Appendix.

It's feeling very good right now... I'm hoping it delivers the intended impact at the end of the day, and helps drive people to start asking some real and important questions.

On we go.

(p.s. - as you may note, my tagline thingy is now 'becoming Hournish'. I'll start being around less right away.. and when here, only for brief periods of time. If you have any questions or need any help, feel free to ask. Just be sure to tag me so it comes into my email, or I'll likely not see it.)

Having finished the entire thread so far(and found many, many useful bits in it), I will tell what I have decided to work on.

My personal writing project is focused in the world of Arda, and takes place during the Second Age; specifically, it begins about three years before the Downfall of Númenor. Amandil, father of Elendil, traveled into the West about this time to plead for help from the Valar for his people, for their safety. No one, not his family, not anyone in Middle Earth, ever saw or heard of Amandil and his crew again.

My story intends to depict what happened to Amandil during his voyage and to give him an important, though unsung role in Middle-Earth history. This is the short explanation: the Valar could not grant Amandil's request, but Ulmo was able to promise his greatest protection for Amandil's people when the inevitable punishment for the Númenóreans came. However, once the last of the Faithful came to Middle Earth they would be vulnerable and open to attack by Sauron's forces. So Ulmo gave Amandil a task: sail to Middle Earth and protect his people, undermine Sauron's power and delay him returning to his full strength as long as possible.

Now, why I chose to write it thus is because, so far as I can see, it perfectly fits the lore. Following the downfall of Númenor and Sauron's physical destruction, it took him approximately 109 years to regain enough power to strike against the infant kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor, and even then he was not at full strength. My question was: what took him so long?

So Amandil will be the reason. There will be a lot more in the story which I will share later, as I want to give you guys a basic idea of the story for now and I must attend to housework requirements(😅), but for the meantime, that is my project.

(I wrote all this without one use of "that", so far as I know, and only occasion where I nearly wrote it and had to think of another way to put my thoughts. Cheers and many thanks to @oldEnt for his work and tips! I will endeavor to use them well.)