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| The Way Home by Lindelea | 4 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Tripsy | Reviewed Chapter: 50 on 1/30/2026 |
| I really enjoyed reading the story, and I kept wondering what kind of fantasy you wrote it in and what you were thinking at the time. The more lines I read, the more I kept wondering, because the way you created the characters and their roles is truly amazing. I’m a reader, and often writers aren’t able to define character roles properly they don’t feel fixed or clear but here it’s done very well. So I want to ask: what were you thinking when you created this? And also, I noticed that you didn’t include the characters’ background stories here, which made me very curious about what they might be. Could you answer my questions and talk about these things? Because they’ve been on my mind. Author Reply: Thank you for your thoughtful question. I simply tried to put myself in Bill's shoes, so to speak. What would I be feeling in his place? I combed Tolkien's work for every hint and mention of Bill, as well as every detail I could glean about the circumstances and surroundings as he journeyed so that I could imagine him going through all the experiences I could imagine along the way. I'm not sure which characters you're asking about in your question about their background stories? As much as possible, all the characters' background stories (even the wolves and the ruffians) are based on what Tolkien said about them in the first place, little as it might have been. For example, Butterbur said to the returning travellers that wolves were howling around the fences "last winter" and he mentioned heavy snow. So I thought about what that might mean: hungry wolves ranging farther than usual across a snowy landscape in search of prey. The same with the gangrels coming up the Greenway from the South; it seemed plausible that many of them came from Gondor and were captured passing through Rohan, where Wormtongue recruited them to terrorize the Shire. I have only recently begun writing about Rangers, and I'm still trying to feel my way along in their case, putting together Tolkien's narrative and his letters and what other people have said about his Rangers. I haven't read much Ranger-based fanfic compared to the amount of hobbit-fic I've devoured. A lot of what I've written about Rangers is based on logic and guesswork. For example, when I saw (from analyzing The Tale of Years) that Halbarad could appear in Bill's story, I read all I could find about him, and then I imagined that he had a soft spot in his heart for horses and ponies (which made sense in a pony-centered story) and went on from there. The same thing happened with Shadowfax and Radagast; looking at the map, I wasn't sure a lone pony could make it all the way back to Bree, what with wolves and dangerous river crossings and other dangers. So I brainstormed just what kind of helpers he might conceivably encounter and made sure the Tale of Years didn't specify that they were somewhere else at the time Bill was heading back to Bree. Then I read everything I could find about them – which wasn't much. So I guess I'd say that fleshing out the characters took a lot of imagination while still trying to stay firmly within the constraints of Tolkien's vision and world building. Does that answer your question? If it doesn't, quite, or if you have anything else that puzzles you, please feel free to ask. I love talking about Tolkien's universe, playing in his sandbox, and pondering the writing process and the sometimes mysterious ways it works. Author Reply: p.s. I had another thought. Bill's background was totally made up, of course. It made sense to me that Ferny could not have been his only owner – he had to have had good training and gentle handling at some time in his life, or he would never have been trustworthy or patient as Tolkien described him. Thus, I imagined he was originally owned by an old couple; the Man might have been a farmer or pony trainer, or he might have worked at some other trade but filled his time after retirement with raising and training ponies. When he died, his wife couldn't afford to keep both Bill and his dam, and so he was sold to Ferny (if you have read part 1, The Tenth Walker, you saw hints of those details). Speaking of his dam, his wise mother is a plot device of sorts that explains his memories and helps him understand his current circumstances at any point in the story. I imagined her as an older pony who had learned a lot of lessons over her lifetime and also remembered the stories passed down to her from her forebears. (I remember being fascinated by oral histories in my earlier years and included the idea in Bill's story.) The dying horse Bill remembers is another plot device to tie his pre-Quest memory of Halbarad together with his current experience. It was probably inspired by some scenes in Black Beauty, a childhood favorite of mine that most likely had a strong influence on how I told Bill's story by trying to see through the pony's eyes and other senses. However, hopefully the result is fresh and new and doesn't sound derivative. | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 50 on 1/30/2026 |
| He's safe and warm and will be fed and tended... This makes my heart happy. I will *never* tire of fluff and comfort and well-earned rest and friends and meals! Thank you for seeing Bill back safely to Bree. Author Reply: I'm very glad. I know *I* enjoy reading fluff and comfort, but I still worry for some reason that other people will find it boring. (I never find it boring! But I'm haunted by memories of an old writing teacher who insisted that every story must have conflict and a climax and a resolution and all that. Rising action and falling action and... lots more technical stuff that I don't remember very clearly anymore.) And yet, one of the reasons I chose to explore h/c in the first place (all those years ago) was the anticipation I always felt in looking forward to reaching the "c" part. (And here let me insert that you do "fluff and comfort and well-earned rest and friends and meals" marvellously well.) You're very welcome, and thank you for coming along on the journey and faithfully sharing your thoughts. | |
| Lady Forlong | Reviewed Chapter: 50 on 1/30/2026 |
| So the Ranger got Bill to a safe place with kind people to take care of him, and then (having fulfilled his responsibility to the pony) went off to do what Rangers do. Needless to say, they don't deserve their reputation. Barliman Butterbur hasn't changed a bit LOL Spoiler Alert! Sound's like there's going to be at least one more confrontation between Bill the pony and Bill Ferny the old misery. I don't think Bill Ferny is going to win that one... Author Reply: I wonder how much of the Rangers' reputation was carefully cultivated by the Rangers themselves? Sort of protective coloration to avoid the Enemy's attention? Actually, I've wondered that for a long time. Good, I'm glad Barliman sounds true to type. And yes, regarding the spoiler alert, there's trouble on the way... Thanks so much for reading and sharing your thoughts! | |
| KathyG | Reviewed Chapter: 50 on 1/29/2026 |
| And now, Bill is back at The Prancing Pony! At least he's safe from Ferny, and thank goodness for that. That Bob will take good care of him, I have no doubt. Author Reply: I too have every confidence in Bob! I had a lovely time getting to know him a little better in the draft. Thanks! | |