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| Dreamflower's Musings by Dreamflower | 120 Review(s) |
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| KathyG | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 2/12/2021 |
| I remember Scholastic Book Days! When I was in the 6th or 7th grade, I ordered a copy of Romeo and Juliet from them. It was a movie tie-in; it had a scene from the movie that starred Olivia Hussein as Juliet. That was back in the early 1970s. Unlike many of you, I am a latecomer to Tolkien. I never thought that I would be interested in any fantasy novel that was set completely in another world. The only fantasy novels that really interested me were the ones in which people from our world traveled to fantasy worlds (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, etc.). Since The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings do not fit into that category, I was convinced that I would never be interested in reading them. But then, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey came out in the theaters in December, 2012, and Wal-Mart began an all-out promotional campaign on its behalf. It sold both novels in the book section (The Hobbit was a movie tie-in); it sold the Lord of the Rings movies in the DVD section; it sold posters, Lego sets, you name it! Suffice it to say I could not help but be interested, so even though I didn't go to the cinema to watch the movie, I did put the 2 novels on my Christmas wish list; they were included among my presents on Christmas morning. But I was determined to also get a copy of C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia to read alongside them. I was able to get one in January, 2013, and then, while I was reading The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I was reading The Hobbit; as I continued to read the rest of the fantasy novels in The Chronicles, and after I had finished reading The Hobbit, I started reading The Lord of the Rings. Well, something happened to me that I never expected: I became a diehard Tolkien fan! After I had finished reading TLOTR, I could not simply put it back on the shelf and leave it there. I kept returning to it, reading and rereading sections in it that really interested me. And I started wanting my own copies of the Peter Jackson movies as well as my own copy of The Hobbit movie when it came out on DVD; eventually, I got them, and later on, the extended editions and the original animated versions. And I got copies of the rest of The Hobbit trilogy as they came out. Etc., etc, etc. =) So, while I did not grow up on Tolkien, once I finally made his acquaintance, I fell in love with his works. I have purchased and read as many of his other works as I can get a hold of. | |
| KathyG | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/7/2020 |
| Here's another plot bunny regarding Bilbo. We know he cared about his employees, and we know that he taught Sam his letters and told Sam stories about Elves. Since as an adult, Sam knew a poem about oliphaunts, I'm guessing that it was Bilbo who assigned him that lesson when he was a child. What brought about Bilbo's decision to teach Sam to read and write? What did Sam's lessons consist of? Did Bilbo wait until Frodo was living with him before he started to teach Sam, and did he give Sam his lessons separately? How did Bilbo relate to the rest of Sam's family? | |
| Noleme | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 9/12/2016 |
| Very nicely written, good examples. If I were an author I'd use it as a summary guide. I have to agree with all you write, with maybe two buts - with the creative language and negative tags I'd argue it comes down to the author's reader scope. Simpler language might attract younger and less language proficient international readers. As for the negative tags, while I agree tags such as 'character bashing', 'implied slash' and 'OOC' are a turnoff for many readers, at the same time I'm very grateful for the author's honesty (probably they wisely wish to avoid flamers), as nothing annoys me more than when I start reading a story only to have it spoiled by the presence any of the above without any warnings. Anyway, good read; always looking forward to your writings. N. Author Reply: Vivid words do not have to be complicated; they can be quite simple. Some words just sound more exciting than others. Warnings about character bashing and OOC are probably necessary, especially in some fandoms. It's usually best to use tags or drop-downs for most warnings, but in older archives, such things might need to be used in the summary. Sometimes thing like that can also be put in a header for the story. Headers usually have a place for warnings. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 9/6/2016 |
| Again, an excellent topic to get us thinking. I wish that I always wrote good summaries, but know that some are dead. Love the one from Fiondil! Author Reply: We can't always get them perfect. I certainly have some that I think could use improvement. But some people don't even try! | |
| DrummerWench | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 9/4/2016 |
| Thank you, Dreamflower, for a useful and interesting essay! *sideyes own summaries pretty hard* Wow, do they tend to the dry, minimalist end of the spectrum! Maaaybe I should consider rewrites. Though even when starting out, I never understood why people said, "I suck at summaries." Do you ... /not want/ people to read your stories? Author Reply: Some of my own are a bit dry and minimalist--it's hard to hit it out of the park every time! Exactly. I am quite sure (as fanficrants attests) that I am not the only person who simply never clicks on a story that has "I suck at summaries". As to why, I put it down to the following things: 1. The fear that the summary really does suck, and the hope that pointing it out will make the reader less likely to point it out. 2. False modesty and the hopes that someone will click on the story out of pity. 3. A lame attempt at humor. 4. (And this the most pervasive, I believe) New writers see it in older writers' summaries, and incorrectly believe it is the "cool" thing to say. It's a desire to fit into the culture of what "everybody" (which is false, since NOT everybody does it) does. | |
| KathyG | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/3/2016 |
| Is Dana's Annotated Tale of Years still available on the Internet? I should like to read it, if it is. I know it's no longer available on that URL you posted, more's the pity. Author Reply: It is still available, but no longer at the original link. I will have to see if I can find the new link for you. Author Reply: It is still available, but no longer at the original link. I will have to see if I can find the new link for you. It may take a little time. | |
| KathyG | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/3/2016 |
| You left out Sam's "glory and trumpet"! I'm pretty sure he spoke that phrase in just one place in The Lord of the Rings: when Frodo had mostly recovered from the effects of the Morgul knife wound. | |
| KathyG | Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 9/3/2016 |
| Great! You restored this article to its entirety--thanks! | |
| KathyG | Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 9/2/2016 |
| Dreamflower, are you ever going to restore this essay? Author Reply: I thought I had done so already. I'm not quite sure what happened to it, but I will see about as soon as I can. Author Reply: OK, dearie, I got it fixed now! | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 16 on 9/24/2015 |
| I've been away or distracted by other things for too long, and rejoice to be able at last to read and comment on this. How well you have tied the song to the film and the whole story of Middle Earth PJ and so many other artisans and artists have done for us, and how I grieve that it is unlikely they will take us further. I do not know this song as I do "Into the West," but it still moves me each time I listen to it, and as I hear Pippin/Boyd's voice again foreshadowing both current partings and the distant hope of reunions one sweet day within the wonder of Eternity. Thank you so! Author Reply: "as I hear Pippin/Boyd's voice again foreshadowing both current partings and the distant hope of reunions one sweet day within the wonder of Eternity." Beautifully put, and perfectly in tune with what I hoped to convey. | |