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Wherever the Prompt Might Lead  by Larner 16 Review(s)
NotACatReviewed Chapter: 25 on 5/28/2015
Oh, my…at least this one had me weeping with laughter for a change ;-)

Author Reply: Am so glad it gave you a good, heartening chuckle or two. Heh! Thank you so!

OllieReviewed Chapter: 25 on 1/16/2009
This was a hoot. Thanks

Author Reply: Am glad it gave you a giggle or two. It was fun to write as well, particularly considering the sometimes angsty vignettes that went into the rest of the collection.

Aearloth LindirReviewed Chapter: 25 on 1/5/2009
Congratulations! I wondered at the beginning how on earth you'd manage to do it, and when you got to about day 15 was thinking "and how can you possibly get another story-line with a wharf in it?!"
But you managed it anyway.
Hope you had a good Christmas and a happy new year.


Author Reply: I am honored you followed this! It took ingenuity at times--and some playing with names and titles as well--to get all the words into each story up to the last one! But it was well worth it, I think.

Thank you--Christmas was better than last year's, and hopefully the new year will allow several situations to be resolved.

And may 2009 bring peace and prosperity to you and yours as well.

Linda HoylandReviewed Chapter: 25 on 12/30/2008
Poor frodo,what a nightmare! I loved the doormouse!Well done completing these tough prompts!

Author Reply: Thank you so very much, Linda! It was an interesting experience, and I'm not sure I'd do it again!

And am so glad you like the doormouse. My favorite image in all of Alice in Wonderland is them singing "Twinkle, twinkle little bat" and the sleepy doormouse going on and on, "Twinkle, twinkle, twinkle...." Heh!

Socrates399Reviewed Chapter: 25 on 12/27/2008
HAHA! I love the way that got crazier and crazier!

The only character I couldn't identify was the orangutang who used to be a magician. Who/what was that?

Author Reply: Am so glad you enjoyed it!

The orangutan is the Librarian from Terry Pratchett's Unseen University in the Diskworld. But then I have rather a soft spot for the Diskworld and its denizens! Heh!

Glad you enjoyed it.

SunnyReviewed Chapter: 25 on 12/27/2008
It seems that Antane has become inspired by this delightfully silly fic of yours. It didn't seem fair to only post the review below only to that other fic, though... :-)

I spent some time amusing myself with what sort of references I would put in, if I had the sort of mind that is capable of writing fiction. I _love_ reading, and I _am_ imaginative - if you had a peek in my wardrobe you would know _that_ (My latest creation is a winter coat deeply inspired by 18-century justaucorps. What use is making a garment if you can’t wear it every day?), or the last year’s birthday- or Christmas presents for the family (quilts!!) (reminds me I must mention my current UFO [UnFinished Object] in some post to Fiondil). But when it comes to words I have all the imagination of a block of stone. *turns bright green with envy*
I know, Master Ruvemir might be able to turn that humble block of stone into some delightful flight of fancy. _I_ would probably just sit there, though maybe one of his apprentices might be able to embellish me with an appropriate pattern (not _all_ that simple a pattern, though. Maybe something inspired by the woodwork decorations on the old Norse Stave Churches…)

My current list is: A white, blue-eyed horse; an enormous tree around which a large house is built (who might drop a tasty nut on Frodo’s head); a big, black-clad guy with a glowing, humming, sword-like thingy; a tall, pale, black-haired guy who looks a bit like Námo after the Ninny-incident with a smaller Goth girl; Two big guys with fox-like ears (particularly amusing, that, since the Hradani are the Bahzellverse equivalent of Orcs…); a six-legged feline with a frisbee and a low sense of humour; a Hobbit-sized Man in a General’s uniform in white and grey; a tall, dark-skinned, golden-eyed man with a golden mark on his right hand; a Pernese Dragon; a small, black cat greeting me in the Speech; Spock; Wizard Derk, putting spells on his mansion to make it look like a proper Dread Lord’s Citadel; a tall, grey-clad, grim looking guy with only one eye; a black-clad guy with a staff that looks like curdled light; a tall, pale-skinned, ruby-eyed woman with glittery black hair streaked with white; a green-eyed, bespectacled ex-nerd with a busty, blond Valkyrie…
… and that is about as far as I am able to make it before my brain implodes and I drift off to Dreamland…

Those are various characters (or, in the case of the Tree, _whatever_) that have tended to stick with me. Definitely favorites, of one kind or another.

(If someone can’t figure out what I am referring to, email me at ghnordhagen (at) hotmail (dot) com, and I will send references (and more))


Author Reply: Thanks so! And Ruvemir and his apprentices ought to have a good deal of fun with such a block of stone, I'm thinking. I have a story dealing with Ruvemir in the works, but I can't get it to resolve itself, so every once in a while I get it out, look at it, and it looks back at me until I put it back again!

I think I recognize Roland, Darth Vader, Spock, Derk--I LOVE that one!, Odin? The one with the mark on his right hand I recognize, but can't remember his name--and the book is on the bottom shelf of the fantasy bookcase, behind a stack of books from the other room that can't go back into their cases until the floor is finished and the bookcase replased!

Anyway, I, also need to get to sleep. It was a LONG, difficult day, believe me, and my back hurts from a fall I experienced when my client fell and this time took me with her!

Author Reply: And I noted Webber's cat....

Baggins BabeReviewed Chapter: 25 on 12/27/2008
What an amazing series of stories, Larner! How you managed to fit them to the prompt I don't know but I am very impressed. iwould have reviewd them all individually but my phone/internet connection was down for some time.

It was fun picking out the various 'worlds' in this last story and I was particularly pleased to see one of my personal favourites, the Librarian from Unseen University! Oook! indeed! Poor Frodo, what a confusing dream.

The monkey in several of the stories reminds me of the one in 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and is just as mischievous.

Thank you for these and a Merry Christmas to you and yours.

P.S. I notice in your review of another story that you mention beavers as not being native to Britain. Actually the European Beaver was a native of Britain for a long time although it was later hunted to extinction in this country. However, they are now being reintroduced in selected areas, and nature reserves, and we hope they will be successful in making their homes here.



Author Reply: Thanks so, Baggins Babe! It was a very interesting project, trying to make eacy one fit! As for internet connections being down or just wonky--I can certainly relate!

Oh, I'm so glad you recognized the Librarian! I love him, too!

Since monkey was on the list of words to be worked into the ficlets, I found I had to keep writing such things into the story. Nancylea ended up writing a series of stories in which one character had a monkey; in mine I had a few different monkeys, one of them being the one on Isengar's ship, of course. Monkeys and parrots are both almost stereotypical pets of sailors, I've found, so it was fairly easy to include them as long as I had to keep working wharves and finally boats into the stories. And they can be very mischievous. When my parents were stationed in Costa Rica the neighbor's pet monkey would slip into the pantry and pour out the flour and cornmeal and sugar and coffee all over the place, or would get into what food it could find.

I didn't realize there had ever been beavers in Britain! I know they were almost hunted to extinction here in North America and they've only now begun to make a resurgence in population.

And a joyous Christmas season to you as well.

AntaneReviewed Chapter: 25 on 12/26/2008
That was some dream! I recognized a lot of that very crowded and diversified landscape but not all - went to your livejournal for the references. That was cute to see Gilligan among all the others and our queen will love the references to Little Women. Too bad Mr. Darcy did not show up - I think it's around when Frodo is about to knocked over by Merry and Pippin in the film I think he's dressed just right for that period and except for height would fit right in. :) Frodo may deny it or even not be aware of it but there certainly is Elvishness about him. :) :)

Namarie, God bless, Antane

Author Reply: Am glad it gave a chuckle!

It was suggested I throw a little Austin in there, but to be honest although I know the stories of all the books at last, I've not read any of them more than once.

And although Frodo has an Elvish nature to him, I DON'T think it's a house elf's nature! Heh!

Thanks so for the comments!

AndreaReviewed Chapter: 25 on 12/26/2008
Absolutely hilarious!

And there I wondered if I had mixed up "A Christmas Carol" with "Oliver Twist"! But in fact only the first boy was Dodger, right?

And I'm glad that Ron warned Frodo to go in the direction of Aragog. Just imagine what might have happened!

Thank you for posting!

Author Reply: Yes, we had the Artful Dodger at first, before the sight of Scrooge and the delightful boy who fetched the poulterer for him!

As for Frodo meeting Aragog's descendants--I shudder at the thought of it! I think he's had more than enough to deal with without more giant spiders!

KittyReviewed Chapter: 25 on 12/25/2008
Larner, that was hilarious! There were a few literary references I didn't get, but I enjoyed it immensely! And what a fun way to include all the words in a story again!

Maybe I should find out what's in my teas - sometimes my dreams are equally disjointed, jumping from location to location and topic to topic without any sense. Have been waking up annoyed more than once because it didn't make *any* sense *grin* But Frodo's dream was even more crazy than mine.

Author Reply: I've detailed the entire list of references in my LiveJournal:

http://blslarner.livejournal.com/

I was on a pain med after surgery that did this to MY dreams, and I quit after the second night of disjointed dreams--could not stand it. I found plain old aspirin did as good a job at controlling the pain, but without the disruption to my dreaming.

Thanks so for the comments! Heh!

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