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The Thrum of Tookish Bowstrings, Part 1  by Lindelea 2 Review(s)
LarnerReviewed Chapter: 20 on 3/28/2020
Blast--this tablet te my reply again. Farry has quite the mind, and more than a normal lad's share of intelligence. And now Ferdi knows the truth.

Author Reply: Naughty tablet! I understand the frustration.

Children and their magical thinking... and their taking responsibility for things that are beyond their ken... it's heart-twisting sometimes. I'm glad Farry has had someone to listen to him when his parents were too busy or beleaguered. Mentors are important. (Geez, I have a talent for stating the obvious...)

Thanks! I did not make any progress in writing this week, as I got sideswiped by March 25 (what, really? already?) and wanted to mark that occasion with a little something that had been knocking around the back of my brain. But I'm back to fleshing out the added sections in this story (my, it has grown, from 40 chapters to I'm not sure how many), so I should be in touch this week, I hope, to chew some things over.

(hugs) Hope this finds you well.

MirkwoodmaidenReviewed Chapter: 20 on 3/24/2020
Lindelea!

This was a wonderful chapter. Question. have you written that story about Faramir Eowyn and Ferdi meeting during time of need. If you have, what is the title?

Love the relationship between Farry and Ferdi.

And Farry's confession about his ability to shoot. This I particularly liked because it is what I strive for in my writing as well. The kinds of decisions people make and the reason they make them. We are driven by our emotions more than rational thought most of the time. Farry made a child's decision based on what he knew and felt as a child. ‘If I didn’t shoot like an escort, perhaps my da wouldn’t die, you see.’ It is what a child might think. I like that bit of character sketching. I could feel Farry's pain as a teenager trying to explain his reasoning. Just wonderful.

Hope this review finds you well and safe!

MM

Author Reply: To answer your question, Faramir and Eowyn accompany wains full of supplies sent from the Southlands to the Shire during a time of drought and famine in the story At the End of His Rope (http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterlistview.asp?SID=309). They don't arrive until chapter 69, but they stay through nearly to the end of the story. The chapters that come before that set up Pippin's struggle to be Thain in the face of serious physical challenges, and they also contain his miraculous healing... which, true to real life, doesn't mean that everything is smooth sailing from then on. (Whew!) It is a very early story (first posted in 2003, yikes), and I'm fairly sure it was one of the first of my stories where Ferdi, Faramir, or Eowyn appeared. This means the characterizations are not as fully developed as they would come to be; however, amazingly enough, they are true to how I envision the characters today, so I guess the Muse knew what she was doing all those years ago, before she really started to clue me in. (It also means that it does not picture Ferdi's friendship springing up with Faramir and Eowyn, a fairly recent revelation on the Muse's part, though the possibility has always been there. Perhaps that will become a story of its own.)

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on that story (especially how I have imagined Eowyn and Faramir)! It was sort of the seed from which all the rest of my imaginings of the Shire (especially the Tookland) grew.

I have to admit, I am enjoying exploring the relationship between Ferdi and Farry, especially in preparation for eventually tackling the draft of "Farry and Ferdi go to Gondor" and fleshing it out into an actual story. (A few chapters exist, more or less, here on SoA as Dreams of Gold.) Ferdi kind of took almost-4yo Farry under his wing when Pippin got sandbagged with all the responsibilities of becoming Thain, perhaps recognizing a fellow lonely soul.

D'y'know, what you've mentioned is one of the things that has drawn me to your writing! I love the little details your write that feel so real, that make me feel that I'm reading about "real" people, the relationships you draw and the reasons behind why people do what they do. I am fascinated with your take on Faramir; it rings true to what we know of him, and I love the growing trust and understanding between him and Eomer, and the deep and joyful love he shares with Eowyn. I also enjoy how you show Eomer's and Eowyn's relationship; very natural, and reminds me of being a little sister. As a matter of fact, I read your latest chapter on my phone, and now I'm heading over there to leave a review now that I have a keyboard at my fingertips.

Author Reply: (Hah, I was mistaken. Eomer, Eowyn, and Faramir appears as early as chapter 60 in At the End of His Rope. I had forgotten that.)

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