My journal is friends-only save for fanfic and fandom entries because I talk about offline stuff fairly frequently.

If you wish to be added, please comment below.

Banner by iavalir.

Edited Feb. 2, 2022: This post is extremely out of date. The best places to find my fics remain SWG and AO3.

Edited Jan. 3, 2017: This post is somewhat out of date. The best places to find my fics are SWG and AO3.

This is the main index post for my stories. I have started using Choose Not to Warn more often than not, though I don't use it exclusively and won't touch the warnings on already posted fics. Wordcounts are generally rounded to nearest hundred; drabbles are labeled as such.

The sidebar links go to my profiles on various archives, which are my main posting platforms. SWG has all of my Tolkien fic (when I post Tolkien fic here, it's usually just links to SWG, and I don't always bother to do that). AO3 has my non-Tolkien fic. Ff.net has my juvenilia, and it will not be moved to AO3. I no longer post on Stories Of Arda or ff.net.

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If you were in Tolkien fandom in the early and mid 2000s, I want to hear from you! Lurkers, readers, writers, artists or any combination of that and more. (However, I am not dealing with the LotRiPS side of the fandom.)

I’m writing meta about how the Tolkien fandom culture of that time period influenced Tolkien archive policies of the Tolkien-centric archives that opened in the mid and late 2000s, specifically of the Silmarillion Writers’ Guild but also in general. I can only bring my limited experience to that, so rather than ignore things I know happened but don’t have any personal experience with, I want to know other people’s recollections.

The link goes to a Google form with several questions about specific areas that I remember being controversial, but there is also space for freeform answers.

The form will be open from July 31, 2019 through August 21, 2019.

Please pass this on to anyone you know might be interested.

The link to the form.

Crossposted on Dreamwidth: https://independence1776.dreamwidth.org/603014.html. Comment on whichever site you prefer.

Fandom: The Silmarillion
Rating: Mature/Adult
Genre: Dark canon divergent AU, gen.
Wordcount: 4200 words
Characters: Maglor, Maedhros, Elwing, Eärendil, Elrond

Warnings: Choose Not to Warn, largely because I suspect there would be warnings I missed because it's a dark canon divergent AU. There's a ton of off-screen character death, on-screen suicide-by-battle, and no good answers.

Author’s Notes: Many thanks to Lyra for the beta. The title comes from Emily Brontë’s poem “The Night is Darkening Round Me.” This was written for SWG's Silmarillion40 compilation.

Read on: SWG or AO3.

Crossposted on Dreamwidth: https://independence1776.dreamwidth.org/528480.html. Comment on whichever site you prefer.

Hey everyone!

We the B2MeM mods need to know how you feel about B2MeM and LiveJournal, including if we should import the comm from LJ to DW and where to host the event in the future. It doesn't matter your primary platform or when (or if) you participated; as long as you're interested in B2MeM, we want your input.

Please read the post on Dreamwidth, LiveJournal, or Tumblr and then take the five-question poll.

We would love it if you signal boost this, either via links or reblogging the Tumblr post.

The poll will close on JUNE 26 at 11:59 PM Hawaiian time. We will post a reminder in the above communities a few days before then.

Crossposted on Dreamwidth: http://independence1776.dreamwidth.org/515893.html.

So here's what I created for Back to Middle-earth Month 2017: one short story and two rec lists.

A Light Exists in Spring (On AO3): While living in Dorwinion, Maglor receives help in making a life-changing decision. Gen; rated Teens for mature themes; 1200 words.

(Even though I try not to write these sorts of notes, I have to say it's not one of my better fics and the central relationship is out there even for me. I kind of regret posting it.)

Women-centric fanworks: A group of women-centric fanworks for an Act of Kindness, organized by length.

OC-centric fics: A selection of OC-centric fics, organized by length.

From The Return of the King, The Tower of Cirith Ungol:

In western lands beneath the Sun
the flowers may rise in Spring,
the trees may bud, the waters run,
the merry finches sing.
Or there maybe 'tis cloudless night
and swaying beeches bear
the Elven-stars as jewels white
amid their branching hair.

Though here at journey's end I lie
in darkness buried deep,
beyond all towers strong and high,
beyond all mountains steep,
above all shadows rides the Sun
and Stars for ever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done,
nor bid the Stars farewell.

Posted via m.livejournal.com.

In your own space, write a love letter to Fandom in general, to a particular fandom, to a trope, a relationship, a character, or to your flist/circle/followers. Share you love and squee as loud as you want to.

Dear everyone on my flist, including those who've left fandom and those who've drifted apart:

You've made my life so much better, so much happier. Your comments on my fics and my occasional graphics, your support for little and big things, our conversations, being there through the good and bad times-- all of it is deeply held close to my heart. Thank you.

Love,
Indy

Posted via m.livejournal.com.

In your own space, write about a moment in fandom that meant a lot to you.

CrossingsCon!

The first (but not last!) Young Wizards convention that happened last June. It was fantastic getting to meet fellow YW fans in person, spending a weekend in an environment dedicated to the book series, a tour of YW-related places in Manhattan, and so many little things.

My main regret is that I didn't meet enough people. There were 120+ people attending and that's just enough (in my mind at least) to be able to completely miss seeing people to the point where you didn't know they were there until you saw photos and con reports and squee after the con ended.

My CrossingsCon tag has pictures (both mine and others'), audio of the jam session, and a lot of squee.

Posted via m.livejournal.com.

Day 8

In your own space, make a list of at least 3 things that you like about yourself.

I'd originally skipped this challenge. I could only think of one thing, which is sad, and then last night I got angry at myself for taking the easy way out and thought of more.

1. I write good dialogue.

2. I step up to help with fannish projects. This is how I became head mod for b2mem: I volunteered to help with tagging in 2012, became the tagging mod in 2013, and then co-head mod in 2015, and then head mod last year. I helped with the HASA Rescue Project when we weren't sure any part of the archive was going to be saved (and we kept going with the project even when we learned it would be ported onto AO3 via Open Doors).

3. That I had the courage in June 2016 despite major fear and anxiety to walk into what has become my synagogue and to contact the rabbi about converting.

Day 12

In your own space, post a rec for fannish spaces and resources - comms, challenges, twitters, tumblrs, etc. Tell us about where you hang out.

My usual answer, being mostly monofannish, is The Silmarillion Writers' Guild: awesome fics, a great resource section, plenty of challenges (that the mods have just revamped and I'm terribly excited about them), a monthly newsletter, and a great community of people. There's satellite communities on LJ, DW, and Tumblr (they're linked at the bottom of the site's side column). It's my fandom home.

Also: b2mem (Back to Middle-earth Month) is an annual fest in March. We welcome everyone, no matter what sort of Tolkien-based fanworks they like to create. My mods and I are working on this year's event, so stay tuned for that if you're interested.

Here's my unusual answer: I maintain a list of Tolkien fanfic archives that I urge you to explore. This is where the Tolkien fandom before the rise of AO3 hung out and many of us still use these archives.

In your own space, create a list of at least three fannish things you'd love to receive, something you've wanted but were afraid to ask for - a fannish wish-list of sorts.

~ My Fandom_Stocking (reveals are on Jan. 11): http://fandom-stocking.dreamwidth.org/629069.html

~ Comments on my fics if you like them, especially if you bookmark or rec them. A simple “I liked it!” or writing out “kudos” or stuff like that are just as welcome as in-depth comments.

~ Fanart based on my fics, especially my longer ones.

~ A gen Silmarillion/LotR fic based on this prompt: One winter evening, Maglor and Gandalf run into each other-- literally or metaphorically-- at The Prancing Pony. (I’d prefer the Valar-- if they’re mentioned at all-- to neither be perfect/capable of doing no wrong nor horrible/worse than Morgoth.)

~ Suggestions for a low-pressure way to be more disciplined in my writing that does not involve minimum goals (wordcount or number of stories written), daily writing (too high-pressure and guaranteed to fail and send me into a guilt spiral), or deadlines of any sort. Actively keeping track of wordcount or how often I write is also probably too much pressure.

…I suspect this may be an impossible request.

~ Not fandom-related: Judaism blogs that are convert-in-process friendly, preferably on Dreamwidth. (I want to read in my feed and not have to allow access to my locked posts in order to do so.) I desperately want to find things that are off Tumblr and not focused on “the world is horrible” and “let’s attack each other over minor differences of opinion.” I’d prefer blogs from Conservative, Reform, or other liberal perspectives.

Posted via m.livejournal.com.

In your own space, post recs for at least three fanworks that you did not create.

So here’s what I’m doing: one Tolkien giftfic for me that I adore and a handful of old Star Wars Prequel-era fics that I’ve been rereading lately.

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Posted via m.livejournal.com.

The easiest one of all:

Happy 125th Birthday, Professor!

Posted via m.livejournal.com.

In your own space, share a book/song/movie/tv show/fanwork/etc that changed your life. Something that impacted on your consciousness in a way that left its mark on your soul.

I was going to skip this one because I've talked multiple times about my love of Tolkien's books and Young Wizards. And then I realized there's one fandom I haven't talked about, that I've loved ever since I first saw it in 1993, and there's new canon for: Star Wars.

(There will be spoilers for Rogue One.)

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Posted via m.livejournal.com.

It's running again! They needed new mods and I wasn't sure they'd get them, but it's running! I probably won't do all the days, but yeah. I'm happy.

In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you have created. It can be your favorite fanworks that you've created, or fanworks you feel no one ever saw, or fanworks you say would define you as a creator.

So this year I didn't write a lot, but here's the three fics I'm proud of:

The Chain That Snaps (Also on AO3). Silmarillion, gen, rated Adult/Mature, warning for torture. 2680 words. Elrond rescues Maglor from a laboratory. Hurt/comfort.

Complete self-indulgence on my part. It's basically the fic that I always wanted to read and could never find. It's also the type of fic I've been afraid to post for fear of getting yelled at. I am so, so glad I found the courage to post this because it's honestly one of my favorite things that I've written.

In Deep or in Darkness. MCU/Young Wizards fusion, gen, rated Teens. 58,746 words. "In Life's name and for Life's sake…" Loki's Oath changes everything.

I had so much fun writing this story. It's my last MCU fic and I went out with a bang.

A Brief Holiday. MCU canon divergence AU, third in a series, Clint/Natasha/Loki. Rated Explicit. 2847 words. For once, a holiday with Natasha and Clint doesn’t go wrong.

My first and only PWP. Writing one was a challenge I'd set for myself at the beginning of 2016 and I'm glad I met it.

Well, I managed to hit the halfway point… in December. This obviously did not work out to weekly postings.

From The Fellowship of the Ring, "Strider":

"They [the Black Riders] come from Mordor,' said Strider in a low voice. 'From Mordor, Barliman, if that means anything to you.'

'Save us!' cried Mr. Butterbur turning pale; the name evidently was known to him. 'This is the worst news that has come to Bree in my time.'

'It is,' said Frodo. 'Are you still willing to help me?'

'I am,' said Mr. Butterbur. 'More than ever. ThoughI don't know what the likes of me can do against, against---' he faltered.

'Against the Shadow in the East,' said Strider quietly. 'Not much, Barliman, but every little bit helps. You can let Mr. Underhil stay here tonight, as Mr. Underhill, and you can forget the name of Baggins, till he is far away.'

Well, it's been a while since I did one of these…

From The Silmarillion, "Of the Return of the Noldor:"

"When twenty years of the Sun had passed, Fingolfin King of the Noldor made a great feast; and it was held in the spring near to the pools of Ivrin, whence the swift river Narog rose, for there the lands were green and fair at the feet of the Mountains of Shadow that shielded them from the north. The joy of that feast was long remembered in days of sorrow; and it was called the Mereth Aderthad, the Feast of Reuniting."

From The Fellowship of the Ring, "Three is Company:"

"And it is also said," answered Frodo: "Go not to the Elves for counsel, for they will say both no and yes."

"Is it indeed?" laughed Gildor. "Elves seldom give unguarded advice, for advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill."

I rather like the more serious turn about why the Elves give advice (or not) as they do: it's a worldview thing, a serious matter and they more than mortals would understand how advice can twist and turn and shape events. Mind, Frodo's line I still find humorous, but yeah, worldbuilding and different natures and worldviews will usually stike me deeper.

From The Fellowship of the Ring, "Fog on the Barrow Downs:"

That night they heard no noises. But either in his dreams or out of them, he could not tell which, Frodo heard a sweet singing in his mind: a song that seemed to come like a pale light behind a grey rain-curtain, and growing stronger to turn the veil all to glass and silver, until at last it was rolled back, and a far green country opened before him under a swift sunrise.

The vision melted into waking; and there was Tom whistling like a tree-full of birds; and the sun was already slanting down the hill and through the open window. Outside everything was green and pale gold.

Posted via m.livejournal.com.

Resource gathering question this week:

Ever since DarthFingon's name generators vanished, I've had problems with naming my OCs and textual ghosts. (Even the generator's vocabulary lists available through the Wayback Machine's archive of the site are messed up; the accented characters are gibberish. Turns out the gibberish is a browser-specific problem on my end.)

Quenya isn't much of a problem thanks to Quenya Lapseparma.

But Sindarin? I'm stuck. Does anyone have any resources to share?

Posted via m.livejournal.com.