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heartofoshun
It took me a while to forumlate this...
This was part of a meme posted byheartofoshun, who snatched it from someone else. The whole idea is intriguing. Anyway, the terms were:
Leave me a comment saying "Resistance is Futile."
• I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can satisfy my curiosity.
• Update your journal with the answers to the questions.
• Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions!
1) Which is your favorite character of Tolkien's?
I have to say that Elrond is, with Thranduil and Maglor tied for second place. And it isn't that Elrond is such a tragic character, although he is; I think that Elrond was the ultimate and quintessential nurturer and custodian of all that was good and wholesome about Middle-earth, and not just for the Firstborn. He who lost so many in his life yet sustained generation after generation of Dúnedain, not just because doing so was bound to help in the battle against Sauron, but because they were family. His library was a resource beyond value, and yet available to just about anyone who asked nicely and didn't intend to use the knowledge in service to the Dark Lord. He was the one person who had ties to just about every kindred - and honored them. And his sense of duty and honor kept him in the game and an active player long after almost any other would have lost hope, faith, and either faded or sailed. He fascinates me.
2) What is your favorite scenario or plot line in the Silmarillion or LotR?
The way in which Thranduil managed to protect his people without any Noldorin magic ring, simple through the power of will and strategy and sheer stubbornness. It would have taken a great deal of moxie, luck, strategy, and hard work to keep the Greenwood alive in its latter Mirkwood guise - not to mention keeping it alive after the rest of the Elves had sailed West. Exploring all kinds of facets of that scenario - and some of the other characters involved in that struggle other than Thranduil and Legolas - intrigues me. Doesn't hurt that Thranduil is one of my favorite characters, though, eh? :-D
3) Do you have an original novel that you want to write? Tell me about it.
Oh my! You know me… Truth be told, I have more than a couple of them on back burners, stewing - one barely started twice (only to have my Muse crash and burn on me twice, my latest NaNo attempt, in fact…) one that is three-quarters through first draft with a second draft of about one third done, and two about a third of the way through first draft. The latest one to challenge my Muse will hopefully include an amalgamation of elements/cultures/charcters from a couple different original "worlds" I have developed over the years already, folded into a (hopefully) new presentation of the Hero's Journey.
FWIW, and on a side note, I actually have a FictionPress.Net account, with one original novel, one fluffy novella and one weird short story posted (all written ten to fifteen years ago, long before I learned anything about POV or some of the other writing nuances I've been struggling with of late.) My author name over there is/was MMB, if you ever want a good laugh - and I most definitely do not guarantee the quality of the writings therein. I am far too ashamed of my first novel to put it up anywhere, to be honest; the one that's there was my second attempt at being a "real" writer.
The one original plot that still sits in the back of my mind and as a folder in My Documents, however, waiting very patiently for me to finally sit down and do the psychological reading and research needed to do the story justice, posits that our shadows, and those of everything else material, are sentient beings in and of themselves, having a society, a culture and an agenda of their own. The story itself deals with what happens when that (quite literal) shadow world touches our mundane reality, and what that accidental contact (or was really accidental after all?) does – psychologically and emotionally – to the human being involved.
4) I am projecting myself here. Do you have a consistent characterization in your head for any of Tolkien characters, or do you like to switch around and try different variations?
My characterizations tend to be consistent. I have an idea in my head of what kind of personality a person would have, how and/or why they developed certain traits, and then use those. For the most part, I vary very little from those fundamental characterizations.
5) What is your favorite genre to read for entertainment?
Fantasy, without a doubt, although I love good sci-fi as well. I grew up reading Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury, and Andre Norton. I love ANY story with a good plot, clear characterizations, and with writing of a quality that can convince me to suspend disbelief enough to immerse myself in the world/milieu presented, regardless of the logic or scientific credibility of such a world/milieu. If there's an ethical/spiritual overtone to the story, all the better, as far as I'm concerned. But, over all, I love fantasy best.
This was part of a meme posted by
heartofoshun, who snatched it from someone else. The whole idea is intriguing. Anyway, the terms were:Leave me a comment saying "Resistance is Futile."
• I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can satisfy my curiosity.
• Update your journal with the answers to the questions.
• Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions!
1) Which is your favorite character of Tolkien's?
I have to say that Elrond is, with Thranduil and Maglor tied for second place. And it isn't that Elrond is such a tragic character, although he is; I think that Elrond was the ultimate and quintessential nurturer and custodian of all that was good and wholesome about Middle-earth, and not just for the Firstborn. He who lost so many in his life yet sustained generation after generation of Dúnedain, not just because doing so was bound to help in the battle against Sauron, but because they were family. His library was a resource beyond value, and yet available to just about anyone who asked nicely and didn't intend to use the knowledge in service to the Dark Lord. He was the one person who had ties to just about every kindred - and honored them. And his sense of duty and honor kept him in the game and an active player long after almost any other would have lost hope, faith, and either faded or sailed. He fascinates me.
2) What is your favorite scenario or plot line in the Silmarillion or LotR?
The way in which Thranduil managed to protect his people without any Noldorin magic ring, simple through the power of will and strategy and sheer stubbornness. It would have taken a great deal of moxie, luck, strategy, and hard work to keep the Greenwood alive in its latter Mirkwood guise - not to mention keeping it alive after the rest of the Elves had sailed West. Exploring all kinds of facets of that scenario - and some of the other characters involved in that struggle other than Thranduil and Legolas - intrigues me. Doesn't hurt that Thranduil is one of my favorite characters, though, eh? :-D
3) Do you have an original novel that you want to write? Tell me about it.
Oh my! You know me… Truth be told, I have more than a couple of them on back burners, stewing - one barely started twice (only to have my Muse crash and burn on me twice, my latest NaNo attempt, in fact…) one that is three-quarters through first draft with a second draft of about one third done, and two about a third of the way through first draft. The latest one to challenge my Muse will hopefully include an amalgamation of elements/cultures/charcters from a couple different original "worlds" I have developed over the years already, folded into a (hopefully) new presentation of the Hero's Journey.
FWIW, and on a side note, I actually have a FictionPress.Net account, with one original novel, one fluffy novella and one weird short story posted (all written ten to fifteen years ago, long before I learned anything about POV or some of the other writing nuances I've been struggling with of late.) My author name over there is/was MMB, if you ever want a good laugh - and I most definitely do not guarantee the quality of the writings therein. I am far too ashamed of my first novel to put it up anywhere, to be honest; the one that's there was my second attempt at being a "real" writer.
The one original plot that still sits in the back of my mind and as a folder in My Documents, however, waiting very patiently for me to finally sit down and do the psychological reading and research needed to do the story justice, posits that our shadows, and those of everything else material, are sentient beings in and of themselves, having a society, a culture and an agenda of their own. The story itself deals with what happens when that (quite literal) shadow world touches our mundane reality, and what that accidental contact (or was really accidental after all?) does – psychologically and emotionally – to the human being involved.
4) I am projecting myself here. Do you have a consistent characterization in your head for any of Tolkien characters, or do you like to switch around and try different variations?
My characterizations tend to be consistent. I have an idea in my head of what kind of personality a person would have, how and/or why they developed certain traits, and then use those. For the most part, I vary very little from those fundamental characterizations.
5) What is your favorite genre to read for entertainment?
Fantasy, without a doubt, although I love good sci-fi as well. I grew up reading Agatha Christie, Ray Bradbury, and Andre Norton. I love ANY story with a good plot, clear characterizations, and with writing of a quality that can convince me to suspend disbelief enough to immerse myself in the world/milieu presented, regardless of the logic or scientific credibility of such a world/milieu. If there's an ethical/spiritual overtone to the story, all the better, as far as I'm concerned. But, over all, I love fantasy best.