Aearwen's Corner

Considering the recent silence from the fellow who kicked up a hornet's nest by purchasing the Lord of the Rings Fan Fiction Archive site on the sly (apparently the deal went through in April and it took until July for either the former owner or the new owner to come clean about it) I've not said much myself about the issue lately.

One of the really good things that happens when someone comes in an blunders about in a manner that makes all the LOTR fandom angry (very politely so, in this case) is that someone will write something so spectacular that it deserves rebroadcast. For me, this was when caras_galadhon wrote her A Love Letter to LOTR. In this letter, written from the perspective of a fandom insider, I found everything that I have ever felt or thought about fandom spelled out with passion and clarity.

However, comma...

( One last vent under the cut )

I don't know whether to thank you or curse you, Keith Mander. I tend toward the latter, frankly...

Sure looks a lot like 2010 to me...

( Miscellaneous natterings and ventings under the cut )

Is the year going to continue in this fashion? Will things ever even out so that we can take a breath and not worry about where the next one is coming from?

I guess we'll just have to see. :-p

I shoulda stayed in bed, I think...

( A This-just-really-ISN'T-my-day rant under the cut )

Never got my nails done. My stomach is upset because of the stress. FFN is screwing up so badly I don't dare try to post a thing.

I think I shoulda stayed in bed.

Honestly.

I got a call today from my brother (the one who was suicidal a couple of months ago) with some good news, for a change.

( Family blathering and a small vent under the cut )

Meanwhile, my Muse is back - I'm writing again. Two chapters of Changeling, a section of IDD, a section of In The Elvenking's Forest and a double-drabble in the last 2 weeks. She wants me to focus on Changeling now - which is great, because I'm certain there are those out there who would like to see the next chapter in Ivoreth's saga. I have some interesting plans, and I'm starting to dream it now.

And I need to dig into my sheetmusic archives and find my copy of the Schubert A-minor piano concerto. Seems we have a piano/organ duet version of part of the first movement, and right now Nashoma has the music so she can make copies for herself. Needless to say, if I want to play that thing properly, I'm gonna have to start putting at least six to ten hours per week in on a more regular basis (and not just a month before a performance.) Oh yea, I also need to print out the piano solo version of Debussy's "Sunken Cathedral". I'd really like to tackle that at the same time, giving an interesting variety to my practices... :-D

Good news all around, I'd say...

Ok. I give up.

Not only has the Muse that was helping me do my NaNo gone into hiding, but her place has been taken over by two substitutes: my fanfic Muse, who dumped a not quite 5k-word sequel to Ghost on me over the last two days; and my music Muse, who is now demanding AT THE TOP OF HER VOICE that I go back to putting in the 8.5 to 10 hours a week (or more) to try to get myself back up to my former skill level.

The manufacturers of aceteminophen and aspirin will enjoy a small boost in sales as a result of the latter, as I'm now working arthritic shoulders and damaged muscles in arms a heckuva lot more in the process of practicing. But I actually enjoyed my practice today (of course, it doesn't hurt to have access to a nice 6-foot Steinway grand to practice ON...)

I will *try* to keep working on the original novel, but without the pressure NaNo puts on one. I still have the start of the novel I worked on last year. Wonderful, having these beginnings on the hard drive, and tinkering with them from time to time.

The thing is, I've done 50k words/month before. I used to churn out that much and more when writing for my old fandom. I also burned out rather abruptly too. I truly have no intent to do anything to myself that will burn out my interest in writing per se.

But I'm jazzed about playing the piano with a little more discipline again. Music really is my first love – and the piano was the first instrument I learned (started it at age 4.) I'm hoping the workout of my arms will help the arthritis, and that working the muscles that I *think* I tore years ago will help them heal too. I've given up my violin and guitar - by Eru, I'll be blasted if I'm gonna give up my piano!!

My name is Aeärwen, and I'm an Internet Addict. Hi, Aeärwen!

Evidently the BIG QWest Internet hub decided to have a melt-down yesterday, and took out 12 states' worth of internet traffic from a number of providers, including mine and Verizon, I understand. Of course, coming on the heels of having intermittent drop-offs due to old connectors and such here at the house, we (and by this, I mean all the gamers in the house) decided our provider was getting flakey again. So I called, and so a tech came out. Our personal equipment was OK, and so the only thing he could think of was that the line "drop" to the house had somehow flaked out; he'd call in a half-hour to schedule maintenance to come out and replace it.

Three hours later, I called again, only to be told the horror story of massive outages - complete with anecdote about how their phone system fell apart when they ended up with over two thousand people sitting on hold to complain about no Internet. I went to bed, not knowing if it truly was that, or if we did indeed need our "drop" replaced - and/or if I would have access in the morning.

I'm baaaaaaaaa-aaaack.... *smirks happily*

On to the fun...

Snagged from aranellaurelote, figuring it might be nice - or interesting, at least - to give my readers here hints as to what I've been spending my time writing lately.

Meme: Post a little bit of each WIP you have (or as many as you want to pick). No context, no explanations.

( Tantalizing and Misc. Snatches from my WIPs to whet your appetite, with no promises as to when any of these will see the light of posting )

All I can promise is that I am working on them all, as my Muse allows. When they are finished and have been run through whatever beta/concrit process they need, they will be posted.

So read at your own risk....