Lord of the Rings Fanatics Plaza

WRITING

Rebekah Loper, Author (Taethowen)
Fiction & Writing Reference
Author Website, The A-Zs of Worldbuilding website, Book Purchase Links via Books2Read
I write character-driven epic fantasy featuring resilient women, and I also write worldbuilding how-to for spec fic authors.

D.E. Olesen (Aduchil)
Writing
www.annalsofadal.net/chronicles
I write fantasy books (surprise). Two books are out so far in an epic fantasy series that are both available to download for free.
I have also published a shorter book, a tale of a thief inspired by the Middle East. All books can be viewed from the link above.

Laura E. Weymouth (Thalionwen)
Fiction/Writing
Website: www.lauraeweymouth.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/lauraeweymouth
IG: www.instagram.com/lauraeweymouth
Patreon: www.patreon.com/lauraeweymouth
I write literary fantasy for teens and up. Currently I have two stand-alone novels out, and a third to come.

Name: Sue Bridgwater (Saranna)
Category: Writing

https://independent.academia.edu/SueBridgwater
https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sue-Bridgwater ... sr=1-2-ent
Summary: I don't run a shop but my fiction can be found on Amazon (it's print on demand so don't panic if it says none in stock) or you can order through your local independent bookshop which can also access it for you on print and demand. There are three novels in my Skorn series and I hope to make a fourth soon. Much of my non-fiction relates to Tolkien (see Academia) and can be read online by visitors or downloaded by members.

Name: Che
Category: Writing / TTRPG / Narrative Game Design
My real promotional core is my twitter (though that's mainly personal): https://twitter.com/ch_e__.
In terms of actually checking out my work, you should check out http://sche.itch.io

Name: Melahny Poetry
Category: poetry, creative writing
Website / IG / Other:
https://soundcloud.com/coastalisle
Summary: I write poetry and have 1 book published so far (Coastal Isle). I have some spoken word poetry recordings on my soundcloud, and the amazon link is where you can buy my book. The E-book is currently free with kindleunlimited.

VISUAL ARTS

Heather Divoky Art and Design (Naur)
Visual Arts!
website: www.heatherdivoky.com / IG: @ohnoheatherjo / Twitt: @precariouswords
I illustrate stuff! It's very colorful. And detailed!

PHOTOGRAPHY

Hauk Photography (Eldrith)
Category: Photography
Website: haukphotography.com and hauk.smugmug.com (revamping)
Weddings, portraits, natural light photography!

Name: Carrie Swails Photography
Category: Photography
Website / IG / Other: (artist website, social media handles) http://carrieswailsphotography.com IG: @carrieswails
Summary: I photograph weddings of diverse, offbeat, and non-traditional people.

SEWING AND ART

Name: Lazy Leopard
Category: Sewing and art
Website / IG / Other: http://lazyleopard.ca
Summary: Custom made costumes, art, and building supplies for making your own costumes

Health and Beauty

Name: Freyja's Magic Apothecary
Category: health/beauty
Website / IG / Other: freyjasmagic.com / IG @freyjasmagic
Summary: All-natural, handcrafted, Viking-inspired face and body care, shaving and grooming products, aromatherapy and herbs. Everything is made by me in my home studio in Northwest Montana, USA.

Name: Rebekah Loper, Author
Category: Fiction & Writing Reference
Website / IG / Other: Author Website, The A-Zs of Worldbuilding website, Book Purchase Links via Books2Read
Summary: I write character-driven epic fantasy featuring resilient women, and I also write worldbuilding how-to for spec fic authors.

Thanks for putting this up, @Mor Toast! Can't wait to see what everyone else has!

Excellent! You are the first in the list. I'm excited to check out your work!

@Mor Toast I hope you enjoy it! Fiction-wise, I don't have much out yet, but hoping to change that in the next year or so.

Also. I just realized I left out a vital word in my summary. *facepalm* Would it be possible to get "character-epic fantasy" changed to "character-driven epic fantasy"? Thanks!

Name: D.E. Olesen
Category: Writing
Website / IG / Other: www.annalsofadal.net/chronicles
Summary: I write fantasy books (surprise). Two books are out so far in an epic fantasy series that are both available to download for free. I have also published a shorter book, a tale of a thief inspired by the Middle East. All books can be viewed from the link above.

@Aduchil I suspect the Plaza spawned more than few fantasy authors, lol! (Also, I cannot get your 7 Ways to Support Indie Authors page to load, just fyi. The background, banner, and sidebar load fine, but the content itself just gives me a loading icon. Perpetually.)

@Taethowen You got it! Updated.
@Aduchil - You have been added to the list.

I am adding Plaza names above for ease of recognizing members.

Feel free to let me know of edits needed at any point. Or, if anyone has an idea for a best way to create the list, I am happy to take ideas for adjustments. For now, I'll just try to keep it as clear and streamlined as possible. I will potentially break the list into categories later, as they emerge.

I’ve stickied this

@Taethowen I suppose it was inevitable that quite a number of us would end up as fantasy writers. :) Thanks for checking out my site and the heads up. I'll check to see if there may be some kind of block going on.

@Mor Toast Thanks for adding me! And thanks to @Sil for the sticker.

Another fantasy author, reporting for role-call!


Name: Laura E. Weymouth
Category: Fiction/Writing
Website: www.lauraeweymouth.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/lauraeweymouth
IG: www.instagram.com/lauraeweymouth
Patreon: www.patreon.com/lauraeweymouth
Summary: I write literary fantasy for teens and up. Currently I have two stand-alone novels out, and a third to come.

This is such a fantastic idea!

Name: Heather Divoky Art and Design
Category: Visual Arts!
Website / IG / Other: www.heatherdivoky.com / IG: @ohnoheatherjo / Twitt: @precariouswords
Summary: I illustrate stuff! It's very colorful. And detailed!

Name: Hauk Photography
Category: Photography
Website: https://www.haukphotography.com/ and https://hauk.smugmug.com/ (revamping)
Summary: weddings, portraits, natural light photography!

Apologies if this isn't the right place for this, if not do feel free to move it:

Khazad-dum's Nespaper The Mirrormere is back in action. Our first issue has started being created and we need writers, aritsts and other creative folks. Pop by and show us your expertise.

viewtopic.php?f=15&p=5482#p5482

@Aduchil - No problem!
@Thalionwen, @Naur , & @Eldrith - You have been added. Do a glance over and let me know if you need any edits.

**For the sake of everyone's brain as well as mine-- I am keeping a google doc separately from the Plaza with the total list with all my nice edits/links/etc. so if I accidentally destroy this one, I can just copy it over.

@Thorin Firehelm - It makes sense to post about this in the Cottage for the sake of finding artists/writers/etc., but I don't know that this thread makes the most sense for your post. That said, it is the only stickied thread currently in the Cottage. It might behoove us to have some sort of place for announcements, inter-Kingdom calls for aid, artists, etc. Perhaps we could ask the Plaza lord Narv if we could have some sort of member use stickied announcement/ cross kingdom ask thread. I'll make an ask in the features thread and tag you in it.

Thank you so much for coordinating this, @Mor Toast, everything looks good on my end! I can't wait to take a look at all of our talented Plaza members' creative endeavors

@Mor Toast I did think about starting a new thread but, all the other new threads seemed to be showcasing new work rather than advertiasing things like this. I appreciate this thread isn't the most ideal place but it was the most relevant thread I could see. I'm happy to move it to a new thread.

@Thalionwen Great! And no problem.

@Thorin Firehelm Looks like we'll have an announcement thread shortly! Thanks for highlighting the need. :)

EDIT: The announcement thread is up-- and I put your KD newspaper thread in the OP. Feel free to post an announcement there as well!

@Mor Toast thanks and thanks again!

Doesn't need to be added to the OP, but just wanted to throw it up here for anyone who might be interested. Since 2018, I've run a free worldbuilding course from Sep 1-Oct 31. It's geared toward those prepping for National Novel Writing Month, but is a good intro into worldbuilding in general. So, if anyone's interested, it starts in 10 days! For more info, just click the image below!

@Tari and @Annúnfalas added you both as it might be a while before Toasty has time to do it <3

@Burnt Toast

Name: Sue Bridgwater (Saranna)
Category: Writing

https://independent.academia.edu/SueBridgwater
https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sue-Bridgwater ... sr=1-2-ent

Summary: I don't run a shop but my fiction can be found on Amazon (it's print on demand so don't panic if it says none in stock) or you can order through your local independent bookshop which can also access it for you on print and demand. There are three novels in my Skorn series and I hope to make a fourth soon. Much of my non-fiction relates to Tolkien (see Academia) and can be read online by visitors or downloaded by members.

@Saranna added you to the top post <3

many thanks @Winddancer :)

Name: Megan May Poetry
Category: poetry, creative writing
Website / IG / Other:

https://www.amazon.ca/Coastal-Isle-coll ... 172&sr=8-1

https://soundcloud.com/megan-may1

https://meganmaypoetry.wixsite.com/my-site

Summary: I write poetry and have 1 book published so far (Coastal Isle). I have some spoken word poetry recordings on my soundcloud, and the amazon link is where you can buy my book. The E-book is currently free with kindleunlimited.

@Melahny_oftheWoods Added! :)

Oooh I should get in on this!!

Name: Che
Category: Writing / TTRPG / Narrative Game Design
My real promotional core is my twitter (though that's mainly personal): https://twitter.com/ch_e__.
In terms of actually checking out my work, you should check out sche.itch.io

(heads up Windy — doesn't seem like the itch like is getting recognized as a link by the plaza, might have to do a URL tag to make it go)

I tried putting the url around it, but still doesnt seem like it is doing it?

Hmm... I've got {url=sche.itch.io}sche.itch.io{/url} with square brackets instead of curlies, but you're right that its redirecting on-site instead of heading to an outside page. Odd! Not sure how to sort that one out, unfortunately — the twitter will have to suffice.

I have asked @Narv about this, but he is on holiday. Hang in there til he gets back, he might know what is causing this :)

You need to add http:// in front of the address for it to recognize the link. @Winddancer @Androthelm
I did it as a test in the editor and it worked (though I'm not sure it's taking me to the right link it's switching to platterhead?)

@Fuin Elda Thank you! Tossed a few shinies your way for the help <3

Fuin Elda wrote: ↑Sat Aug 27, 2022 6:16 am (though I'm not sure it's taking me to the right link it's switching to platterhead?)

That's still me -- sche is technically my old url, but it redirects to the new one and is shorter, so I usually still use it. Thanks so much for figuring that out!

Glad I could sort that out then!


That said... figured I'd add my info to this

Name: Lazy Leopard
Category: Sewing and art
Website / IG / Other: http://lazyleopard.ca
Summary: Custom made costumes, art, and building supplies for making your own costumes.

WD edit: Added!

My 'name, category' (Megan May) and my links are separated by another member's post (Che). Might be a little confusing! Could you fix it please?

@Melahny_oftheWoods - all fixed! let us know if you see any other problems.

Thanks!!

Sorry for not being online much, I have been slogging away at my Tolkien article, 'Something in the water' for months and have finally got to the end of draft 6 and decided to stop there. I don't feel up to the long game of finding a periodical or book publisher for it so have uploaded it to my Academia page.
https://www.academia.edu/101710816/SOME ... _THE_WATER
It's very long but some of you may feel you want to have a go. if so, please tell me what you think :)

21,000 words used to be daunting... but after churning out and editing multiple chapters of 10,000 words each of my own work, I can confidently say that I'll be more than happy to read it. Let me know what type of feedback, you want @Saranna (do you want me to give just praise or do you want some constructive criticism added in?)

Heavy constructive criticism welcome thank you @Rivvy Elf :)

@Saranna

Okay, I'll do that and will post it in parts. I'll be posting it in the thread in the members-only subsection of the forum I created today. I'll @ you when I post them. I'll start with the First Age.

Take your time @Rivvy Elf :)

Hope you enjoy it @Moriel :)

Having sent out the article to make its own way, I'm now turning back to Skorn and starting to pull together Skorn 4: Elissa in the Forest Lands (possibly to be shortened to Elissa.)

This tale was outlined in full by my late co-author Alistair McGechie, and I plan to pick up his work and turn it into the novel he conceived. This will be in tribute to him.

It will be set in the forest region of the north, under the shadow of the Spine Range of mountains that divides the continent.

This may take a while.................
)

Saranna wrote: ↑Sat May 13, 2023 1:20 pm Sorry for not being online much, I have been slogging away at my Tolkien article, 'Something in the water' for months and have finally got to the end of draft 6 and decided to stop there. I don't feel up to the long game of finding a periodical or book publisher for it so have uploaded it to my Academia page.
https://www.academia.edu/101710816/SOME ... _THE_WATER
It's very long but some of you may feel you want to have a go. if so, please tell me what you think :)

I have not been online much either, but I was happy to return and find this link. It chimes with my own work over the last months, and reminds me of this in OFS:

And actually fairy-stories deal largely, or (the better ones) mainly, with simple or fundamental things, untouched by Fantasy, but these simplicities are made all the more luminous by their setting. For the story-maker who allows himself to be “free with” Nature can be her lover not her slave. It was in fairy-stories that I first divined the potency of the words, and the wonder of her slave. It was in fairy-stories that I first divined the potency of the words, and the wonder of the things, such as stone, and wood, and iron; tree and grass; house and fire; bread and wine.

My own work has been on Stone, but Water is clearly no less elemental an element of these stories - always with more meanings that at first meets the eye. "Tolkien’s narrative sections with an abundance of water in them are always about something else as well – good, evil, dark, light, hope, despair, life, death." I think what you say of water may hold also for a few elements, although perhaps only a few.

I have a question. Does the meaning of the Sea change when Numenor falls and the flat world is made round?

Saranna wrote: ↑Sat May 13, 2023 1:20 pm I have been slogging away at my Tolkien article, 'Something in the water' for months and have finally got to the end of draft 6 and decided to stop there. I don't feel up to the long game of finding a periodical or book publisher for it so have uploaded it to my Academia page.
https://www.academia.edu/101710816/SOME ... _THE_WATER
It's very long but some of you may feel you want to have a go. if so, please tell me what you think :)

Hi Saranna, its a good thing that you got going there. But what about some more differentiation? A river flows into the Sea, but is a quite different thing. It flows in one direction, while the sea has tides. And the rain on the hills is something else again. With water you have Goldberry, but also the Elves, but the water is different, no?

The Sea is something else again. The Hobbits of the Prologue seem to associate Sea = Elves = Death, but the sea-kings of old were the Numenoreans, the Elf-friends, but not the Elves themselves. So the Sea is not exactly about Elves, though they are implicated. It is about death, though, with two Bagginses given a semblance of a ship-burial over the shoreless sea at the end (before Sam returns home with the sound of the sea in his ears).

What you say about the pollution of water also got me thinking. You explore only the 'legendarium' but the two famous scholarly essays could both be mined. The 1936 one on Beowulf has the story of the man who built a tower to look on the sea. But the pollution point raised in my mind the Cauldron of Story. A fairy-story out of this Pot is said to be a serving of 'soup,' which is basically water with added ingredients. When a good Cook adds the right elements to the water the result is a good soup; when done wrong the result is like the sullen and ominous water of the damned Sirannon outside the western entrance to Moria.

But that is just a couple of thoughts. The theme of water draws out many, as you show.

@Chrysophylax Dives Wow! excellent feedback as I would have expected. I have no plans to further develop the paper (I'm 75 already and that damned chariot with wings is hovering) but I'm grateful for everything you have mentioned. Interested in the work on stone too; and in your last paragraph that chimed with my memory of the folk-tale 'Soup on a stone.' Stone as foundation.

Just two more points as I have to get back to the book! The rain on the hills actually is the sea - water moves in a cycle in which ebb and flow play their part along with evaporation and precipitation. I think my failure to conceptualise that is why I failed to consider direction except in terms of the West/East movements of people in the tale.

Your question about the meaning of the sea is interesting and I wish I'd taken it -er - 'on board.' I suppose in the flat world you were constrained always to turn around and come back; while the englobement caused a different sort of pointlessness, if that's the word; you became able to encircle the world and return to your starting point. But in neither case therefore did you actually get anywhere - in a sense.

@Saranna I have posted part 1 of the feedback in the Gondolin private subforum. Let me know what you think.

@Rivvy Elf Thank you so much for your close and painstaking analysis of 'Something in the water.' You have kindly balanced out in part 1 of your critique, my weaker points and stronger ones. I regret having had to stop in many ways, and it's interesting that you are replying in two parts as I feel I should have gone deeper (!) with the first and second ages and balanced that out better with the third age. Probably I should have written a book instead. However I have to move on to other things but if I ever get a chance to revisit it, helpful assessments like this would inspire me. Thanks for the time and interest you're putting in for me, mellon.