silwritersguild | Back to Middle-Earth Month: Birth

The first part of our Back to Middle-Earth Month project - Birth - is available!

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Every story has a beginning, and many of the finest stories begin with birth. Whether the birth of the world, of a hero--or a villain--or of an idea, both literal and symbolic births fill our stories.

Today, we look at our stories about birth. Isil Elensar contributes an excerpt from her short story "A Precious Gift" about the birth of Fingolfin. It was written, appropriately, as a baby gift for one of her dearest friends. Ford_of_bruinen writes about Fingolfin's birth too, from a different point of view: Fëanor's. She also writes of the beginnings of her love for the stories of J.R.R. Tolkien.

"The stories in The Silmarillion are not in The Silmarillion; they are in the minds of the readers," writes Ranger1, and "Birth of Birth" looks at one such episode: the first births among the Elves of Cuiviénen. And, finally, an excerpt from Dawn Felagund's "Lament the Morning" considers the mingling of birth, death, and beginnings when Fëanor was born.

Today's stories can be found at http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/b2mem2008/birth.php.

On Wednesday, we will look at another beginning--creation--and the stories and artwork inspired by it.

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The full B2MeM 2008 project can be found at http://www.silmaril lionwritersguild .org/b2mem2008. php