SWG Mission
Jun. 27th, 2005 10:09 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dawn_felagund posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
silwritersguildThe mission of the Silmarillion Writers' Guild is multi-faceted but can be summarized with two key points: better understanding The Silmarillion and related works and improving writing pertaining to these works.
Of course, the execution of such a broad goal could take off in many directions. Therefore, the mission/vision of the Silmarillion Writers' Guild is more specifically:
1) To offer a forum for writers' workshops pertaining to fan fiction and critical essays pertaining to The Silmarillion and related works. (Not sure what a writers' workshop is or why you'd want to be part of one? See the FAQ in the next entry.) This is the primary goal of the group, and most group activities will center on workshopping members' stories and essays.
2) To inspire thoughtful discussion of the themes, characters, and mythology of The Silmarillion. This sounds highbrow, but I assure you that it is not. You do not have to be versed in ancient mythology or Freudian psychoanalytic theory to have an opinion on whether Fëanor is a hero or a villian in the Quenta or to wonder if maybe the Valar weren't a little over-the-top in their treatment of the Noldor in Valinor. One of the marvelous things about The Silmarillion --I think--compared to other books (including LotR) is that the story is left open in many places, allowing many views and opinions on the same events and characters to be possible. For example, in LotR, Tolkien pretty much decided for us that Sauron was an evil character. But how about Fëanor? Eol? Maedhros? Thingol? All of these guys at times made mistakes and succumbed to lesser motives, but are they actually villians? Are they heroes? How might the historical bias of the author play into their portrayals in the book? If you have ever gotten spitting-mad over someone's portrayal of a character in a fan fiction, then you will know what I mean by this.
3) A resource for information for writers. Have you ever had a story you wanted to publish but weren't sure where would be the best place for it? Have you ever gotten stuck while editing, wondering about whether to use a semi-colon or a comma? Are you nervous about plagarism but not entirely sure how to document your sources? As a former editor, I know that learning and keeping up with the technical aspects of writing can be a full-time job and one that many of us can't afford to hold. That's okay. Writing should never be abandoned out of fear of never being published or having too many mechanical errors. I hope to amass the knowledge of group members to create databases and other information sources that will help writers find the information they need quickly and easily, as well as collect articles offering advice and inspiration for writers.
4) A resource for information regarding Tolkien's works and canon. Have you ever remembered a detail about a character but could not remember where you saw it? The Silmarillion alone is bad enough to search in its entirety, but then you add the History of Middle-earth series (12 volumes), Tolkien's letters, and his other novels (LotR and The Hobbit) and you have quite a wealth of information to wade through. Many of us have a particular aspect of canon with which we are very familiar. By pooling our knowledge, a writer on the Fëanorians can go to Gondolin or Doriath with relatively little pain and reading. (Please be advised that I am not advocating the replacement of Tolkien's works with anything you, I, or anyone else can devise. Nonetheless, there are times when a writer might want information on a particular aspect of Elvish customs without the time to reread the whole essay. In my case, a lot of my writing is done at work, and the primary sources are often not available.) Again, this will likely include, in part, a list of recommended links compiled by members that link to excellent sites providing information on an aspect of Tolkien's world.
5) Fellowship. Having been a part of writers' workshops before, I know that you develop a rapport with others in the group that you can't get from the review button on fanfiction.net. You learn that one writer is seeking to improve her dialogue or that another is particularly interested in the Moriquendi perspective on the events of the First Age. You find that your group members inspire you to try new things in your writing or to explore subjects in which you may not have previously had much interest. You make friends from very different backgrounds, and their varied experiences help color your writing with diversity.
Of course, the execution of such a broad goal could take off in many directions. Therefore, the mission/vision of the Silmarillion Writers' Guild is more specifically:
1) To offer a forum for writers' workshops pertaining to fan fiction and critical essays pertaining to The Silmarillion and related works. (Not sure what a writers' workshop is or why you'd want to be part of one? See the FAQ in the next entry.) This is the primary goal of the group, and most group activities will center on workshopping members' stories and essays.
2) To inspire thoughtful discussion of the themes, characters, and mythology of The Silmarillion. This sounds highbrow, but I assure you that it is not. You do not have to be versed in ancient mythology or Freudian psychoanalytic theory to have an opinion on whether Fëanor is a hero or a villian in the Quenta or to wonder if maybe the Valar weren't a little over-the-top in their treatment of the Noldor in Valinor. One of the marvelous things about The Silmarillion --I think--compared to other books (including LotR) is that the story is left open in many places, allowing many views and opinions on the same events and characters to be possible. For example, in LotR, Tolkien pretty much decided for us that Sauron was an evil character. But how about Fëanor? Eol? Maedhros? Thingol? All of these guys at times made mistakes and succumbed to lesser motives, but are they actually villians? Are they heroes? How might the historical bias of the author play into their portrayals in the book? If you have ever gotten spitting-mad over someone's portrayal of a character in a fan fiction, then you will know what I mean by this.
3) A resource for information for writers. Have you ever had a story you wanted to publish but weren't sure where would be the best place for it? Have you ever gotten stuck while editing, wondering about whether to use a semi-colon or a comma? Are you nervous about plagarism but not entirely sure how to document your sources? As a former editor, I know that learning and keeping up with the technical aspects of writing can be a full-time job and one that many of us can't afford to hold. That's okay. Writing should never be abandoned out of fear of never being published or having too many mechanical errors. I hope to amass the knowledge of group members to create databases and other information sources that will help writers find the information they need quickly and easily, as well as collect articles offering advice and inspiration for writers.
4) A resource for information regarding Tolkien's works and canon. Have you ever remembered a detail about a character but could not remember where you saw it? The Silmarillion alone is bad enough to search in its entirety, but then you add the History of Middle-earth series (12 volumes), Tolkien's letters, and his other novels (LotR and The Hobbit) and you have quite a wealth of information to wade through. Many of us have a particular aspect of canon with which we are very familiar. By pooling our knowledge, a writer on the Fëanorians can go to Gondolin or Doriath with relatively little pain and reading. (Please be advised that I am not advocating the replacement of Tolkien's works with anything you, I, or anyone else can devise. Nonetheless, there are times when a writer might want information on a particular aspect of Elvish customs without the time to reread the whole essay. In my case, a lot of my writing is done at work, and the primary sources are often not available.) Again, this will likely include, in part, a list of recommended links compiled by members that link to excellent sites providing information on an aspect of Tolkien's world.
5) Fellowship. Having been a part of writers' workshops before, I know that you develop a rapport with others in the group that you can't get from the review button on fanfiction.net. You learn that one writer is seeking to improve her dialogue or that another is particularly interested in the Moriquendi perspective on the events of the First Age. You find that your group members inspire you to try new things in your writing or to explore subjects in which you may not have previously had much interest. You make friends from very different backgrounds, and their varied experiences help color your writing with diversity.
no subject
Date: 2005-07-29 01:20 am (UTC)do you think that Eol would have known who Aredhel was when he spied her on the border of Nan Elmoth?
I think it's certainly possible, since he obviously knew enough about the Noldor to know that he despised them! :) He probably, certainly, knew she was a Noldo, I would say, by her dress and manners, if nothing else, especially considering that Gondolin seems to have retained more of the culture of Valinor, i.e., the Quenya language.
As far as knowing *exactly* who she was, I would say, given the hidden nature of Gondolin, that this would be unlikely.
I would say that you could leave it open to interpretation. But again, I am not a canon expert. More an enthusiastic writer with a lot of nerdy, loud-mouthed friends who aren't afraid to tell her when she makes canonical errors!
Also, can it be assumed that Eol has the power to read the hearts of other Elves, or can he just see far away in a physical sense?
I have no canonical proof to say either way :/
Perhaps you could post this as a new entry in this community or in the Yahoo! group, if you are a member? I feel bad because my canon knowledge (and especially of Aredhel and Eol!) is so lacking.
Or I can post the question in my LJ and see what my Sil nerds say. Those who have the entire HoMe series memorized ;)
Raksha, who's fiddling with an Eol/Aredhel double-drabble
Oh, sounds intriguing!