(no subject)

[dreamflower]

Here’s a meme, gacked from slightlytookish and gryffinjack:

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I'll respond by asking you five personal questions so I can get to know you better.
3. You will update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Here are the questions slightlytookish posed for me:


1. Music plays a big part in so many of your stories. Are you very musical? Do you sing or play any instruments? Do you write music?

I *love* music. I listen to it almost all the time. As far as me being musical, I’m a rather untalented amateur. I like to sing, hum or whistle, if there’s no other music around, and at one time I sang in the church choir. I was also in choir in jr. high.

I play the piano adequately, but not good enough for accompaniment--I have to be able to read the music. And I play the recorder rather poorly, though with too much enthusiasm for our dogs. *sigh*

I’ve written a few filks, and two SCA songs with original tunes. Pippin, I think, lives out my fantasy of musical talent, which I wish I had more of.

2. Which of your stories is your favorite and why?

I’d say of my long stories, my favorite remains “A New Reckoning”. It helped me work out so much of how my Shire works, what the society is like, etc. and laid the foundation of all my later stories. Of my short stories, I think possibly my Eucatastophe stories. And I’m rather fond of my Bilbo story “Home at Last”. Of my drabbles, my first (“Connections”) is still my favorite--it began my exploration of the close relationships of the three cousins.

But I have several others of my own stories that are favorites of mine as well. I know some authors don’t like their own stuff; but one reason I write is to write the kind of stories I like, so naturally I like the stories. Not to say I don’t wince at some of the bloopers in some of my earlier stuff, though.

3. What drew you to hobbits and what keeps you interested in them?

I read The Hobbit and LotR for the first time 40 years ago, when I was almost 15. (Wow! That’s quite an anniversary I have coming up!!) I was captivated by these small courageous people: peaceful, compassionate, generous, hospitable and charming, who left behind their own world and their loved ones to protect them. And in school, I was rather a loner for the most part--so I was drawn to the deep friendships and loyalties I saw portrayed there. It seemed they had something I lacked.

Let’s face it: what is there *not* to like about hobbits? danachan and I have come to the conclusion that there is something *wrong* with people who do not like hobbits.

4. Which non-hobbit is your favorite and why?

Probably Gandalf. I’m quite fond of Aragorn as well, but I think Gandalf comes in ever so slightly ahead. I just love that irascible wizard, and the way he succumbed to hobbit charm long ago. Even though he’s this powerful Maia, he doesn’t let himself lose sight of the *really* important things, like love, friendship, good food and pipe-weed.

5. Have you ever considered writing in another fandom? If so, which fandom?

Well, not *really*. There are a few books I love that *have* no fandom, (at least not that I’ve been able to find, and I‘ve searched) and so I’m sometimes tempted to write some fanfic for them. I’m quite fond of the Lord D’Arcy books by Randall Garrett, and there were a couple written after he died by Michael Kurland, but there are not nearly enough of them. Still, I’d much rather *read* it than *write* it.

I *am* however, actually *working* on a LotR/Narnia crossover.

But I honestly can’t see myself in any other fandom. After 40 years, I’m kind of set in my ways.


When I get my questions from gryffinjack I’ll make another post.

Now, who wants me to interview them?