Saturday, September 26, 2009

4th Quarter Fun and Funding

HASA is an ad-free, fee-free Web site, run for the enjoyment of quality JRRT fanfiction. Our monthly hosting costs are $150 US. This pays for the dedicated server HASA needs to provide the features and fun visitors love - stories, comments, forums, alerts, challenges and more. Every penny donated to HASA goes directly to paying the hosting costs.

Currently our donation balance is at $47, which covers almost 1/3 of October hosting. HASA's marvelous Secret Admirer has guaranteed matching funds for all Quarter 4 donations, up to $500! Another member is covering all the service fees that PayPal takes, so every dollar you donate is worth double!

If you're a little short on spare change at the moment, donate some time. There's an archive full of stories just waiting for comments, authors who would dearly love an email complimenting them on their work, challenges that need entries, playlists that need to be created, and forums begging for discussions. If you are a reviewer, check out a story today. If you aren't a reviewr, no better time than now to sign up.

And if you are an author, please consider donating a new story!

Thanks for visiting HASA!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

HASA Reviews September 2009

Welcome to the September reviews bulletin.

Reviews are an important part of the site: there are the authors who sit waiting with baited breath and fraying nerves, and there are our intrepid reviewers to think of. So before looking at the stories: Thank you all for your work, authors and reviewers alike!

Stories in review
As I type this, there are 13 stories waiting for reviewers (remember to log in before you follow the link).

Of course, member participation is crucial for reviews. The more people are involved in reviewing, the more opinions are represented. Just as importantly, having more people involved means that stories pass through review more quickly - which is good for everyone.

If you are an active reviewer, why not go and check out a story?

Becoming a reviewer
If you're not an active reviewer, but think you can spare a bit of time... – even if you just review one or two stories in a month, every review is welcome. If you are logged in, you can sign up here if you've been a member of HASA for thirty days or more.

Put one in, take one out
By submitting a story for review, you are asking nine other members to read and evaluate it. So why not do for the other authors who have a story in review what you'd like other reviewers to do for you: check out one of the stories already in review and give it a read. Put more simply: put one in, take one out...

Reviewed story spotlight
These stories have passed through review since the previous bulletin. Congratulations to all authors; well done!

Conquering the Helcaraxë by Raksha
Rating: General
Genre: General
Era: 4th Age
Summary: A southern princeling faces a new challenge in the frozen North. Join young Barahir of Ithilien and his grandfather on a wintry day in this 600-word ficlet.

'Of Pride And Penalty' by JDE
Rating: General
Genre: Drama
Era: 1st Age
Summary: " Ay, do despise me, I'm the prouder for it; I like to be despised. " [From 'The Hypocrite', Act V, Sc 1']

Adolescence by Larner
Rating: General
Genre: General
Summary: Adolescent daughters sometimes seek to avoid restrictions set on them. Set the year Sam and Rosie visited Gondor with Elanor.

I Am Of The House Of Eorl by Nieriel Raina
Rating: General
Genre: Drama
Era: 3rd Age - Ring War
Summary: When the Three Hunters and Gandalf come to Edoras, history is made, events are set in motion and some will never be the same… A mix of book and movie verse told from an unusual point of view - a wolfhound.

Deliverance by Imhiriel
Rating: General
Genre: Drama
Era: 3rd Age - The Kings
Summary: A mariner has reached the end of his long quest. Drabble. MEFAwards 2008: 3rd Place - Races: Men: Gondor Drabbles

Pity Us Not by JDE
Rating: General
Genre: Drama
Era: 1st Age
Summary: A narrative from Oropher's point of view, set in Doriath after the kinslayings. A bit of everything, some angst, some diplomacy, some dreary musings, and of course, the house of Finwë.

Gamesmanship by Raksha
Rating: Adult
Genre: Action
Era: 4th Age
Summary: On a voyage to Dol Amroth with his family, Éomer faces peril at sea. Rated Adult for some battle scenes. Written in honor of Branwyn's birthday in 2008.

The Sins of the Fathers by Mirefinwe
Rating: General
Genre: General
Era: Time of the Trees
Summary: My take on the Fall of the Noldor as family saga, focussing on Indis and her daughters.

First Victory! by Larner
Rating: General
Genre: Action
Era: 4th Age
Summary: At age fifteen, Eldarion Telcontar has his first true victory at sparring....

Far From Home by Raksha
Rating: General
Genre: Drama
Era: 3rd Age - Ring War
Summary: On the last night of 3018, what do Boromir and Frodo find they have in common? (a true drabble)




Thank you for reading, writing and reviewing at HASA. Enjoy!

Sunday, September 6, 2009

HASA news - September 2009

Exciting new things are happening at HASA! Those of you who have visited the site in the last few days have already seen the expanded focus on Challenges. And there is another new feature drawing attention to reviews.

Reviews

Reviews are now visible at the top of the members home page. If you are an active reviewer, log in to see the list of 10 new stories that are waiting for reviewers. Why not check one out?

Or, if you are not yet a reviewer, why not sign up? Reviewing is not nearly as daunting as you may think it is, and you're eligible if you've been a member of HASA for thirty days or more.

Member participation is crucial for reviews. The more people are involved in the review process, the more opinions will be represented. Just as importantly, having more people involved means that stories pass through review more quickly - which is good for everyone.

By submitting a story for review, you are asking nine other members to read and evaluate it. So why not do unto other authors in reviews as you'd like other reviewers to do unto you: check out one of the stories already in review and give it a read. Put more simply: put one in, take one out


Birthday Cards

If you have a birthday in September and would like a drabble about your favourite character or topic, you can request it here.

Not sure what the birthday cards are about? Have a look at the stories written for previous requests.


Challenges and Nuzgul

Click here for the Challenges homepage.

If you have an idea that you'd like at least five people take on, grab that nuzgul by the scruff of the neck (mind the teeth!) and see if you can get four others to make it a Challenge? Prospective Challenges can be found here

There is one open Challenge: the HASA Birthday Challenge '09*. On July 1st, it was HASA's seventh birthday, and there is of course no better way to celebrate than with a challenge involving the number seven or any other 'lucky number': The Challenge will run over the summer to give all entrants enough time to write your story, be it an epic story or a ficlet, and closes on Bilbo and Frodo's birthday. We wish you luck and a Happy Birthday to HASA.

* (please note, you need to be logged in for this link to work)


August Stories

All of us writers love feedback. It is the lembas and miruvor that sustains us as we write our story, and leaving a few words about a story you read is always a nice thing to do, whether the story is new or old.

Every fifteen minutes HASA highlights a story chosen at random from the Reviewed and General stories in the archive. Read the currently featured story on our front page.

Many talented writers are publishing every day. In August:

--- 7 Reviewed Stories were published or updated.
--- 46 General Stories were published or updated.
--- 2 Beta Stories were published or updated.
(Please note, you need to be logged in to view beta stories.)

Thank you for reading at HASA. Enjoy!

---
Nath