Site Funding Update

A short note about donations. We're still in a good place. However, the funds from HASA's Story Pledge Challenge will last longer if we have more subscribers and "just because" donations. Right now subscriptions cover about a third of the hosting fee. HASA is in its tenth year of providing ad-free, fee-free JRRT fanfiction that is owned and operated by the fandom, not corporate interests. Your contact information is not for sale to marketeers. There are no tests to take to join, all genres, characters, ratings and story lengths are welcome, and we get hundreds of readers a day. Our PayPal account has three ways to donate: - Monthly subscriptions - set up a monthly recurring donation in amounts from $5 to $25 dollars. - Yearly subscriptions - set up a recurring annual donation in amounts from $15 to $50 dollars. - "Just because" donations of any amount. If you're a little short on spare change at the moment, donations of time are always appreciated. 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 reviewer, no better time than now to sign up. If you are an author, please consider donating a new story. Thanks for enjoying HASA! Julie

HASA How-tos - August 2012

How do I...

...contribute to Resources?

Obviously, the Resources area provides resources to writers, but it is also a great place to look around in for a non-author who is looking for information about characters or places.

The core of Resources is the Research Library, which contains many facts and citations from the Ardaverse. There are detailed articles on people, places, things and the events that tie them together. There is also a URL library linking to sites of interest to the JRRT fandom. There are research articles and critical essays written by our members, and a discussion forum on wide ranging topics.

How do I contribute data to Resources?

Timeline events, Character Bios, Places and Things can always use entries. If you would like to enter data, let us know in the Resources Forum.

How do I contribute a Research Article?

Be sure you are logged in to the site before you begin.

1. Double check your story - Is it spell checked? Are all the chapters set to "Published" status and do they all have chapter numbers set to something besides "0"? Is the story set to General or Reviewed status?
2. Mouse over the Resources button in the main navigation bar and select "Articles & Essays" from the drop-down menu.
3. On the main A & E page, look in the side bar for the box "Articles & Essays Search". At the bottom of that box you should see a link "Add your work to the Research Library here."
4. Click and go to the add page.
5. There will be a form with a drop-down list of your stories that have been categorized as either Research Articles or Critical Essays, and with a multi-select box of research topics.
6. Choose your story and select topics which apply to the work.
7. Click "Add".

If you have already added stories, you will also see them on that page. If you want to change topics for any of them, click the "Edit Story Topics" button.

How do I add a link to the URL Library?

1. Be sure you are logged in - only members can contribute links.
2. Go to the URL Library in Resources.
3. Find the "URL Categories" box in the navigation column.
4. In the box below the form will be a link to add a URL.
5. In the URL form, fill in:
• the URL address (be sure to add the http:// part!)
• the web page name
• the URL category for the site
• a brief summary
6. The summary must be under 250 characters long (this includes blank spaces), and any Adult content should be indicated.
7. Click on the "Add URL" button.

Your URL will be added in draft status and the Resource Manager will be notified there is a URL waiting for review.

I see an entry that is not accurate

Accuracy is crucial as authors will use the information here in their stories. Entries are spot checked, but errors can creep in, so please help us correct anything inaccurate that you see. To point out a place for correction, email the Resources managers or post in the Resources forum.

Forums

Another way to contribute to the Resources section is by taking part in the Forums

Where can I ask about specific subjects in Forums?

Some particular discussions for specific subjects:

• English Grammar Discussion - the place to check the correct way to say what you want.
• Geography and Maps - ask those place related questions here.
• HoME Reference Requests - Members who own the History of Middle-earth series will take requests to find mentions of a character, place, thing or event.
• Languages in Arda - some of our members who are familiar with Sindarin, Quenya, Adunaic or Old English keep an eye on this one and will respond to requests.
• Research Questions - the grand-daddy question thread. Any question is fair game, cooking to legal issues.
• Writer's aids - anything to do with writing.

These are some of the larger topics, but there are other threads and subjects as well.

There is no discussion for the subject I'm interested in. Should I start one?

Certainly, and starting one is extremely easy to do.

1. Go to the appropriate discussion.
2. If you don't see your subject, click 'Post New Topic' to start a topic.
3. If there is no appropriate discussion, go back up to the Resource Folder, and click 'Add Discussion.'
4. After the Discussion is created, click 'Post New Topic'.

That's all there is to it.

If there is any topic you'd like to see in the how-to, please let us know!

HASA Reviewed Stories August 2012

Since the previous Bulletin, no stories passed through review while there are currently 9 stories waiting for reviewers. Make an author’s day and review a story!  

Member participation is crucial for reviews. The more people are involved in reviewing, the more different opinions are represented. Having more people involved also 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?

Or, if you are a writer, take the plunge and submit a story for review; and when you do, please remember: 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.

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.

Daunted by the idea of reviewing? Don’t be, reviewing at its simplest comes down to asking yourself: “Would I recommend this story to someone?” Then, whether the answer is ’yes’ or ’no’, you can make a choice from the capsule reasons to clarify your decision. If you want to, you can add a few more words to convey what you (dis)liked about the story, but just the capsule reason is perfectly fine as well.

And remember: even if you think you're too critical or not critical enough: your review is only one of nine, and all points of view are welcome. Not every reviewer has to review every story and in the end it does all level out to a balanced judgement.

HASA news - Birthdays, Challenges, Stories

August Birthdays

Is your birthday in August, and would you like a drabble about your favourite character or topic? You can request it here. But that is not all! Be sure to read the whole message, because there are some changes to make writing Birthday Cards even more fun: From now on, you will be able to add the cards you wrote for your fellow HASA members directly to the annual Birthday Challenge. Also, during the first week of each month all birthday cards you wrote the month previous and entered into the challenge will be featured on the homepage, in honour of the birthday celebrants and to showcase your gifts.

Challenges

The Nuzgûl of the Summer will run until September 1. Come and join in the fun!

Don’t forget to read (and perhaps comment on) the stories written for HASA’s tenth birthday Challenge.

July 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 July:

--- 6 Reviewed Stories were published or updated.

--- 37 General Stories were published or updated.

--- 3 Beta Stories were updated.

(Please note, you need to be logged in to view beta stories.)

Thank you for reading at HASA. Enjoy!

HASA Challenges - July

Birthday Cards

There is still a week to go in the July Birthday Cards, so there’s still enough of time to write or request a drabble...

Not sure what the birthday cards are about? Have a look at some older stories written as birthday cards.

One special birthday this month is HASA’s 10^th! Of course the only possible Challenge for that is a 10^th Walker Challenge…

Nuzgûl of the Summer

No Nuzgûl of the Month this time, but three older nuzgûl and one new one to choose from for the summer:

• Brotherly Advice
• One-on-One Instant Conversation
• Tam Lin meets Feanor
• Kindly donated by maeglin: The War of Wrath made the Ring War seem like a skirmish, and must have been thought (at the time) to be "the war to end all wars." It was also the only opportunity Mortals had to observe the Valar in-action, up close, and at length. How did its survivors feel? Proud? Scarred? Both? For the Amanyar or Noldorin Exiles, did it change the way they felt about the Valar, and if so, how?

This Challenge will run until September 1. Come in and join the fun!

Thank you for reading at HASA. Have fun!

HASA How-tos - July 2012

How do I...

...find my way in Resources?

Obviously, the Resources area provides resources to writers, but it is also a great place to look around in for a non-author who is looking for information about characters or places.

The core of Resources is the Research Library, which contains many facts and citations from the Ardaverse. There are detailed articles on people, places, things and the events that tie them together. There is also a URL library linking to sites of interest to the JRRT fandom. There are research articles and critical essays written by our members, and a discussion forum on wide ranging topics.

The Reference Library

The Reference Library is designed to gather the facts about various subjects in one easily searchable area. It currently consists of Character Biographies, Events, Places, and Things. Each entry is referenced to a quote in Tolkien, so the member may refer to the original source. Members who are authors can link their stories to any of the Research Library entries.

Character Biographies

All the listed characters have simple fact sheets, containing very basic information such as date of birth and death when known, close relatives, and physical description.

For some characters the fact sheets are a starting point, in contrast to some of the minor characters where the fact sheets contain everything that is known. A number of fact sheets are associated with essays that are more detailed, and which may contain speculation supported by references.

Timeline Events

You can look up Timeline events alphabetically, by event type, by era and by date range. They are presented in chronological order, and are cross-referenced to other research library entries.

If you want to know exactly who did what, when, where and how, timeline events can probably provide the answer.

Places

Places contains information on locations mentioned by Tolkien, whether in the text or on the maps he drew. Our goal is detailed information on the complete list of places, with accompanying references.

Things

The Things section contains detailed information on various objects, from the physical such as ships or weapons, to songs, to constructs such as the White Council.  

The URL Library

The URL Library is a collection of web page links, organized by general categories, covering both Tolkien's works and other topics of general interest to HASA members. Members are encouraged to submit interesting links.

Research Articles and Critical Essays

These are non-fiction works about a particular subject useful to fanfic writers or to anyone who wants to know more about a subject. Current articles and essays range from personality traits of horses to in-depth character studies to geopolitics. Any subject involving Tolkien's writing, fanfic, or life in Middle-earth or the West is fair game.

Who writes Research Articles and Critical Essays?

HASA members write them. Many authors have done research in preparation for a story and then contribute their knowledge in the form of an article or Reference Library entry. There are several articles posted and HASA is always eager to expand the section. If you write a research article or a critical essay, please link it into Resources by going to the Articles & Essays pages.

What kind of searches can I do?

A-Z Index - This part of the site provides alphabetical lists of all the Research Library entries. Each kind of research item (People, Places, Things, Events) also has alphabetical listings.

Full text search - This takes a little more practice. This search can do complex Boolean free text search of the contents of all the research library entries.

Each library entry type has a search available to sort, slice and dice on its main categories for quick filtering of entries.

What is the Resources Forum?

This is the gathering place for the Resources geeks and anyone who wants to pick their brains.

You can discuss just about anything to do with Tolkien's works, what life might have been like in Middle-earth, or the intricacies of writing about it. Geography, character speculation, daily life, grammar, economics... You think it up, someone will probably want to discuss it.

Many discussions start as research questions. This is the place to ask questions, and bring your expertise to answer others. This is also a place to discuss the nuts and bolts of writing, beta reading, and associated issues.

 

If there is any topic you’d like to see in the how-to, please let us know!

HASA Reviewed Stories July 2012

As I type this, there are 7 stories waiting for your review (remember to log in before you follow the link).

Member participation is crucial for reviews. The more people are involved in reviewing, the more different opinions are represented. Having more people involved also 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?

Or, if you are a writer, take the plunge and submit a story for review; and when you do, please remember: 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.

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.

Daunted by the idea of reviewing? Don't be, reviewing at its simplest comes down to asking yourself: "Would I recommend this story to someone?" Then, whether the answer is 'yes' or 'no', you can make a choice from the capsule reasons to clarify your decision. If you want to, you can add a few more words to convey what you (dis)liked about the story, but just the capsule reason is perfectly fine as well.

And remember: even if you think you're too critical or not critical enough: your review is only one of nine, and all points of view are welcome. Not every reviewer has to review every story and in the end it does all level out to a balanced judgement.

Reviewed story spotlight

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

Daisy Chains by Linda Hoyland
Rating: General
Era: 3rd Age - Ring War
Genre: Romance
Completion: Complete
Summary: In the Houses of Healing, Faramir tries to win at least a smile from Éowyn. With thanks to Raksha and Deandra.

Fallen by Aliana
Rating: Adult
Era: 3rd Age - Ring War
Genre: Drama
Summary: It's one thing to survive the Siege of Minas Tirith, and quite another to imagine rebuilding one's city--and oneself. A coming-of-age story for Gondor's "greatest generation."

Silver Rain by Tanis
Rating: General
Era: 1st Age
Genre: General
Summary: B2MEM 2011 Challenge - Beguilement. Thingol contemplates the seduction of his wife and the new life they will create.

Two Poems for Daeron by losselen
Rating: General
Era: 1st Age
Genre: Poetry
Completion: Complete
Summary: Daeron sings of Doriath in the days of his youth, and of Eriador when he strayed there. Two sonnets.

Other Things by Wheelrider
Rating: General
Era: 3rd Age - Ring War
Genre: Drama
Summary: Boromir's dream is different.

Olive by Virtuella
Rating: General
Era: 3rd Age - Post-Ring War
Genre: General
Summary: Spring has come to Esgaroth and the daughter of a wealthy merchant finds her life changed by encounters with the mysterious Elven King. But not all is as it seems.

Echoes of Distant Waves by Larner
Rating: General
Era: 3rd Age - Post-Ring War
Genre: Drama
Summary: When Folco Boffin finds his friend and cousin looking westward in longing, Frodo seeks to explain.

Beyond Healing by Nienna Finduilas
Rating: General
Era: 3rd Age - The Kings
Genre: General
Summary: Finduilas is "re-housed" in Aman and muses on things that have and things that have not changed. A double-drabble.

Autum Leaves by Imhiriel
Rating: General
Era: 3rd Age - The Stewards
Genre: Drama
Summary: As the leaves are falling, Denethor takes a walk with his son. Drabble.

Make an author's day, review a story or post a comment.

HASA news - Birthdays, Challenges, Stories

July Birthdays and Challenges

Is your birthday in July, and would you like a drabble about your favourite character or topic? You can request it here. But that is not all! Be sure to read the whole message, because there are some changes to make writing Birthday Cards even more fun: from now on, you will be able to add the cards you wrote for your fellow HASA members directly to the annual Birthday Challenge. Also, during the first week of each month all birthday cards you wrote the month previous and entered into the challenge will be featured on the homepage, in honour of the birthday celebrants and to showcase your gifts.

Keep an eye out for the HASA 10^th Birthday Challenge, which will be posted today or tomorrow as well, and don’t forget this summer’s Nuzgûl of the Month…

June 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 June:

--- 2 Reviewed Stories were published or updated.

--- 33 General Stories were published or updated.

--- 1 Beta Story was updated.

(Please note, you need to be logged in to view beta stories.)

Thank you for reading at HASA. Enjoy!

HASA How-to - June 2012

This week we take a look at how to enter a story in a Challenge

How do I...

..enter a story in a Challenge?

1. Go to Open Challenges, and find one you would like to enter, for example one of the Challenges to choose from in the Nuzgûl of the Summer.
2. Just below the description of the Challenge, look for the "Enter this Challenge!" box. If you don't see it, check to see if you are logged in.
3. In the box you will see a drop-down menu with all of your stories that are eligible to be entered in the Challenge, plus a Challenge Placeholder.
4. Select the story you want to enter or else the placeholder.
5. Click "Enter".

You are now entered in a Challenge!

If you have entered a Challenge and have a Placeholder that you want to replace with a real story, this is what to do:

1. Be sure you are logged in.
2. Select "My Challenges" from the Challenges main navigation menu.
3. On the My Challenges page, locate the challenge and the placeholder.
4. Click "Edit Entry".
5. The page will refresh and you will see a drop-down menu with all of your eligible stories.
6. Select the story you want to have in the Challenge.
7. Click "Edit".
8. Your entry is updated.

A story may be entered in as many Challenges as are appropriate for it. It may only be entered once in a particular Challenge.

Have fun writing and reading!

HASA Reviewed Stories June 2012 – and more!

Birthday Challenge Stories on the home page
Don't forget to request a birthday drabble if you have a birthday in June...

From now on the stories written for the Birthday Challenge will be featured on the home page the first week of the next month, so the June stories will be featured in the first week of July. All you have to do as a June birthday babe is to set up a story in the 2012 Birthday Challenge and add your birthdays gifts to it (if you're not entirely sure how it works, look for next week's How-to).

Also, for the next week general stories will be featured at the top of the home page, meaning that your recently updated works will be highlighted there!

Nuzgûl of the Summer
No Nuzgûl of the Month this time, but a slightly longer challenge with three nuzgûl to choose from:

• Brotherly Advice
• One-on-One Instant Conversation
• Tam Lin meets Feanor

This Challenge will run until September 1 in the regular Nuzgûl of the Month area. Come in and join the fun!

Reviews
Since the previous Bulletin, two stories passed through review while there are currently 12 stories waiting for reviewers. Make an author's day and review a story!

Member participation is crucial for reviews. The more people are involved in reviewing, the more different opinions are represented. Having more people involved also 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?

Or, if you are a writer, take the plunge and submit a story for review; and when you do, please remember: 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.

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.

Daunted by the idea of reviewing? Don't be, reviewing at its simplest comes down to asking yourself: "Would I recommend this story to someone?" Then, whether the answer is 'yes' or 'no', you can make a choice from the capsule reasons to clarify your decision. If you want to, you can add a few more words to convey what you (dis)liked about the story, but just the capsule reason is perfectly fine as well.

And remember: even if you think you're too critical or not critical enough: your review is only one of nine, and all points of view are welcome. Not every reviewer has to review every story and in the end it does all level out to a balanced judgement.

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

Larksong and Morningstar by Armariel
Rating: General
Genre: Humor
Era: 4th Age
Summary: A pregnant Goldberry gets a visit from her two younger sisters, who bring some disturbing news.

Cabed Naeramarth by SometimesKate
Rating: General
Genre: Drama
Era: 1st Age
Summary: A very, very short character sketch involving characters from the Silmarillion.


Make an author's day, review a story or post a comment.

HASA news - Birthdays, Challenges, Stories

June birthdays, the Story Pledge Challenge and links to the stories written or updated in May.

June Birthdays

Is your birthday in June, and would you 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 stories written for previous requests.

The Story Pledge Challenge

The Story Pledge Challenge has come to an end. A heartfelt thank you to everybody who took part, either by pledging an amount or by writing a story. All in all, ten stories were written for the Challenge, raising $325, which HASA’s Secret Admirer will match, for a total of $650! (That’s over four months of hosting!)

You can read the stories that have been written for the Challenge here: Story Pledge Challenge stories

May 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 May:

--- 5 Reviewed Stories were published or updated.

--- 37 General Stories were published or updated.

--- 2 Beta Stories were updated.

(Please note, you need to be logged in to view beta stories.)

Thank you for reading at HASA. Enjoy!

Happy HASA Site Support News

Please note Ang's Challenges Fundraiser update, it is progressing wonderfully. http://www.henneth-annun.net/index.cfm

We are down to our final 7 days of the Challenge. Authors, consider entering a new work in the challenge by Friday next week. Challenge entries will stay on the home page through Saturday, June 2nd. All of our contributors have maxed their pledge amounts for a total of $325. HASA's Secret Admirer is matching those contributions for an overall Story Pledge Challenge amount of $650. That is more than 4 months of hosting!

Thank you to all the writers and pledges. You still have time to submit more stories and more pledges, and join the fun.

HASA thanks our regular subscribers for your steady and much appreciated anonymous support of the site. You may not be known to the membership and get the public thanks you deserve, but rest assured that your contributions are the foundation that keeps HASA running.

Thanks for enjoying & supporting HASA!

Julie

HASA How-tos - May 2012

How do I...

..enter a story in a Challenge?

1. Go to Open Challenges, and find one you would like to enter, for example the May Story Pledge Challenge.
2. Just below the description of the Challenge, look for the "Enter this Challenge!" box. If you don't see it, check to see if you are logged in.
3. In the box you will see a drop-down menu with all of your stories that are eligible to be entered in the Challenge, plus a Challenge Placeholder.
4. Select the story you want to enter or else the placeholder.
5. Click "Enter".

You are now entered in a Challenge!
If you have entered a Challenge and have a Placeholder that you want to replace with a real story, this is what to do:

1. Be sure you are logged in.
2. Select "My Challenges" from the Challenges main navigation menu.
3. On the My Challenges page, locate the challenge and the placeholder.
4. Click "Edit Entry".
5. The page will refresh and you will see a drop-down menu with all of your eligible stories.
6. Select the story you want to have in the Challenge.
7. Click "Edit".
8. Your entry is updated.

A story may be entered in as many Challenges as are appropriate for it. It may only be entered once in a particular Challenge.

Challenge stories may also be entered for review. In that case all references to the Challenge should be removed before submission as reviewers are asked to judge the story on its own. Authors should bear in mind that some entries which are excellent in context of a Challenge may not strike readers as a complete story when disassociated from that Challenge.

When your Challenge story is submitted for review, it will temporarily disappear from the Challenge listing until it has received the requisite nine decisions from the reviewers. After the review is complete, you will need to reset the status on the story so it will reappear in the Challenge.

May Story Pledge Challenge

The May Story Pledge Challenge is still open! Come to the Forum and enter the Challenge or pledge an amount to donate.

Don't forget: any story that you  have posted at HASA this month can be entered. All we ask is that you don't post it anywhere else until June. Enter the Challenge and help put HASA in the black.

Have fun writing and reading!

HASA Reviewed Stories May 2012 – and more!

In this week’s news an overview of the most recent reviewed stories, as well as an update of the Story Pledge Challenge!

Story Pledge Challenge
The Story Pledge Challenge will run until the end of May, and is a challenge for both authors and readers. You can read all about how the Challenge works here.

So far, three stories have been entered in the Challenge, and two authors are working on theirs. Pledges are coming along as well: four people have put up pledges for donations! Come join in the fun, either as an author or a donor, or just to cheer on authors!

Reviews
Since the previous Bulletin, three stories passed through review while there are currently 9 stories waiting for reviewers. Make an author's day and review a story!

As I type this, there are 9 stories waiting for your review (remember to log in before you follow the link).
Member participation is crucial for reviews. The more people are involved in reviewing, the more different opinions are represented. Having more people involved also 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?

Or, if you are a writer, take the plunge and submit a story for review; and when you do, please remember: 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.

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.

Daunted by the idea of reviewing? Don't be, reviewing at its simplest comes down to asking yourself: "Would I recommend this story to someone?" Then, whether the answer is 'yes' or 'no', you can make a choice from the capsule reasons to clarify your decision. If you want to, you can add a few more words to convey what you (dis)liked about the story, but just the capsule reason is perfectly fine as well.

And remember: even if you think you're too critical or not critical enough: your review is only one of nine, and all points of view are welcome. Not every reviewer has to review every story and in the end it does all level out to a balanced judgement.

Reviewed story spotlight
These stories have passed through review since the previous bulletin. Congratulations to all authors; well done!
The People of the Stars by Shirebound
Rating: General
Genre: General
Era: 4th Age
Summary: It's not only the Sea that calls to Legolas, and he asks Gimli to accompany him on a very special journey... to a very special place. Book-verse, complete in one chapter.

Pure Morning by curiouswombat
Rating: Adult
Genre: General
Era: 3rd Age - The Stewards
Summary: When Denethor suggests a marriage between Boromir and Éowyn, despite an 'understanding' of why he, like her cousin the heir to The Mark, is still single, she has reasons to agree. MEFA Winner 2010. Somewhere between drama and romance, this contains scenes of male/male and male/female sex.

From the Inside by Adonnen Estenniel
Rating: General
Genre: General
Era: 1st Age
Summary: Lost on the ice, Aredhel begins to doubt herself. An unwelcome conversation with her least-favorite cousin brings fear into perspective.


Make an author's day, review a story or post a comment.

HASA news - Birthdays, Challenges, Stories

May Birthdays

Is your birthday in May, and would you 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 stories written for previous requests.

The Story Pledge Challenge

Here is a Challenge for authors and readers alike!

For each story posted to this challenge, readers pledge to donate a certain amount of money, up to a total amount the reader determines. Each story written for the challenge will be featured on HASA's home page.

There are already two entries and two pledges. Read all about it here and join the fun. Start writing now, or make a pledge (or even both)!

April 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 April:

--- No Reviewed Stories were published or updated.

--- 27 General Stories were published or updated.

--- 4 Beta Stories were updated.

(Please note, you need to be logged in to view beta stories.)

Thank you for reading at HASA. Enjoy!

Are you enjoying HASA?

Please join the May Challenge. See the links below and at the top of the Home page. How it works: for each story that is written for this challenge, readers can pledge to donate a small amount of money (which our Secret Admirer will match up to $250, for a total of $500). If we can gather stories and pledges to use all the possible matching funds, HASA hosting will be taken care of through midsummer, with the help of the existing subscriptions. HASA homepage: http://www.henneth-annun.net/index.cfm or go directly to the Challenge: http://www.henneth-annun.net/challenge/challenge.cfm?ngid=579 or join the discussion here http://www.henneth-annun.net/forums/messages.cfm?confID=0&forumID=934&messageID=54594 Thanks, Julie

HASA How-tos - April 2012

How do I...

...add an item to the Research Cabinet?

The quickest way to get started with the Research Cabinet is to add a few items to it. It's as easy as finding an item to add and clicking a button!

1. Log in to HASA.
2. Go to the Resources section of the site.
3. Browse for a Research Library item you would like to add to your cabinet. The items you can add are:
   a. Timeline Events
   b. Character Bios
   c. Places
   d. Things
   e. Full Text Searches (Note - you have to save a search before you can add it to your Cabinet)
4. Once you have found the Library item you want to add to you Research Cabinet, look for the right-hand menu box labeled "Research Cabinet".
5. In the Research Cabinet box, click the "Add this [item] to research cabinet".
6. The page refreshes and the item is added to your cabinet.

At this point, you can leave the item loose in the Cabinet, add it to a Notebook, and/or create a Research Note to go with it; and we will look at how to do that in the next few months. The great thing about the research cabinet is that you can organise your information so that it makes sense to you.

The May Story Pledge Challenge

A HASA member recently sent in a proposal for a site fundraiser, and it is great! In short:

1. We use a Nuzgûl or Oliphaunt challenge, or perhaps come up with a new one.
2. The challenge starts May 1 and runs until June 1.
3. Authors write a story to meet the challenge prompt.
4. These challenge entries will be featured on HASA's home page in place of the usual reviewed stories as soon as there are three entries and will remain on the home page all during the challenge.
5. Readers will offer pledges for each story that is posted to the Challenge - they have to be a full story, not just a story placeholder.
6. For each dollar raised in story pledges, HASA's Secret Admirer will put up a matching dollar, up to $500.

Want to know more? Then come to the Story Pledge Challenge Forum. We look forwards to your ideas and thoughts! Or perhaps you already know you want to pledge an amount or have an idea you want to write for one of the prompts that have been posted…

HASA news - reviews (and more)

A HASA member recently sent in a proposal for a site fundraiser, and it is great! In short:

1. We use a Nuzgûl or Oliphaunt challenge, or perhaps come up with a new one.
2. The challenge starts May 1 and runs until June 1.
3. Authors write a story to meet the challenge prompt.
4. These challenge entries will be featured on HASA's home page in place of the usual reviewed stories as soon as there are three entries and will remain on the home page all during the challenge.
5. Readers will offer pledges for each story that is posted to the Challenge - they have to be a full story, not just a story placeholder.
6. For each dollar raised in story pledges, HASA's Secret Admirer will put up a matching dollar, up to $500.

Want to know more? Then come to the Story Pledge Challenge Forum. We look forwards to your ideas and thoughts!

Reviews

Since the previous Bulletin, three stories passed through review while there are currently 12 stories waiting for reviewers. Make an author's day and review a story!

As I type this, there are 12 stories waiting for your review (remember to log in before you follow the link).

Member participation is crucial for reviews. The more people are involved in reviewing, the more different opinions are represented. Having more people involved also 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?

Or, if you are a writer, take the plunge and submit a story for review; and when you do, please remember: 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.

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.

Daunted by the idea of reviewing? Don’t be, reviewing at its simplest comes down to asking yourself: “Would I recommend this story to someone?” Then, whether the answer is 'yes' or 'no', you can make a choice from the capsule reasons to clarify your decision. If you want to, you can add a few more words to convey what you (dis)liked about the story, but just the capsule reason is perfectly fine as well.

And remember: even if you think you're too critical or not critical enough: your review is only one of nine, and all points of view are welcome. Not every reviewer has to review every story and in the end it does all level out to a balanced judgement.

Reviewed story spotlight

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

Love is a dance by Lady Demiya
Rating: General
Genre: General
Era: 3rd Age - Post-Ring War
Summary: One-shot. A scene in which Eomer begins to notice Lothiriel. Set in Eomer's perspective; his wants and desires. Book-verse. POST-WOTR.

The Flower King by WindSurfBabe
Rating: General
Genre: Romance
Era: 4th Age
Summary: Years after King Elessar's passing, the laughter and music of the elves do not grace mortal ears anymore. The woods stand silent ; the time of Men has come. But an elf lingers in his father's realm. His choice is finally made.

Breath of an Elf by Tanis
Rating: General
Genre: Drama
Era: 3rd Age - Ring War
Summary: Third Age - a tag, with permission from Neoinean, to her 1st Place Teitho challenge story, ...and it was done. A little comfort after all the exquisite hurt in Neoinean's fabulous story. Revelations of a personal nature, though revealed by coercion, will change the course of one's ...

Make an author’s day, review a story or post a comment.

HASA news - Birthdays, Challenges, Stories

April Birthday Challenge

Is your birthday in April, and would you 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 stories written for previous requests.

Nuzgûl of the Month

Just as Challenges come from Prospective Challenges, Prospective Challenges come from Nuzgûl, and Nuzgûl need attention to grow from tiny ideas into big stories. Step into the Nuzgûl hutch. The bunnies don’t bite (much). And who knows what ideas you may come out with?

The Nuzgûl of the Month!

The April Nuzgûl, Follow My Leader, can be found here, and will run until the end of the month.

Come on over to the Nuzgûl of the Month Workshop and join in the fun. If you’ve written a story for any of the previous months, don’t forget to add it to the Playlist!

March 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 March:

--- 4 Reviewed Stories were published or updated.

--- 20 General Stories were published or updated.

--- 1 Beta Story was updated.

(Please note, you need to be logged in to view beta stories.)

Thank you for reading at HASA. Enjoy!

Donation request for March

HASA is currently at -$125 for February, and the $150 for March bill will be due the 27th. HASA depends on donations to meet hosting costs. While this means that we come 'begging' about once a month, the good news is that a little can make a great difference! Thanks to our seven monthly subscribers who pay for almost one third of our monthly costs, you’re much appreciated. Thanks also for individual donations.

HASA is in its tenth year of providing ad-free, fee-free JRRT fanfiction that is owned and operated by the fandom, not corporate interests. Your contact information is not for sale to marketeers. There are no tests to take to join, all genres, characters, ratings and story lengths are welcome, and we get hundreds of readers a day. If you are one of our regular visitors, please consider setting up a subscription. $5 = one day of hosting. Or, if you cannot commit to a regular donation, give an individual donation.

Economic times are tough, but every little bit helps. If you can't spare money, then please give something just as valuable – your time. There are stories that need reviews, a story comment can really make an author's day, we have forums for discussing any topic and of course you can post your own works for the enjoyment of everyone.

Thanks for enjoying HASA!

Julie