HASA How-to November 2012

Last month I asked for topics for the how-to, and on LJ Juno asked for a current overview of HASA volunteers, so here it is. To keep it simple, I've only listed the main volunteer(s) for each section, not the backups (who are usually the same people in a different order):

Site owner/Tech support all sections/Members
Anglachel

Site News/About
Nath, Julie

Challenges
Jay of Lasgalen, Linaewen

Birthday Challenges: Imhiriel

Reviews
Jay of Lasgalen

Stories
Nath

Resources
Elena Tiriel, Jay of Lasgalen, Linaewen, Nath

Forums/Comments
Nath

Workshops/Playlists/Polls don't currently need enough attention to have a main volunteer beyond Tech Support.

So, that's HASA. Remains for me to thank my fellow volunteers for their - usually unseen - effort, and hopefully I haven't forgotten any people or sections…

*-* Nath *-*

HASA Reviewed Stories November 2012

Since the previous Bulletin, two stories passed through review while there are currently 6 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!

The Mandrake Child by WindSurfBabe

Rating: General

Era: 3rd Age - The Stewards

Genre: Drama

Summary: If only he'd been mean, she thought. If only he'd been resentful and harsh, she could have done her duty with a clear conscience, and the regret his death had brought would not have been.

Bearing the News by Virtuella

Rating: General

Era: 3rd Age - Post-Ring War

Genre: General

Summary: As the Third Age draws to a close, a message needs to be carried that five have become four.

 

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

A short note about donations.

Our account is still positive. However, the funds from HASA's Story Pledge Challenge are running low. We can stretch them 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 news - Birthdays, Challenges, Stories

November Birthdays

Is your birthday in November, 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.

Challenges

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 November Nuzgûl, Where was Glorfindel?, 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!

October Stories

All 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 October:

--- 3 Reviewed Stories were published or updated.

--- 21 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 News - Challenges

Birthday Cards

There is over a week to go in the October Birthday Cards, so there's still 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.

Nuzgûl of the Month

The October Nuzgûl, Those Who Refused The Summons, 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!

Thank you for reading at HASA. Have fun!

HASA How-to October 2012

How do I...

...?

As people may have noticed, the HASA How-to is a monthly repeating news item at HASA, LJ, our Yahoo mail group and our blog. It is intended to highlight or explain aspects of the site, though not as a rule as an answer to an individual question, although a question may result in a specific topic being featured in a How-to.

Usually, I select the How-to topic by looking at what was featured in the previous months and either continuing a certain theme, or by picking something that hasn't had any attention for some time – over the years, items re-occur, with revisions where needed.

So, if there is any topic you'd like to see in the how-to, don't hesitate, and let us know!

And now for something completely different: if your birthday is in October, don't forget to put in a request for a drabble here!

HASA Reviewed Stories October 2012

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!

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!

Beginnings by Marta

Rating: General

Era: Pre-Trees

Genre: General

Summary: Once upon a time, before the silmarils and the kinslayings and all the rest, Feanor would have just been a young dad in love.

Maid of the May by Armariel

Rating: General

Era: 3rd Age - The Stewards

Genre: Humor

Summary: Gandalf tries a bit of matchmaking at the Tuckborough Mayfest...with somewhat unexpected results. Then again, maybe not so unexpected.

Renewal by Linda Hoyland

Rating: General

Era: 3rd Age - Post-Ring War

Genre: General

Summary: Aragorn enjoys a few moments of reflection at Cormallen. Written for a challenge.

 

 

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

 

 

HASA News - Birthdays, Challenges, Stories

October Birthdays

Is your birthday in October, 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.

Challenges

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 October Nuzgûl, Those Who Refused The Summons, 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!

September Stories

All 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 September:

--- 6 Reviewed Stories were published or updated.

--- 34 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!

Site Funding Update

A short note about donations. Our account is still positive. 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 News - How-tos September 2012

How do I...

... use the Forums?

In this How-to you will learn how to join a forum, how post to one and how to create one.

What are the Forums?

A forum is a group of discussion threads. The threads in a forum are organized around something - an author, a story, a topic, an event, etc. Here HASA members can discuss, debate, critique, or just hang out. Some forums are also available to the general public for reading.

There are seven forums at HASA:

• Challenges
• Members
• Resources
• Reviews
• Stories
• Workshop
• General

Some forums are started by admins, but many more belong to individual members, for example authors who want to have a place to discuss their stories.

Closed Forums

Closed forums are only accessible to people who have been authorized by the creator of the forum. A forum may be closed for several reasons: for instance, an author may use a closed forum to discuss a story she's writing with her beta(s), or it could be about an adult story or discuss mature themes.

Read-only Forums

Read-only forums allow anyone to read a topic without being able to post. For instance, most of the site announcements are posted in read-only forums; only site admins can post to these.

How to join a Forum

1. Click on the forum you would like to participate in. If it is an open discussion, you will see 'You are not a participant in this discussion,' followed by a 'Sign Me Up!' link in the "Participation" box in the navigation column.

1. If you click on a forum that is closed, you will see the message 'We're sorry, this is a closed discussion'. If you want to take part in the discussion, click the 'Request Forum entry' button. An email will be sent to the discussion owner who may give or deny access, and you will receive confirmation of the result by email. Be patient; it may take a while for the forum owner to get the email and respond.

3. For an open forum, simply click on 'Sign Me Up.'
4. You will now see 'You are a full participant in this discussion.' You can now read or post at any time.

How to post in a Forum

1. For any forum you wish to participate in, either by reading or posting, you must first join the forum as described above.
2. Click on the forum you want to post in. If you are not already a participant, click on 'Sign me up!'
3. Find the thread that you would like to post to and click on it.
4. If you find a post you would like to reply to, click the 'Reply to Post' button in the message information box.
5. Type your response into the message form. Don't forget to spell check!
6. Click 'Post Reply.'
7. Now, look over your post. If you want to change anything, click on the 'Edit Message' button in the message information box, and edit the post as you like.

How to start a new topic in a Forum

1. Go to the forum you are interested in. If you have already joined the discussion, you will see a button 'Add a New Topic Thread' in the Participation box in the navigation column.
2. Click the button.
3. Type in the subject for the topic. This is what will appear in the topic list when that forum is opened.

Make it clear what the topic is about. Starting a topic in Jane Doe's forum called 'About your story' might be fine now when Jane only has one story; when she has eight it will be confusing.

How to create a Forum

Anyone, whether you are a writer or a reader, can create one or more forums. Obviously, you can start a forum to discuss your stories, but there are many interesting forums here on a wide range of topics related to writing. The busiest forums tend to be in the Resources Forums because that's where people go to look for help with research and to picking each others' brains on obscure Tolkien facts.

The key to getting a forum going is post a lot in that discussion yourself. Forums that look active attract more activity. If no one posts a reply to you right away, post something new - a new chapter, a new idea, a note about something you saw and thought was interesting, etc.

Also, post in other forums - that's how other members get to know you. If you like someone's stories, that person may have similar interests and may like yours, and the conversation may interest them in your forum or your stories. If it is a general interest forum, just be sure you are posting something pertinent to the topic. If you are posting in someone's story forum, you should be there to talk about her stories, not advertise your own. It is considered poor manners to "hijack" threads to try to draw people to your own forum.

If you want feedback on a story, make it easy for those who might want to comment. You can do this by:

• Linking your story to your forum
• Asking specific questions in your forum introduction, the first message of your topic thread, or at the beginning or end of your story.

It is always easier to give a specific rather than general comment. Answering 'What did you think of it?' is much harder than 'Did Gandalf's motivations make sense?' or 'Is the Rohan scene too choppy?'

Now, how to create your forum:

1. Locate an "Add Forum" link or button. These are located:
• In the main Forums navigation drop down menu
• In the top title bar on a Conference list of forums (See example in the Stories Forums . Please note, you have to be logged in.)
• On the main "My Forums" page.
2. Click the link or button.
3. You will see the Add a Forum form.
4. Type in the forum name; short names are preferred and display better. There is a 50 character maximum for titles.
5. If this forum is in the Stories Forums, you might choose to title it by your name: 'Name - Stories,' by the name of the story itself or whatever descriptive name you want to use. If it is in Members, you can also use your name 'Name's Discussion,' or choose another title that you like.
   
   Keep in mind that if you title a story discussion by the name of one story, you may need to add another discussion or change the name of the existing one when you post other stories. It's easiest to use a general name for your discussion, and post a list of stories in the introduction (and edit that when you add a story).
6. Choose which conferences you want the forum to appear in. Available conferences are:
• Members
• Stories
• Challenges
• Resources
• Workshop (Note: you can only add to this conference when you are a member of a workshop)
7. Write your introduction. This serves the same function that a summary does for a story; it is a way to tell members what's inside, and interest them in entering. It can be as simple as 'This is a place to discuss my stories,' or as long and detailed as you like. If it is very long, it will mean that readers have to scroll repeatedly to get to the threads, which some may find annoying.
8. Choose whether you want other members to be able to link their stories to your forum, or whether only you may link to the forum.
9. Decide whether you want to receive emails when there is a new post in your forum. You can always change your mind later. We recommend saying "Yes".
10. Select whether your forum is for general or adult audiences. Please clearly mark forums or posts that contain mature content.
11. Select who may participate in your forum. Unless you have a reason (such as discussing a story in beta, or a discussion on adult topics) to keep people out, you should choose "Open to all HASA Members, General Public may read." You can always change it later.
12. Click "Add Forum".

If there is more you want to learn more about how the forums work, you can find the answer in the Forums FAQ

Have fun!

And if there is any topic you'd like to see in the how-to, tell us and we'll try to answer your question!

HASA Reviewed stories September 2012

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!

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 Mariner's Woe by EarendiltheMariner
Rating: General
Era: Multi-Age
Genre: General
Summary: Sailing the stars alone and ceaselessly for thousands of years is bound to leave a mark, and not even Earendil the Mariner is perfect, or immune to temptation. A somewhat dark, angsty take on Earendil. Time tarnishes even the brightest glory, and dims even the brightest star.

Alfirin by Certh
Rating: General
Era: 3rd Age - Ring War
Genre: Other
Summary: Part I of the Colours of Dawn series. Even in the midst of war a fleeting semblance of quiet may be found.

Speak No Truth, Offer No Comfort by Adonnen Estenniel
Rating: General
Era: 4th Age
Genre: General
Summary: There's a feminist loose on the streets of Minas Tirith, and she's causing a bit of a stir. Curious to see what the fuss is about, one of the King's guards visits the tavern where she holds court, and he receives quite the earful for his troubles.

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

HASA news - Birthdays, Challenges, Stories

September Birthdays

Is your birthday in September, 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.

Challenges

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 September Nuzgûl, Don't Worry, Be Happy, 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!

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:

--- no Reviewed Stories were published or updated.

--- 31 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!

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!