HASA news - Donations, Birthdays, Stories

Story Pledge Challenge and donations

There have been 9 entries in the Sun, Shadow and Smaug challenge. We have two pledges for $5 per story, with a maximum of $70 for one pledge and $75 for the other. With 9 entries, this gives us a pledge total of $90 for the challenge.

Challenge entries will appear on the HASA home page for the next two weeks and pledges will continue to be accepted through that time. List your pledge in the pledges thread.

As of yesterday, Sunday, February 2, HASA has received $55 in regular donations for January, and has an outstanding hosting balance of $775. This includes the cost for January 2014.

As you know, HASA depends on donations from members and readers, both one-time gifts and subscriptions. 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.
• One-off 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 love an email complimenting them on their work, challenges that need entries, playlists that need to be created, research that needs doing and forums begging for discussions.

February Birthdays
Is your birthday in February, 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 some stories written for previous requests.

January 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 January:

---34 General Stories were published or updated.
---no Beta Stories were updated.
(Please note, you need to be logged in to view beta stories.)

Thank you for reading and writing at HASA. Enjoy!

HASA News - Challenges

In this week’s news: Birthdays and Challenges

Birthday Cards

January Birthday babies, there is still some days to go in the January 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.

January Story Pledge Challenge

The Story Pledge Challenge is still open! Find out more, enter the Challenge or pledge an amount to donate, and if you do, post to the Forum to tell people about it.

Don't forget: any The Hobbit-related 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 February. Enter the Challenge and help keep HASA going.

Nuzgûl of the Month

Keep an eye out for the February Nuzgûl next weekend!

 

Thank you for reading at HASA. Have fun!

HASA news - Birthdays, Challenges, Stories

January Birthdays

Is your birthday in January, 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?

Story Pledge Challenge

The Story Pledge Challenge is live!  

A reminder of how the Pledge Challenge works:

Authors write original works, enter them in the Challenge, and promise to not post the stories anywhere except HASA for the month of January. For each story entered, readers pledge to donate a certain dollar amount, anything from $1 per story to however generous they are feeling, to HASA at the end of January. They can put a cap on the total donations they will give so they don't break the bank.

If you'd like to give a total of $100, you can say "However many stories there are, I will donate $100 and divide that amount evenly," or "I'll give $1/$5/$10/etc. per story, up to a maximum of $100."

--(Correction)

These are the rules for pledging:

• The pledge is per completed story posted to the Challenge - you can't specify that you'll only donate for an Elf story or one with Gollum in it, for example)
• A minimum of $1.00 per story
• No minimum on the total amount you're willing to pledge

--

The Story Pledge Challenge in the Forums:

Entries

Pledges

General discussion

The Nuzgûl of the Month!

The January Nuzgûl: write something for the Story Pledge Challenge!

December 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 December:

--- 1 Reviewed Story was published or updated.

--- 27 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

In this week’s news: Birthdays and the January Story Pledge Challenge

Birthday Cards

There is a day to go in the December Birthday Cards, so if you're very quick there's still time! Or perhaps your birthday is in January? In that case you can find the January birthday cards here... Don't forget to put in a request for a drabble!

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

January Story Pledge Challenge

The January Story Pledge Challenge is open! Find out more, enter the Challenge or pledge an amount to donate, and if you do, post to the Forum to tell people about it.

Don't forget: any story that you post at HASA in January and that is in some way linked to The Hobbit can be entered. All we ask is that you don't post it anywhere else until February. Enter the Challenge and help put HASA in the black for 2013.

Here are some suggestions to help you along:

Book-based - backstories, side stories, after-happily-ever-after stories:

• Belladonna Took – what about those adventures?
• How did Thráin end up in Dol Guldur?
• Where does the Trolls' loot come from?
• Was Legolas at the Battle of the Five Armies?
• Did Bilbo and Aragorn/Estel meet in Rivendell?
• How did Gandalf, Saruman, Elrond and Galadriel root Sauron out of Dol Guldur?
• What did Bard do to re-establish Dale?
• When did Balin get it into his head to try and refound Khazad-dûm?

Movie-based (SPOILERS!):

• Write the back-story for a deviation from the book (Azog, the Elves of Mirkwood paying homage to Thrór, why is Thranduil riding a moose, ...)
• A recipe-fic involving Rhosgobel Rabbit
• The White Council meeting in Imladris
• Anything to do with Radagast
• The tunnel path to Rivendell
• Stone giants, what makes them tick?
• Gollum killing the goblin with a rock instead of strangling it

 

Authors, here are the rules for stories:

• It must be a new story, never having appeared for the general public on any other web site
• It must be 500 words or more in length (combining drabbles is fine, length allowances made for poetry)
• It is posted exclusively to HASA in January while the Challenge runs

 

Readers, here are the rules for pledging:

• The pledge is per completed story posted to the Challenge - you can't specify that you'll only donate for an Elf story or one with Gollum in it, for example)
• A minimum of $1.00 per story
• No minimum on the total amount you're willing to pledge

 

The challenge starts January 1, 2013 and runs through January 31.

Thank you for reading at HASA. Have fun!

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 - 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…

In this week’s news: birthdays, current and prospective Challenges, and the Nuzgûl of the Month.

Birthday Challenges

Birthday in November? Make your request here.

There is another day and a bit to go in the October Birthday Challenge, so there’s still time to write or request a drabble.

Not sure what the birthday cards are about? Have a look at the stories already written this year.

Current and closing Challenges

There are no closing challenges this month.

Prospective Challenges, Oliphaunts and Nuzgûl

Challenges are born from Prospective Challenges, and the Prospective Challenges Forum is where you’ll find out what other people would like to spring on unsuspecting authors... If you have any ideas you want to share, head over to the Challenges Forum; or be inspired by what is already there and pick up an older idea instead.

Older ideas can also be found in the Oliphaunt Pen and the Nuzgûl Hutch… Why not take on an Oliphaunt or let a Nuzgûl bite you?

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 October Nuzgûl, Namesakes, can be found here, and will run until Monday night, October 31.

The November Nuzgûl, To Rise Again, 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 news - Challenges

In this week’s news: birthdays, current and prospective Challenges, and the Nuzgûl of the Month.

Birthday Challenges

There are a few more days to go in the August Birthday Challenge, so there's still time to write or request a drabble.

Not sure what the birthday cards are about? Have a look at the stories already written this year.

Current and closing Challenges

There are no closing challenges this month.

Prospective Challenges, Oliphaunts and Nuzgûl

Challenges are born from Prospective Challenges, and the Prospective Challenges Forum is where you'll find out what other people would like to spring on unsuspecting authors... If you have any ideas you want to share, head over to the Challenges Forum; or be inspired by what is already there and pick up an older idea instead.

Older ideas can also be found in the Oliphaunt Pen and the Nuzgûl Hutch... Why not take on an Oliphaunt or let a Nuzgûl bite you?

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!

This summer's Nuzgûl (three of them!) can be found here, and will run until the end of this 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 news - Challenges

The monthly Challenges bulletin, with current and prospective Challenges, and (new!) the Nuzgûl of the Month: because sleep is for people without inspiration...

March Birthday Challenge

Is your birthday in March, 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.


Current and closing Challenges

February 2010 Treasure Hunt - closes March 7
March 2010 Birthday Cards - closes March 31


Prospective Challenges

Challenges are born from Prospective Challenges, and the Prospective Challenges Forum is where you’ll find out what other people would like to spring on unsuspecting authors...
Some recent suggestions in the Forum:
- What triggered the attack in Moria?
- Why didn’t the barrow-wight take the Ring?

Dive in and pick something you’d like to write, or drop a suggestion that you’d like others to write.


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 all-dominating obsessive thoughts that keep you from your sleep and monopolise every waking minu^^^... erm... yes, well... Why not put on the mithril boots and step into the Nuzgûl hutch (the boots don’t actually protect your ankles, but they just might be shiny enough to blind the Nuzgûl long enough to let you escape again...). Who knows what ideas you may come out with?

And just to make that dive into the hutch that little bit(e) more attractive, here’s a taster of what is in there:

The Nuzgûl of the Month!
This month’s fanged beauty is an oldie, but a goodie: Tom’s brooch.

Think you want to write it? Why not see how many others you can inflict this idea on, and make it into a Challenge?

Thank you for reading at HASA. Have fun!

Challenges in January

Check out challenges!

December Birthday challenge

You have through today to write up a birthday present story for one of our December birthday babies. Even if you just have an idea and not a full story ready, you can enter it as a placeholder. If you need a reminder on who had a birthday in December, go to the Event Calendar in About and do a search for December 2009 birthdays. There are currently 35 birthday girls and boys. NOTE: You have to be a logged in to search for other member's birthdays.

January Birthday challenge

We have several people asking for presents, and several stories have already been written. Check out the January 2010 discussion thread for the latest news. There are 35 member birthdays in the calendar, so plenty of members who would love a little recognition of their special day.

Treasure Hunt challenge

HASA has a new kind of challenge - the treasure hunt. All HASA pages now have a little treasure tucked away on them. The treasures are obscure entires in the Research Library, and different treasures appear in different areas of the web site. The challenge is to take the Challenges treasure for a story focus and then use one or more of the other treasures to write a story. See the challenge itself for more detailed instructions.

Who is going to come up with the most interesting combination of treasures?

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

HASA news - August 2009

The general news bulletin for August 2009, focusing on birthdays, reviews, profiles and stories.


Profiles

Time for a bit of summer cleaning? There are a bunch of new nationality flags available, but even if you're not from any of these places, it may be a good idea to go and have a look to see if your profile is still up to date (email address, beta reader status, bio etc).

New flags to wave:
Catalonia
European Union
French Guiana
Heard and McDonald Islands
Montenegro
Serbia
Reunion
Svaldbard and Jan Mayer


Birthday Cards

If you have a birthday in August 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.


Reviews

Right now, there are 13 stories waiting for reviewers (remember to log in first).

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

If you're not an active reviewer, but would like to be one... why not sign up? You're eligible if you've been a member of HASA for thirty days or more.

As you can perhaps guess, 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.


Challenges and Nuzgul

We have 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)

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


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. Why not go to http://www.henneth-annun.net/ and read the currently featured story?

Many talented writers are publishing every day. In July:

--- 32 Reviewed Stories were published or updated.
--- 57 General Stories were published or updated.
--- 6 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

HASA news - July 2009

HASA news - July 2009

The general news bulletin for July 2009, focusing on birthdays, reviews, resources and stories.

To start with: thanks to the generosity of our donors, costs for July are covered! Thank you all!

Of course, money (though welcome) isn't the only way you can "donate" to HASA. Just as much as funds to keep going, HASA needs you to write stories, make comments, perform reviews, post to forums etc. If you would like to donate, but your budget won't allow it, pick out a favourite story and post a comment. It just takes a minute and it will make that author's day!

Birthday Cards

If you have a birthday in July 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.


Reviews

Right now, there are 15 stories waiting for reviewers (remember to log in first).

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

If you're not an active reviewer, but would like to be one... why not sign up? You're eligible if you've been a member of HASA for thirty days or more.

As you can perhaps guess, 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.


Challenges and Nuzgul

We have one open Challenge: the HASA Birthday Challenge ‘09*. On July 1st, it's 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)

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


Resources

The HASA Research Library is a very useful resource for writers as well as for online discussions on book canon. You can find entries on characters, settings, events, and items, containing cited quotes about the item you are trying to find more information on. This portion of the site is available here.

Would you like to get involved with Resources? If you like researching and want to help develop this section of HASA you can contact the Resources & Research Library through the contact form at http://www.henneth-annun.net/about/contact.cfm.

Some recent articles in Resources:

Timeline Events:
Frodo and Sam set off for Mordor
Éomer pursues the Orc-raiders towards Fangorn

Character Biographies
Nerdanel
Isengrim Took II

Places
Argonath
Caragdûr

Things
Shire-reckoning
Shire-reform

Good luck researching your story! If you enjoy this section of the site, why not tell the researchers (they’re listed at the bottom of every entry).


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. Why not go to http://www.henneth-annun.net/ and read the currently featured story?

Many talented writers are publishing every day. In June:

--- 13 Reviewed Stories were published or updated.
--- 42 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--

HASA news - May 2009

The general news bulletin for May 2009, focusing on birthdays, challenges, reviews and stories.

To start with, some very good news: thanks to the generosity of our donors, costs for May are covered! Thank you all!

Of course, money (though welcome) isn’t the only way you can "donate" to HASA. Just as much as money to keep going, HASA needs you to write stories, make comments, perform reviews, post to forums etc. If you would like to donate, but your budget won't allow it, pick out a favourite story and post a comment. It just takes a minute and it will make that author's day!

Birthday Cards

If you have a birthday in May 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.

Reviews

Right now, there are 19 stories waiting for reviewers (remember to log in first).

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

If you’re not an active reviewer, but would like to be one... If you've been a member of HASA for thirty days and think this might be an area you'd like to get involved, it's easy to get started. Read the links below, and then click "Reviews Home" and click on the link to "Activate my status now." You'll be taken to a list of stories awaiting reviewers. Click on the title, read it, and enter your review.

(please note: you need to be logged in for these links to work):
--- Reviews Overview
--- Review Policies
--- Review Criteria

As you can perhaps guess, member participation is crucial for reviews. The more people are involved in the review process, the more opinions will be represented. Having more people involved also means that stories pass through review more quickly - which is good for everyone.

Here's a simple thing to try. You're all familiar with the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." By submitting a story for review, you are asking nine other members to read and evaluate it. So why not do until 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.


Challenges and Nuzgul

Alas, there are no current open Challenges, but perhaps you have ideas you’d like to see written? 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

Resources

The HASA Research Library is a very useful resource for writers as well as for online discussions on book canon. You can find entries on characters, settings, events, and items, containing cited quotes about the item you are trying to find more information on. This portion of the site is available here.

Would you like to get involved with Resources? If you like researching and want to help develop this section of HASA you can contact the Resources & Research Library through the contact form at http://www.henneth-annun.net/about/contact.cfm.

Some recent articles in Resources:

Timeline Events:
Frodo and Sam set off for Mordor
Éomer pursues the Orc-raiders towards Fangorn

Character Biographies
Nerdanel
Isengrim Took II

Places
Argonath
Caragdûr

Things
Shire-reckoning
Shire-reform

Good luck researching your story! If you enjoy this section of the site, why not tell the researchers (they’re listed at the bottom of every entry).

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. Why not go to http://www.henneth-annun.net/ and read the currently featured story?

Many talented writers are publishing every day. In April:

--- 6 Reviewed Stories were published or updated.
--- 37 General Stories were published or updated.
--- 6 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!

HASA Announcements - Bday Drabbles, Funding Update, Challenges

HASA FUNDING UPDATE

No website is truly free. HASA does not display ads or charge for memberships, but there are still costs associated with running the website. The website depends on member donations to pay its monthly hosting fee of $150.00.

Currently available funding: $220.78
To provide funding through: June 2008

If anyone would like to make a donation, you may do so here.

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BIRTHDAY CARDS

No birthday drabbles have been requested for June. Get those requests in so we can write you something!

The following drabbles have been written in the following week:

--- "Least Expected" by Imhiriel for Dwimordene
--- "The Stitch in Time" by Dwimordene for Nath
--- "(untitled double drabble)" by Aiwendiel for Dwimordene
--- "Cerin Amroth" by Elena Tiriel for Nath
--- "Winnowing" by Gwynnyd for Dwimordene
--- "The Least of Rings" by Marta for Dwimordene

--- "A New Road or a Secret Gate" by Marta for Dwimordene
--- "Inevitable" by Gwynnyd for Dwimordene
--- "At the Sign of the Prancing Pony" by Nath for Dwimordene

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

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This Week's Focus:

CHALLENGES

Unfortunately, there are no ongoing challenges right now, except the ongoing birthday drabble challenge. Why not select a new one? If we get five people interested we can get another challenge going.

Suggest challenges at the Prospective Challenges forum.

You can also peruse the Nuzgul Hutch (for ideas that have never been challenges) here, or the Oliphaunt Pen (where you can enter pieces for past challenges) here.

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Happy writing!

Fangedly yours,
>:-E Marta

PS- Do you have something in particular you would like included in next week's announcement? If so, please contact me here.

September Challenge Bulletin

NOTE: Please be sure you are logged in when clicking on the links.

Challenge Forums!

Our Challenge forums have been brought out of the cellar and are now easily available for general reading: Challenge Forums. The Story Discussions, Birthday Cards, Prospective Challenges and Writing Mary Sue forums are open to the public for reading (only site members may post) and all the rest are instantly available to members after logging in.

Birthdays!

September 22nd - Calanthe would love to read a birthday story, no matter how long or short, about what the fall equinox (which incidentally takes place on Frodo's and Bilbo's birthday) does mean to Frodo and Bilbo personally and/or its importance within Shire culture. I am happy, too, about any story about Frodo or Bilbo star-gazing in their birthday night.

Post your request at the Birthday Cards Forum

Also, don't forget to create a story for the birthday card workshop. This lets others put drabbles they write in an easily accessible location. Enter your story in the challenge for SEPTEMBER drabbles. All birthday stories will also now be listed in a master playlist. There are instructions on how to do all this at the top of each thread in the Birthday Cards Forum; if you need help just ask the Workshop Manager, Gwynnyd.

New Challenges

No new challenge this month so far. Make a suggestion in the prospective Challenges thread, located here. When five people accept, you have created a new Challenge!

Open Challenges

1. New Members 2006 - 2007
   Closes October 29, 2007
   This is a challenge for new members. By definition, a new member is any member who has been a member for fewer than four months or who, at the time of reading this, has written three (3) or fewer Tolkien fanfics.
   Choose one of the following - there are choices from any Age, from "The Hobbit," from "Lord of the Rings," from "The Silmarillion", from "Unfinished Tales", and three choices from the Peter Jackson "Lord of the Rings" - movies.

Keep a New Year's Resolution

• Wander over to the Nugzul pen and adopt one today.
• Review one story weekly.
• Browse the Resources section - the Research Library and more!.
• Leave a comment monthly.

HASA Challenges Team

July 2007 Challenge Bulletin

NOTE: Please be sure you are logged in when clicking on the links.

Birthdays!

Post your request at the Birthday Cards Forum

July 2 - TariElfLady would like a birthday drabble or ficlet about Legolas, Glorfindel, the twins or any other of the Elves from the First Age on.

July 12 - Marta has become very interested in the politics of Gondor. So I would love a story about any "ruling family" in Gondor's or Dol Amroth's history, where they have to make a decision where there were larger political concerns in addition to what they might have wanted to do. I would love any moment in Gondor's history, starting with the Faithful settling it in the Second Age up through Faramir's and Aragorn's families in the Fourth Age. Though if you write Denethor as an unloving or especially as an abusive father I just may have to release the hounds. I would especially love at least one Kinstrife-era piece if anyone is so inspired to take on that family feud.

July 25 - Vilwarin desires something with Aragorn in a state of emotion. Preferably with Halbarad in their earlier years, but I'm open for others as well. Rating can be anything, and I'd read het as well as slash.

Also, don't forget to create a story for the birthday card workshop. This lets others put drabbles they write in an easily accessible location. Enter your story in the challenge for JULY drabbles. All birthday stories will also now be listed in a master playlist. Gandalfs apprentice will enter all stories into the playlist, which will be available for public viewing. (There are instructions on how to do all this at the top of each thread in the Birthday Cards Forum; if you need help just ask the Workshop Manager, Gwynnyd.) Any questions, contact Gandalfs Apprentice at:

gandalfs_apprentice(at)comcast(dot)net

If you aren't at your usual computer, you can send GA an email through HASA, too.

New Challenges

One for the One Ring to rule them all

• Celebrating HASA's fifth birthday
  On July 1 HASA celebrates its fifth anniversary/birthday.
  
  To honor our site and the folks who make it so special, how about writing a drabble, poem, ficlet--or for that matter, drawing a picture--featuring the number 5, wood (for the fifth wedding anniversary), and/or a red gem (the July birthstone--Narya, anyone)? Pick one, two, or, for the adventurous, all three: five, wood, red gem.
  
  Post your contributions in this special thread AND in your own story. I will be making a playlist where they will be grouped together.
  
  The challenge closes on July 31.

Open Challenges

Three for the kingdoms in old Arnor (Arthedain, Cardolan, Rhudaur)

1. Seven Deadly Sins
   Closes July 10 2007
   Write seven pieces of fiction, one for each of the Seven Deadly Sins
   • Envy
   • Wrath
   • Lust
   • Sloth
   • Gluttony
   • Pride
   • Greed
   Pick 1-3 characters or pairings of your choice, and include the same characters in all seven pieces.
   
   
2. When Brothers Are Not So Close
   Closes September 1, 2007
   There are four options:
   
   1. Write the brothers as cool or distant
   2. An argument that needs to be resolved
   3. An AU with an outside force separating the brothers and how it might effect canon
   4. Explore the relationship outside of canon.
   You could include cousins or other people who share a brotherly bond.
   
   
3. New Members 2006 - 2007
   Closes October 29, 2007
   This is a challenge for new members. By definition, a new member is any member who has been a member for fewer than four months or who, at the time of reading this, has written three (3) or fewer Tolkien fanfics.
   Choose one of the following - there are choices from any Age, from "The Hobbit," from "Lord of the Rings," from "The Silmarillion", from "Unfinished Tales", and three choices from the Peter Jackson "Lord of the Rings" - movies.

Keep a New Year's Resolution

• Wander over to the Nugzul pen and adopt one today.
• Review one story weekly.
• Browse the Resources section - the Research Library and more!.
• Leave a comment monthly.

HASA Challenges Team

June 2007 Challenge Bulletin

NOTE: Please be sure you are logged in when clicking on the links.

Birthdays!

Post your request at the Birthday Cards Forum

June 5 - T'iana Luthien: I just finished reading the Children of Hurin and would like a drabble about a moment between Turin and Finduilas, be sad, happy, whatever. I could also go with some Galadriel/Celeborn or Eowyn/Faramir.

Also, don't forget to create a story for the birthday card workshop. This serves the same purpose as the old HAWriters story and lets others put drabbles they write in an easily accessible location. Enter this story in the challenge for JUNE birthday drabbles, so we have all of these in one place. (There are instructions on how to do all this at the top of each thread in the Birthday Cards Forum; if you need help just ask the Workshop Manager, Gwynnyd.) Any questions, contact Gandalfs Apprentice at:

gandalfs_apprentice(at)comcast(dot)net

If you aren't at your usual computer, you can send GA an email through HASA, too.

New Challenges

No new challenges yet for this month. Make a suggestion about something that interests you or a question to ponder. Encourage five people to want to write a story. You have created a new challenge.

Open Challenges

Four for the farthings in the Shire (North, South, East, West)

1. Mortality
   Closes 21 June 07
   Lúthien, Elros and Arwen all decided to become mortal. In what way would their life be changed? How would this change affect the body and mind? Would Beren and Aragorn feel guilty?
   
   
2. Seven Deadly Sins
   Closes July 10 2007
   Write seven pieces of fiction, one for each of the Seven Deadly Sins
   • Envy
   • Wrath
   • Lust
   • Sloth
   • Gluttony
   • Pride
   • Greed
   Pick 1-3 characters or pairings of your choice, and include the same characters in all seven pieces.
   
   
3. When Brothers Are Not So Close
   Closes September 1, 2007
   There are four options:
   
   1. Write the brothers as cool or distant
   2. An argument that needs to be resolved
   3. An AU with an outside force separating the brothers and how it might effect canon
   4. Explore the relationship outside of canon.
   You could include cousins or other people who share a brotherly bond.
   
   
4. New Members 2006 - 2007
   Closes October 29, 2007
   This is a challenge for new members. By definition, a new member is any member who has been a member for fewer than four months or who, at the time of reading this, has written three (3) or fewer Tolkien fanfics.
   Choose one of the following - there are choices from any Age, from "The Hobbit," from "Lord of the Rings," from "The Silmarillion", from "Unfinished Tales", and three choices from the Peter Jackson "Lord of the Rings" - movies.

Keep a New Year's Resolution

• Wander over to the Nugzul pen and adopt one today.
• Review one story weekly.
• Browse the Resources section - the Research Library and more!.
• Leave a comment monthly.

HASA Challenges Team

May 2007 Challenge Bulletin

NOTE: Please be sure you are logged in when clicking on the links.

Birthdays!

Post your request at the Birthday Cards Forum

May 6th - River Otter: I would enjoy stories about Dol Amroth in any age.

May 25 - Dwimordene: Since I've just off-loaded a story completely populated by OCs, minus some passing references to canon characters, I'm the mood to see more OCs. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is: (1) Write me a drabble that features an OC-canon interaction, or even an entirely OC sidebar snapshot; (2) Go and bug the author of the OC you most enjoy and ask him or her if you can write a drabble featuring their character. Provide a link to their story. Think of it as your pitch to readers to go read that story.

Also, don't forget to create a story for the birthday card workshop. This serves the same purpose as the old HAWriters story and lets others put drabbles they write in an easily accessible location. Enter this story in the challenge for March birthday drabbles, so we have all of these in one place. (There are instructions on how to do all this at the top of each thread in the Birthday Cards Forum; if you need help just ask the Workshop Manager, Gwynnyd.) Any questions, contact Gandalfs Apprentice at:

gandalfs_apprentice(at)comcast(dot)net

If you aren't at your usual computer, you can send GA an email through HASA, too.

New Challenges

One for the hand of Beren

• Seven Deadly Sins
  Envy, Wrath, Lust, Sloth, Gluttony, Pride, and Greed are the Seven Deadly Sins. The challenge is this: Write seven pieces of fiction, one for each of the Seven Deadly Sins, pick 1-3 characters or pairings of your choice, and include the same characters in all seven pieces.
  

Open Challenges

Three rings for the elven kings [Narya [fire], Nenya [water], Vilya [air]]

1. Mortality
   Closes 21 June 07
   Lúthien, Elros and Arwen all decided to become mortal. In what way would their life be changed? How would this change affect the body and mind? Would Beren and Aragorn feel guilty?
   
   
2. When Brothers Are Not So Close
   Closes September 1, 2007
   There are four options:
   
   1. Write the brothers as cool or distant
   2. An argument that needs to be resolved
   3. An AU with an outside force separating the brothers and how it might effect canon
   4. Explore the relationship outside of canon.
   You could include cousins or other people who share a brotherly bond.
   
   
3. New Members 2006 - 2007
   Closes October 29, 2007
   This is a challenge for new members. By definition, a new member is any member who has been a member for fewer than four months or who, at the time of reading this, has written three (3) or fewer Tolkien fanfics.
   Choose one of the following - there are choices from any Age, from "The Hobbit," from "Lord of the Rings," from "The Silmarillion", from "Unfinished Tales", and three choices from the Peter Jackson "Lord of the Rings" - movies.

Keep a New Year's Resolution

• Wander over to the Nugzul pen and adopt one today.
• Review one story weekly.
• Browse the Resources section - the Research Library and more!.
• Leave a comment monthly.

HASA Challenges Team

March 2007 Challenge Bulletin

This is no April Fool's! Take up a HASA Challenge today!

NOTE: Please be sure you are logged in when clicking on the links.

Birthdays!

Post your request at the Birthday Cards Forum

April 4th: RS writes "My daughter just turned 13, and wow, is it a new world for me! I was wondering if anybody is up to writing a drabble about Aragorn and his teenage daughter(s)...how he is able to cope with a bundle of raging hormones and an attitude! I would also like to see an interaction between Arwen and Boromir, or Eomer; Arwen and Gondorion society; or just Arwen and Aragorn."

Also, don't forget to create a story for the birthday card workshop. This serves the same purpose as the old HAWriters story and lets others put drabbles they write in an easily accessible location. Enter this story in the challenge for March birthday drabbles, so we have all of these in one place. (There are instructions on how to do all this at the top of each thread in the Birthday Cards Forum; if you need help just ask the Workshop Manager, Gwynnyd.) Any questions, contact Gandalfs Apprentice at:

gandalfs_apprentice(at)comcast(dot)net

If you aren't at your usual computer, you can send GA an email through HASA, too.

New Challenges

We don't have a new challenge yet for April. Make a suggestion in the prospective Challenges thread. When five people accept, you have created a new Challenge!

Open Challenges

Five for the Istari

1. Marital Spats
   Closes 30 April 07: Marital spats always happen, even in the "perfect" couple, so what about Faramir & Eowyn? Arwen & Aragorn? Rosie & Samwise? Galadriel & Celeborn? Or any other Middle-Earth couple, for that matter? How do characters react in the crucible of love from fight to resolution?
   
   
2. A Tale Within a Tale
   Closes 30 April 07: It's a common literary device to have a tale told within your main story. The device could be used in many effective ways: a taleteller relating a story for entertainment, as Strider does; a mother telling a child a story; someone relating a tale of the past; a herald passing on information. It could be a character telling a story about himself, or retelling an old legend for any number of reasons. The tale could be an essential part of the story, or a side story to the main plot.
   
   
3. Mortality
   Closes 21 June 07: Lúthien, Elros and Arwen all decided to become mortal. In what way would their life be changed? How would this change affect the body and mind? Would Beren and Aragorn feel guilty?
   
   
4. When Brothers Are Not So Close
   There are four options:
   
   1. Write the brothers as cool or distant
   2. An argument that needs to be resolved
   3. An AU with an outside force separating the brothers and how it might effect canon
   4. Explore the relationship outside of canon.
   You could include cousins or other people who share a brotherly bond.
   
   
5. New Members 2006 - 2007
   This is a challenge for new members. By definition, a new member is any member who has been a member for fewer than four months or who, at the time of reading this, has written three (3) or fewer Tolkien fanfics. Choose one of the following - there are choices from any Age, from "The Hobbit," from "Lord of the Rings," from "The Silmarillion", from "Unfinished Tales", and three choices from the Peter Jackson "Lord of the Rings" - movies.

Keep a New Year's Resolution

• Wander over to the Nugzul pen and adopt one today.
• Review one story weekly.
• Browse the Resources section - the Research Library and more!.
• Leave a comment monthly.

HASA Challenges Team