OK now I had better finish it!

[inzilbeth]

It's been another hectic week but I'm now on the Christmas break. *sighs* in relief! What with a very difficult calving the other day which was touch and go for Dori and Skip being poorly, and also trying to get the accounts to the tax people and check all my farm records for an inspection next week and never mind the ongoing hassles of the day job, time to write has been in short supply.

However, that must now change and hopefully I'll make some real progress in the next two weeks. I do have some news about my project which is both exciting and terrifying. I've been a bit reluctant to speak up as there are still a long way to go but I did tell a room full of people about it at the Smial meeting last weekend so there's no reason not to mention it here. But until it's actually finished, I think I'll just whisper quietly behind the cut.

Edit: Except that I can't get the darn cut to work so just squint at this!

Do you remember that ages ago, about two and a half years it would be, I said I wanted to set up a website about Aragorn? Well I've been working hard on the material ever since but it's increasing become apparent that a website is not the most suitable place for what has become a fairly academic piece of work. Some of the chapters are around 30 pages long and are unlikely to be read at one sitting. Increasingly, I've felt that I ought to write a book.

If I'm completely honest, while on the one hand the thought of poking my nose into the world of Tolkien scholarship where so many more experienced noses have been before me, is a very scary prospect, on the other, I've found much to say in what is, to my mind, an under explored area. I'm not only rehashing what's all ready out there either. I do have some origin ideas which I feel some at least might enjoy reading.

My two betas, Cairistiona and Estelcontar have dutifully waded through every chapter and I recently sent the latest, 'The Importance of Hope', to Ruth who was very encouraging [for those who don't know Ruth, under the name of Elizabeth Currie, she and her husband, Alex Lewis, have published three academic books on Tolkien]. With her praise ringing in my ears, I visited the MD of ADC books the other week [actually on an entirely unrelated matter] but, fortified by a glass of mulled wine, I dropped it into the conversation that I had been writing a book. Fortunately, Andy has actually read my fan fiction and immediately I was offered a publishing deal subject to his reading the manuscript but possibly best of all, he would pay all the costs. We even discussed which pieces of Ted's art work to use for the cover! Yes, my head was spinning rather! And at the Smial meeting last weekend, he confirmed that he's planning a combined Ted Nasmith art exhibition and book launch next August! Even though he must have mentioned 'Liz's book' and 'the launch of Liz's book' at least half a dozen times, I can't get too excited yet as I still have a huge amount of work to do and, of course, he still has to approve it. But it is an incentive to finally get on and finish. So please excuse me if I become even more absent than I have been but I'm going to try and get a first draft together for approval by the end of January.

Oh and the title, 'From hobbit to hero, the making of Tolkien's king'.

Wish my luck!

Comments

[shirebound]

Oh my, how thrilling! And what a marvelous title.

*bounce bounce*

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Wow, sounds really exciting. Hope the remaining writing goes well!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Fantastic! What good news!

I am glad, too, that the outcome of the difficult calving was positive - and I hope Skip is on the mend.

[ellynn-ithilwen.livejournal.com]

Yaaaaayyyyyyy!!!!! That's awsome news! *jumpy* Good luck, dear, and keep up the good work! *fingers crossed* *hugs* *happy dance with you*

[suzll.livejournal.com]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

\o/ \o/ \o/ \o/ \o/

Yaaaaay!!!!! How very exciting and fantastic! Best of luck with the rest of the writing, and do keep us posted! *hugs* *happy dance*

[harrowcatliz.livejournal.com]

Yay that is so exciting! Good luck with getting it together.

[estelcontar1.livejournal.com]

I'm sure that with publication as an incentive from now on the book is just going to write itself.

Love the tittle.

[vamp-ress.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, congratulations! I had suspected that the idea for an Aragorn website had been buried. But this is *so* much better!

*raises a glass of wine to you*

[rustica.livejournal.com]

What an exciting early Christmas present!

[cairistiona7.livejournal.com]

Yay, you let the cat out of the bag to the online fandom! *g* This is such a good project, and you'll be filling a huge gap when it comes to the study of Aragorn's importance in the legendarium as more than simply an archetype king that has to be there at the end so everyone lives happily ever after, a sort of generic box I think too many rather dismissively put him in. Can you tell that I can't wait for this to all come together! And come together it will.

And I love the title!

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

That is wonderful news! I shall certainly buy a copy! Congratulations, I can't wait to read it.
Thank you for the lovely Christmas card.

[nierielraina.livejournal.com]

*waves pom poms and cheers you on* How exciting!!!

[rakshathedemon.livejournal.com]

How very exciting for you, Liz! I look forward to reading your book when it is published; I'm sure it will be formidable. Do you have a title yet?

(unfortunately, there would be less demand for a book about Faramir; but thank the Valar for fanfiction, LOL)

[rs9.livejournal.com]

Oh Liz! I am so excited for you! How thrilling! Can't wait, Can't wait!

I am trying to catch up on what I missed on LJ. This is such exciting news. I am so happy for you!

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

I once read a great critique of Tolkein's work which decoted a whole chapter to Aragorn and said something along the lines of: 'Aragorn has all the qualities of a noble horse'. I.e. he's not very human!

This probably explains why I fell in love with him when I was in my teens!!