Linaewen's Lake of Small Birds

Lords of Gondor -- Chapter 61

2026-04-09T13:09:17Z

I am determined to finish this WIP this year -- I know I said that last year and then only posted one chapter, but this year I really mean it! Here is the next chapter, hoping for more soon!

( LoG Chapter 61 - 'He Looks Like Boromir' )

Thanks for reading!

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Lords of Gondor -- Chapter 60

2025-02-22T17:38:59Z

It's been even longer between posting new chapters this time around, and for that I am truly sorry. Perhaps no one is even still reading this story that keeps stalling, but I hope I am right in saying that the stalling is finished -- it is my goal to complet this tale this year! To that end, I finally have a new chapter to share.

Thanks in advance for reading!

( Lords of Gondor Chapter 60 -- The Greatest Good News )

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Lords of Gondor -- Chapter 59

2022-07-18T02:53:38Z

Well, this chapter has been a long time coming. I can't really believe it has been more than two years since my last update, but it was a really strange two years, as I think everyone can agree! I did not give up on this story though it may have seemed like it to some readers! With this new chapter, I am hopeful that I can keep going with some new momentum now!

Thanks in advance for reading!

( Lords of Gondor Chapter 59 -- Hope is a Choice )

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Lords of Gondor -- Chapter 58

2020-02-08T17:30:10Z

I've tried over and over again to post the latest chapter update here, but the cut will simply not work! It cuts the title only, and leaves the long bank of text of the chapter visible -- which defeats the purpose of a cut, of course! So I am going to give up and post a link to the latest chapter instead.

Lords of Gondor Chapter 58 -- Horns from the North

Sorry for any extra steps it might take to read and/or comment, if you are so inclined!

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Lords of Gondor -- Chapters 53 - 57

2019-08-31T22:00:04Z

So....

The last time I posted an update with a new chapter for my ongoing story Lords of Gondor was July 2013 -- that's 6 years ago!! Believe it or not, I have continued to work on it in the time between then and now. I have actually managed to write 5 more chapters (yes, that's right, it took me 6 years to write 5 chapters -- what can I say, I have a busy life!). I am hoping it's going to go a bit more quickly and smoothly now, though my original goal of finishing it this year might not actually come to pass -- we'll see! In any case, I am posting the latest chapters here under the cut, the latest one being Chapter 57, which was completed today!

If you have totally forgotten what this story is even about, the easiest way to get caught up is to read it at one of the archives where it is posted in its most complete form:

Lords of Gondor at Ao3

Lords of Gondor at Stories of Arda

Click the cut for the latest chapters -- thanks for reading!

( Lords of Gondor 53 - 57 )

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Impressed by Linaewen

2019-03-04T15:41:17Z

Here is another wee tale for the B2MeM 2019 Bingo Challenge:

B2MeM Prompt, Card and Number: O72: Field of Cormallen (Alternate Viewpoints)
Format: Drabble
Genre: Gapfiller
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Characters: Imrahil
Pairings: None
Creator’s Notes (optional): I chose this prompt to write during the 2016 B2MeM Memories event, where all previous prompts were available for use, but I never managed it. Glad I had another chance at writing it!
Summary: Imrahil is impressed by the halflings' response to their first sight of the King.

( Read more... )

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Dreaming of Mountains by Linaewen

2019-03-03T01:23:27Z

Here is my first story for the 2019 Back to Middle-earth Bingo Challenge!

B2MeM Prompt, Card and Number: G48: "a character who's the same age you were when you first discovered Tolkien's Middle-earth" (Write What You Know), a mountain or mountains (Person vs. Nature); N42: a river (Person vs. Nature)
Format: Short Story
Genre: Childhood
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Characters: Frodo, Bilbo
Pairings: None
Creator’s Notes (optional): I was 12 when I met Frodo and Bilbo for the first time, and once I started reading their stories, I couldn't stop -- and I was never the same again!
Summary: Young Frodo loves listening to Cousin Bilbo's stories, especially when they are about mountains.

( Read more... )

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One Year Anniversary

2018-07-20T12:57:54Z

I see the last time I actually posted some personal news was last year with a surgery update. Sorry for the long silence!

My update today is related to that, as it's the one year anniversary of my double knee replacement surgery! What a blessing it was to have the surgery done! I am doing great. I have no knee pain now, I can walk easily, I have full range of motion, and because I can do do exercise (along with a healthy diet), I have lost 15 pounds in weight. Whoo hoo!

I'm really glad my surgeon suggested I consider doing both my knees at the same time, it was really worth it. I had a really quick recovery from that, perhaps because I had been doing physical therapy to help with the pain so I was in good shape, but also because God really blessed me with a fast and full recovery!

I think I'll celebrate the day today by going for a walk!

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Surgery Update

2017-08-06T14:39:31Z

My bilateral knee replacement surgery went well! I was in the hospital three days, after which I was transferred to a rehab facility. The first day or two, I was fairly helpless, but soon I started to be able to use my legs a bit without help -- and then I was off to the races. I improved so quickly in rehab that my insurance decided it was time for me to go home after 8 days because they didn't want to continue paying for rehab! I can't complain too much about my insurance, though, as they are carrying me quite nicely this year -- but I did think for awhile after getting home that they'd made a mistake discharging me. However, it was just that, being home, I had overdone it and wore myself out as a result.

I'm back on track now, continuing to improve. I may be able to eject the walker soon and stay with a cane only. I have a nurse and therapist who come to the house a few days a week, and later in August I'll probably start going to outpatient rehab. I'm walking pretty well, with not much pain, but I still can't bend my knees all the way. I guess it's only been 2 1/2 weeks, so that's probably par for the course!

In spite of doing well, I still plan on taking my full month off that I'm allowed. I'm looking forward to continued recovery while relaxing at home and getting to work on some fun projects! Thanks for your prayers and good thoughts!

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Surgery Tomorrow!

2017-07-19T13:10:56Z

I have a pretty fun day planned for tomorrow -- I'm having surgery to replace both of my knees! I'm actually looking forward to it -- not the surgery itself, exactly, but the expected outcome is to be able to walk without pain again, and even go up and down stairs, whoo hoo! I really can't wait, I've been limited and in pain for long enough! I'm not sure how long I'll be in the hospital, but once I'm released, I plan to go straight into a rehab facility for a time, so I can learn how to do those things I want to do again -- walking and going up and down stairs!

Prayers for a successful surgery and rehab are most welcome, and good thoughts for my DH who will have to do laundry until I am able to manage the stairs that go down to our laundry room! (Seriously, though, he's a big help, and is doing great after his own surgery back in April.)

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Dear Hubby Update

2017-04-25T11:34:33Z

All is well with the DH, who had a lengthy surgery yesterday. The repair of his heart valve was successful, and there weren't any complications. He was resting fairly comfortably in ICU when I left him last night; he should be transferred to a regular room today, and may be able to come home by the weekend. It was a long day of waiting for me, but the hospital staff was great -- they kept me updated during the surgery, and got me in to see him as soon as they could.

God is good!

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Another "Adventure" Starts Tomorrow

2017-04-23T20:12:37Z

I had an adventure last fall with my hubby who unexpectedly had a heart attack. It was an anxious couple of days, but we were there and back again in no time. He's been very healthy since then, except for one thing that surfaced recently during a check up with his heart doctor. It seems he has a leaky valve in his heart which is quite pronounced, and actually does give him some shortness of breath at times. We're not sure if it's connected to his heart attack last fall or if it's something he had before and it was made worse by the attack. In any case, it's something the doctors want to deal with it now by repairing it so it won't wear his heart out later.

So DH is going in for open heart surgery tomorrow morning -- surgery is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. and could be 4 to 6 hours in length. "Open heart surgery" sounds pretty scary, but from what I understand, the problem they need to fix is actually fairly straightforward. So all of your prayers and good thoughts will be greatly appreciated!

Hopefully I'll be there and back again fairly quickly, with a healthy hubby in tow!

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Thoughts After a Triple Movie Marathon

2017-04-09T14:23:44Z

I wrote the following just now, for a "Stop What You're Doing and Write Something Now" challenge for the getyourwordsout community I'm a part of at DW. I found myself writing about a triple movie marathon viewing I just completed.

( Thoughts after a triple movie marathon )

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Dreaming New Dreams is Finally Complete!

2017-01-29T20:21:41Z

Back in 2011, I started writing a story based on a baseball anime/manga I really enjoyed, called Major. My intention was to fill in a few gaps that weren't really covered to my satisfaction in the anime. I managed 6 chapters before I got a bit bogged down. I kept meaning to finish the story, and pecked away at it over time, but never managed to get past the point where I had originally stopped -- one reason possibly being that I felt I needed a bit more information from canon to help me finish the way I wanted to, but that information was only available in Japanese!

Earlier this month, the manga chapters that covered the part I was interested in were finally translated (into Spanish, a language I can read but not speak any longer), and I was able to access the information I was missing. It wasn't anything earth-shattering, but it gave me a better feel for my characters and I was able to get inspired enough to complete the last two chapters of the story.

If anyone is at all interested in having a look and possibly a read, Dreaming New Dreams is posted and complete at Archive of Our Own.

Even though it took 5 years, I finally finished one of my multi-chapter Works in Progress! Whoo hoo! Now to tackle the next WIP that's been neglected for far too long...

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An Unexpected "Adventure"

2016-09-22T12:06:34Z

I'm having an adventure this week. My healthy, active hubby went and had a heart attack on Monday. Part of the adventure was me driving him through Chicago traffic and construction zones to the ER, praying the whole way that I had not made a bad decision about where to take him or about not calling an ambulance instead. My prayers while driving were answered, and we made it in the nick of time -- he had his attack in the presence of the ER staff while I was getting the car parked. He is getting awesome care, and surprising the doctors with how quickly he is bouncing back from a 100% blockage on one side. I guess being healthy and active doesn't always prevent the attacks, but it helps with the recovery! He is actually doing so well that there a possibility he will be discharged today.

The rest of the adventure will continue next week, as we are scheduled to close on a condo we are buying the 28th, and then move into it by the 30th -- which I imagine will involve hubby supervising from a chair while other people do all the work! I'm praising God that he is still with me to do that, and for all the help we have been offered for the move, so that hubby can relax in his chair. I'm also even more pleased now with our new condo, which is only a few blocks away from our current apartment, on the first floor, which will be good place to live for a heart patient and his wife who has arthritis in her knees (that's me)!

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Snowflake Challenge

2016-01-13T18:07:11Z

Day 12

What makes you fannish? And by that we mean, what is it about a tv show/movie/book/band/podcast/etc that takes you from, "Yeah, I like that," to "I need MOAR!!!" Is it a character? A plotline? The pretty? Subtext that’s just screaming to be acknowledged?

In your own space, tell us what it is that gets you to cross that line into fandom.

It is characters that make me fannish for the most part. It usually happens that the characters I fall in love with are secondary characters and so they don't get featured as fully as the main characters do -- this leads to me being unsatisfied because there aren't enough "stories" for me to enjoy that involve my favorites. The only solution is to write those situations and stories myself! In addition, I seem to interpret the motives and intentions of characters differently than others at times, and writing to explain how I see and understand a character is only natural. I also enjoy "what if" stories and AU, which works well for me when the characters I adore are the ones who exit the original tale early by dying. ;-)

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Catching Up in 2016

2016-01-12T15:19:30Z

So, it looks like it's been a little over a year since I posted a blog entry. Good thing my word for 2016 is "consistent" -- maybe it will help me be more consistent in updating! I'm mulling a catch-up post that will update any readers I have left on what my year was like in 2015, but that will be for later in the week -- or next week, after I decide what's important to share and what isn't!

For now, to get the ball rolling, I want to share some responses to the snowflake_challenge , a fannish challenge that is taking place for the first few weeks of January. In spite of my intentions to be more consistent this year, I fell behind in posting my responses to the challenge almost immediately! But no matter -- this is a fun challenge, with no pressure, so I'm going to go ahead and share what I share and go from there!

( Fandom Snowflake Challenge )

That's probably enough for one post! The challenge continues for a few more days, so I may be adding to some of my fannish thoughts this week. Until then, thanks for reading and have a great day today!

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Happy New Year!

2015-01-01T15:49:53Z

Well, I haven't posted in ages, but since I have some news, I thought it would be appropriate to start the new year off with an actual post -- maybe it will help me set the right tone for more posting in the new year!

My holidays did not quite go as planned this year, as my father passed away the day after Christmas. He had been in the nursing home and was pretty frail, but we weren't quite expecting it this soon. My family members each had a lovely time with him over the Christmas holiday as we visited him in the nursing home, and we take great comfort in that! His passing was quick and painless, and that is also a comfort. The celebration of his life was exactly what he would have wanted -- he was a science teacher in the public school system and involved in the local outdoor education program for many years, so as part of his eulogy (done by a fellow teacher) we sang the camp song he was famous for! It was the best kind of funeral -- more laughter than tears.

I'm taking a few extra days off before returning to my duties as teacher of English as a Second Language at our center that serves South Asian immigrants. We are also keeping tabs on my father-in-law, who's been in the hospital since before Christmas. We're not sure when he's getting out, or what his prognosis is, and since my husband is the one who makes decisions on his behalf, we have decided to continue our stay with our son for an extra week.

Even though the end of 2014 was a bit more stressful than expected, it was still filled with blessings, and I am looking forward to seeing what God will do in my life in the coming new year!

God bless and a Happy New Year to you all!

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Fandom Snowflake Challenge Day 13

2014-01-13T16:45:29Z

Day 13

In your own space, talk about setting yourself a fannish goal. Big or small, it doesn't matter. Some great examples include: complete a bingo, sign-up for a Big Bang, write that fic you've been thinking about for years, podfic that story that you love, make a fanmix for your fandom, post that bit of meta or reclist you keep postponing. Maybe resolve to be better at leaving feedback, or answering comments.

I have several goals that I would like to see accomplished -- this year, if possible!

1. I want to finish two Works In Progress that have been dormant for far too long:

Dreaming New Dreams This one is almost finished, but it will take some research and a revisiting of the fandom (Major anime/manga) to get back into it enough to complete it.

Face of the Enemy This one has possibly four or five chapters left to bring it to a conclusion, but I am totally stuck in a place where I have to write a battle. I know a lot of what needs to be included in the chapter, but I left it too long and now I'm a bit blocked with writing it. However, I love the story, and I definitely want to finish it this year!

2. I want to add more than just one or two chapters per year to my epic Work In Progress:

Lords of Gondor. I've been writing this one for something like ten years, so I think it's time to make some better progress. I used to be able to churn out a chapter a week, but those days are long gone. But a chapter a year is not acceptable!

3. I want to post a "new" project:

My very first multi-chapter story that I ever wrote was called 110 Days (Lord of the Rings fandom) and was shared on a limited basis in an LotR community and its archive. I have wanted for some time to revise this story to correct some errors in the timeline and to make it more in line with book canon. It won't take much to get it in shape, because it's still quite good, if I do say so myself! I then want to start posting the edited and revised chapters on a wider basis in all the archives where I upload my writing.

If all this happens this year, it will be awesome (and a miracle), but these goals are actually doable if I behave myself and manage my time wisely and don't get writer's block. Of course, I'll be involved in other writing challenges throughout the year which I won't be able to resist because the prompts are so appealing, but these are my always-in-front-of-me goals that I will continue to pursue until they are accomplished!

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Fandom Snowflake Challenge Day 6

2014-01-07T14:27:02Z

Day Six

In your own space, share a book/song/movie/tv show/fanwork/etc that changed your life. Something that impacted on your consciousness in a way that left its mark on your soul.

Tolkien's work changed my life! I can say it no better than C.S. Lewis when he wrote about the Lord of the Rings trilogy: " ...here are beauties which pierce like swords, or burn like cold iron; here is a book that will break your heart."

I first read The Hobbit and LotR in 8th grade -- over 40 years ago -- and my heart was broken, though in the best way imaginable. I fell in love that day, and have been an avid fan of all things Tolkien ever since. I have done my best to read everything by him and about him I could get my hands on. The tale of Middle-earth in all its ages is a tale I can read over and over again -- and I do so at least once a year. It never ceases to amaze me how I can always find something new in the story. I never get tired of it! One thing I enjoy is the tale's rich detail; it is more like reading a history of the world than a story. That history is about beings like me who struggle with moral choices and learn to live with their decisions. They have real-life temptations and failings, yet they work through them with honor, faith and joy. It is a tale of friendship and loyalty, of treachery and despair, of sacrifice and redemption. It was the characters in LotR who first inspired me to start writing and reading fanfiction after having my love for Middle-earth augmented even further by the films that have been produced over the course of the last 13 years or so. There's something about having 30 years worth of personal imagining suddenly visualized on the big screen -- one just has to write about it!

There have been other books, films, shows and fandoms that have gripped me, and still do, but nothing can compare to the intensity or the duration of my love for Tolkien's masterpiece!

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Fandom Snowflake Challenge Day 5

2014-01-06T14:43:38Z

Day 5

In your own space, talk about a creator. Show us why you think they are amazing. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

My son is a creator. It has been a source of never-ending joy to me to have a son who is so much like me, with whom I can talk about fandoms and writing and stories. We have introduced each other to new fandoms and followed them together. He reads what I write, and I read what he writes. We share our ideas with each other, and in the sharing, we can see our way forward with our writing projects. My son wants to be a published writer, and he has the creativity and the original ideas to be a good one. He is definitely amazing!

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Fandom Snowflake Challenge Day 1

2014-01-03T02:22:36Z

I saw this in my F-List at LJ and was intrigued by it, so I signed up for the challenge! I feel the need to be more proactive with my fic writing this year and this seems like a lovely, non-threatening way to get started on that.

Day One

In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you have created. It can be your favorite fanworks that you've created, or fanworks you feel no one ever saw, or fanworks you say would define you as a creator. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

It's hard to choose favorites from among my own work, because I really do like everything I write, if I do say so myself! ;-) But here are a few that came to mind:

Dreaming New Dreams

I have written exclusively in the Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit fandom, except for this story. It is a bit of a gapfiller for characters who feature in Major, a baseball anime and manga series. My love for the Major anime series (and later the manga) was such that I braved writing something unfamiliar and totally different than what I am used to and comfortable with -- that's why Dreaming New Dreams is one of my favorites of my own creations. It is not quite finished, as Real Life got to be demanding and I let my muse go dormant -- but finishing the story it is on my List of Things to Do in the coming months. This is a fandom that seemingly has very few fans and even fewer stories written for it, so this story has gone largely unnoticed. I also haven't shared it in my normal circles -- mostly because I never finished it, but also because it is so different from my usual LotR stuff. I am very fond of it, however, and feel it does justice to the series and to the characters.

Evil Undone

This was done for a Big Bang challenge. I took a one-shot story I had written previously and fleshed it out with more back story. I had a lot of fun with this one! It was a challenge to make a few changes to canon that altered the story in a very extreme way and then make it work, but I like to think it turned out to be (mostly) believable. I am considering returning to this someday and maybe writing a sequel, since I left it rather open-ended.

Reforged

This story came out of a plot bunny that I'd been nursing for a long time and finally developed for a Finish-a-thon challenge. It is tied to an older story that I am also very proud of -- The Best Sword Ever -- but the two stories diverge in how they end. This is very much one of my favorites, because it deals with an intriguing possibility that I haven't seen explored very often.

Sounds of Home

I tend to struggle with fixed length fics, but this was one that came fairly easily to me for a change. I love this one because it has cicadas in it, and I am nothing if not a huge fan of cicadas! It was great fun working them into one of my stories.

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Tree and Flower Awards

2013-08-22T00:08:06Z

I'm very pleased that several of my stories have been nominated for the LOTR "Tree and Flower Awards" (full list of nominees HERE). These awards are sponsored by the lotr_community and the story archive Many Paths to Tread. Here's my lovely banner for being a nominee! \o/

My nominated stories are as follows:

Favorite Vignette

Dreams of Boats
Faramir tells Boromir of a disturbing dream.

Favorite story inspired by the Hobbit movie by Peter Jackson

Astray on the Road to Bag End
Thorin Oakenshield gets lost on his way to Bag End. Based on Thorin's comment about losing his way in Peter Jackson's film, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey."

Favorite Recipe!fic

Something Hot Would Go Down Nice
The hobbits are tired of eating cold food on their journey and start daydreaming about how something hot would go down nice.

Favorite characterization of Boromir

A Son to Be Proud Of
Boromir contemplates the relationship between his father and his brother as he prepares to leave upon his quest.

Bearing the Warrior Home
Boromir's journey home and the boat that takes him there.

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Lords of Gondor - Chapter 52

2013-07-15T14:58:18Z

Ugh -- it's been almost a year since I updated this story! The fact that I think about it daily and work on it frequently must have disguised the fact that it has been longer than I thought since the last chapter. I shall have to do better than that if I'm ever going to finish this story -- which I definitely plan to do.

But here it is at last, the next chapter in the tale of Boromir's return to Gondor:

( Lords of Gondor Chapter 52 )( Lords of Gondor Chapter 52 )

Thanks for reading!

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Cicadas

2013-07-14T02:27:07Z

The first cicadas of the year are making their music outside my window this evening. I am content! In honor of the occasion, here's a short fixed length fic I wrote a couple of years ago, featuring cicadas:

Sounds of Home

Boromir sat under a tree, legs stretched out before him. Weary after long hours of trudging under the hot summer sun, the shade provided him welcome respite.

The resonant buzzing of cicadas filled the air, first growing loud, then ebbing away to begin again from another place. One strident fellow claimed the branches above Boromir’s head for his own, his drumming music bold and insistent.

Boromir smiled, pleased at the sound and filled with contentment. This song was common throughout Gondor, from the trees of his City to the fields and woods approaching the Sea.

He was far from home, but the sounds of home were with him, even here.

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