Sunday, September 23, 2007

Announcements for September 23-30

BIRTHDAY DRABBLES



The following members have birthday this week. If you're in the drabbling mood, why not write them 100 words as a birthday card?

Alassante (September 24) said, "I'm a Feanorian fanatic and Noldork. I like Drama, Humor, and smut but not really slash."




CHALLENGES - HELP NEEDED



There aren't very many active challenges these days. Do you have an idea you think others would enjoy? If so, please propose it in the Prospective Challenges Forum.

Also, we're still looking for someone to manage the birthday drabbles thread. I am handling it this month, but I really can't do it forever, so if you'd like to see this continue, we need someone to manage it. The Challenges Manager will tell you how. If you're interested in learning more please email me at HASANews(at)henneth-annun(dot)net.




This week's focus:

FORUMS

.

One of the best ways to get involved at HASA is through our forums. People are discussing research questions and stories as well as having fannish squees regularly there.

Some useful forum links (you must be logged in for all of these):

"On Our Minds" displays the ten most recent posts in forums open to all HASA members. It's a good way to catch up on what you've missed, though the page can move quickly when lots of forums are active at once.

If you've been out of touch for longer than a few days you might want to use the "One Month of Posts" page. This page has just what it sounds like: a list of forums that have been posted to in the last month, beginning with the most recently updated.

Workshops are specialized writing communities. They allow you to share stories you aren't ready to post to the whole site, and many have interesting forums attached to them. Explore workshops to find a group of members interested in similar topics.

Now, here are some of the most recently-updated threads in HASA forum. Don't be shy. If any interest you, why not jump in?

HASA Birthday Cards Forum
Subject: September 2007 Birthdays

Elena Tiriel - Star Gazings
Subject: Fell and Fair Drabble Series (Current)

Beta: Try Before You Buy
Subject: An Exercise in Futility (Working Title)

Here's hoping this week finds you having many interesting discussion about all things Tolkien. Because, really, you were trying to cut back on sleep anyway, right?

Until next time,
Marta

PS- Do you have something in particular you would like included in next week's announcement? If so, please email HASANews(at)henneth-annun(dot)net.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Announcements for September 16-23

UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS

The following members have birthday this week. If you're in the drabbling mood, why not write them 100 words as a birthday card?

Linda Hoyuland (September 22) requested "Aragorn is my favourite character,especially as King. My other favourite characters are Arwen, Faramir and Eomer. I like drama or humour, but dislike smut and slash."




REVIEWS

If you have been a member of HASA for thirty days or more you are eligible to review a story. Currently there are five stories, involving characters as diverse as Frodo and Eomer. Why not review one today?




This week's focus: RECENTLY UPDATED 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 is always a nice thing to do, whether the story is new or old.

Every fifteen minutes HASA hilights a story chosen at random from the Reviewed and General stories in the archive. The current story is

C - like certain circumstances in the Citadel by HASA Workshop
Write a drabble, a drouble, a tribble, a quabble or a quibble! Write 100, 200, 300, 400 or 500 words! No matter if it's serious or silly, anything goes. And here is already the next cue: C - like certain circumstances in the Citadel.

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

Many talented writers are publishing every day. Check out these stories just added to HASA:

Reviewed Stories

The Return by Lady Bluejay
‘Both Duilin of Morthond and his brother were trampled to death when they assailed the mûmakil, leading their bowmen close to shoot at the eyes of the monsters.’ Duinhir had to return to his wife without his sons. * Angst.*

Vocabulary Lessons by Larner
A young heir to a lesser lord of the realm must learn new definitions to words he'd not formerly paid attention to as he presents his father's correspondence before the new King.

~*~

General Stories

Stuff 'n Nonsense by Armariel
A place for silly stuff. Anyone taking it seriously will be forced to attend Ent poetry recitals for two weeks! (Ongoing Serial)

Light From the West by Armariel
Companion piece to "Bear Me Away!" and "Anemone" which recount Frodo's adventures in the West. In "Bear Me Away" he speaks of reading letters to Sam through his star-glass. Here are excerpts from those letters.

~*~

Beta Stories
(Please note, you need to be logged in to view these stories.)

Holding Onto Hope by Alassante
Celebrimbor comes to the aid of his uncle in his greatest time of need.

Beyond the Veil by Lady Donalwen
Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings A-U. Sirius falls through the veil and ends up in Middle-Earth where he is mistaken for one of the Isatari, tricked into helping a greedy landowner, the object of affection for his picky daughter, and finding himself in love with the half-elf Castillia. (WIP)




And now for your mid-month nuzgul. Because the only way to get stories to read is for someone to write them, and that requires our fangy little friends.

Beware the Ides of March
"Beware the Ides of March" is one of the most famous prophecies in history. Write a story or drabble about a prophecy in Middle-earth. It can be any Age, any character, any people, and the prophecy could be one that Tolkien wrote about, or one that you make up for Tolkien's world. Seriousness not necessary.

If you don't feel the tickle of little fangs in your ankle yet, there are many more potential stories just waiting to be written. Read all of HASA's many story prompts in our Nuzgul hutch.

Do you have a suggestion you'd like to see added to the hutch? Submit it using the "Submit a Story Suggestion" form.

Happy reviewing!
Marta
PS- Do you have something in particular you would like included in next week's announcement? If so, please email HASANews@henneth-annun.net.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Announcements for September 9-16

BIRTHDAY DRABBLES

The following members have birthday this week. If you're in the drabbling mood, why not write them 100 words as a birthday card?

Linda Hoyland requested "Aragorn is my favourite character,especially as King. My other favourite characters are Arwen,Faramir and Eomer. I like drama or humour, but dislike smut and slash."

If you have a September birthday and haven't yet done so, you can request it at the Birthday Drabble Forum.




SITE FUNDING UPDATE

Thanks to generous HASA-ites, HASA is funded through the end of 2007. Thanks, guys!

There are still lots of ways to make HASA a better site, through the donation of your time. Review a story, either one already published or one of the several currently in the review pool. Enter or suggest a challenge. Challenges is currently looking for a volunteer to help out with the birthday drabbles thread. And you can always add to the resources knowledge base, or link to it where you see Tolkien canon being discussed. Speaking of....




This week's focus: 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 to both members and non-members at http://www.henneth-annun.net/resources/index.cfm.

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 the contact form..

What's new in Resources:

Timeline Events:
Theoden adopts Eomer and Eowyn and raises them in Edoras
Theoden reinstates Eomer as Marshal of the Mark

Character Biographies
Leod
Meneldil

Places
Barad Nimras
The Door of the Dead

Things
The Elven-Cloaks
Stewards of Gondor

Good luck researching your story! If you enjoy this section of the site please feel free to thank the researchers, listed at the bottom of every entry.

And always remember, grasshopper: the path of wisdom leads through proper citations. *grins*

Marta

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

Monday, September 3, 2007

Announcements for September 2-9

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: 581.43
To provide funding through: November 2007.

If anyone would like to make a donation, you may do so at the Donations page.




PUBLICLY-VIEWABLE FORUMS

As I mentioned last week, many HASA forums are now visible to all site visitors, not just members. If you would like a forum that you created to be visible to site visitors, please do the following:

1. Log in to HASA.
2. Go to http://www.henneth-annun.net/mine/forums.cfm .
3. Click the "Manage" link beside the story you would like to make public.
4. Click the "Edit Discussion" link.
5. Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Beside "Who may read? Choose your reading audience", change the selection to "Open to all HASA Members, General Public may read".
6. Click the "Edit Forums" button.
7. Click the "My Forums" link.

That will make that forum visible to the public. Just repeat steps 3-7 for any other forum you'd like to make publicly visible. If you have any problems please email HASANews@henneth-annun.net.




NEW VOLUNTEER NEEDED

HASA Challenges needs a new challenges assistant to help out with the Birthday Cards forums. This challenges assistant would do the following:

--- start a thread in the birthday drabbles forum (link below under BIRTHDAY DRABBLES) a few days before the first of the month
--- create a challenge for the drabbles written for birthday requests
--- as birthday babies make drabble requests in the birthday drabbles forum, edit the first post in the thread to include their request
--- close the birthday challenge a few days after the last day of the month. Make public if enough drabbles have been written
--- add stories containing drabbles to playlist.

This takes a little bit of time at the beginning of the month (maybe an hour or two once a month, if that much). You'd also need to be available to answer any questions people have about the drabble-writing. Mainly, we just need someone who can reliably get things set up on time and who can reply to any questions reasonably quickly.

If you're interested in helping out with this please email HASANews@henneth-annun.net.




BIRTHDAY DRABBLES

The HASA forum where HASA members can request birthday drabbles is now set up. If you have a September birthday, please request a drabble at the Birthday Drabbles forum.




CHALLENGES BULLETIN UP

This month's challenge bulletin has just been posted. You can find it here.

We're running low on challenges that are currently going on, so if you have an idea you think would make a good challenge, feel free to do it at the Prospective Challenges forum.




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 email HASANews@henneth-annun.net.

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

HASA Challenges Team