Tuesday, October 27, 2009

4th Quarter Fun and Funding

HASA is an ad-free, fee-free Web site, run for the enjoyment of quality JRRT fanfiction. Our monthly hosting costs are $150 US; looking for $65 in donations by Friday next week. Every penny donated to HASA goes directly to paying the hosting costs. Our hosting cost pays for the dedicated server HASA needs to provide the features and fun visitors love - stories, comments, forums, alerts, challenges and more.

Currently our donation balance is at $20, which covers almost 1/5 of November hosting. HASA's marvelous Secret Admirer has guaranteed matching funds for all Quarter 4 donations, up to $500! Another member is covering all the service fees that PayPal takes, so every dollar you donate is worth double!

If you're a little short on spare change at the moment, donate some time. There's an archive full of stories just waiting for comments, authors who would dearly love an email complimenting them on their work, challenges that need entries, playlists that need to be created, and forums begging for discussions. If you are a reviewer, check out a story today. If you aren't a reviewr, no better time than now to sign up.

And if you are an author, please consider donating a new story!

Thanks for enjoying HASA!

Julie

Saturday, October 17, 2009

HASA Reviews October 2009

15(!) reviewed stories since the September bulletin, and 9 stories currently in review...

Welcome to the October reviews bulletin.

Reviews are an important part of the site: there are the authors who sit waiting with baited breath and fraying nerves, and there are our intrepid reviewers to think of. So before looking at the stories: Thank you all for your work, authors and reviewers alike!

Stories in review
As I type this, there are 9 stories waiting for reviewers (remember to log in before you follow the link).

Of course, member participation is crucial for reviews. The more people are involved in reviewing, the more opinions are represented. Just as importantly, having more people involved means that stories pass through review more quickly - which is good for everyone.

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

Becoming a reviewer
If you're not an active reviewer, but think you can spare a bit of time... – even if you just review one or two stories in a month, every review is welcome. If you are logged in, you can sign up here if you've been a member of HASA for thirty days or more.

Put one in, take one out
By submitting a story for review, you are asking nine other members to read and evaluate it. So why not do for the other authors who have a story in review what you'd like other reviewers to do for you: check out one of the stories already in review and give it a read. Put more simply: put one in, take one out...

Reviewed story spotlight
These stories have passed through review since the previous bulletin. Congratulations to all authors; well done!

A Day to Celebrate by Larner
Rating: General
Genre: Drama
Era: 3rd Age - Post-Ring War
Summary: It's a year from the day on which Barad-dûr fell, and there are celebrations in both of the renewed kingdoms--except in one place....

Uncharacteristic Fury by Nieriel Raina
Rating: General
Genre: Drama
Era: 4th Age
Summary: Part of a series. Eowyn returns from helping an injured man to find her husband is furious with her.

Filling the Breach by Raksha
Rating: General
Genre: General
Era: 3rd Age - Post-Ring War
Summary: Ingold, soldier of Gondor, confronts damage and change when he visits the Rammas Echor some days after Sauron's fall. (700 word ficlet, as counted by MS Word)

Riding the Fire by Raksha
Rating: Adult
Genre: General
Era: Other
Summary: Fëanor Lives! Join him for a special moment in July 1969. Alternate Universe, 1000 words as counted by MS Word, and rated Adult only because of slight (and brief) sexual innuendo.

Stranger at the Gates by lindahoyland
Rating: General
Genre: Romance
Era: 3rd Age - The Stewards
Summary: A weary stranger seeks shelter from Galadriel.

A Yearling Shoot by peredhil_lover
Rating: General
Genre: Drama
Era: 3rd Age - The Stewards
Summary: With the fateful first meeting of Arwen and Aragorn, the lives of the peredhil are changed forever. Aragorn, Elladan, Elrohir, Gilraen, Elrond, Arwen. Sequel to "Day and Night."

A Useful Gift by Larner
Rating: General
Genre: Humor
Era: 3rd Age - The Stewards
Summary: Cheated of Bag End, as they see it, Otho and Lobelia decide to attend Bilbo's birthday party, no matter what; and Lobelia receives a most useful gift.

The Silver Tree by lindahoyland
Rating: General
Genre: General
Era: 3rd Age - Post-Ring War
Summary: The new King and his Steward take a walk.

Ease My Heart by Nieriel Raina
Rating: General
Genre: Drama
Era: 4th Age
Summary: Sometimes those who affect our lives so greatly are those who are silent - and we never forget them. A sequel to another tale, but can be read as a stand alone.

A Ring of Nine Watchers by Aiwendiel
Rating: General
Genre: Drama
Era: 3rd Age - Ring War
Summary: Night in the foothills of Caradhras. The Fellowship waits in the dark for the approach of the hunting pack of wolves, and we hear their thoughts as they watch one another. An 'ennea-drabble': a set of nine drabbles.

The Hidden Lady by Rhapsody
Rating: General
Genre: Drama
Era: Akallabêth/Last Alliance
Summary: Many scribes and bards have claimed that the Valar spared Elendil and his sons, but what is fact and what is myth?

I Will Wait by Andriana
Rating: General
Genre: Romance
Era: Time of the Trees
Summary: The parting of Fingolfin and Anairë.

A New Life by Larner
Rating: General
Genre: Drama
Era: 3rd Age - Post-Ring War
Summary: Arafim of Rhûn was surprised to find the captain of Gondor's forces was also a healer, and then more. But what could he do with his life when his own lord had ordered the wounded Rhûnim within the camp slain? Could such a man as he ever go home again? A series of eight true drabbles....

Aranel by Alphiriel
Rating: General
Genre: Action
Era: 4th Age
Summary: The death of King Elessar and departure of his Queen, Lady Arwen, seen through the eyes of their youngest daughter.

The Prince of Hearts by Rhapsody
Rating: General
Genre: General
Era: 2nd Age - Rings
Summary: One day Elrond decides to acknowledge a request that changed his life and that of others forever.




Thank you for reading, writing and reviewing at HASA. Enjoy!

Monday, October 5, 2009

HASA news - October 2009

Autumn is definitely here (or spring, for the southern hemisphere), and it's the perfect time to curl up somewhere warm to read or write some fanfic --- and if you’re reading, why not drop an author a comment?

The October news focuses on Birthdays, Challenges and Nuzgul, Reviews and Playlists.


Birthday Cards

It’s your birthday in October, and you 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 are currently no open Challenges (except Birthdays), so if you have any spare Nuzgul lying around, don’t hesitate to see how many others it can bite!

In September the HASA Birthday Challenge '09* closed. Right now, there are two stories and two placeholders for the challenge, but you can always write an oliphaunt** entry for this or any other closed challenge.

* (please note, you need to be logged in for this link to work)
** What are oliphaunts? Click here to find the answer


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 8 new stories that are waiting for reviewers.

Or, if you are not yet a reviewer, why not sign up to become one? 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


Playlists

Playlists are lists of HASA stories put together by authors and readers, just as music lovers put together lists of their favorite songs.

For example:
- An author uses playlists to put the stories in a series in reading order.
- A reader puts her ‘favourites’ in a playlist and explains why they are listed
- A reader makes a list of similarly themed stories, for instance Hobbit romance or critical essays on Men.
- ...

Anyone can create a playlist!

If you are a reader, you can collect your favorite stories by different authors together in one place. If you are an author, you can put one together of your own stories. Using the Workshop, a group of authors can put together joint playlists of their work.

If you are logged in, go to My Playlists for more information on creating your own lists.

Playlists are meant to be shared!

Once you publish your playlist, other HASA members can add your list to a playlist favorites collection. You can collect playlists by authors and other readers even if you don't have any of your own. On every playlist overview page is an "Add to My Collection" button. Click, and that list is added to your collection. If you don't see the button, check to see if you are logged in.


September 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 September:

--- 16 Reviewed Stories were published or updated.
--- 42 General Stories were published or updated.
--- 4 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!