2006 Author Reviews for
annmarwalk

Ann?s pieces are so true to life and fresh that it seems as if she is there in Gondor or Rohan, scribbling in a notebook, recording events as they unfold. She often draws her subjects from the fleeting, everyday moment, revealing beauty and meaning in what might otherwise seem commonplace. A workbasket, a salamander, an artist?s unsigned sketch, a toy pony?all become touchstones. Servants, children, and women, the unheard or rarely heard characters of Tolkien\'s world, are given a voice. Her work shows deep insight into human nature, and she seems to take an unflinching but kindly view, realistic but not unsympathetic. As a person interested in history, I love how her pieces incorporate the details of material culture, details which are carefully researched and deftly woven into the narrative. In her writing, the natural world is sensitively portrayed with a naturalist?s keen eye. Her command of sensory imagery amazes me. Visuals are drawn with a sure and graceful hand, and light and color are used to great effect. Sounds, tastes, and touch are vividly described. Many of her pieces have the concentrated force of a poem, and not a word is wasted. Her love of Tolkien?s universe and his characters (and one in particular *grin*) infuses all of her work and makes it shimmer with joy.

Ann has a unique, wonderful talent for evoking startling depth of emotion with only a handful of carefully chosen words. Whether the story is happy, dark, warm, chilling, poignant or simply recounting an incident of day-to-day life in Middle Earth, she never tries to wring the emotion from the moment, and therefore brings even more feeling to the piece. Her work is never overblown, but is often somehow imbued with a sense of magical realism, the impression that there is so much more at work beneath the surface.. A deft phrasing here, a sly smile of a sentence there, and the whole thing comes together with beautiful, delicate precision that is a joy to read and re-read.

If only I had the gift Ann exhibits of saying so much about the folk of the world of Arda so well in such intensely satisfying short stories and drabbles.

It\'s a little hard to know how to describe Ann as a writer, because if I *just* talked about what she writes then I would be ignoring the encouraging affect she has had on so many authors, myself included, because she is a world-class beta and reviewer. It\'s a truly rare combination to find someone who can do all three effectively, but Ann definitely qualifies. If I had to choose which of the three she\'s best at I would probably choose betareading because she has it down to an art, and I have never felt like I was losing control of my story. Anyway, back to her writing, I do not want to underemphasize that aspect. Her writing is always crisp as one would expect from a fine beta reader. The mechanics are all there and her word economy i such that her pieces never feel rushed (even in her non-drabbles, though this really stands out in her drabbles). But what I love most about Ann\'s writing is the quiet humor that seems to invade her writing, will she or no. If there\'s anything I hope Ann never writes it\'s angst. Her stories just all have this very natural feel to them of everyday life. From the hawt quality of new love to the comfort of a long-stranding relationship to the gentle jostlings of siblings to the tenderness of new parenthood -- it all feels so like real. And that makes for a very three-dimensional world she writes.

Annmarwalk has a marvellous touch for vocabulary - how to use the right words in the right place, and how to leave things unsaid - and so paints characters and scenes evocatively in a style that is always suited to its subject matter.

Annmarwalk always manages to bring out beauty, in places humble or high. Her command of language is wonderfully fresh and lyrical. And, as another reviewer has noted, her interest in craftsmanship, of stone, of fabrics, sewing and other womanly arts, adds a patina of grace and elegance to stories written about a place and time that is far away, but brought closer to our hearts by her words.

Annmarwalk is very good at describing a single scene or moment. Depending on her aim, the characters\' interior feelings may be the object, or it may be some particular, lushly described thing in the world that comes into focus, prompting a character\'s reaction. Her \'palette\' as it were is bright--I find her at her most vivid describing the profusion of color (emotional or physical) that surrounds joy and lingering over it. But she always adapts herself to the character, too--we can see this in her dwarf-centric stories very clearly, which brings out another thing that seems to be important to Ann--craftmanship or craftwomanship, as the case may be. The productive arts seem to show up in key places as something more than simply coloration.

Annmarwalk always manages to bring out beauty, in places humble or high. Her command of language is wonderfully fresh and lyrical. And, as another reviewer has noted, her interest in craftsmanship, of stone, of fabrics, sewing and other womanly arts, adds a patina of grace and elegance to stories written about a place and time that is far away, but brought closer to our hearts by her words.

It\'s a little hard to know how to describe Ann as a writer, because if I *just* talked about what she writes then I would be ignoring the encouraging affect she has had on so many authors, myself included, because she is a world-class beta and reviewer. It\'s a truly rare combination to find someone who can do all three effectively, but Ann definitely qualifies. If I had to choose which of the three she\'s best at I would probably choose betareading because she has it down to an art, and I have never felt like I was losing control of my story. Anyway, back to her writing, I do not want to underemphasize that aspect. Her writing is always crisp as one would expect from a fine beta reader. The mechanics are all there and her word economy i such that her pieces never feel rushed (even in her non-drabbles, though this really stands out in her drabbles). But what I love most about Ann\'s writing is the quiet humor that seems to invade her writing, will she or no. If there\'s anything I hope Ann never writes it\'s angst. Her stories just all have this very natural feel to them of everyday life. From the hawt quality of new love to the comfort of a long-stranding relationship to the gentle jostlings of siblings to the tenderness of new parenthood -- it all feels so like real. And that makes for a very three-dimensional world she writes.

When the characters in Ann\'s stories grieve, we grieve with them; and when they rejoice, our own hearts are lifted as well.

No-one writes fixed-length stories in quite the way that Ann does. Each word is chosen for maximum impact and effect, and quite often the reader is left breathless by the way the finished word quietly shines. She manages to convey amazingly wide ranges of emotion in a very strict format, much to the despair to those of us who have to fight to keep a story within such cruel limitations. I\'m constantly jealous of how exquisitely her drabbles are crafted, with nary an unneeded word nor a word out of place.

Annmarwalk is very good at describing a single scene or moment. Depending on her aim, the characters\' interior feelings may be the object, or it may be some particular, lushly described thing in the world that comes into focus, prompting a character\'s reaction. Her \'palette\' as it were is bright--I find her at her most vivid describing the profusion of color (emotional or physical) that surrounds joy and lingering over it. But she always adapts herself to the character, too--we can see this in her dwarf-centric stories very clearly, which brings out another thing that seems to be important to Ann--craftmanship or craftwomanship, as the case may be. The productive arts seem to show up in key places as something more than simply coloration.

It\'s a little hard to know how to describe Ann as a writer, because if I *just* talked about what she writes then I would be ignoring the encouraging affect she has had on so many authors, myself included, because she is a world-class beta and reviewer. It\'s a truly rare combination to find someone who can do all three effectively, but Ann definitely qualifies. If I had to choose which of the three she\'s best at I would probably choose betareading because she has it down to an art, and I have never felt like I was losing control of my story. Anyway, back to her writing, I do not want to underemphasize that aspect. Her writing is always crisp as one would expect from a fine beta reader. The mechanics are all there and her word economy i such that her pieces never feel rushed (even in her non-drabbles, though this really stands out in her drabbles). But what I love most about Ann\'s writing is the quiet humor that seems to invade her writing, will she or no. If there\'s anything I hope Ann never writes it\'s angst. Her stories just all have this very natural feel to them of everyday life. From the hawt quality of new love to the comfort of a long-stranding relationship to the gentle jostlings of siblings to the tenderness of new parenthood -- it all feels so like real. And that makes for a very three-dimensional world she writes.

Ann?s pieces are so true to life and fresh that it seems as if she is there in Gondor or Rohan, scribbling in a notebook, recording events as they unfold. She often draws her subjects from the fleeting, everyday moment, revealing beauty and meaning in what might otherwise seem commonplace. A workbasket, a salamander, an artist?s unsigned sketch, a toy pony?all become touchstones. Servants, children, and women, the unheard or rarely heard characters of Tolkien\'s world, are given a voice. Her work shows deep insight into human nature, and she seems to take an unflinching but kindly view, realistic but not unsympathetic. As a person interested in history, I love how her pieces incorporate the details of material culture, details which are carefully researched and deftly woven into the narrative. In her writing, the natural world is sensitively portrayed with a naturalist?s keen eye. Her command of sensory imagery amazes me. Visuals are drawn with a sure and graceful hand, and light and color are used to great effect. Sounds, tastes, and touch are vividly described. Many of her pieces have the concentrated force of a poem, and not a word is wasted. Her love of Tolkien?s characters (and one in particular *grin*) infuses all of her work and makes it shimmer with joy.

I doubt anyone can say so much in such an economy of words as Ann marwalk. To read her stories is always a sweet delight. Thank you ever, Ann.

As much as I love Ann\'s drabbles, I\'m so glad she decided to branch out into slightly longer stories, because that means more of her lush, detailed writing. I\'m in awe that she holds onto that unique ability of picking each word with infinite care even in a longer format; her descriptions..well, defy description; her dialogue and character interaction are a joy, and she is excellent at portraying deep emotions without ever crossing into maudlin or sugary-sweetness, a tendency which can, in my opinion, seriously mar a story. It\'s always a pleasure to read another one of her stories, especially when any sort of romance is involved.

It\'s a little hard to know how to describe Ann as a writer, because if I *just* talked about what she writes then I would be ignoring the encouraging affect she has had on so many authors, myself included, because she is a world-class beta and reviewer. It\'s a truly rare combination to find someone who can do all three effectively, but Ann definitely qualifies. If I had to choose which of the three she\'s best at I would probably choose betareading because she has it down to an art, and I have never felt like I was losing control of my story. Anyway, back to her writing, I do not want to underemphasize that aspect. Her writing is always crisp as one would expect from a fine beta reader. The mechanics are all there and her word economy i such that her pieces never feel rushed (even in her non-drabbles, though this really stands out in her drabbles). But what I love most about Ann\'s writing is the quiet humor that seems to invade her writing, will she or no. If there\'s anything I hope Ann never writes it\'s angst. Her stories just all have this very natural feel to them of everyday life. From the hawt quality of new love to the comfort of a long-stranding relationship to the gentle jostlings of siblings to the tenderness of new parenthood -- it all feels so like real. And that makes for a very three-dimensional world she writes.

Ann?s pieces are so true to life and fresh that it seems as if she is there in Gondor or Rohan, scribbling in a notebook, recording events as they unfold. She often draws her subjects from the fleeting, everyday moment, revealing beauty and meaning in what might otherwise seem commonplace. A workbasket, a salamander, an artist?s unsigned sketch, a toy pony?all become touchstones. Servants, children, and women, the unheard or rarely heard characters of Tolkien\'s world, are given a voice. Her work shows deep insight into human nature, and she seems to take an unflinching but kindly view, realistic but not unsympathetic. As a person interested in history, I love how her pieces incorporate the details of material culture, details which are carefully researched and deftly woven into the narrative. In her writing, the natural world is sensitively portrayed with a naturalist?s keen eye. Her command of sensory imagery amazes me. Visuals are drawn with a sure and graceful hand, and light and color are used to great effect. Sounds, tastes, and touch are vividly described. Many of her pieces have the concentrated force of a poem, and not a word is wasted. Her love of Tolkien?s characters (and one in particular *grin*) infuses all of her work and makes it shimmer with joy.

It\'s a little hard to know how to describe Ann as a writer, because if I *just* talked about what she writes then I would be ignoring the encouraging affect she has had on so many authors, myself included, because she is a world-class beta and reviewer. It\'s a truly rare combination to find someone who can do all three effectively, but Ann definitely qualifies. If I had to choose which of the three she\'s best at I would probably choose betareading because she has it down to an art, and I have never felt like I was losing control of my story. Anyway, back to her writing, I do not want to underemphasize that aspect. Her writing is always crisp as one would expect from a fine beta reader. The mechanics are all there and her word economy i such that her pieces never feel rushed (even in her non-drabbles, though this really stands out in her drabbles). But what I love most about Ann\'s writing is the quiet humor that seems to invade her writing, will she or no. If there\'s anything I hope Ann never writes it\'s angst. Her stories just all have this very natural feel to them of everyday life. From the hawt quality of new love to the comfort of a long-stranding relationship to the gentle jostlings of siblings to the tenderness of new parenthood -- it all feels so like real. And that makes for a very three-dimensional world she writes.

I demand more Dwarves! Somehow Dwarven stories in particular seem suited to Ann\'s sparse-yet-richly-elegant style of writing; I think they would be very pleased at the way she portrays them, full of dignity and appreciation for careful, loving craftsmanship, never to be mistaken for anything but themselves. Dwarves can be tricky creatures to write, but Ann does so beautifully, and the results always display a wonderful understanding of Dwarves and their still, silent depths.

Ann?s pieces are so true to life and fresh that it seems as if she is there in Gondor or Rohan, scribbling in a notebook, recording events as they unfold. She often draws her subjects from the fleeting, everyday moment, revealing beauty and meaning in what might otherwise seem commonplace. A workbasket, a salamander, an artist?s unsigned sketch, a toy pony?all become touchstones. Servants, children, and women, the unheard or rarely heard characters of Tolkien\'s world, are given a voice. Her work shows deep insight into human nature, and she seems to take an unflinching but kindly view, realistic but not unsympathetic. As a person interested in history, I love how her pieces incorporate the details of material culture, details which are carefully researched and deftly woven into the narrative. In her writing, the natural world is sensitively portrayed with a naturalist?s keen eye. Her command of sensory imagery amazes me. Visuals are drawn with a sure and graceful hand, and light and color are used to great effect. Sounds, tastes, and touch are vividly described. Many of her pieces have the concentrated force of a poem, and not a word is wasted. Her love of Tolkien?s universe and his characters (and one in particular *grin*) infuses all of her work and makes it shimmer with joy.

Annmarwalk is very good at describing a single scene or moment. Depending on her aim, the characters\' interior feelings may be the object, or it may be some particular, lushly described thing in the world that comes into focus, prompting a character\'s reaction. Her \'palette\' as it were is bright--I find her at her most vivid describing the profusion of color (emotional or physical) that surrounds joy and lingering over it. But she always adapts herself to the character, too--we can see this in her dwarf-centric stories very clearly, which brings out another thing that seems to be important to Ann--craftmanship or craftwomanship, as the case may be. The productive arts seem to show up in key places as something more than simply coloration.

Ann remains one who best can express the feelings of her characters so well in so few words. Her drabbles are always a joy to read, I\'ve found.

Ann is always one of the best at showing us the folk of Middle Earth in short stories and drabbles; and in her look at the one Dwarf woman who had once wished to draw the eye of Gimli son of Gloin she shows the regret expressed in concern for her own comfort and worry about the welfare of her cat as she turns down his invitation to accompany those who will go to Minas Tirith and Aglarond. She is able to capture the character so well and make us feel the regret, reminding us of the notation from the appendices indicating that many Dwarf women never married, despairing of having the one Dwarf male that had managed to capture their hearts. She certainly made this OC real for me.

Annmarwalk has a marvellous touch for vocabulary - how to use the right words in the right place, and how to leave things unsaid - and so paints characters and scenes evocatively in a style that is always suited to its subject matter.

Annmarwalk has a marvellous touch for vocabulary - how to use the right words in the right place, and how to leave things unsaid - and so paints characters and scenes evocatively in a style that is always suited to its subject matter.

Annmarwalk is very good at describing a single scene or moment. Depending on her aim, the characters\' interior feelings may be the object, or it may be some particular, lushly described thing in the world that comes into focus, prompting a character\'s reaction. Her \'palette\' as it were is bright--I find her at her most vivid describing the profusion of color (emotional or physical) that surrounds joy and lingering over it. But she always adapts herself to the character, too--we can see this in her dwarf-centric stories very clearly, which brings out another thing that seems to be important to Ann--craftmanship or craftwomanship, as the case may be. The productive arts seem to show up in key places as something more than simply coloration.

Ann?s pieces are so true to life and fresh that it seems as if she is there in Gondor or Rohan, scribbling in a notebook, recording events as they unfold. She often draws her subjects from the fleeting, everyday moment, revealing beauty and meaning in what might otherwise seem commonplace. A workbasket, a salamander, an artist?s unsigned sketch, a toy pony?all become touchstones. Servants, children, and women, the unheard or rarely heard characters of Tolkien\'s world, are given a voice. Her work shows deep insight into human nature, and she seems to take an unflinching but kindly view, realistic but not unsympathetic. As a person interested in history, I love how her pieces incorporate the details of material culture, details which are carefully researched and deftly woven into the narrative. In her writing, the natural world is sensitively portrayed with a naturalist?s keen eye. Her command of sensory imagery amazes me. Visuals are drawn with a sure and graceful hand, and light and color are used to great effect. Sounds, tastes, and touch are vividly described. Many of her pieces have the concentrated force of a poem, and not a word is wasted. Her love of Tolkien?s universe and his characters (and one in particular *grin*) infuses all of her work and makes it shimmer with joy.

Annmarwalk has a marvellous touch for vocabulary - how to use the right words in the right place, and how to leave things unsaid - and so paints characters and scenes evocatively in a style that is always suited to its subject matter.

It\'s a little hard to know how to describe Ann as a writer, because if I *just* talked about what she writes then I would be ignoring the encouraging affect she has had on so many authors, myself included, because she is a world-class beta and reviewer. It\'s a truly rare combination to find someone who can do all three effectively, but Ann definitely qualifies. If I had to choose which of the three she\'s best at I would probably choose betareading because she has it down to an art, and I have never felt like I was losing control of my story. Anyway, back to her writing, I do not want to underemphasize that aspect. Her writing is always crisp as one would expect from a fine beta reader. The mechanics are all there and her word economy i such that her pieces never feel rushed (even in her non-drabbles, though this really stands out in her drabbles). But what I love most about Ann\'s writing is the quiet humor that seems to invade her writing, will she or no. If there\'s anything I hope Ann never writes it\'s angst. Her stories just all have this very natural feel to them of everyday life. From the hawt quality of new love to the comfort of a long-stranding relationship to the gentle jostlings of siblings to the tenderness of new parenthood -- it all feels so like real. And that makes for a very three-dimensional world she writes.

And when Ann\'s characters remember the fallen with honor, love, and song, we hear the echoes of the songs in which the honor is expressed in our hearts.

Annmarwalk is very good at describing a single scene or moment. Depending on her aim, the characters\' interior feelings may be the object, or it may be some particular, lushly described thing in the world that comes into focus, prompting a character\'s reaction. Her \'palette\' as it were is bright--I find her at her most vivid describing the profusion of color (emotional or physical) that surrounds joy and lingering over it. But she always adapts herself to the character, too--we can see this in her dwarf-centric stories very clearly, which brings out another thing that seems to be important to Ann--craftmanship or craftwomanship, as the case may be. The productive arts seem to show up in key places as something more than simply coloration.

Ann?s pieces are so true to life and fresh that it seems as if she is there in Gondor or Rohan, scribbling in a notebook, recording events as they unfold. She often draws her subjects from the fleeting, everyday moment, revealing beauty and meaning in what might otherwise seem commonplace. A workbasket, a salamander, an artist?s unsigned sketch, a toy pony?all become touchstones. Servants, children, and women, the unheard or rarely heard characters of Tolkien\'s world, are given a voice. Her work shows deep insight into human nature, and she seems to take an unflinching but kindly view, realistic but not unsympathetic. As a person interested in history, I love how her pieces incorporate the details of material culture, details which are carefully researched and deftly woven into the narrative. In her writing, the natural world is sensitively portrayed with a naturalist?s keen eye. Her command of sensory imagery amazes me. Visuals are drawn with a sure and graceful hand, and light and color are used to great effect. Sounds, tastes, and touch are vividly described. Many of her pieces have the concentrated force of a poem, and not a word is wasted. Her love of Tolkien?s characters (and one in particular *grin*) infuses all of her work and makes it shimmer with joy.

It\'s a little hard to know how to describe Ann as a writer, because if I *just* talked about what she writes then I would be ignoring the encouraging affect she has had on so many authors, myself included, because she is a world-class beta and reviewer. It\'s a truly rare combination to find someone who can do all three effectively, but Ann definitely qualifies. If I had to choose which of the three she\'s best at I would probably choose betareading because she has it down to an art, and I have never felt like I was losing control of my story. Anyway, back to her writing, I do not want to underemphasize that aspect. Her writing is always crisp as one would expect from a fine beta reader. The mechanics are all there and her word economy i such that her pieces never feel rushed (even in her non-drabbles, though this really stands out in her drabbles). But what I love most about Ann\'s writing is the quiet humor that seems to invade her writing, will she or no. If there\'s anything I hope Ann never writes it\'s angst. Her stories just all have this very natural feel to them of everyday life. From the hawt quality of new love to the comfort of a long-stranding relationship to the gentle jostlings of siblings to the tenderness of new parenthood -- it all feels so like real. And that makes for a very three-dimensional world she writes.

It\'s a little hard to know how to describe Ann as a writer, because if I *just* talked about what she writes then I would be ignoring the encouraging affect she has had on so many authors, myself included, because she is a world-class beta and reviewer. It\'s a truly rare combination to find someone who can do all three effectively, but Ann definitely qualifies. If I had to choose which of the three she\'s best at I would probably choose betareading because she has it down to an art, and I have never felt like I was losing control of my story. Anyway, back to her writing, I do not want to underemphasize that aspect. Her writing is always crisp as one would expect from a fine beta reader. The mechanics are all there and her word economy i such that her pieces never feel rushed (even in her non-drabbles, though this really stands out in her drabbles). But what I love most about Ann\'s writing is the quiet humor that seems to invade her writing, will she or no. If there\'s anything I hope Ann never writes it\'s angst. Her stories just all have this very natural feel to them of everyday life. From the hawt quality of new love to the comfort of a long-stranding relationship to the gentle jostlings of siblings to the tenderness of new parenthood -- it all feels so like real. And that makes for a very three-dimensional world she writes.

Annmarwalk always manages to bring out beauty, in places humble or high. Her command of language is wonderfully fresh and lyrical. And, as another reviewer has noted, her interest in craftsmanship, of stone, of fabrics, sewing and other womanly arts, adds a patina of grace and elegance to stories written about a place and time that is far away, but brought closer to our hearts by her words.

Annmarwalk is very good at describing a single scene or moment. Depending on her aim, the characters\' interior feelings may be the object, or it may be some particular, lushly described thing in the world that comes into focus, prompting a character\'s reaction. Her \'palette\' as it were is bright--I find her at her most vivid describing the profusion of color (emotional or physical) that surrounds joy and lingering over it. But she always adapts herself to the character, too--we can see this in her dwarf-centric stories very clearly, which brings out another thing that seems to be important to Ann--craftmanship or craftwomanship, as the case may be. The productive arts seem to show up in key places as something more than simply coloration.

Annmarwalk has a marvellous touch for vocabulary - how to use the right words in the right place, and how to leave things unsaid - and so paints characters and scenes evocatively in a style that is always suited to its subject matter.

This is one of my favorite short looks at the Hobbits within Minas Tirith; and it was in honor of this story that I wrote the description of the fabric given Rosie by Sam for his birthday, the fabric used in her wedding dress in my own story.

Ann?s pieces are so true to life and fresh that it seems as if she is there in Gondor or Rohan, scribbling in a notebook, recording events as they unfold. She often draws her subjects from the fleeting, everyday moment, revealing beauty and meaning in what might otherwise seem commonplace. A workbasket, a salamander, an artist?s unsigned sketch, a toy pony?all become touchstones. Servants, children, and women, the unheard or rarely heard characters of Tolkien\'s world, are given a voice. Her work shows deep insight into human nature, and she seems to take an unflinching but kindly view, realistic but not unsympathetic. As a person interested in history, I love how her pieces incorporate the details of material culture, details which are carefully researched and deftly woven into the narrative. In her writing, the natural world is sensitively portrayed with a naturalist?s keen eye. Her command of sensory imagery amazes me. Visuals are drawn with a sure and graceful hand, and light and color are used to great effect. Sounds, tastes, and touch are vividly described. Many of her pieces have the concentrated force of a poem, and not a word is wasted. Her love of Tolkien?s universe and his characters (and one in particular *grin*) infuses all of her work and makes it shimmer with joy.