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Really quite a lot of work and I've been praying for the committee... Thank
you for all your hard work.

I wonder if there might be a possibility that a couple of my stories be
moved? I have three in the same category (see below). I know that other
authors have two in a category, but I really think three is excessive.

SubCategory: Genres: Drama: Featuring Boromir or Faramir
********************************************************
*Farewell (127): agape4gondor PERHAPS MOVE TO:
Final Partings
Letters From Faramir (425): agape4gondor
My Sword Weeps (316): agape4gondor PERHAPS MOVE TO: AU -
General
*Invisible Ink (4): alex_quine
Enticements (266): annmarwalk
*The Clear Ringing Of Silver Trumpets (278): Lithilien
Quicksilver I nominated this one... only reason why it's bolded
*Lingering Shadow (412): Shireling
First Time (672): Sivan Shemesh

Many thanks and blessings,
Agape


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Agape,

Thanks for bringing this issue to our attention - we do try to put only
two stories by the same author in the same subcategory, though sometimes
that is necessary. However, in this case, it looks like we can avoid it.

I have moved #127 "Farewell" to Genres: Drama: Final Partings. It should
show up that way on the next check ballot.

I didn't move #316 "My Sword Weeps" to Genres: Alternate Universe:
General, because you did not select this as a category when completing
your story form. Categorizers rely on the categories selected by the
authors, and so I'm trying not to move nominations into whole new
categories, especially when it was placed in your first-choice category.

In any event, moving "Farewell" means you'll only have two stories in
Genres: Drama: Ft. Boromir or Faramir.

Marta

Agape 4Rivendell wrote:

>
>
> Really quite a lot of work and I've been praying for the committee... Thank
> you for all your hard work.
>
> I wonder if there might be a possibility that a couple of my stories be
> moved? I have three in the same category (see below). I know that other
> authors have two in a category, but I really think three is excessive.
>
> SubCategory: Genres: Drama: Featuring Boromir or Faramir
> ********************************************************
> *Farewell (127): agape4gondor PERHAPS MOVE TO:
> Final Partings
> Letters From Faramir (425): agape4gondor
> My Sword Weeps (316): agape4gondor PERHAPS MOVE TO: AU -
> General
> *Invisible Ink (4): alex_quine
> Enticements (266): annmarwalk
> *The Clear Ringing Of Silver Trumpets (278): Lithilien
> Quicksilver I nominated this one... only reason why it's bolded
> *Lingering Shadow (412): Shireling
> First Time (672): Sivan Shemesh
>
> Many thanks and blessings,
> Agape
>

On Mon, Jul 7, 2008 at 3:12 PM, melayton@gmail.com <melayton@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Thanks for bringing this issue to our attention - we do try to put only
> two stories by the same author in the same subcategory, though sometimes
> that is necessary. However, in this case, it looks like we can avoid it.

Now I feel like a real goon for having said just last night that I am happy
as pie with my categorizations. This was before I realized that it's not
typical to have three stories in the same sub-category ... which I do. :(

However, I recognize that I am one of Those Authors who writes a tremendous
amount about the same characters. I do not mind three of my stories
competing in the same category but, at the same time, thought I should say
something since this is not the usual way of things, and of course I would
prefer that they be broken up a bit.

The category is Times: First Age and Prior : House of Finwe:

An Ordinary Woman (32)
Times: First Age and Prior | Genres: Humor | Races: Elves

Discretion (254)
Times: First Age and Prior | Genres: Drama | Races: Elves

One Last Wish (323)
Times: First Age and Prior | Races: Elves | Genres: Drama

So now I have mentioned it but, again, I know that my stories must be hard
as heck to categorize (*I* had trouble picking a range of categories for
them too!), and it's really not super important to me that they be moved, so
if it's the least bit difficult, please don't worry about it.

Dawn the goon

--
~oOo~
Dawn Felagund
www.silmarillionwritersguild.org


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Dawn,

Thanks for bringing these stories to my attention. I looked at this
category, and First Age only has two subcategories for stories (as in,
finished full-length fiction.) There's Times: First Age and Prior:
General, in which you have two stories, and Times: First Age and Prior:
House of Finwe, in which you have three.

I could move one of the three you list below, but the only other place I
would have to put it in would be the General subcategory - so you'd end
up with three stories there! :-)

I'd prefer not to move main categories unless at all possible, as this
was your first-choice category. Since you seem okay with this
categorization, I think it will be best to just leave things like they are.

Marta

Dawn Felagund wrote:

>
>
> On Mon, Jul 7, 2008 at 3:12 PM, melayton@gmail.com
> <mailto:melayton%40gmail.com> <melayton@gmail.com
> <mailto:melayton%40gmail.com>>
> wrote:
> > Thanks for bringing this issue to our attention - we do try to put only
> > two stories by the same author in the same subcategory, though sometimes
> > that is necessary. However, in this case, it looks like we can avoid it.
>
> Now I feel like a real goon for having said just last night that I am happy
> as pie with my categorizations. This was before I realized that it's not
> typical to have three stories in the same sub-category ... which I do. :(
>
> However, I recognize that I am one of Those Authors who writes a tremendous
> amount about the same characters. I do not mind three of my stories
> competing in the same category but, at the same time, thought I should say
> something since this is not the usual way of things, and of course I would
> prefer that they be broken up a bit.
>
> The category is Times: First Age and Prior : House of Finwe:
>
> An Ordinary Woman (32)
> Times: First Age and Prior | Genres: Humor | Races: Elves
>
> Discretion (254)
> Times: First Age and Prior | Genres: Drama | Races: Elves
>
> One Last Wish (323)
> Times: First Age and Prior | Races: Elves | Genres: Drama
>
> So now I have mentioned it but, again, I know that my stories must be hard
> as heck to categorize (*I* had trouble picking a range of categories for
> them too!), and it's really not super important to me that they be moved, so
> if it's the least bit difficult, please don't worry about it.
>
> Dawn the goon
>
> --
> ~oOo~
> Dawn Felagund
> www.silmarillionwritersguild.org
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

I looked at this category, and First Age only has two subcategories for
stories (as in,
finished full-length fiction.) There's Times: First Age and Prior: General,
in which you have two stories, and Times: First Age and Prior: House of
Finwe, in which you have three.



This is the crux of my problem with how my own stories and my favorites of
others fall: there are just not a large enough pool of Silmarillion fics to
hope for an excellent reflection of the range of the subtle differences between
stories if that is what one principally reads and writes. There is no
solution for the problem under those circumstances, except to get more people to
write and enter Silm fics (believe me I have tried and succeeded to a degree--I
have really campaigned to get people to participate in the MEFAs and
nominated a lot of stories).

For all my whining about my Silm fics, I have never had a single complaint
about the sorting of any of my LOTR fics. I think perhaps I've whined so much,
because I initially started writing and reading mainly LOTR fics and have
gradually shifted over to almost entirely Silm fics and I noticed the
difference. (Look at the time gradations and geographic spreads in the Third Age alone
for LOTR fics. Whereas, for Silm fics one has First Age and Prior for all
the things that happened during that eventful period of more than one Age and
still it is possible to get sorted with LOTR fics.)

I promise: this is my absolute last and final whine on the subject.





**************Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for
fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007)


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In MEFAwards@yahoogroups.com, heartofoshun@... wrote:

>> I looked at this category, and First Age only has two subcategories
>> for stories (as in, finished full-length fiction.) There's Times:
>> First Age and Prior: General, in which you have two stories, and
>> Times: First Age and Prior: House of Finwe, in which you have
>> three.
>
> This is the crux of my problem with how my own stories and my
> favorites of others fall: there are just not a large enough pool of
> Silmarillion fics to hope for an excellent reflection of the range
> of the subtle differences between stories if that is what one
> principally reads and writes. There is no solution for the problem
> under those circumstances, except to get more people to write and
> enter Silm fics (believe me I have tried and succeeded to a
> degree--I have really campaigned to get people to participate in the
> MEFAs and nominated a lot of stories).

Compared to last year, the pool of Silmfic stories is larger, so in
that sense... awesome! I am very excited about that, 77 stories in
First age, 24 in second age weee! Then there are some in modern times,
multi-age, even third age I think! I mean that's over hundred
stories! Did I mention awesome? Actually when you search by source
(which I just did), 165 stories this year are based on the
Silmarillion (compared to the 463 stories who have LOTR as source). :c)

However, those four I have up, I carefully balanced what is the main
ingredient of a story. In some cases (at least two of them) the angst
and tragedy is a big element and it weighed more importantly to me
than having them up in a First age cate. That was my decision as an
author and I did think very carefully about it (and perhaps too long).
To have them as a must sorted in a First age cate doesn't add up to
me, especially if a First age location or division serves as mere
background detail. I know you write fab romance, but if the key
element is romance, I think you did select as a main 1st cate romance
right? Perhaps we need more romance stories? Having a First age story
does noet equal having it in the first age cate, it depends on what
the author thinks it should be placed best, then later on the
categoriser tries to honour that as much as possible.

Does this make any sense? I think Imhiriel is right that author's know
how to well select their cates the best and the categorisers do try to
get everything placed in their first cates as much as possible. But
sometimes their hands are just tied as they try to make cates barely
viable. Secondly, what is also neat is that when you select First age
in the filters, you get all the Silm fic stories (except those in
other ages like multi age and modern times (I have one with that
selection), no matter if it was a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place option. :c)

For me there was one other story which had several elements of genre's
(be it romance or drama), that I chose elves as a first cate option. I
am just a bit puzzled as to why one story did end up in its 3rd cate
option where the 1st cate option was rather large, but oh well, I do
think the categorisers worked very hard on this for two weeks and
besides sheer curiousity I asked (off list) why it ended up there,
we'll just see how things go!

> For all my whining about my Silm fics, I have never had a single
> complaint about the sorting of any of my LOTR fics. I think perhaps
> I've whined so much, because I initially started writing and
> reading mainly LOTR fics and have gradually shifted over to almost
> entirely Silm fics and I noticed the difference. (Look at the time
> gradations and geographic spreads in the Third Age alone for LOTR
> fics. Whereas, for Silm fics one has First Age and Prior for all
> the things that happened during that eventful period of more than
> one Age and still it is possible to get sorted with LOTR fics.)

Well Silm stories is not only First age. The Silmarillion also has a
narrative about the events of LOTR, the aftermath, the downfall of
Numenor, the Rings of power & Celebrimbor for example. When I want to
find Silm fics, I always look in every times cate because well, who
knows where those Noldo elves pop up now! They can be so inventive.

> I promise: this is my absolute last and final whine on the subject.

Cookies?

Rhapsody :c)
(165 stories based on the Silm! Whohoo!)

> I promise: this is my absolute last and final whine on the subject.

Cookies?



I don't think I deserve cookies. I know there are more Silmarillion fics
this year. I love using the using mechanisim let one search by source. I search
every which way myself. I'm big on searching in general.

Sometimes a romance is the main element in a story, doesn't matter which
Age. In other cases, like one of my short stories this year, in particular, it
is absolutely incomprehensible without being read by someone who knows the not
only the canon, but the canon debates as well. But I am just going to chill
out about it.



**************Gas prices getting you down? Search AOL Autos for
fuel-efficient used cars. (http://autos.aol.com/used?ncid=aolaut00050000000007)


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Thanks, Marta, for looking into it! I suspected it was something along those
lines. :) I created a spreadsheet this year to help myself categorize my
stories rather than choosing categories willy-nilly as I have in years past,
and I ended up with nine stories that were a combination of First Age,
Elves, and Drama, so I know that my stories must be a nightmare to
categorize. Given this, I continue to say that you guys do a fantastic job!

Dawn


--
~oOo~
Dawn Felagund
www.silmarillionwritersguild.org


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

On Mon, Jul 7, 2008 at 10:45 PM, <heartofoshun@aol.com> wrote:

> This is the crux of my problem with how my own stories and my favorites of

> others fall: there are just not a large enough pool of Silmarillion fics

to

> hope for an excellent reflection of the range of the subtle differences

between

> stories if that is what one principally reads and writes. There is no
> solution for the problem under those circumstances, except to get more

people to

> write and enter Silm fics (believe me I have tried and succeeded to a

degree--I

> have really campaigned to get people to participate in the MEFAs and
> nominated a lot of stories).

And I agree with everyone thus far (including you!) who has said that all of
us Silmfolk have certainly succeeded in that regard. My wish list this year
has 115 stories on it. Generally, if it takes place in the First Age or
earlier, it goes on my wish list. Out of 660 stories, that's pretty amazing,
and I didn't add much Second Age simply for practicality's sake: If I finish
the 115 on my wish list right now, I'll go back and add those.

Last year's sub-categories (other than the general ones like Elves and First
Age) that were appropriate for many Silm stories were:

Genres: Drama: Second Age or Earlier
Genres: Romance: Second Age or Earlier
Times: First Age and Prior: House of Fingolfin
Times: Second Age: Drabble

This year, we have:

Genres: Drama: Featuring the Noldor
Genres: Humor: Elven Lands
Genres: Humor: Valar & Maiar
Genres: Romance: Elven Lands
Races: Cross-Cultural: Elves and Men
Races: Elves: Family
Races: Elves: House of Finwe
Races: Elves: Noldor Fixed-Length Ficlets
Times: First Age and Prior: House of Finwe

All of which *could* or do have a lot of Silm stories.

I wonder if it's a matter of perception. I mean, you are very active in the
Silm community, as am I. You probably personally know most of the nominated
authors and have read much of their work, so it seems like the categories
most relevant to Silmfic are stacked with fantastic stories by great
authors, and it will be impossible to choose. Because I don't know many
Hobbit authors, I don't perceive those categories as being as loaded with
awesome stories as the categories where almost every story is one that I
have already read and loved. That doesn't mean that the Hobbit categories *
aren't*--Hobbit authors are probably also wondering how they will choose
between so many wonderful stories ;)--but I don't perceive them that way
because I'm unfamiliar with most or all of the works there.

I got the same feeling as you, Oshun, when making my wish list and when
reviewing the ballots, knowing that there are stories in categories that I
think are some of the best of the year but that quite likely won't get any
recognition in the end. I try my hardest (not always successfully ;)
*not*to feel regret at this but to take it as an indicator that the
MEFAs
*do* recognize some of the best writing in the Tolkien fandom and aren't
simply a popularity contest. In the end, I think that makes a MEFA
nomination or win something really special and to be cherished, meaning that
your work really has touched someone and s/he is not simply generating a
list of friends when s/he makes nominations.

I always say and truly mean that a person has already won with a nomination.
A nomination, to me, means that a reader had the chance to pick twenty
stories that she or he couldn't get out of his or her mind, sometimes a year
or more after reading, and thought of mine. That really is something special
to me.

As far as voting, there are categories where I may well give out 10s to most
of the stories. But, when reviewing, I usually don't know what category the
story is in; I try to review it based on how it moves me on its own,
independent of others competing beside it. For one, I want to reward a great
story with a really nice review. For another, even if the story doesn't
place first, second, or third, my vote could determine whether it gets an
honorable mention. I don't want to skimp on a review just to arrange stories
in a clear order of preference in a category only to have it go completely
unrecognized because of it.

Wow, that was a long post. I'm home sick from work today and so will
probably be more annoyingly long-winded than usual, so I'm apologizing in
advance. :)

Dawn


--
~oOo~
Dawn Felagund
www.silmarillionwritersguild.org


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hi Dawn,

Thanks for being flexible! It is difficult when we write so many stories
that fit into similar categories, isn't it? (You're far from the only
author in this situation.) Anyway, I am glad to know you're okay with
things the way they are.

Marta

Dawn Felagund wrote:

>
>
> Thanks, Marta, for looking into it! I suspected it was something along those
> lines. :) I created a spreadsheet this year to help myself categorize my
> stories rather than choosing categories willy-nilly as I have in years past,
> and I ended up with nine stories that were a combination of First Age,
> Elves, and Drama, so I know that my stories must be a nightmare to
> categorize. Given this, I continue to say that you guys do a fantastic job!
>
> Dawn
>

While writing my reviews, I found it useful to remove my own fics and certain
stories I determined I was not going to review from the list I saw, so I marked
"skip" on them. Now I can't see my own stories at all, and would like to check
out a few stories that it looks I might have hastily marked to skip that I'd now
like to examine. How can I "unskip" those stories? Thanks for any help in
this,

Bonnie L. Sherrell
Teacher at Large

"Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends." LOTR

"Don't go where I can't follow."

Hi Bonnie

You can show the stories on your "Skip List" by

* Going to the "Browse All Nominated Stories" page (or selecting
"Stories" from the menu at the top of the page)
* Clicking on the "Show Filter" link
* Selecting "Skip" from the dropdown list next to "Review Status" filter
(this is the fifth item down) and then clicking on "Display Selected
Nominations".

On the right hand side under "Actions", there's an option for each story
to "Remove from Skip/Wish List", which will restore stories back to the
list you see when first visiting the "Browse All Nominated Stories" page.

Hope this helps!

Tanaqui
MEFA Tech Support

Bonnie L. Sherrell wrote:

>
>
> While writing my reviews, I found it useful to remove my own fics and
> certain
> stories I determined I was not going to review from the list I saw, so I
> marked
> "skip" on them. Now I can't see my own stories at all, and would like to
> check
> out a few stories that it looks I might have hastily marked to skip that
> I'd now
> like to examine. How can I "unskip" those stories? Thanks for any help in
> this,
>
> Bonnie L. Sherrell
> Teacher at Large
>
> "Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the
> very wise cannot see all ends." LOTR
>
> "Don't go where I can't follow."
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
> Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.9.12/1821 - Release Date: 11/30/2008 5:53 PM
>

Bless you, Tanaqui! Bless you forever and ever! Heh! Will go do that.

--Original Message Text---
From: Tanaqui
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:25:00 +0000



Hi Bonnie

You can show the stories on your "Skip List" by

* Going to the "Browse All Nominated Stories" page (or selecting
"Stories" from the menu at the top of the page)
* Clicking on the "Show Filter" link
* Selecting "Skip" from the dropdown list next to "Review Status" filter
(this is the fifth item down) and then clicking on "Display Selected
Nominations".

On the right hand side under "Actions", there's an option for each story
to "Remove from Skip/Wish List", which will restore stories back to the
list you see when first visiting the "Browse All Nominated Stories" page.

Hope this helps!

Tanaqui

Bonnie L. Sherrell
Teacher at Large

"Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends." LOTR

"Don't go where I can't follow."



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Durn--apparently since the voting is over and no votes can be added, this
feature of turning off the skips has been terminated, too, or so the message
tells me! I get this message:

Access currently not possible
You cannot access this function at present, since it is not activated

I'll just have to go to the skip things instead, I guess.

Thanks anyway!

Bonnie L. Sherrell
Teacher at Large

"Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends." LOTR

"Don't go where I can't follow."

Hi Larner,

On Wed, Dec 3, 2008 at 10:45 AM, Bonnie L. Sherrell
<blslarner@olypen.com> wrote:

> Durn--apparently since the voting is over and no votes can be added, this
> feature of turning off the skips has been terminated, too, or so the message
> tells me! I get this message:
>

I can't offer a technical solution, but did want to mention that if
you need a "clean" list of the nominations, you could use the "Log in
as Guest" feature. Log out of your account and log in as a guest. Then
you can click on the "Stories" link at the top of the page, to see the
full list of nominations with none having been reviewed, being on a
skip or wish list, or anything like that.

Would that be easier for you?

Marta

That's too simple an idea, Marta. Of course my silly, overstimulated brain
couldn't think of that! It works perfectly! Thanks so much!
Bonnie L. Sherrell
Teacher at Large

"Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends." LOTR

"Don't go where I can't follow."