lasjhdgljhasgfkjhagfakjhsgkajhsgfdajh oh my goodness, you’re wonderful. Thank you so so much, you’ve made me incredibly happy – THANK YOU, I will return to working on ch41 with renewed vigour bc of your kind words! 

um, idk I will try to answer, but seriously it’s just a fic I love to work on, and I’m still learning every time I sit down at it to write some more.  

I have tried in the past to write about how I’ve gone about putting things together, how I write and how I plot etc. It never feels like I’ve quite put into words exactly how I do it – it always feels sort of inadequate, and not quite accurate. It never quite captures, either, just how much of my process is plodding along, researching and re-re-re-re-reading the trilogy or the Hobbit or the Silm, cross-checking against HoME or even my own meta here on my blog. 

I’ve mentioned my obsessive editing, but I can’t actually stress this enough, just how much I edit. SO. much. editing. I am forever re-wording sentences to find a more natural or more graceful way of putting things, or trying to reduce stuff to make it tighter, more concise, to evoke a feeling or an image or character movement or even passage of time using as few words as possible. I know that seems strange when you consider my wordcount? But I get scared of getting bogged down, of the story becoming so densely saturated that it feels ‘mushy’ or impenetrable. 

Conversely too, I’m aware of skimming or skipping certain areas… I want to keep the pace moving forward, sure, but I don’t want to rush! Neither do I want it to become ‘and then; and then; and then’: a dull, dry litany of emotional barrenness. I’m constantly second-guessing the effect on a reader. It’s always a balancing act, I guess.

When it comes to scale… well, I suppose it comes down to how much I love it. I love this world, I love my story, I love love love Dwarves, I am forever considering how the history of ME looks from their standpoint (something that is very rarely addressed in the books) and thinking about them and their history and culture. I love their relationships, I love spending time with all these characters. I might hate them a little too, for being contrary at times. But I really do love ‘em. 

I know you can do it too. I’m still learning how to do it every time I sit down to it, like I said. It looks enormous from the outside, sure? Please remember though that it didn’t appear overnight, it has taken a lot of time, a lot of small steps. Every scene is an interconnected set of small moments that build towards larger ones… and you can do that. You can totally do that. If I can, anyone can!!!

(having people even glance at my fic didn’t happen overnight either. Remember, I am an old fart, I am 34, and I’ve been writing fic since I was 17 or so. I wrote in a whole bunch of fandoms for over a decade and barely anyone noticed, and that was fine, seriously. I did not feel like I was being short-changed. I was learning, and having fun. I liked my stories. I liked what I’d made. I re-read them and smiled, even if nobody else did. I kept writing what I liked to read. Eventually other people liked it too).

Lastly, I hope you don’t mind that I publish this. I’ve been asked

‘HOW’

by people before – perhaps one day I will be able to write a satisfactory answer! Until then, the cumulative effect of all my blabbering so far might help someone in some way. I hope? 

Best of luck, may inspiration always flow, and all power and strength to you. Hang in there, I believe in you and your perseverance! *hugs*