morwennastower

[morwennastower]

One of the things that’s really struck me while rereading the Lord of the Rings–knowing much more about Tolkien than I did the last time I read it–is how individual a story it is.

We tend to think of it as a genre story now, I think–because it’s so good, and so unprecedented, that Tolkien accidentally inspired a whole new fantasy culture, which is kind of hilarious. Wanting to “write like Tolkien,” I think, is generally seen as “writing an Epic Fantasy Universe with invented races and geography and history and languages, world-saving quests and dragons and kings.” But… But…

Here’s the thing. I don’t think those elements are at all what make The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings so good. Because I’m realizing, as I did not realize when I was a kid, that Tolkien didn’t use those elements because they’re somehow inherently better than other things. He used them purely because they were what he liked and what he knew.

The Shire exists because he was an Englishman who partially grew up in, and loved, the British countryside, and Hobbits are born out of his very English, very traditionalist values. Tom Bombadil was one of his kids’ toys that he had already invented stories about and then incorporated into Middle-Earth. He wrote about elves and dwarves because he knew elves and dwarves from the old literature/mythology that he’d made his career. The Rohirrim are an expression of the ancient cultures he studied. There are a half-dozen invented languages in Middle-Earth because he was a linguist. The themes of war and loss and corruption were important to him, and were things he knew intimately, because of the point in history during which he lived; and all the morality of the stories, the grace and humility and hope-in-despair, was an expression of his Catholic faith. 

J. R. R. Tolkien created an incredible, beautiful, unparalleled world not specifically by writing about elves and dwarves and linguistics, but by embracing all of his strengths and loves and all the things he best understood, and writing about them with all of his skill and talent. The fact that those things happened to be elves and dwarves and linguistics is what makes Middle-Earth Middle-Earth; but it is not what makes Middle-Earth good.

What makes it good is that every element that went into it was an element J. R. R. Tolkien knew and loved and understood. He brought it out of his scholarship and hobbies and life experience and ideals, and he wrote the story no one else could have written… And did it so well that other people have been trying to write it ever since.

So… I think, if we really want to write like Tolkien (as I do), we shouldn’t specifically be trying to write like linguists, or historical experts, or veterans, or or or… We should try to write like people who’ve gathered all their favorite and most important things together, and are playing with the stuff those things are made of just for the joy of it. We need to write like ourselves.

[morwennastower]

Jurassic Park but with a Cat

Brilliantly done!

[morwennastower]

Star Trek: Lower Decks 5x9 - GARASHIR SUPERCUT

[morwennastower]

it’s wild to me how there is literally ZERO correlation between what a piece of media is like and what its fanworks are like. 2014 captain america fans were out there writing poetry and full-on academic papers inside of their fics. sonic the hedgehog and my little pony fandoms are both famous for drawing fetishes you’ve never even heard of. les miserables fans spent most of their energy on college aus. there is literally no consistency or observable pattern and it’s incredible

[morwennastower]

"... bought... copper... from... this... shady fucker... bad quality... zero stars... "

[morwennastower]

Stark Tower has literally got the best wifi in the whole of New York and Tony makes it free as well so sometimes he’ll walk out of the ground floor and just see like a dozen or so people, usually kids, just sat on the doorstep on their phones or laptops and like it’s such a little thing to do but yknow. He’s Ironman. Give the kids some damn fast wifi.

[morwennastower]

I used to be a professional baker, and I wish I didn’t leave these two til last cause at that point I was burnt tf out and these unfortunately got very rushed, but every year I make sweater cookies and made two special ones this year:

They’re far from perfect and I wish I practiced a couple first. But these are the rest and why by the point I got to my angel and demon ones I was legit having blurry vision anytime I went to decorate. These were done over several days. Each cookie takes from 10-30min (after the flood base) depending on just how insane I went with the complexity.

(Ignore the lil character worm guy one that’s an inside joke for my friend 😅)

I want to make a real set at some point all Good Omens themed so maybe I’ll redo the sweaters then!

[morwennastower]

Star Wars: Imperial March x Carol of The Bells | EPIC VERSION (Epic Chri...

[morwennastower]

Everybody wants to rule the world cover in Classical Latin (SOFTBARDCORE)

[morwennastower]

badwolfgirl93 on Bluesky 🦋 requested Crowley hugging Aziraphale from behind whilst the angel is trying to baste the Turkey. ---- Crowley is more interested in his angel for Christmas dinner ---- This will be my final post of the year, as I'll be on vacation until the new year!! 🎉. Wishing you all a happy holiday season, and I'll see you next year with new art pieces! Cheers!!

@goodomensafterdark

[morwennastower]

Where do you find cracked Libby library cards online? My local libraries are kind of limited

You don't need to crack a Libby library card lmao

Find a library system in the United States or anywhere else that lets you do online registration. Sign up using addresses that is located where the library system is located. You can look up places on Zillow. There's an American phone number generator somewhere on the internet. Generate it and use it when the form ask for a telephone number. Remember the last four digit though because sometimes they use it as a pin number.

[morwennastower]

I used to be a professional baker, and I wish I didn’t leave these two til last cause at that point I was burnt tf out and these unfortunately got very rushed, but every year I make sweater cookies and made two special ones this year:

They’re far from perfect and I wish I practiced a couple first. But these are the rest and why by the point I got to my angel and demon ones I was legit having blurry vision anytime I went to decorate. These were done over several days. Each cookie takes from 10-30min (after the flood base) depending on just how insane I went with the complexity.

(Ignore the lil character worm guy one that’s an inside joke for my friend 😅)

I want to make a real set at some point all Good Omens themed so maybe I’ll redo the sweaters then!

[morwennastower]

hello I have uhhh a request

Is there anyone who speaks Japanese who would be willing to translate some dialogue/do a sensitivity read for a portion of a chapter I'm writing?

It's Az and Crowley out to dinner and the chef is speaking with Az in Japanese.

In return I can write a short fic to order!

signal boosts appreciated

[morwennastower]

Inktober52 - week 41: Nomadic

[morwennastower]

[morwennastower]

“don’t eat honey because it exploits the bees and they can’t consent!!!” bees are literally unionized and will walk out if they don’t like being in the beekeeper’s hives