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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.

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best xmas gift ever <3

It was a lovely surprise to be asked back to Advent this year. Thank you so much for reading!

Prince Draco Underground (General Audiences, 5,000 words) and the rest of D/Hr Advent 2024 can be read on AO3.

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How would you say your writing has evolved over the past few years of writing fanfiction?

I passed my 5-year anniversary of writing in October, shortly before I wrote a new piece for Advent, and I really noticed how second nature it's become to write efficiently in a short work. I feel like a watchmaker hunkered over my bench setting gears in place. Then I get to etch my silly little baroque flourishing around the watch face. It's been extremely satisfying to grow into that skill set, and also the worst possible training for novel writing. Oops! But I think the biggest change is that I don't write smut anymore lol

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Hi! idk if you've seen this already but your fic got recced in Sierra Simone's latest newsletter:

That's wild, thanks for sharing this!

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The First Gift by omniluci_estumbra

The First Gift (0 words) by omniluci_estumbra Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy Additional Tags: Christmas Party, Christmas Presents, Community: dhr_advent, Pining Draco Malfoy Summary:

Prompt: gifts/presents

Draco has a gift for someone special at this year's holiday party but he's unsure how to get her alone to give it to her. Maybe he shouldn't be too nervous though since it seems Hermione has a gift waiting for someone special too...

(don't worry they exchange the gifts and maybe get stuck under the mistletoe as well later on heehee)

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In Pursuit of a Marshmallow by Zeebee3

In Pursuit of a Marshmallow (4983 words) by Zeebee3 Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Ginny Weasley, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, George Weasley, Lee Jordan (Harry Potter) Additional Tags: Post-Hogwarts, Gryffindor & Slytherin Inter-House Friendships, Auror Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger Has a Crush, Pining, Draco Malfoy is a Tease, Banter, Arguing about Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products as foreplay, a teensy meltdown regarding marshmallows, Sexual Tension, Penetration to make a point, Bold Hermione Granger, Confessions, Explicit Sexual Content, D/Hr Advent 2024, Community: dhr_advent Summary:

The room bursts into catcalls and whoops, but Hermione just blinks down at it. Charcoal? It doesn’t immediately compute.

“You don’t seem surprised,” Malfoy drawls. “Have you been naughty this year, Granger?”

Oh.

Those bastards.

---

Or, where a new Weasley's Wizard Wheezes product is featured at a holiday party.

Written for D/Hr Advent 2024.

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Gift Exchange by Ivmaruva

Gift Exchange (45 words) by Ivmaruva Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy Additional Tags: Loss of Virginity, Christmas Smut, Christmas Tree, Christmas Kisses, Community: dhr_advent Summary:

8th year Hermione and Draco head to the room of requirement to “exchange gifts”.

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Faux Pas: French for "fox pass", this is when a behavior or comment that is otherwise considered socially unacceptable is allowed because a fox did it and foxes cannot be held responsible for their actions. It is spelled wrong because the French like to feel special.

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Christmas (Cracker) Chemistry by ambpersand

Christmas (Cracker) Chemistry (4987 words) by ambpersand Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Characters: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter Additional Tags: D/Hr Advent 2024, Office Party, Sex Pollen, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Explicit Sexual Content, Co-workers, Office Christmas Party Summary:

“Christmas Crackers?” Malfoy asks, holding one up, then looks at her with a surprisingly warm expression. “Cute.”

Hermione fights a blush. They’re no ordinary Christmas Crackers. She had George and the staff at Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes whip up a special surprise for the Ministry—except she explicitly requested they be red and green, not gold and silver.

It’s not that big of a deal. She’ll get over it. Tomorrow.

Malfoy busies himself by helping to distribute several tubes on each table without request. It’s easy, working with him in a silent tandem. They’ve done it a few times on shared projects, holing up in her office or his, and quickly fall into an easy rhythm. Every time she sneaks a glance, he’s conveniently looking elsewhere.

At the final table, he shakes one close to his ear. “So what’s inside? They’re light.”

She hurries over to him. There’s few enough people around that the surprise won't be ruined if she gives him a peek, and the prototypes were perfect.

“We’ll have to be quick.”

A sly smile pulls at his lips, and he holds one end towards her. “On three?”

 Written for D/Hr Advent 2024.

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A Christmas Dare by youareprobablynott

[ART] A Christmas Dare (122 words) by youareprobablynott Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy Additional Tags: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Community: dhr_advent Summary:

As the evening unfolded, champagne softened old rivalries, and laughter smoothed sharp memories.

Prompts: red/green, candles

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There's an Art to Pining by charingfae

There's an Art to Pining (5001 words) by charingfae Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy Additional Tags: Pining Hermione Granger, Fluff, Angst, Happy Ending, Christmas, Explicit Sexual Content, Minor Theodore Nott/Harry Potter, Romance, piano playing as foreplay, Sex, Soft Draco Malfoy, POV Hermione Granger, Sad Hermione Granger, Community: dhr_advent, D/Hr Advent 2024, Holidays, excessive amounts of pining, how many knitting metaphors can i fit into one fic?, sorry for making music terminology horny Summary:

Hermione yearns. For love, for success, for contentment. Above all, she yearns for something—or someone—she'll never have.

—

Malfoy is everywhere. He’s in the way she takes her tea—black with a splash of honey, like he does. Etches and echoes of sweeping tendrils of silver-blond strands falling across his forehead, shadowing his cheekbones beneath the harsh afternoon sun. Long fingers that drum against his thighs when he’s bored.

His sharp wit comes out on pub nights, and it’s a delight to see it turned on other people. To laugh with him. He looks at her sometimes, in those moments, and the secret smile he gives her is nothing short of earth-shattering. 

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Smaller Acts by Molivier

Smaller Acts (4996 words) by Molivier Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley Additional Tags: Christmas, Mutual Pining, Fluff and Angst, Dental Puns, Sexual Content, Oblivious Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy & Ron Weasley Friendship, Auror Draco Malfoy, Community: dhr_advent, D/Hr Advent 2024, Ugly Holiday Sweaters, Light Angst, Romance, Draco Malfoy's Love Language is Acts of Service, Religious Trauma if only just for the fun metaphors Summary:

“You know,” she says, her voice a little too tender, a little too honest, “I’ll allow you to be rude to me. Just once. Tell me how you really feel.”

He hesitates, his gaze dropping to her lips and then back to her eyes. “I don’t think you’d like it.”

“Try me.”

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Winter Proposal by cocotamarindo

Winter Proposal (0 words) by cocotamarindo Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Hermione Granger & Draco Malfoy Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy Additional Tags: Hogwarts, Community: dhr_advent, Idiots in Love Summary:

Draco and Hermione agree to a very special proposal under the snowy pines of Hogwarts.

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First Christmas when they both got presents from Molly Weasley. by Lazy_Dragon_Art

First Christmas when they both got presents from Molly Weasley. (0 words) by Lazy_Dragon_Art Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy Additional Tags: Digital Art, Christmas Fluff, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Gryffindor/Slytherin Inter-House Relationships, Community: dhr_advent Summary:

- No way, Granger! No stupid HORNS on my head! The fact that this ugly Weasley sweater isn't burning in the fireplace right now is proof enough of my crazy love for you!

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Concept I've been stewing on for a while here. I've got a name for it now and I'm calling it the Shot Dog Factor. It's a numerical value, assignable to any internet post, which represents the average number of engagements it needs to reach before someone comes along acting like this post shot their dog.

And for the sake of High Number = More Danger, which feels like the intuitive and sensible read, let's call it the inverse. As in the chance that any given interaction results in a Shot Dog response.

"Hee hee haa haa" type of silly shitpost? Low Shot Dog Factor. Largely safe. A genuine political opinion? Critically high Shot Dog Factor. Guaranteed to elicit such a response if it breaks containment.

As a result of this phenomenon, you see phrasings and circumventions added specifically to lower the Shot Dog factor. Every "now I know this doesn't apply to EVERYONE'S specific situation, but I just think--" about something where the non-specificity was obvious, but OP needed to add that disclaimer to avoid the Shot Dog from someone who thinks it needs to apply to them.

And another--perhaps the most--critical thing to understand about the Shot Dog factor is that 0 is not a valid value. There's a discontinuation at 0. And as such, the Shot Dog limit, as engagement goes to infinity is, in fact, 100%. Any and every post you have ever made, given enough containment breaching, WILL piss someone off in wild ways. You can lower the Shot Dog factor but it is never 0. Sometimes when a post of yours escapes containment, you must simply sit back and accept this reality.

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“This is what Shakespeare would have wanted.”

“Shakespeare wouldn’t have wanted this.”

No! You’re both wrong! Shakespeare wanted one thing and one thing only. To sell tickets.