#maltheniel

[fictionadventurer]

Because @maltheniel has enabled me, I'm going to tell you about William Henry Seward.

If you had the American history education that I had, you might have heard of a thing called Seward's Folly--also known as Alaska. Seward was the Secretary of State who was mocked for buying America territory in what appeared to be a barren wasteland, until he was vindicated by the discovery of oil and gold and a jillion other useful natural resources. If you had the education that I had, this is the only thing you heard about him, but the more I look into the Civil War, the more baffling this is, because this guy is everywhere in the political scene of the time.

Seward was an extremely vocal anti-slavery Whig from New York. He started as a US Senator in 1849, and he became part of President Zachary Taylor's inner circle, influencing him to support measures to keep slavery out of the new territories. After Taylor died, the question of slavery in the territories dominated politics for the next decade, with the conflict getting more heated and the positions getting more polarized. The Whig Party fell apart because of disagreements over the issue; Seward held on for as long as he could, but eventually joined the newly-forming Republican Party, and became well-known for his eloquent speeches against slavery.

When it came time to choose the Republican nominee for the 1860 presidential election, Seward was by far the top candidate. All but a shoe-in. Unfortunately, some of his anti-slavery speeches were a bit too eloquent, and gave him a reputation for being much more radically anti-slavery than he was. A significant portion of the party doubted he could win a nationwide election when slavery was such a divisive issue. This gave Lincoln's team a chance to pitch him as a less-radical option, which allowed him to come from behind and win the nomination.

Seward was extremely gracious about the loss, immediately publishing letters announcing his full support of Lincoln as candidate, and putting his own campaign manager to work getting Lincoln elected. Privately, though, he was seething. He had been in politics for decades, helped to build the party, and then lost his chance at the presidency to a guy who'd been working as a backwoods lawyer for the last twelve years.

But he knew his politics, and knew it was better to support the party's candidate than to oppose him. Lincoln offered Seward the prime Cabinet position of Secretary of State--he was qualified for it and deserved it--and Seward accepted. Seward hoped that he'd be able to help select the other Cabinet members, so he could pick people from his own faction who he'd work well with. Then he, with his extensive connections and political experience, could be the real head of the administration, with Lincoln as a compliant figurehead.

Lincoln was having none of it. He listened to Seward's suggestions, but he'd basically already chosen the people he wanted for his Cabinet, across all factions of the party. While he made use of Seward's expertise and trusted him as Secretary of State, he was going to be head of his own administration and be the one making all the final decisions. After a rocky start, Seward came to recognize that Lincoln had a shrewd mind and good judgement, and he became Lincoln's loyal supporter and a good friend.

But there was a persistent idea that Seward was the real power behind the throne, sparked partly by the prominent role he took in Washington between the election and the inauguration. States started seceding almost as soon aa Lincoln was elected, and Seward was the one who had to hold things together in Washington while Lincoln was tying things up in Illinois. He was getting reports from informants, watching out for Southern spies, and keeping Lincoln abreast of what was going on. He gave a stirring speech to Congress urging the Southern states to keep the Union together, offering all sorts of concessions to mollify them, such as amendments preventing the federal government from interfering with slavery. It was a highly controversial speech, and his wife, Frances, raked him over the coals for it. She understood, earlier than almost anybody, that this crisis would turn into a long war about slavery, and that they couldn't afford to bend on that issue, even to keep the Union together. (Lincoln privately approved of several measures Seward talked about, but publicly said little, preferring to see the public's response to Seward before taking official positions.)

Seward was a little bit like a Civil War version of Evil Chancellor Traytor. Under both Lincoln and Johnson, rumors persisted that Seward was the shadowy figure who was really in charge, secretly manipulating the president into making unpopular decisions, even though most of the time, Seward had nothing to do those decisions, and often disagreed at least partially with what the president chose to do.

Best example of the effects of this misconception is the time Seward came under attack during the middle of the war. The war was going badly, and since people couldn't directly attack the president, they started going after Seward. Chase, the Treasury Secretary, told some members of Congress that Seward was the reason the Cabinet couldn't get along, and that he was always trying to take control. These senators wanted to meet with the president and force him to get rid of Seward. When Seward heard about this, he gave Lincoln his letter of resignation, not wanting to cause problems for the administration. Lincoln responded by allowing the senators to join in a Sewardless Cabinet meeting. When confronted with both the senators and the Cabinet, Chase was forced to admit that his stories had been exaggerated, and the other Cabinet members rallied to Seward's defense, resenting Congress' meddling. Lincoln refused to accept Seward's resignation, and Seward returned to the Cabinet, having been saved by Lincoln's political acumen.

I'm going to skip ahead so I can tell you the craziest part of the story. Four days before the Civil War officially ended, Seward got into a carriage accident that left him bedridden with a broken jaw and a bunch of other injuries. When told of Lee's surrender on April 9th, Seward said (through a broken jaw, after barely surviving a painful accident), "For the first time in my life, you've made me cry." (Which is both touching and an incredibly badass claim, given what he's just suffered.)

Five days later, John Wilkes Booth shot the president at Ford's Theater. Everyone knows (or should know) that part of the story. What I didn't know was that his conspiracy also called for Seward's assassination. Booth knew his Shakespeare and didn't want to leave Seward alive as a Marc Antony to eulogize the dead tyrant. (He also wanted to kill Andrew Johnson, but that assassin chickened out, and it's not really important to this story).

While Booth was at the theater, his co-conspirator went to Seward's house under the pretense of delivering medication. When Seward's son wouldn't let him go upstairs, the assassin tried to shoot him and broke his skull with the gun. The assassin then made his way to Seward's bedroom--where, I need you to remember, Seward was still bed-ridden--and stabbed him five times in the face and neck. Like, sliced away flaps of flesh. The only reason Seward didn't die was because the splint for his broken jaw deflected the blade away from his jugular vein. And because his other son and bodyguard made it into the room and forced the assassin to flee.

Chalk this one up in the "Parts of American History I'm Furious No One Told Me About" column.

While Seward was recovering, they hid the president's death from him, thinking he wouldn't survive the shock. But he figured it out three days later when he saw the flags at half-staff through his bedroom window, and realized that if Lincoln were alive, he'd have been the first to come see Seward after the attack.

Of course, Seward survived (badly scarred) and went on to buy Alaska. Which is an interesting story. But not half so interesting as all the stuff that came before it.

[inklings-challenge]

2024 Inklings Challenge Participants List

This is an ongoing list of writers who have expressed interest in participating in the 2024 Inklings Challenge. I will be updating this list until October 1st, 2024, at which date everyone on the list will be assigned to one of the three Challenge Teams.

I have erred on the side of including people, so if you’re on the list and you do not want to participate, let me know and I’ll remove you. And it’s very possible I’ve missed names in the shuffle, so if you’re not on the list and you do want to participate, let me know so I can add you.

@afairmaiden

@agirlbelovedbygod

@allisonreader

@anipologist

@apieters

@ashknife

@asjdklfeuwqoi

@atlantic-riona

@awesomebutunpractical

@bean-with-a-blog

@beneathascorpionsky

@bunnyscar

@butahumbleguest

@bytes-and-blessings

@called-kept

@casa-anachar

@catkin-morgs-kookaburralover

catrina

@challenger2013

@clarythericebot

@confetti-cat

@courage-is-when-we-face-our-fear

@cygnascrimbles

@dimsilver

@dragonladyzarz

@dragonteaandfairyhoney

@drharleyquinn-medicinewoman

@ellakas

@e-louise-bates

@esters-notepad

@enjoliquej

evanard

@ettawritesnstudies

@fairytale-lights

@fictionadventurer

@find-the-path

@for-the-writing-artist

@frangipani-wanderlust

@freenarnian

@frominsidetheblanketfort

@gailyinthedark

@galahadiant

@ghostrider-02

@glassheadcanon

@greater-than-the-sword

@healerqueen

@heepthecheep

@icwasher

@iminlovewithpercyjackson

@incomingalbatross

@kanerallels

@katiethedane12

@kazeharuhime

@lady-larklight

@ladyminaofcamelot

@ladyphlogiston

@larissa-the-scribe

@lauravanarendonkbaugh

@leseigneurdufeu

@lydiahosek

@magpie-trove

@maltheniel

@mels-library

@muse-write

@n1ghtcrwler

@nervousbookmouse

@novelmonger

@o-lei-o-lai-o-lord

@on-noon

@plainshobbit

@phoebeamorryce

@physicsgoblin

@popcornfairy28

@queenlucythevaliant

@rachellesedai

@ravenpuffheadcanons

@rowenabean

@sashakielman

@saxifrage-wreath

@scarvenartist

@screwtornadowarningsimsouthern

@secretariatess

@secret--psalms--saturn

@septembersung

@shakespearean-fish

@shaylalaloohoohoo

@siena-sevenwits

@siriusfan13

@solovei-solovey

@starknightgirl

@swinging-stars-from-satellites

@taleweaver-ramblings

@thebirdandhersong

@thefinaljediknight

@thegreenleavesofspring

@thelayofsolmonath

@tzarina-alexandra

@ughnofreeusernames

@unquietfaith

@weird7habburger

@why-bless-your-heart

@wikipedianna

@wildlyironicbee

@zelda-was-here

[ceescedasticity]

fic: not titled yet but it's another absence of evidence thing, part 1 out of probably 3?

At Narvi's usual greeting question at their monthly meetings — "And what are you working on today, my friend?" — Celebrimbor made a face.

"Something that does not agree with me at all," he said. "I have been writing."

"But you draw runes so beautifully!" Narvi replied, mock-shocked.

"Very funny." Celebrimbor slumped back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. "It has occurred to me that if I am going to put my grandfather's star on my city, I should make sure our history has a better account of his descendants than Loremaster Pengolodh has thus far written. Perhaps my father and uncles do not deserve it, but my cousins and my sister do."

Narvi blinked. "I… did not know you had a sister?"

"It seems most people do not. You would think they would deduce I had a mother, but for some reason people seem surprised when I mention her, too. Never mind— Actually, would you mind reading some of my drafts?"

"Not at all."

"I mean to show the finished work to Lady Galadriel, but not… this." Celebrimbor opened a desk drawer — one of the ones with a puzzle-lock — and drew out a sheaf of messy papers. "Here, here's what I have for my mother and sister—"

Curufin wed the jeweler Maltarainë Maltataniel Maltraen Maltheniel Maltwegiel.

"I forgot for a moment that that grandfather did live long enough to take a Sindarin name… We did see him occasionally in Beleriand, but he fell out with Atya — I think Atya made some insensitive remarks about my maternal uncles — and went to follow my uncle Caranthir instead, so we were not close."

Narvi raised his eyebrows. "If I recall the history correctly, the Lord of Thargelion was, ah, not particularly known for sensitivity himself…"

"No. I can only assume my maternal uncles never came up in Caranthir's presence."

As one might expect of the woman Curufin wed, she was a skilled artisan and entirely loyal to Fëanor, as were all her nearest family. Maltraen carried the feud where Nerdanel was unwilling to, among the noblewomen of Tirion. She was as disrespectful to Indis and Anairë as she could get away with, and actively pursued rivalries with Edhellos and Elenwë. Even when there was friendship between Curufin and Angrod, Maltraen and Edhellos remained at odds, though some said there was a kinship buried under the rivalry. And when distance grew between Fëanor and Nerdanel, Maltraen turned against Nerdanel as well.

The paragraph had been written out and struck through twice. "I gather you're not sure about this part?"

"It seems… sordid, I suppose. Like something that would be included to make people think worse of her. It's just so… foundational to how I remember Amil that I don't want to cut it out completely." Celebrimbor sighed. "I don't think Atya even knew how she got about Grandmother in Formenos. She never did it in hearing of him or my uncles — or my grandfather. That would have gone over poorly. Grandfather didn't always speak well of Grandmother, either, but he was the only one permitted to do that."

Narvi would have liked to attribute all this to elvish dysfunctionality, but it strict honesty there were dwarven houses nearly as bad. (Nearly.) Instead of trying to unpack any of it, he asked, "Were Angrod and Edhellos married? I'm not recalling those names."

"What? Oh, yes. Angrod was one of Lady Galadriel's brothers — not Felagund, she had two others — and Edhellos was his wife. They were also Gil-galad's grandparents." Celebrimbor reached for a pen. "I'll at least put in the rivalry with Edhellos. And I should mention Indis and Anairë."

Maltraen carried the feud where Nerdanel was unwilling to, among the noblewomen of Tirion. Her rivalry with Edhellos wife of Angrod was a regular fixture of Finwe's court. Even when there was friendship between Curufin and Angrod, Maltraen and Edhellos remained at odds, though some said there was a kinship buried under the rivalry. Nor was Maltraen a friend to Indis or to the wives of the house of Fingolfin.

"How's that?"

"Easier to understand," Narvi agreed. "Only the wives?"

"She wasn't trying to pick fights with Lady Galadriel or Aredhel Ar-Feiniel, no."

Curufin and Maltraen had a son Celebrimbor; much has already been written of him and he dwells yet in Middle-earth. But they also had a daughter, Heledhwen. She was the delight of everyone in Formenos.

"Not a position I envied her."

All who knew Maltraen wife of Curufin would have predicted she would be among the first to follow Fëanor on his quest, but she was not. Like many of Fëanor's followers, Maltraen was in Formenos when Morgoth came; like all others in Formenos save Finwë himself, she fled from Morgoth's approach. After Morgoth left with the Silmarils, those who had fled dispersed in various ways. Some went to inform Fëanor; some went to seek help; some set up temporary camp. Maltraen was one of those who ventured into the holdfast to see what had happened there. They confirmed Finwë's death and the ransacking of the treasury.

"Where were you, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Not at all. I was wasting everyone's time trying to convince my uncle Amras that I was old enough to be part of the perimeter they were setting up."

"How old were you?"

"Old enough, but Amras was the baby of the family and took being older than me very seriously, so he would never admit that. Hence it being a waste of time."

While more messengers went forth, Maltraen remained inside Formenos, to tend to Finwë's body. She was aided by others, some of whom had dealt with bodies before in Cuiviénen or in the aftermath of accidents, but she was there the entire time until Fëanor returned, in near-darkness, in the wreckage.

"I'm not sure I'm… conveying properly, the bravery it took to do that, under those circumstances. The Darkening— Well, I'm not the only one who struggles with that."

Fëanor arrived and screamed wailed howled keened already in the deepest grief and the heights of rage. All heard his cries, but his words He spoke It has not been reported what he said then, to his sons or his law-daughter or the Valar to anyone else.

"…Another difficult paragraph here?"

"Everyone knows he was — very, very affected. I don't want to go on about it unnecessarily, but it was significant… I'm not sure I should use that exact wording, either, because I'm not certain it was never reported. I haven't seen any record of it and no one would report it to me. There were arguments among my uncles over whether he had meant whatever it is that he said, but no one ever told me what that was."

…Ominous.

What is known is that when the Noldor were regrouping in Tirion, Maltraen was overcome with horror: of Morgoth, of the Darkness, and of Fëanor. She could not bring herself to go nearer to any of them.

Celebrimbor's eyes were haunted. "What I was most struck by even then was that my father did not try to argue with or reproach her. I think he knew that if something had happened sufficient to rattle her faith, there would be no mending it with words. Her brothers tried. It went badly."

"These would be the same brothers who your father made insensitive remarks about later?"

"Oh yes."

Maltraen proposed that Heledhwen should remain with her. Curufin might have agreed, save that he felt that darkened, near-abandoned Tirion under the dubious protection of the Valar was surely no safer than the heart of the Noldorin host.

"She didn't ask about you?" Narvi asked. "I suppose being older, and a man…"

"I think she would have wanted me to stay if I had been as young as my sister. As it is… I do not believe anyone ever questioned whether I would go, not even I."

So Curufin brought both his children as the host marched, and after the fighting died down they were called forward to ride through the charnel-house made of Alqualondë's piers to the bloodied swan-ships. Celebrimbor bade Heledhwen close her eyes, but she saw enough to be frightened.

"This leaves out the part where my uncles Amras and Amrod continued to treat me like a child, so I sat with Heledhwen outside the city the whole night instead of finding out whether I had it in me to slay kin."

Narvi didn't think there was anything to say to that, so he patted Celebrimbor's hand and read on.

Maltraen's brothers Maltaparmo and Maltayondo were slain by the defenders of Alqualondë, and their father Maltweg was very wroth.

"The brothers, I see."

"Maltatan was angry about them dying, angry that neither they nor Atya had gotten Amil to leave Tirion, and very angry that Atya said they were asses who'd had one job and botched it."

"What did they do?"

"I never had the nerve to ask."

[isfjmel-phleg]

Couple of possibly lesser known book recommendations: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy is sort of the original version of a hero with a secret identity. It's set in the French Revolution, with the hero rescuing innocents being sent to the guillotine, and it's a fun, hard-to-put-down read. I also adore the 1982 movie of it, but if you don't want to be spoiled I'd read the book first. And if you're into historical stories, The Endless Steppe by Esther Hautzig is a beautiful, haunting read

I've read The Scarlet Pimpernel, a long time ago, and remember the twist very clearly :)

I'm not familiar with The Endless Steppe but will have to look into it. Thank you!

[ao3feed-merlin]

Loyalty

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/30aU3Fv

by Maltheniel

Leon's father taught him that loyalty to one's king was absolute.

The problem is that Leon's king has more cracks in his pedestal than Leon likes thinking about. The problem is that some of Leon's orders leave him with nightmares he can never quite shake, especially the orders that have to do with destroying magic.

In time, Leon will have to come to terms with those orders. And he will have to define what loyalty means, exactly, for him.

Words: 6652, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 11 of The Once and Future King

Fandoms: Merlin (TV)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen

Characters: Leon (Merlin), Uther Pendragon (Merlin), Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen (Merlin), Merlin (Merlin)

Relationships: Leon & Merlin (Merlin), Gwen & Leon (Merlin), Leon & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Leon and Uther (Merlin)

Additional Tags: in which Leon thinks about the difference between loyalty and respect, deals with Camelot's past persecution of magic, deals with the fear of death, and falls in love

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/30aU3Fv

[outshinethestars]

I was tagged by @merfilly

Rules: tag 10 followers that you want to get to know better

Name: [redacted] you can call me Ferith :)

Hogwarts House: Oh no.  I could write entire essays about how I think house sorting works, and what house I would have according to different models and at different points in my life.  I’ll just say that according to the Sorting Hat Chats system I’m Revenclaw-Ravenclaw, and every other hat quiz has pinned me as hufflepuff.

Cats or dogs: I’ve only ever had dogs, but I think I would really love cats if I had one.

Current time: 10:06 am

Favorite animal: Elephant, also all kinds of insects and arachnids

When I made this blog: January 2017

Reason for url: It is a reference to a poem that I never wrote.  Basically, the metaphor is that God is the sun and I am the moon reflecting His light.

I’ll tag: @now-thats-an-oof @maltheniel  @bdrixhaettc @anightmarefan @red-winters @allorafaith @12freddofrogs @steefwaterbutter @theshadowedqueen82  @kaylabarraza

[fictionadventurer]

If you happen to want to tell us about General McClellen (and/or William and Frances Seward), I'd enjoy that! I've been so interested by your history posts lately, especially about Zachary Taylor.

General George McClellan. Or as I like to call him...

I won't tell you what I call him because I cannot refer to this man without descending into vulgar profanity.

I'm going to be light on exact facts and details here, because most of his maddening characterization comes from an audiobook that I can't easily reference. And the point of this rant is not to teach you facts, but to let you know that his personality drives me absolutely up the wall.

So, to understand how this guy was able to wreak as much havoc as he did, you have to know that the US did not have a great army when the Civil War broke out. The only war since 1814 had been the Mexican-American War, and the army used there was nowhere near on the scale of what they'd need to fight this war. 30-40% of the West Point graduates were loyal to the South, and even though the North had greater numbers of trained officers, they had to use most of them to man outposts across vast territories, while the South was able to have every single one of their trained officers leading active troops. The Union just plain did not have men with the training and experience needed to lead a large army.

The best general they had was General Scott, who had led the US forces during part of the Mexican War. Unfortunately, he was super old. Barely able to walk, much less ride a horse and lead troops into battle. He had to work entirely from an office, and that wasn't a great way to lead the army. So Lincoln brought in George McClellan--a 34-year-old West Point graduate who'd had success in the West--to work under him as a sort of assistant general. McClellan seemed like an ideal choice. He was young and impressive-looking, inspiring tons of confidence in the people who saw him. Unfortunately, he bought into the propaganda. He was convinced that he was the divinely-appointed savior of the Union, and then let his immense ego drive all his decisions.

This guy was a toxic narcissist obsessed with power and glory and honor and willing to do nothing to deserve it. It's almost hilarious how much of a contrast there is between him and Grant and Lincoln. They could be characters in a fable. Lincoln was willing to take blame upon himself rather than let others suffer attacks; McClellan would scramble to blame everyone except himself. Grant supposedly showed up to his army camp with only a spare shirt, a toothbrush, and a hairbrush; McClellan famously required six wagons pulled by four horses each to carry all his luggage from his home to the military camp. In his months of delay at the camp near Washington, he would host dinner parties for the officers every night with oysters and champagne.

He was so combative with Scott that Scott finally decided to retire, leaving McClellan as the sole head of the army. When Lincoln would come by army headquarters for meetings, McClellan would make the president of the United States wait downstairs rather than come down to see him (and then complain to his wife that the president took up his time with meetings). He would never, ever take the blame for any mistakes, always blaming the president or Congress for not giving him enough troops or equipment, even though they repeatedly told him that they were providing as much as they possibly could.

He was in charge of the Army of the Potomac, which was supposed to protect Washington from the Confederate troops that were right on their doorstep. Yet McClellan kept troops in camp for months rather than going after the enemy. At first, this was understandable--you have huge numbers of recruits coming in who have never had any military experience before; you need time to conduct drills and teach them how to use equipment. But even after they were trained, McClellan kept delaying. He kept wildly overestimating the number of soldiers in the enemy camp, and insisting that he needed more equipment and more soldiers before he could attack. People were like, "Please attack before the Confederates have a chance to bring in more troops." McClellan did not attack. Lee brought in more troops. Then McClellan justified this by saying, "Well, the more troops they bring in, the more complete our victory will be when we destroy them." Finally, Lincoln was like, "You absolutely must attack within a week." McClellan delayed for a month. When he finally attacked, the Confederates got wind of it and were able to abandon camp before the Union army arrived. When McClellan's got there, they found that the intimidating array of cannons that the army had feared facing were a bunch of logs painted black.

The Quaker Gun incident, as it came to be called, was hugely embarrassing for McClellan. Congress started demanding that Lincoln replace him. Lincoln's like, "Who do you suggest I replace him with?"

"Anybody," a senator muttered.

"Anybody may do for you," Lincoln shot back, "but I must have somebody."

McClellan was able to coast by for a ridiculously long time in his position just because there was no one Lincoln could be certain was qualified to replace him. The men did seem to like him, and Lincoln was hesitant to remove a commander who had the loyalty of his men and who knew the terrain.

His entire military career was just cycle after cycle of this:

Lincoln: Please attack the enemy.

McClellan: It's not my fault. You guys won't give me enough men and weapons.

The War Department: Here are more men and weapons.

McClellan: [loses battles, fails to pursue the enemy after victories, etc.]

Congress: This guy has to go.

Lincoln: I'll give you one more chance.

McClellan: [preening] I am the only person in the world who can save this country.

Finally, finally, finally Lincoln gave him one absolute last chance to prove himself, and when McClellan failed to pursue Lee's forces after the Battle of Antietam in 1862, Lincoln removed him from command.

But this guy wasn't done being a thorn in Lincoln's side.

As if the years of insult and insubordination weren't enough, McClellan became the Democratic candidate who ran against Lincoln in the 1864 presidential election. It looked a bit rough for Lincoln for a while, because people were getting tired of the war, but fortunately, the new commanders of the army had several key victories before election time that swung popular support back to Lincoln, so that McClellan only got 21 electoral votes to Lincoln's 212. (That was a particularly satisfying victory for me to hear about.)

This man is just so maddening--a proud, conceited, cowardly glory-seeker who is blind to all of his flaws. He is my new historical archnemesis.

[inklings-challenge]

Inklings Archive Dive: 2023 Time Travel

Welcome to the Inklings Archive Dive! Today, we’re exploring the time travel stories written by the members of Team Tolkien during last year’s Inklings Challenge. In 2023, writers included at least one of the seven traditional corporal works of mercy as a theme in their stories: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, bury the dead. If you’d like to read some of the stories you might have missed, or revisit any favorites, you can check them out with the links below.

2023 Team Tolkien Time Travel Stories

Welcome to the Inklings Archive Dive! Today, we’re exploring the portal fantasy stories written by the members of Team Lewis during last year’s Inklings Challenge. In 2023, writers included at least one of the seven traditional corporal works of mercy as a theme in their stories: feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, clothe the naked, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, bury the dead. If you’d like to read some of the stories you might have missed, or revisit any favorites, you can check them out with the links below.

An Acceptable Sacrifice by @afairmaiden (unfinished): Part 1, Part 2

The Burial of Ward Thornton by @maltheniel

Clad in Justice and Worth by @queenlucythevaliant

Day in A Life by @clarythericebot (unfinished)

The Lasting Memory by @rachellesedai: Part 1, Part 2

The Night Shepherd by @angedemystere (unfinished)

The Time Sea by @thegreenleavesofspring

Time to Heal by @plainshobbit (unfinished)

To All Generations by @shakespearean-fish (unfinished)

Untitled by @on-noon

Untitled by @rowenabean

If you read and enjoy, let the author know with a reblog or a comment! Now go forth and read!

[inklings-challenge]

Inklings Archive Dive: 2021 Space Travel

Welcome to the Inklings Archive Dive! Today, we’re exploring the space travel stories written by the members of Team Lewis during the very first Inklings Challenge. In 2021, writers used at least one of the following seven Christian themes in their stories: Incarnation, Stewardship, Sacrifice, Humility, Grace, Mystery, and Reconciliation. If you’d like to read some of the stories you might have missed, or revisit any favorites, you can check them out with the links below.

2021 Team Lewis Space Travel Stories

Beyond the Stars by @rowenabean

eius adnuntiat firmamentum by @recoveringrabbit

Faith of Our Fathers by @lover-of-the-starkindler

Floor It by @allieinarden

Journey’s End by @the-lady-of-camelot

Music of the Spheres by @as-dreamers-do

Outpost on the Edge by @freenarnian (unfinished): Part 1

Searching by @poetry-vs-depression

Statement of the Findings During the Planet GNS Excursion, as Written by Dr. ___ by @semercury (unfinished)

The New Earth by @justhereforthesherlock

The Silver Stars by @confetti-cat

What Lies Within by @maltheniel

Zenith Church by @phoebeamorryce: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four

If you read and enjoy, let the author know with a reblog or a comment!

[inklings-challenge]

Inklings Archive Dive: 2022 Portal Fantasy

Welcome to the Inklings Archive Dive! Today, we’re exploring the portal fantasy stories written by the members of Team Lewis during the second Inklings Challenge. In 2022, writers used at least one of the following seven Christian images in their stories: light, tree, water, wind, bread, wine, and/or fire. If you’d like to read some of the stories you might have missed, or revisit any favorites, you can check them out with the links below.

2022 Team Lewis Portal Fantasy Stories

Dear Future Me by @phoebeamorryce

Finally Home by @frominsidetheblanketfort-blog

Fire-Heart by @incomingalbatross (unfinished)

The Firewall by @ashknife

The Guardian by @clarythericebot

Letters from Athelor by @fictionadventurer (unfinished)

Light of the World by @fictionadventurer (unfinished)

Lions, You & I by @ellakas

Megan All the Way Down by @cygnascrimbles (unfinished)

Mirror Image by @called-kept (unfinished)

The Tiffany Problem by @lady-merian

Tree of Life by @secret–psalms–saturn (unfinished)

Untitled by @rowenabean (unfinished)

Where Grace Begins by @maltheniel

A World Unfamiliar by @anipologist (unfinished)

If you read and enjoy, let the author know with a reblog or a comment! Now go forth and read!

[inklings-challenge]

Team Tolkien 2023

Announcing the 2023 Inklings Challenge team assignments!

Members of Team Tolkien are challenged to write a science fiction or fantasy story within the Christian worldview that fits into one of these two genres:

Secondary World Fantasy: Stories that takes place in an imaginary realm that’s completely separate from our world

Time Travel: Stories exploring technology that allows travel through time

These genres are open to interpretation, and creativity is encouraged.You can use either or both of the prompts within your story, or if you’re feeling ambitious, you can write multiple stories.

Team Tolkien members are also asked to use at least one of the following seven Christian themes to inspire some part of their story.

Feed the hungry

Give drink to the thirsty

Clothe the naked

Shelter the homeless

Visit the sick

Visit the imprisoned

Bury the dead

Writers are challenged to complete and post their story to a tumblr blog by October 21, 2022, though they are encouraged to post earlier if they finish their story before that date. There is no maximum or minimum word limit. Writers who have not completed their stories before the deadline are encouraged to post whatever they have written by October 21st and post the remainder at a later date.

Posting the Stories

All stories will be reblogged and archived on the main Inklings Challenge blog. To assist with organization, writers should tag their posts as follows:

Mention the main Challenge blog @inklings-challenge somewhere within the body of the post (which will hopefully alert the Challenge blog).

Tag the story #inklingschallenge, to ensure it shows up in the Challenge tag, and make it more likely that the Challenge blog will find it.

Tag the team that the author is writing for: #team lewis, #team tolkien, or #team chesterton. 

Tag the genre the story falls under: #genre: portal fantasy, #genre: space travel, #genre: secondary world, #genre: time travel, #genre: intrusive fantasy, #genre: adventure

Tag any themes that were used within the story: #theme: food, #theme: drink, #theme: clothing, #theme: shelter, #theme: visit the sick, #theme: visit the imprisoned, #theme: burial

Tag the completion status of the story: #story: complete or #story: unfinished

Team Members

The writers assigned to Team Tolkien are:

@ablatheringblatherskite

@afairmaiden

@angedemystere

@as-dreamers-do

@atlantic-riona

@brievel

@caitriona-3

@catkin-morgs

@challenger2013

@christian-latte-anon

@clarythericebot

@dragonladyzarz

@dragonteaandfairyhoney

@enchanted-prose

@enjoliquej

@esters-notepad

@friendrat

@frominsidetheblanketfort

@gailyinthedark

@lady-merian

@lilflightlessbird731

@maltheniel

@mentallydatingahotcelebrity

@misscrazyfangirl321

@musicofthedaylight

@olyia-stories

@on-noon

@onewingedsparrow

@plainshobbit

@politicalmamaduck

@queenlucythevaliant

@rachellesedai

@reneethegreatandpowerful

@ripple-reader

@rowenabean

@ru-tabega

@shakespearean-fish

@soulwindproductionsblog

@taleweaver-ramblings

@teabooksandsweets

Writing resources, including the Challenge overview, FAQ, writing prompts, and discussions of the genres are available at the Inklings Challenge Directory. Any writers with further questions can contact the Inklings Challenge blog for guidance.

Welcome to the Inklings Challenge, everyone! Now go forth and create!

[inklings-challenge]

2023 Inklings Challenge Participants List

This is an ongoing list of writers who have expressed interest in participating in the 2023 Inklings Challenge. I will be updating this list until October 1st, 2023, at which date everyone on the list will be assigned to one of the three Challenge Teams.

I have erred on the side of including people, so if you’re on the list and you do not want to participate, let me know and I’ll remove you. And it’s very possible I’ve missed names in the shuffle, so if you’re not on the list and you do want to participate, let me know so I can add you.

@ablatheringblatherskite

@allisonreader

@angedemystere

@aparticularbandit

@as-dreamers-do

@ashknife

@atlantic-riona

@brievel

@butterflies-and-bumble-bees

@bytes-and-blessings

@caffeinecath

@caitriona-3

@casa-anachar

@catkin-morgs

@challenger2013

@christian-latte-anon

@clarythericebot

@confetti-cat

@cuppatealove

@cygnascrimbles

@delightfulstrawberrygalaxy

@dimsilver

@dragonladyzarz

@ellakas

@enjoliquej

@esters-notepad

@ettawritesnstudies

@faeriefully

@fairytale-lights

@fictionadventurer

@five-more-minutes

@frangipani-wanderlust

@freenarnian

@friendrat

@frominsidetheblanketfort

@gailyinthedark

@galahadiant

@heniareth

@iamwritehere

@incomingalbatross

@justhereforthesherlock

@kanerallels

@k-she-rambles

@ladygobpire

@lady-merian

@ladyphlogiston

@larissa-the-scribe

@lemonduckisnowawake

@leng-m

@lilflightlessbird731

@lover-of-the-starkindler

@madamescarlette

@magpie-trove

@maltheniel

@misscrazyfangirl321

@mrgartist

@muse-write

@musicofthedaylight

@olyia-stories

@onewingedsparrow

@on-noon

@phoebeamorryce

@physicsgoblin

@plainshobbit

@poetry-vs-depression

@politicalmamaduck

@popcornfairy28

@praise-the-lord-im-dead

@pinkbanditmusings

@queenlucythevaliant

@rachellesedai

@ranger-melany

@reneethegreatandpowerful

@ripple-reader

@rockinlibrarian

@ru-tabega

@scarvenartist

@screwtornadowarningsimsouthern

@scribbly-bear

@secret--psalms--saturn

@septembersung

@siena-sevenwits

@soulwindproductionsblog

@swinging-stars-from-satellites

@taleweaver-ramblings

@teabooksandsweets

@thatsastepladder

@thatoneweaver

@thebirdandhersong

@thejonderettegirl

@theworldiswhispering

@toothanddraw

@tzarina-alexandra

@ughnofreeusernames

@west-toasty

@what-the-dickens

@wildlyironicbee

[inklings-challenge]

2023 Team Tolkien Story Archive

Secondary World Fantasy

All That Matters by @challenger2013

Between Justice and Mercy by @sashakielman

The Dark Lord's Son Does Laundry by @reneethegreatandpowerful (unfinished)

Death's Promise by @ettawritesnstudies

The Dragon of Goldenhill Village by @dragonladyzarz (unfinished)

Father's Plan by @frominsidetheblanketfort

To All Generations by @shakespearean-fish (unfinished)

The Last Immortal of Evitra by @taleweaver-ramblings (unfinished): Part 1

The Lasting Memory by @rachellesedai: Part 1, Part 2

Over the Edge by @onewingedsparrow (unfinished): Prologue

the rainlord by @ripple-reader

Seeds of Community by @lady-merian (unfinished)

Translation by @gailyinthedark

Untitled by @teabooksandsweets

Time Travel

An Acceptable Sacrifice by @afairmaiden (unfinished): Part 1, Part 2

The Burial of Ward Thornton by @maltheniel

Clad in Justice and Worth by @queenlucythevaliant

Day in A Life by @clarythericebot (unfinished)

The Lasting Memory by @rachellesedai: Part 1, Part 2

The Night Shepherd by @angedemystere (unfinished)

The Time Sea by @thegreenleavesofspring

Time to Heal by @plainshobbit (unfinished)

To All Generations by @shakespearean-fish (unfinished)

Untitled by @on-noon

Untitled by @rowenabean

[inklings-challenge]

2023 Inklings Challenge Participants List

This is an ongoing list of writers who have expressed interest in participating in the 2023 Inklings Challenge. I will be updating this list until October 1st, 2023, at which date everyone on the list will be assigned to one of the three Challenge Teams.

This will likely be the last updated list to be posted before the teams are announced. If you sign up before October 1st, you will be put on a team list, but it probably won't show up on this main list. Fair warning: I'm about to start assembling the team posts. You do still have time to sign up, but if you've held back on joining, I'd advise you to sign up sooner rather than later.

I have erred on the side of including people, so if you’re on the list and you do not want to participate, let me know and I’ll remove you. And it’s very possible I’ve missed names in the shuffle, so if you’re not on the list and you do want to participate, let me know so I can add you.

@ablatheringblatherskite

@allisonreader

@angedemystere

@aparticularbandit

@as-dreamers-do

@ashknife

@atlantic-riona

@batmantaking-hobbits2gallifrey

@brievel

@butterflies-and-bumble-bees

@bytes-and-blessings

@caffeinecath

@caitriona-3

@casa-anachar

@catkin-morgs

@challenger2013

@christian-latte-anon

@clarythericebot

@confetti-cat

@cuppatealove

@cygnascrimbles

@delightfulstrawberrygalaxy

@dimsilver

@dragonladyzarz

@dragonteaandfairyhoney

@ellakas

@enchanted-prose

@enjoliquej

@esters-notepad

@ettawritesnstudies

@faeriefully

@fairytale-lights

@fictionadventurer

@five-more-minutes

@frangipani-wanderlust

@freenarnian

@friendrat

@frominsidetheblanketfort

@gailyinthedark

@galahadiant

@glassheadcanon

@graycedelfin

@heniareth

@iamwritehere

@iminlovewithpercyjackson

@incomingalbatross

@justhereforthesherlock

@kanerallels

@k-she-rambles

@lacycardigan

@ladygobpire

@lady-merian

@ladyphlogiston

@larissa-the-scribe

@lemonduckisnowawake

@leng-m

@lilflightlessbird731

@lover-of-the-starkindler

@lydia-hosek

@madamescarlette

@magpie-trove

@maltheniel

@mels-library

@mentallydatingahotcelebrity

@misscrazyfangirl321

@mrgartist

@muse-write

@musicofthedaylight

@olyia-stories

@onewingedsparrow

@on-noon

@phoebeamorryce

@physicsgoblin

@plainshobbit

@poetry-vs-depression

@politicalmamaduck

@popcornfairy28

@praise-the-lord-im-dead

@pinkbanditmusings

@queenlucythevaliant

@rachellesedai

@reneethegreatandpowerful

@ripple-reader

@rockinlibrarian

@ru-tabega

@saxifrage-wreath

@scarvenartist

@screwtornadowarningsimsouthern

@scribbly-bear

@secretariatess

@secret--psalms--saturn

@septembersung

@shaylalaloohoo

@siena-sevenwits

@smokeyloki

@soulwindproductionsblog

@sunshineandrosesnoraincamemyway

@swinging-stars-from-satellites

@taleweaver-ramblings

@teabooksandsweets

@thatsastepladder

@thatoneweaver

@thebirdandhersong

@thejonderettegirl

@theworldiswhispering

@toothanddraw

@tzarina-alexandra

@ughnofreeusernames

@west-toasty

@what-the-dickens

@wildlyironicbee

[inklings-challenge]

Four Loves Fairy Tale Challenge Archive

Stories

Blood for the Altar: A retelling of "Tam Lin" by @phoebeamorryce: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four

Cinderella by @allisonreader

Dear Lucy: A retelling of "The Little Mermaid" by @ashknife

Each, All, Everything: A retelling of "Nix, Nought, Nothing" by @confetti-cat

Exile of the Sons of Uisliu retelling by @atlantic-riona

Fundevogel retelling by @griseldabanks

Her True Name: A retelling of "That Dear Name" by @queenlucythevaliant

Keeper of the Underwater Graveyard: A retelling of "Egle the Queen of Serpents" and "The Little Mermaid" by @tzarina-alexandra

Lily & Leandros: A retelling of "Lily and the Lion" by @mademoiseli: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9

Mrs. Swan's Three Unfortunate Suitors: A retelling of "Mrs. Fox's Wedding" by @ozthearistocrat

The Prince: A retelling of "Cinderella" by @clarythericebot

Without Words: A retelling of "The Six Swans" by @fictionadventurer

The Woodcutter and the Shepherdess: A retelling of "Casperl and the Princess" by @maltheniel

Artwork

Bookmarks for "Diamonds and Toads", "Clever Anait" and "Beauty and the Beast" by @fictionadventurer

Bookmarks for "The Wild Swans", "East of the Sun, West of the Moon", "Tattercoats" and "The Star Money" by @fictionadventurer

"The Golden Bird" moodboard and analysis by @mademoiseli

"Kate Crackernuts" moodboard by @eruanna1875

"Snow White and Rose Red" illustration by @amaliaaku

Sleeping Beauty retelling bookmark by @fictionadventurer

"The Wild Swans" illustration by @lover-of-the-starkindler

[inklings-challenge]

Team Lewis

Members of Team Lewis are challenged to write a science fiction or fantasy story within the Christian worldview that fits in at least one of the following two categories:

Portal Fantasy: Stories where someone from the real world explores a new world

Space Travel: Stories that involve space travel or take place on other planets

Writers should also incorporate at least one of the following seven Christian images within their story.

Light

Tree

Water

Wind

Bread

Wine

Fire

Writers are challenged to complete and post their by October 21, 2022, though they are encouraged to post earlier if they finish their story before that date. There is no maximum or minimum word limit. Writers who have not completed their stories before the deadline are encouraged to post whatever they have written by October 21st and post the remainder at a later date.

Posting the Stories

All stories will be reblogged and archived on the main Inklings Challenge blog. To assist with organization, writers should tag their posts as follows:

Mention the main Challenge blog @inklings-challenge somewhere within the body of the post to alert the Challenge blog.

Tag the story #inklingschallenge, to ensure it shows up in the Challenge tag.

Tag the team that the author is writing for: #team lewis, #team tolkien, or #team chesterton.

Tag the genre the story falls under: #genre: portal fantasy, #genre: space travel, #genre: secondary world, #genre: time travel, #genre: intrusive fantasy, #genre: technology

Tag any images that were used within the story: #imagery: light, #imagery: tree, #imagery: water, #imagery: wind, #imagery: bread, #imagery: wine, #imagery: fire

Tag the completion status of the story: #story: complete or #story: unfinished

Team Members

The following writers are assigned to Team Lewis:

@anipologist

@ashknife

@beneathascorpionsky

@bluesidedown

@called-kept

@catkin-morgs

@ceilingfanarson

@challenger2013

@clarythericebot

@cygnascrimbles

@drharleyquinn-medicinewoman

@ellakas

@fictionadventurer

@frangipani-wanderlust

@frominsidetheblanketfort-blog

@incomingalbatross

@januarydivide

@k-she-rambles

@lady-merian

@lovesodeepandwideandwell

@lydiahosek

@madamescarlette

@magpie-trove

@maltheniel

@masterfuldoodler

@ocean-sunrise

@phoebeamorryce

@psmithereens

@randowwriter

@ravenpuffheadcanons

@rowenabean

@secret--psalms--saturn

@smokeyloki

@whitehorsevale

@why-bless-your-heart

Writing resources, including the Challenge overview, FAQ, writing prompts, and discussions of the Christian meanings of the images are available at the Inklings Challenge Directory. Any writers with further questions can contact the Inklings Challenge blog for guidance.

Welcome to the Inklings Challenge, everyone! Now go forth and create!