B2MeM 2014: Seasons of Middle-earth Review Challenge Guidelines

[dawn_felagund]

As part of this year's Back to Middle-earth Month challenge, we are encouraging our readers to show their love to our writers and artists by leaving comments on the stories, poems, and art they enjoy! To encourage reviewing, part of B2MeM 2014 will include a review challenge.

Below, you will find 15 different review challenges to complete throughout the month. You can do one or do them all! If you don't want to complete any of the specific challenges, the comments you do leave on B2MeM 2014 pieces still count toward the grand prize. At the end of the month, add up all the comments you leave on B2MeM 2014 stories, poems, and art and collect your grand prize.

Guidelines

1. Any comment left on any piece of writing or art created for B2MeM 2014 counts toward the challenge. Comments on compilation and non-compilation B2MeM 2014 pieces count. (For challenges #12 and #13, you may review pieces created for past B2MeM events.)


2. A comment cannot count for more than one review challenge. The exception is the grand prize: All comments you leave on B2MeM 2014 writing and art will count toward your total for the grand prize.


3. Some B2MeM 2014 pieces may be posted on sites other than the b2mem community. You are welcome to leave comments on any site where B2MeM 2014 writing and art are shared.


4. As always, we are operating on the honor system as far as prizes claimed for the review challenge. However, if you'd like to report your review, brag about your accomplishments, or squee more over the piece you just commented on, you can leave a comment to the thread below for the challenge you completed.


5. Once the month is over, we will put together the review challenge stamps you earned into a single graphic if you want us to do so. Comment here when you complete a challenge, or contact us at the end of the month with the challenges you have completed.

Review Challenges

This year, in the spirit of using comments to send encouragement and love to our writers and artists, we are offering Tolkien-themed postage stamps for completing the various review challenges below! You can use the HTML code beside each stamp to display your prize wherever HTML is acceptable, or right-click to save the image to your computer and share it on the image host of your choice. At the end of the month, we will put together all of the stamps you earn onto a collector's page for you to display.

Challenge	Stamp	HTML
1. Review an author or artist who is new to you. [Report your review!]		<img src="http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/images/b2mem2014/stamp1.jpg" alt="B2MeM 2014 Review Challenge" />
2. Review a genre or medium you do not normally read/view. [Report your review!]		<img src="http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/images/b2mem2014/stamp2.jpg" alt="B2MeM 2014 Review Challenge" />
3. Review a piece of writing or art from a time period you do not normally read/view. [Report your review!]		<img src="http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/images/b2mem2014/stamp3.jpg" alt="B2MeM 2014 Review Challenge" />
4. Review something featuring a character or group (e.g., Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits) you do not normally read/view. [Report your review!]		<img src="http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/images/b2mem2014/stamp4.jpg" alt="B2MeM 2014 Review Challenge" />
5. Review something that was recommended to you. (Find recommendations on the weekly roundup posts.) [Report your review!]		<img src="http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/images/b2mem2014/stamp5.jpg" alt="B2MeM 2014 Review Challenge" />
6. Write a review that is 100 words or more. (The word count should not include quotes from the piece.) [Report your review!]		<img src="http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/images/b2mem2014/stamp6.jpg" alt="B2MeM 2014 Review Challenge" />
7. Review a story in your favorite genre or artwork in your favorite medium. [Report your review!]		<img src="http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/images/b2mem2014/stamp7.jpg" alt="B2MeM 2014 Review Challenge" />
8. Review something set in your favorite time period. [Report your review!]		<img src="http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/images/b2mem2014/stamp8.jpg" alt="B2MeM 2014 Review Challenge" />
9. Review something set in your favorite location on Arda. [Report your review!]		<img src="http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/images/b2mem2014/stamp9.jpg" alt="B2MeM 2014 Review Challenge" />
10. Review a piece that you think handled canon in an unusual or thought-provoking way. [Report your review!]		<img src="http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/images/b2mem2014/stamp10.jpg" alt="B2MeM 2014 Review Challenge" />
11. Review a piece that demonstrated excellent characterization. [Report your review!]		<img src="http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/images/b2mem2014/stamp11.jpg" alt="B2MeM 2014 Review Challenge" />
12. Review a piece with three or fewer first-level comments. (Comment replies do not count! You may comment on any B2MeM piece for this challenge, even if it was written for an event prior to 2014.) [Report your review!]		<img src="http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/images/b2mem2014/stamp12.jpg" alt="B2MeM 2014 Review Challenge" />
13. Review a piece created for a past B2MeM event (2008-2013). [Report your review!]		<img src="http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/images/b2mem2014/stamp13.jpg" alt="B2MeM 2014 Review Challenge" />
14. Leave a review in the form of one of your favorite characters writing a letter/note to one of the characters in the fanwork. [Report your review!]		<img src="http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/images/b2mem2014/stamp14.jpg" alt="B2MeM 2014 Review Challenge" />
15. Review a work that evokes a strong personal feeling or connection for you or that you cannot stop thinking about. [Report your review!]		<img src="http://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/images/b2mem2014/stamp15.jpg" alt="B2MeM 2014 Review Challenge" />

Grand Prizes for Reviewing

Once the month of March is over, you can collect your grand prize based on the total number of comments that you leave on B2MeM 2014 pieces. Remember that the reviews you write for the challenges above also count toward your total for the grand prize. Banners and icons for the grand prize will be posted to the community at the end of the month. The grand prizes will be as follows:

60+ reviews: Silmaril
50-59 reviews: mithril
40-49 reviews: platinum
30-39 reviews: gold
20-29 reviews: silver
10-19 reviews: bronze

Comments

[greatandgrey]

I don't read much fanfic poetry, and I thought this one was lovely: http://b2mem.livejournal.com/251777.html?thread=3662209#t3662209

[greatandgrey]

I don't think I ever read something by Rhymer before, and I loved this:

http://b2mem.livejournal.com/267213.html?thread=3815629#t3815629

[binkaslibrary.livejournal.com]

Reviewed (http://b2mem.livejournal.com/270866.html?thread=3852050#t3852050) "Nightingale" by Zeen, set in Doriath of course :)

This means I'm done with the challenges.

[greatandgrey]

I don't read fics about First Age Men, and I loved this one: http://b2mem.livejournal.com/256834.html?thread=3816258#t3816258

[greatandgrey]

I'm in love with the way Aeärwen portrays the characters here:

http://b2mem.livejournal.com/258953.html

[greatandgrey]

One of my favorite mediums of art is dollmaking. I make plush dolls myself and I love to seeing others transform our favorite characters into huggable forms. Dreamflower's Sam doll is absolutely darling: http://b2mem.livejournal.com/270784.html

[greatandgrey]

Since I don't see anything set in Erebor, my next favorite location is late Third Age Imladris, especially during FOTR: http://b2mem.livejournal.com/258051.html

[dawn_felagund]

\0/ Woohoo! Congratulations! :D Would you like all of your stamps consolidated into a single graphic?

[greatandgrey]

First comment on this super creative and cute work: http://b2mem.livejournal.com/272195.html

[greatandgrey]

I couldn't decide between these two awesome stories both from 2012:
http://b2mem.livejournal.com/167859.html
http://b2mem.livejournal.com/136695.html

[greatandgrey]

I couldn't help attempting this as Gandalf for this wonderful story:
http://b2mem.livejournal.com/261261.html

[tanis2014.livejournal.com]

I've been holding out hoping someone else would post a Mirkwood story, but since the month is running out and Rivendell would be my second favorite place in Middle-earth, I'm claiming this last stamp for reviewing Winter Witch's Spring in Imladris. Since it also featured the twins as youngsters, I had a double dose of favorites, as I love kid fics. With this stamp, I've done all the review challenges too.

And I'm up to -- wait I gotta go see - GOLD - after having claimed my first Silmaril for reviews. I might make it to platinum, depending on what else posts by the end of the month. But I have to cut back after that, since I've spent WAY too much time out here, to the detriment of many other things I should have been doing.

It's been great fun though! I did B2MEM one other year - when ya'll did the passports and stamps. But nearly killed myself trying to keep up. I was so glad to see the challenges this year, where you could pick one or thirty-one and not feel like I needed to be writing a story a day in order to participate. And then with the review challenge I could participate every day and be a part of the community for the whole month. For me, this was an excellent combination of reading and writing, with uniquely interesting, fun, and beautiful rewards for participating.

Many thanks for all the many many MANY hours I'm sure went into the planning of this event and the modding of it during the month. You da best! I hope that you all felt it was a great success too!

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

I have really enjoyed the month. I am usually overwhelmed. Write more than I should and enjoy writing those stories less than anything else throughout the year. This year was the exact opposite. I wrote one big story and one little one and got reviews on it! Which is a novel experience for me during B2MeM. I also have spent most of my time reading and reviewing--so many wonderful stories! I know Dawn and others have worked very, very hard and it has been from my perspective a huge success.

[binkaslibrary.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

Yes, I'd love to have one pic, if it's not too much trouble.

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

Kalypso is new to me, and everything she wrote resonated. This was my favourite: The Library by raise_the_knife (http://b2mem.livejournal.com/254489.html)

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

I seldom review drabbles and the period was out of my usual reading too, but I really loved Seasons of the Ring by Linda Hoyland (http://b2mem.livejournal.com/256054.html).

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

It's strange that I very seldom read LotR fic, and more specifically anything involving Rangers, but Flight by Linda Hoyland (http://b2mem.livejournal.com/255758.html) was a gem.

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

That would be Goldberry. But I didn't just read I Who am Water by Himring (http://b2mem.livejournal.com/255484.html), I recced it to a friend.

Also hobbits, especially post Ring War. But The Swallow, by Rhymer (http://b2mem.livejournal.com/272945.html) might change my mind there. Beautiful!

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

I found two recs for Three attempts to remake the Elessar by Elliska (http://b2mem.livejournal.com/259581.html) on the weekly roundup and am very glad I looked.

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

I've left quite a few of these, but I'll mention
A Change in the Wind by independence 1776 (http://b2mem.livejournal.com/253011.html) because I really loved it. I mean - Maglor and a dog? What's not to like?

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

I had no idea how to answer this for writing, but art - easy. The Twins of Imladris Paper Dolls by Winterwitch (http://b2mem.livejournal.com/272195.html). Absolutely LOVED the paper dolls! Oh the memories!

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

Second Age won by a hair from very late First or early Third Age, so -- Crowns of Holly by Kitt Otter (http://b2mem.livejournal.com/252588.html).

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

First love would be Balar, but failing that I'll go for my oldest love, Imladris: Spring in Imladris by Winterwitch (http://b2mem.livejournal.com/272025.html)

[keiliss.livejournal.com]

I think that has to be both Children's Game by Elleth (http://b2mem.livejournal.com/254984.html) and Prayers About Rain by Dawn Felagund (http://b2mem.livejournal.com/258394.html).

[hhimring]

That would be Legolas, probably.
I commented on Teacher’s Pet, by Tanis.