for the Silmarillion Writer's Guild staff.

[hennethgalad.livejournal.com]

B2MeM Prompt and Path: Act of Kindness, blue path
Format: Digital art
Genre: Non-fiction
Rating: Gen
Warnings: None
Characters: None
Pairings: None
Creator’s Notes (optional): None
Summary: An Act of Kindness for the SWG mods.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4p2PbO0nWBzeWZrMDZlb1VobUE

Comments

[shirebound]

That's a lovely tribute and thank-you.

[engarian.livejournal.com]

I totally agree. The amount of work that goes into the background of B2MeM every year amazes me. This year they totally knocked it out of the park. It was the most fun I've had with B2MeM in years.

- Erulisse (one L)

[liadt]

Lovely sentiments:)

[dawn_felagund]

I'm sorry it took me a couple days to reply to this--I just saw it! Thank you so much for your artwork and for the note. It might sound cliche to say that it is a reward in itself ... but it very often is. Don't get me wrong--running a fandom site brings its share of frustrations! The work isn't always particularly fun or interesting. Fandom brings its share of drama and unkindness (although I also like to think that we--the members and mods of the SWG--have also worked hard to create a site culture where this is thankfully rare). And when the technology breaks, it never does it at a convenient time, as you well know! :)

But personally speaking, nothing is more meaningful to me than giving people a space to be heard. This idea informs my work as a teacher, an activist, and my volunteer work in fandom. I came into fandom at a contentious time, just after the release of the LotR films, when the fandom was inundated by a lot of enthusiastic newbies (like me :) who weren't always given a rousing welcome by veteran bookverse fans. A lot of people were silenced. A lot of people's joy in writing and exploring Middle-earth was met with hate and scorn. One could say, "It's not earth-shattering, that a person felt they couldn't post their Maedhros/Fingon slash on a particular site or were made fun of for writing stories about Feanor's daughter," but I think it does reflect an ugly tendency to silence or banish what we don't personally like, agree with, or understand. I want to fight against that urge wherever I find it. (And the people being silenced were very often being shut down because their stories dealt with issues with significance in the real world, that also mean a lot to me, as an activist for social justice.) I created the SWG to make a space for Silmfic, but its construction was informed always by wanting it to be an open place for all kinds of writing, whether "pure entertainment" or the sharing of ideas or (most often) something in between.

Seeing what it has become ... I can't believe it a lot of times. I never dreamed it would become this big or last this long. I think it's met my goal of being an open, friendly place to share Silm-based writing. It's also, personally, given me a lot of confidence as myself as a writer and organizer/admin ... and just generally an intelligent, competent person. I didn't always think I was. Doing this has changed how I see myself in fundamental ways. I was chosen for my first foray into leadership on my job and had my first trainings this week, and I told my husband just this afternoon that a lot of what I've been able to do would have felt impossible ten years ago, and that I can do it now, I really have running fandom sites and events to thank, as silly as that may sound.

So I feel like it has given me so much too. I would never take back the choice to found the SWG and, in fact, am incredibly grateful that I did and to everyone who has come along for the ride with me. Thank you so much for your kind words. They mean so much to me. <3

[hhimring]

I am so very glad that you feel welcome on sites that are my online home as well and hope that you will continue to feel so.
And I agree that the SWG mods do really great work!
Thank you for your post!

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

I agree with you and what Himring says above. The SWG is my fandom home--not that I do not play anywhere else, but it is my heart. I feel personally satisfied when someone finds it welcoming and useful to them, and am sad when someone shares my love for the source material and does not feel happy there. I try to do what I can to make it a comfortable and supportive place for others to read and post their work.

[binkaslibrary.livejournal.com]

Beautiful words! Thank you :)

[elleth]

A belated thank you very much for a lovely, thoughtful tribute from one of the SWG staffers! <3