Meme. No, really.

[keiliss]

Taken from red_lasbelin

Name a character from one of my fandoms (let's confine this to Tolkien :)), and I'll give you either:

(a) three facts about them from my personal canon/fanon,
(b) a reason he/she sucks,
(c) a reason he/she is awesome,
(d) five things that never happened to that character, or
(e) five people that character never fell in love with and

Comments

[keiliss]

Heh, Agie asked for Elrond. See below :)

Three facts from my personal canon/fanon - Doubt-Erestor.

Erestor enjoys poetry, both reading and writing it. He loved listening to the minstrels who played and sang after dinner when he was a child in Nargothrond. One day in Sirion he bought a collection of rather battered books that included a small poetry anthology, and ended up reading it over and over again until he knew his favourites by heart. From there it was a small step to trying his hand at writing it - his early attempts were mainly overblown odes to nature, mainly the sea as he was based on Balar. Over the yeas he developed a sparser style with some beautiful phrasing, but sees it as a very personal indulgence and keeps quiet about it. The thought of anyone dismissing him as some pretty, delicate-looking elf sitting under a tree and scribbling verse makes him shudder.

His ambitions are not materialistic, he likes fine things around him, adores good clothes, art, jewellery, but if they’re gone, he’s fine, he’s lived rough before. What he needs is respect, to belong somewhere, to have work that stretches him, to have people whose opinions matter see him as the best at whatever he does.

He often seems almost overwhelmingly confident, not because he is arrogant but because he believes in himself, even when he has no good reason to do so. Experience has taught him that if you refuse to entertain the idea that you might fail, you don’t, and that if you trust yourself, others will too.

[heartofoshun]

Oh, that is wonderful! I didn't expect anything nearly as lovely. Yes, I can believe all of those details. I think a great backstory always shows in the writing.

Over the yeas he developed a sparser style with some beautiful phrasing, but sees it as a very personal indulgence and keeps quiet about it.

I was suprised and pleased to think of him as writing. Wonderful.

The thought of anyone dismissing him as some pretty, delicate-looking elf sitting under a tree and scribbling verse makes him shudder

That is definitely the Erestor I know from your work.

Thank you so much! What great fun to read.

[keiliss]

I didn't realise how much I was going to enjoy doing this, even though the last two are taking a lot more thought (with Gil I really didn't know where to stop, lol) I usually try and work out basic background before I start writing someone, in fact at Uli's suggestion I remember doing an interview with Erestor to get him clear in my mind during Doubt - I wonder if I still have that. Though things also just crop up as a character grows. I'm guessing it's a similar process for you?

Erestor has to be the only character I know of who has a hang up about being beautiful and goes to a lot of trouble to avoid fitting the obvious stereotypes *g*.

[heartofoshun]

I wonder if I still have that. Though things also just crop up as a character grows. I'm guessing it's a similar process for you?

I definitely do that. I am a little neurotic about it. One reason I am not very good at fic swaps--write about someone I don't know? OMG! On the other hand, I can answer any obscure question immediately off the top of my head about any of my principles characters. They do grown in the writing, but I start with knowing them first.

Erestor has to be the only character I know of who has a hang up about being beautiful and goes to a lot of trouble to avoid fitting the obvious stereotypes *g*.

I love that about him and it is so believable, for example, in Doubt.

[keiliss]

I had to write something like 'Thranduil/Haldir - Imladris, snow, fluffy smut' in an early SS - I was almost in tears more than once. I grew very fond of the story eventually, but I had no idea where to begin.

Actually it stood me in good stead with this meme as I was asked for Thranduil. (and for Cirdan, Elwing, Fingon - meme stopped being easy about half way down *g*)