Happy birthday fic for Heartofoshun: Creation, PG, Fëanor

[erfan_starled]

Title: Creation
Rating: PG
Character: FPGen, Fëanor
Summary: Fëanor at work.

Prompts: SWG B2MEM Day Fifteen "Do I dare disturb the universe?" Show a scene or experience in a character's life where she or he answers this question.
Oshun: Daring and possibly wicked; at the very least unorthodox, unexpected.Credits and influences: SWG for the B2MEM

Comments

[pandemonium_213]

This is truly lovely, erfan. Your lyrical prose captures the toil and excitement of Fëanor's invention. Love the imagery of the molten metals, the crucibles, and washing off the grit and sweat from his work. The description in the opening scene -- slamming the furnace door shut, the crust forming on the molten metal -- perfection!

And this...The consistency of warmed treacle, the trail of spiralling, sinking molten moonlight faded into the surface of the crucible’s pool, mesmerizing in its indifferent beauty?

Beautiful.

Now with regard to iron and mithril alloys, it probably wouldn't surprise you to know that morethmusing and I had a delightfully nerdsome discussion pertaining to these, prompted by Istyar Aulendil's request of Sámaril (cf. The Apprentice) to derive the equations for and draw the graph describing the eutectic point of an iron-mithril alloy.

We bantered about the valence state of electrons in mithril, made some assumptions and Moreth was off to the races. She actually calculated the equations and drew the graphs! They

[erfan_starled]

In no coherent order: One really is trying to get a feel for a highly clever, technically able society - these people are clever, live forever, love the arts and work metal and stone, live in large groups - that is still in balance with their surroundings. And for me that involves their metal refining methods. I've got Glorfindel about to visit Elrond's carefully managed works outside Imladris. Somewhere Tolkienishly out-of-sight and small-scale

[heartofoshun]

Thank you so much! This is rich. So filled with sensual images and the magic and joy of creation that we as writers also experience to a certain degree. I think it is a rite of passage that everyone who becomes absorbed with the wonderful characters and stories of The Silmarillion is drawn at some point to want to write Fëanor and his relationship to his arts/craft. There is a certain better-than-sex aspect in this story to his engagement with the creative process. And I agree with Pandemonium, the swords-in-paradise (or the gilded cage as it may be) element is lovely and an example of disturbing the universe indeed.

I took the easy way out a couple of years ago and wrote a light piece with serious overtones (“Young Feanaro Makes a Stone.") This goes way beyond that! I can hardly even consider them the same genre. Thank you again. I will treasure it.

[erfan_starled]

I remember we talked about your story, yes. I thought you might like a Silm character, and the rest was a concatenation of thoughts that satisfied me. Very self-indulgent, I am afraid. In hindsight, this was not an original scene for you. Your 'better-than-sex' description and other comments lend me to think that you have found it pleasing in some ways; I am very glad and I thank you for the thoughtful answer.

I've just realized how many constraints there must be in replying to a birthday piece! And how unrealistic it is to plan to write a piece without a great deal of time to spend in letting it sit and talk to me. Thanks, Oshun, for helping me earn my icon!

[heartofoshun]

Oh, Erfan! You completely misinterpreted my remark about people writing Feanor and creativity! This is utterly original. I think never-been-written is high-overrated anyway. I re-write the same stuff I have read in fanfic, because I have not been satisfied that my POV has been written.

I go nuts when people tell me they can't read another favorite canon couple again, for example. Some of my best friends in writing, however, bend over backwards trying to find rare pairs. That's fine also. But I think never to write a theme or character that has been done is to miss the opportunity to one's mark on some good material. I was told that I shouldn't write Maedhros/Fingon for example or Glorfindel/Ecthelion. Whatever. I chose to disagree and have no regretted it. My favorite stories outside of fanfic are also new explorations of old, familiar tropes.

This is a fabulous story. (Notice how thoughtful the comments are you have received on it, for example?)

[erfan_starled]

Since this was a birthday fic, yes, I wondered in hindsight what on earth a Fëanor story could offer you in the context of your writing and reading experience: you have answered that and more in this lovely comment, thank you! I did know what it had offered me, however, and in no way regretted the excuse to write it! Of course, I am delighted that you like it so much, and I am sorry for being uncertain about that, but I was not feeling badly, just unsure around that end of the matter?

Certainly, I was very happy to write the piece as a birthday prompt for you, enjoy some ideas and crack a window on them, have fun with the language (chosen with you in mind...), and earn my icon. It's great that you like it as well.

I am trying to develop a far stronger hold on 'story' from me-as-writer's end as well as remaining interested in the readers' experience. This is the single-most difficult thing I have to deal with when writing long wips.

[malinorne2003]

Love the writing, how some sentences are composed in a way that opposes strict rules of grammar, but just because they do, express their meaning so much clearer. And the double 'when he was done', yes! Love the impact of the repetition.
The last part leaves me with a nagging feeling that I'm missing out on something I should have picked up, a connection I'm not making. Doesn't matter much. I enjoyed this. That is what I wanted to say, above all.

[erfan_starled]

Your penultimate comment has me itching to get it beta'd. You have me interested. That is what I most like having beta for, the difference between what I am trying to do, and what happens for a reader.

I do understand that you liked it, thank you, especially about the language. I'm not really happy that the content arrived where I wanted, but I liked what I intended, so I'm happy I tried.

Many thanks, Mal.

[malinorne2003]

Oh, please don't be to disappointed about me being slow to pick up hints in a Silmarillion fic. I do love the book, but I've read it only a few times and am in general awful at remembering details (which is a good thing, sometimes, as it means I can re-read things I like and appreciate them almost as if it was the first time), plus I've seen very little fan fiction involving Valinor, or Feanor.

With my limited memory and knowledge, I associate Mr Spirit-fire with making gems, not weapons. Still, your story seems to point to him having a particular sword in mind, something very special. I just didn't know what that was. I've been pondering it during the day and arrived at the thought that the beautiful artwork he's making with all that effort, or rather the sword he will eventually make, is the one he is going to use to threaten his brother with? Which will be the starting point for lots of unpleasantness?

[erfan_starled]

I'm torn between this enjoyable thread of conversation and the fact that I'm down to one brain-cell. Heya

[elfscribe5]

Enjoyed this quite a bit, Erfan. Loved your description of Feanor's absorption, the intensity of his work. "Thrall to his work," Yes. You have a way with words that I admire.

[erfan_starled]

My first attempt was Elendil and sorrowfully contemplating the derivative nature of my thoughts I discarded it (clearly thinking about him because of 'The Fall'.) You can still see the derivative passage, though, I think? From 'Wind and Fire'? I was thinking of taking it down. Won't be the first time I've withdrawn something. But I've been thinking about elven swords since last year and a lot of threads came together not just from the prompt

[elfscribe5]

I think this is highly original and didn't recognize anything derivative at all. If my piece inspired yours that makes me very happy indeed. I would say that all writing is inspired by others. Tolkien's creation inspires us all. This piece is wonderful and could have only been written by you. I admire the detail in the forging and the sense of Feanor focussed on his work to the exclusion of all else. I love that he was singing while he worked, very Tolkien, to sing into being and to create a sword as a work of art. You have inspired me.

[erfan_starled]

Your workshop scene in Wind and Fire was memorable; I never forgot it since, we spoke about it too which was interesting as well. Thanks for adding to what you already said: I'm pleased, more than pleased of course, though had not intended to prod. You know what I have really enjoyed? Something invisible, ideas that were floating around. The fic anchors them but does not name them. Thanks for your added comments. Seven of 'The Last Days'? Coming along? You said you would not have time for a while?

[weepingnaiad]

Gorgeous piece! I loved Feanor being so caught up in his work, the act of creation that he spares no time for the needs of his flesh. It seemed so like his intensity and drive that he had to finish before all else.

Lovely!
*hugs*
WN

[erfan_starled]

Icon? (Yours) *stares* wondrous...

Thanks - (*distracted again by icon*)

[weepingnaiad]

Isn't it lovely? I have a bunch of them. There was a short-lived community where the icon maker took artist's works and made icons from them. Really great work. I can e-mail you all the ones I have from this artist?

*hugs*
WN

[erfan_starled]

*gets overexcited, clutches Naiad's knees, begs fervently* I thought I recognized it... was not going to pry - yes please - and what other artists were there used? *drools disgustingly*

(Yup. Way too excited.)

Happy Easter. A very blessed, and happy, Easter.