** General Comments on the Project & Sign Up Thread **

[natedeug]

I'm not sure how much help I would be, but I would love to get a chance to check out your progress in the private forum. I've only read Silmarillion twice, Children of Hurin once, and none of HoME, but I'm really intrigued with what you're trying to accomplish here.

[natedeug]

I want to begin reading through some of the chapters that are still in progress, but the notation system seems rather oblique to an outsider.

I've read the stickied notation post, but it still doesn't seem to cover all the points about what is actually a part of the intended draft, and what is the removed or replaced sections.

Maybe I'm looking in the wrong section. Any guidance would be appreciated.

But then, as I've only read The Silmarillion twice and CoH once, perhaps you don't actually want me leaving comments? I know that you are trying to be guarded in respect to the password for the private forum, but I would be happy to stay around and comment. I'm interested in seeing some of the finalized chapters, as the working posts for each chapter don't show how these things end up as "completed" works.

[Findegil]

I want to begin reading through some of the chapters that are still in progress, but the notation system seems rather oblique to an outsider.

I've read the stickied notation post, but it still doesn't seem to cover all the points about what is actually a part of the intended draft, and what is the removed or replaced sections.

Maybe I'm looking in the wrong section. Any guidance would be appreciated.

My posting #16 in that thread is probably still a good condensation.

But then, as I've only read The Silmarillion twice and CoH once, perhaps you don't actually want me leaving comments?

Be asured that we all like to get any input we can get! And we all knew that it is quite difficult to start (since not many of the active members have been starting members).

I know that you are trying to be guarded in respect to the password for the private forum, but I would be happy to stay around and comment. I'm interested in seeing some of the finalized chapters, as the working posts for each chapter don't show how these things end up as "completed" works.

It might be that you would be disapointed with what you would/will find in the private forum. There are not (at least only in some cases) clean text versions of the chapters. Mostly it is only complete draft texts in the editied fromat. Any chapter that is started here is there in first draft version, the more finished chapters in more than one version. But your are of couse right that it is not easy to work through our often fare ranging discussion and keep track of how the editing evolved. Name the chapter you would like to start with and I will see how I can get you going.

Respectfully
Findegil

[Aiwendil]

Once again, I've got to apologize for my long absence.

I hope everyone's doing well. Who's around? I wonder if we can try to refresh our memories about where we were and try to make progress on this again. I should, I hope, have a bit more time to devote to this now.

[Alassë Estel]

Hello! I am here, and have been since June so we've not met yet. But I am afraid I haven't any clue about this project. Sorry I can't help, but it is lovely to meet you!

[Elvellon]

Hi everybody. I'm brand new here, but not new to Tolkien. I was re-reading the Silmarillion recently, after a (too) long hiatus of reading in general. Somehow I stumbled upon this project and I feel like I could be of some help, if help is needed, that is. I have been a copyeditor and proofreader, as well as a layout designer and digital typesetter for about 20 years.

I'm here to help, if you would have me!

[Aiwendil]

Welcome, Elvellon! And Alasse Estel (Though I guess you've been around for a bit, while I was away.)

This project has been slower than molasses recently (largely my fault, I fear), but I'm hoping that it's not yet dead. Please feel free to poke around the old threads and get acquainted with our methods and madness.

[Raedoron]

Hello. I am new here and very interested in this project. I have attempted on several occasions to compile a similar project (in a much more limited form) of my own.

I am not sure what I will be able to contribute. After having read through a few of the threads, a lot of the discussion seems a bit beyond me, despite having read through The Silmarillion and UT more times than I can count and HoME at least three or four times (I'm on another read-through of everything now). I am also currently in the middle of PhD work of my own, so my scholarly chops are exhausted after working with that research.

Those caveats aside, I would be happy to assist in any way I can, and am interested in staying up to date on the discussion even where I have nothing useful to add.

[ArcusCalion]

Originally Posted by Aiwendil

Once again, I've got to apologize for my long absence.

I hope everyone's doing well. Who's around? I wonder if we can try to refresh our memories about where we were and try to make progress on this again. I should, I hope, have a bit more time to devote to this now.

I am still lurking, I check for updates once in a blue moon, but I would be happy to try to keep working! I believe we were most recently trying to finalize/update Chapter 4: Of the Coming of the Elves.

Welcome to new members! I myself only started work on this project in 2016, so I'm comparatively new to this as well. Findegil and I together with Gondowe basically completed a pass-through of the entire narrative from the creation to the end of the third age, and when we last left off, Aiwendil was helping us finalize our versions of the chapters starting from the beginning. We were on chapter 4. If either of you have any questions concerning the project, such as methods, texts, changes, etc, please feel free to reach out to me in dms, as I'm the first to admit that this forum is EXTREMELY dense and hard to parse out!

[Arvegil145]

Originally Posted by ArcusCalion

I am still lurking, I check for updates once in a blue moon, but I would be happy to try to keep working! I believe we were most recently trying to finalize/update Chapter 4: Of the Coming of the Elves.

Sorry - if you don't mind, but I forgot where The Wanderings of Hurin are?

I searched through the subforum, but can't find a thread with that name.

[ArcusCalion]

Originally Posted by Arvegil145

Sorry - if you don't mind, but I forgot where The Wanderings of Hurin are?

I searched through the subforum, but can't find a thread with that name.

Those were finalized before my time with the project, but I believe it is included in the Ruin of Doriath narrative.

[Findegil]

Please take a (belated) but heartfelt welcome from me Alassë Estel and Elvellon!

And to all the others welcome back!

I am glad about the new and renewd interest!

Not so easy to say where we stand right now, but ArcusCalion gave as good a summary as I could have made. What he left out was the fact that we have been through in the middle of volume III: The Lore of the Wise' when we stopped. So that some drafts are not yet collected here.

For all the newer members: I would start at chapter 4: Of the Coming of the Elves. Because that is most likley the place where we veterans will start to work (if we do, I have read to many short living restarts to be sure). Read first the draft in the private forum. (In this case it is only one version, in other cases start from the back to find the begining of the latest. The latest should all be new enough to be fairly readable - no broken html). And then pick up the discussion of the chapter here in the public forum. Next I would suggest to start from the begining chapters and work forward. In a similar way: read the draft in the privte forum and if you have a question about the changes consult the discussion in the public forum or simply ask there. (As a reminder: all discussions should be here in the public forum, the private forum is just a kind of archiv.)

Respectfully
Findegil