* An unofficial New Silmarillion Outline *

[lindil]

I only wished that Lindil would see what has happened to his idea to create a more complete Silmarillion. Cheers.

have no fear! I peep in semi-regularly, and even though it has gone in a direction quite different than I would have intended [replacing the RoD for instance] I am in no way less proud of the core of you folks who have stuck it out.

I could gush for awhile about it, but make no mistake, I am extremely glad that I did not bow out till it was in good [no matter how few the number] hands.

Hopefully in the fall things will slow down enough that I can really go over things in detail.

It also taught me some well needed lessons about followthrough and biting off more...[sigh]

but I did what i could and am thrilled that you folks have so systematically and carefully tackled the most thorny parts.

Perhaps no one else who has not done it can know how painfully detailish such a project can get, and the spirit w/ wich it was all done no doubt has made JRRT as proud as the Estate is/was annoyed.

If there were awards for internet Tolkien Scholarship, you folks would [ok should] undoubtedly get first place. Having labored over the outline, the principles [w/ Aiwendil] and FoG I do remember just how tedious it all is.

I used to picture that after the new text had been established I pictured a 'literary smoothing out' of stylistic discrepancies, I may well plug back into if time and resources permit in the future, as well as involvement in drafting a more or less continual narrative of the 2nd and pre-Lotr 3rd Age.

Of course how you even want to handle all that is now the groups decision.

If and till then, have no doubt, I am probably your biggest fan.