levade | Recent Entries

LOL. I cannot believe it's been almost a year since I was here! I just got notification from Tumblr that I've been there a year too.

o.O Okay, I'm scarily taking on traits of Mr. Oliver and that... That's kind of not good. I mean, some of them are great, but the forgetfulness, the loss of time, erm...loss of a few memories? Yeah, well, I guess I could say God wiped them out for me to save me grief? Probably true, that.

Have you watched any PR or um...is it still on? I totally dropped out of this fandom and pretty much all others. Just started dipping my toes into Tolkien again (mostly the writing, not the fandom. Because yo, that fandom? Is nuts. Certified Blue Diamond in the bag...nuts), going back to roots of stories I started ten years ago.

So it's all about getting reconnected for me now. Back to what *I* liked before I let myself get confused.

I do now, and always shall, love the first PR movie. I'll be 80 (with God's grace) and still cheering on that team.

Have you written more on your stories?? I know, you have a right to be wary of me, and not want to talk about them. :) Totally understand that. Forgive me if I blather here about writing. It's pretty darn amazing to me that I'm excited again about putting words together. I honestly thought that was dead and gone.

Shunning – The Ultimate Rejection
What Does It Mean When We Shun Others - or Are Shunned?
Published on February 1, 2013 by Rosemary K.M. Sword in The Time Cure

Shunning can cause enduring damage.
In the past few months, the topic of shunning has presented itself to us one too many times to be ignored. And so we off-road from our usual topic of PTSD and delve into this unfortunately pervasive social phenomenon.

Most of us can probably recount an incident when we have been either the perpetrator of the act of shunning and/or the recipient of being shunned. In the first instance, maybe you didn't want to see someone you know because you didn't have the time to deal with them. So you turn your face away and walk quickly by, hoping they didn't see you. You know perfectly well why you ignored the person, but they don’t have a clue, if you have had a good relationship previously. Conversely, let’s say you notice someone you haven’t seen in a while and want to say hello and catch up. You are sure they saw you. So you make a beeline toward them, but they do an about-face and walk in the opposite direction. You spend hours or days - maybe longer - trying to figure out what you did to warrant being ignored, or worse being rejected. This really hurts when that other person is someone you thought liked you, accepted you, and maybe even ideally respected you.

Nani Nani Boo Boo

We've read stories such as Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter about people being shunned in centuries past by communities for what were considered having behaved immorally. In the past several decades, we've expanded this type of rejection to the fine, negative science of avoidance; one that can be upsetting and hurtful to the recipient. For most, we get our first taste of shunning in grade school. You know the scenario, a group of friends decides that some kid in the group just doesn't fit in, too fat, too ugly, too poor, too smart, too nerdy, too whatever, and the shunning begins. Unfortunately, this behavior continues for many well into adulthood. When it becomes evident that the shunning is directed at just you, it is like Silent Bullying.

Enduring Damage

From a psychological standpoint, the act of shunning is social or mental rejection. Why do people shun others? Here are some reasons, instances, forms of shunning and the damage done:

• Embarrassment – You recently had a party that the other person knew about but wasn't invited to and you don’t want to talk about it. You see them at the mall and dart into a store.

The person wonders what’s wrong with them.

• Shame – You left your job for another one and told your new employer confidential info about your former employer. Now you shun your former employer and former co-workers because you know what you did was unethical.

Your formers speculate what happened and may eventually lose respect for you.

• Jealousy– You are resentful about the progress made by someone in your field and have found your passive-aggressive behavior toward the person isn't working. So you shun them instead.

The person and others notice your behavior which reflects poorly on you.

• Annoyance – You just don’t like the person – they irritate you and don’t pick up on your signals. You don’t attend events you know they are invited to and shun them if you happen to be in the same room.

The person: a) may think they did something wrong, b) experiences a plummet in self esteem and/or c) may think you have a personality flaw.

• Racial or cultural bias – You have a negative bias towards cultures other than yours. You shun those whom you think are of those stigmatized races or cultures.

You offend others and miss out on rich opportunities to learn from individuals you may actually enjoy as well as their cultures.

• Poor timing – You just don’t have the time to talk.

The person thinks: a) you are a snob, b) you are blind or oblivious and/or c) don’t care about them.

• Shyness – You are painfully shy and shun just about everybody—when down deep you want and need that social connection.

You miss out on rich opportunities.

Take Control – Of Yourself

If you tend to shun people but want to give it up, start by putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. Compassion and communication work wonders. For instance, in the party scenario, instead of darting into a store, meet the person head on and explain what happened; you are sorry that you could only invite a limited number of people. That’s an acceptable explanation. If you don’t have time to talk, don’t turn away, be civil to the person who wants to chat and explain you are on a tight time schedule. They will understand. If you are shy, annoyed by others, or culturally biased, a simple “Hi! Nice to see you”, works - and keep moving. By acknowledging the other person, even for a moment, you validate them and do no harm to their self esteem.

The two work-related examples are more complicated – the damage may be irreparable. Make a vow to handle situations better in the future.

If you believe you have been shunned intentionally, you have two options: hold your head up high, move on, Don’t waste time trying to figure out what you may have done to create the situation. Or, bite the bullet and have a “courageous conversation” with that person, simply saying that you feel he or she is avoiding you and you wonder why. That way you have closure, and it may be that you learn something valuable about yourself or the shunner.

What Phil did When Shunned

This is what Phil did to solve the social puzzle he experienced when his family moved from New York City to North Hollywood, California, way back when he was in high school. He had always been a really popular kid, liked, admired not only for smarts and leadership skills but also for his athletic abilities in baseball and track. But from the very first day in this new school, he was totally and brutally SHUNNED! Meaning classmates would not sit next to him, they would all move away from wherever he sat in the cafeteria or auditorium. This total social exclusion hurt so deeply that he developed severe asthma, bad enough that he would have to stay home when he had not been able to sleep at all. (Obviously a psycho-somatic coping mechanism.) In the spring, after making the baseball team, on a bus ride to a game, Phil had to know the Why of his shunning. So he simply asked a teammate, what had he done wrong to deserve such social abuse. The answer was startling: “ A lot of kids are afraid of you, because they think your family must be from the East Coast Mafia, since you are Italian - the only one in our school - so it’s better to avoid you than takes any chances angering you.” NOT SO!! But it no longer mattered; his asthma became the reason the family all moved back to the Bronx, and as you might suspect, his dreaded asthma vanished shortly thereafter. And he was voted most popular boy in the senior class at James Monroe High School the very next term !

So forgive and forget the shunners, while making more time for all the people who love you unconditionally, and whom you can love fully in return.

Current Mood: thoughtful

I really dislike it when you go to an author's profile on any site and they have absolutely no bookmarks, no faves, no nothing. Just what they wrote. Why do I dislike it? Because....share what you find. If you love something, bookmark it, fave it, so the rest of us can find it too!

Geez, spread a little love, will ya and stop hoarding! I read your stuff, and I comment (and that's rare these days. Most readers just zip on without letting you know if they liked or hated something -- Facebook mentality: Can't love it or diss it, I'm gone). I know the awards try to fix this, but don't get me started on that. LOL.

It's funny to me though the more they talk about networking and social media, the more insular people get.

Go fig.

Current Mood: cheerful

I'm not making this up. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1823219&highlight

Amazon Publishing Introduces “Kindle Worlds,” a New Publishing Model for Authors Inspired to Write Fan Fiction—Launching with an Initial License of Popular Titles from Warner Bros. Television Group’s Alloy Entertainment

Like Kindle Singles and Kindle Serials, Kindle Worlds Adds a New Approach to Digital Publishing

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 22, 2013-- (NASDAQ:AMZN)—Today, Amazon Publishing announces Kindle Worlds, the first commercial publishing platform that will enable any writer to create fan fiction based on a range of original stories and characters and earn royalties for doing so. Amazon Publishing has secured licenses from Warner Bros. Television Group’s Alloy Entertainment division for its New York Times best-selling book series Gossip Girl, by Cecily von Ziegesar; Pretty Little Liars, by Sara Shepard; and Vampire Diaries, by L.J. Smith; and plans to announce more licenses soon. Through these licenses, Kindle Worlds will allow any writer to publish authorized stories inspired by these popular Worlds and make them available for readers to purchase in the Kindle Store.

Amazon Publishing will pay royalties to both the rights holders of the Worlds and the author. The standard author’s royalty rate (for works of at least 10,000 words) will be 35% of net revenue. As with all titles from Amazon Publishing, Kindle Worlds will base net revenue off of sales price—rather than the lower, industry standard of wholesale price—and royalties will be paid monthly.

In addition, with the launch of Kindle Worlds, Amazon Publishing will pilot an experimental new program for particularly short works—between 5,000 and 10,000 words. For these short stories—typically priced under one dollar—Amazon will pay the royalties for the World’s rights holder and pay authors a digital royalty of 20%.

Beginning today, interested writers are encouraged to visit Kindle Worlds (www.amazon.com/kindleworlds) to learn more and get a head start on writing. In June, the Kindle Worlds store is expected to launch with over 50 commissioned works from authors such as #1 New York Times best-selling author Barbara Freethy, Bram Stoker Award-winner John Everson and RITA Award-winner Colleen Thompson. At that time, the Kindle Worlds self-service submission platform, where any writer can submit completed work, will also open.

World Licensors benefit from Kindle Worlds because:

It’s an entirely new way to monetize their valuable franchises
It allows them to extend their Worlds with new stories and characters and more deeply engage with existing fans, while also reaching new audiences
Amazon Publishing will work with them to establish content guidelines that balance flexibility and openness for writers with what’s reasonable for the franchise
“Our books have generated a massive amount of fan fiction, and we see this as an evolution in publishing and a valuable way of broadening our brands and engaging fans,” said Leslie Morgenstein, President Alloy Entertainment. “When working with Amazon Publishing on this scale, we know we’re in good hands and everyone will benefit.”

“Seeing Pretty Little Liars fans adapt and create their own stories is both exciting and flattering and I think what Amazon Publishing is offering through Kindle Worlds is a great way to reward their ingenuity,” said Sara Shepard, author of Pretty Little Liars.

Writers benefit from Kindle Worlds because:

Amazon Publishing has already secured the necessary licenses to write about any Kindle World
They can earn royalties writing about established characters and universes
The Kindle Worlds self-service submission platform is easy to use
“I loved writing the characters in this world, the dynamics of the friendship between the four girls as they deal with life-threatening situations,” said Barbara Freethy, writing in Pretty Little Liars. “I also really enjoy the ongoing mysteries and surprising twists that always keep the reader guessing. It’s great that Amazon Publishing has given those who put passion into fan fiction the opportunity to commercialize this work.”

And readers benefit from Kindle Worlds because:

They can find a stream of new stories in Worlds they love
They can discover new Worlds and corresponding great new stories
As with all Kindle books these are “Buy Once, Read Everywhere”—they can read on Kindle or Kindle Fire as well as with a free Kindle app for all of the most popular devices and platforms
“At Kindle, we’re not only inventing on the hardware and software side of the business, we’re inventing new ways to create books,” said Philip Patrick, Director, Business Development and Publisher of Kindle Worlds. “Our goal with Kindle Worlds is to create a home for authors to build on the Worlds we license, and give readers more stories from the Worlds they enjoy. We look forward to announcing additional World licensing deals in the coming weeks.”

Amazon Publishing is engaged with additional rights holders from different areas of entertainment—books, games, TV, movies and music—and looks forward to announcing future deals soon. To get started writing works in licensed properties, visit www.amazon.com/kindleworlds for submission guidelines and updates on licensed properties.

About Alloy Entertainment

Alloy Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Television Group, develops and produces original novels, television series, and feature films. More than seventy-five of AE’s books have been on the New York Times bestseller list, including The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, The Clique, The Lying Game, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Private and The Luxe. AE has successfully adapted several of its top selling books into hit television shows for broadcast across multiple networks including The CW, ABC, ABC Family and Nickelodeon. Current Alloy Entertainment television series include Pretty Little Liars, The Vampire Diaries, Lying Game, and soon to premiere Originals, Ravenswood and The 100.

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle Paperwhite is the most-advanced e-reader ever constructed with 62% more pixels and 25% increased contrast, a patented built-in front light for reading in all lighting conditions, extra-long battery life, and a thin and light design. The new latest generation Kindle, the lightest and smallest Kindle, now features new, improved fonts and faster page turns. Kindle Fire HD features a stunning custom high-definition display, exclusive Dolby audio with dual stereo speakers, high-end, laptop-grade Wi-Fi with dual-band support, dual-antennas and MIMO for faster streaming and downloads, enough storage for HD content, and the latest generation processor and graphics engine—and it is available in two display sizes—7” and 8.9”. The large-screen Kindle Fire HD is also available with 4G wireless, and comes with a groundbreaking $49.99 introductory 4G LTE data package. The all-new Kindle Fire features a 20% faster processor, 40% faster performance, twice the memory, and longer battery life.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, www.amazon.es and www.amazon.com.br. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment and data center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

Source: Amazon.com, Inc.

Amazon.com, Inc.
Media Hotline, 206-266-7180
www.amazon.com/pr

I've been out of the fandom for...oh, a year? Just wasn't feeling love for the Hobbit, and why spoil the party for those who do love it?

After all, the Lord of the Rings movies hit me like a ton of bricks from the moment the first scene played on the screen. I was sucked into a world that was huge, deep, had more layers than a Vidalia onion and names that boggled my brain! Finarfin, Fingon, Fingolfin, Finrod, Feanor. AGH! I remember thinking that I had to be a certain kind of nuts to really care if someone's eyes would be grey (Nolorin), or possibly silver-blue (Telerin). Oh! And the kindred! Sure, you start out easy enough. There are three: Vanya, Noldo and Teler. Easy-peasy! Sure...then you get into the march, and you have those who didn't go (Avari), and those who stuck it out and waited for their love-struck leader to return (he was hanging out in the woods having a staring contest) called .... Yeah. You get it. Nandor. Falathrim. Silvan. Sindarin. Etc. Etc.

Thing is, Tolkien loved words. They were one of his passions, so it's not surprising that along with a story, you get a couple of unique languages and huge, complex world full of more complex cultures, all intertwined yet unique, and a mythos that can take years to figure out.

Add in HoMe and you're set for life as far as a hobby goes. Man, we Tolkien fans love nothing more than to argue a fine point of canon. Uhm....after we debate exactly what we think canon is, because after all, Christopher Tolkien took over after his father died, and yeah, you know...is that really canon?

Not going there, by the by, just sayin'.

So after spending from 2002 to.....2011 immersing myself in this mythos, these people....

I was kind of burned out. Not so much by the stories Tolkien told, but just the grind of fandom. For me, it felt like a grind at times, and when a hobby that is supposed to be fun becomes a grind? It's time to go before you sour it for those who still want to jump in and splash around.

I thought it was done, over. Okay, I couldn't bring myself to give up all my books, movies, CDs, DVDs, sculptures, artwork or any other sundry thing I'd ferreted away in those years.

And oh God. The fanfic. I spent a *lot* of time writing fanfic. You put a piece of yourself into that, you know. No small bit of heart and soul gets mingled with the time, blood and tears before you're ever ready to put story out for fan consumption. Spent plenty of time reading and such too. Talking about it, dreaming about it. Living in it in my mind.

I thought I was done. I really did.

Then, like a junkie, I got a hit and omg..... Fell face-flat in love with that Silmarillion all over again.

Damn you, Silmarillion. Damn your drama, your heroics, your politics, your characters and .....

If there was an island I was going to be stranded on and I was given the choice of one book....it would be the Silmarillion or the Bible. They both tell darn good stories, with ideas behind them that make you think. I love both.

Darn fanfic. Yes, of COURSE it was a fanfic that did all this stirry-uppy thing in me. A fanfic that grabbed me, shook me, riffled through my brain and left me staring after it, longing for more.

That's a good fanfic. *g*

And here I am, once again thinking of Tuor, Idril, and Elrond. Once again, I'm in love with Gil-galad, and Glorfindel, Ecthelion, and everyone's favourite bad bo...er...elves, the Feanorians. Once again, I'm re-thinking all that I thought, and....it's like when you were a kid and a tooth fell out. Your tongue could not leave that darn emptiness alone! It kept going there, and probing. Something was missing.

That's what fanfic is for me. What's missing? What's there that doesn't tell me enough? What do I want desperately to see that Tolkien never wrote?

The list is long. My writing is not up to the job, but that never stops me.

But, the year or so away wasn't for nothing. I always discover things about me, the world, about life and living when I'm away from the internets. It's my annual battery charge, walking in the rain and running in dizzying circles in a field to fall down and look up at the blue, blue sky. To see the clouds and wonder where the winds go, what they see, who they touch.

I learn a lot in those times. Sometimes I can bring it back with me.

This fanfic though, I'd swear she plucked images from my head, took unrealized desires and ideas and made them real. It was one of those rare times you read something and think ...yes.....YES! This. THIS. I wanted to read this for so long!

So I gave her a gushing review.

I'm a goofball. Always have been, always will be, despite everyone's efforts to refine me.

And I'm in love again. First Age, Second Age. Third Age. Time before the Sun and Moon. Those are the Ages that fire me, and make me wish (so hard, oh...so longingly) that they would bring it to life on the screen. But then again, seeing what they did with a few of my favourite characters? Eh...I'll pass. Like the movies, and I'll watch them, happily, but it's not what I see in my head.

I'd share the fanfic, but it's probably not going to hit you the way it did me. I love quirky, odd little stories that never get BNF status. I squirrel them away to read and re-read on the train, and hoard the images they spin in my head like Smaug and his gold.

After all, dragons know a thing or two about things of beauty and they can shoot fire.

Yeah, I'm a Smaug fan. I always did wonder if the "corrupted" things of Middle-earth went to Mandos, and if so, were they ever re-embodied? But that's another can of worms for the canonites to pick over. I'll just be over here blowing smoke rings....