1/28:
Part I of Shire is finished! Now I can turn the whole kit-and-kaboodle over to my editor, sit back, sigh, and take a break until the Muse begins to whisper once more. Reader comments are certainly still welcome; my editor, too, will read them and take them into account as she performs her delicate surgeries... (wincing at the thought, voice echoes... "Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit!")

1/27:
Am in the middle of writing the chapter following "Before the Face of the King". Apparently have been misled by my copy of Atlas of Middle Earth. Don't know if it's the book or the way I'm looking at it, but the map showing "Migrations of Hobbits" makes it look as if the Fallohides came down that river that runs just north of Rivendell which looks as if it might be a "north branch of the Bruinen" or some such, whereas the text (and "About Hobbits" in FOTR) plainly states they came down the Hoarwell. I was referring to this map the whole time I was outlining this story, and now that the story is nearly finished that map does not look right.

Thinking hard. When did the Fallohides come down the Hoarwell? Can I stretch the point and make it that they came out of the mountains that far to the North, following the Hoarwell downstream before they went looking for Imladris? That sounds kind of torturous and dumb, though I suppose it's possible. Not that I am going to go back and belabor the point and write it in, but am thinking about those readers (like me) who are sticklers for accuracy in the details. Poor souls.

Otherwise, to get to the Hoarwell they have to cross Rhudaur along the East-West Road all the way to the Last Bridge, and then they can go downstream. Makes more sense than taking them across Rhudaur proper just to get them to go down the Hoarwell because it says they did that in "About Hobbits". Of course I could just cut the whole "evil Rhudaur" plot point and rework the journey out of the mountains... Naw. Have made my bed and just have to figure out how to lie in it. (Hey, this close to midnight that sounds like a plan.)

I suppose I shall have to revise "Before the Face of the King" slightly to reflect this fact. If you have already read the chapter before revision and are suddenly wondering in the following chapter, 'Hey! What're they doing on the Road?' ...well... that's what happened. The Road is the most direct route to the Hoarwell. Am going to arbitrarily decide that the country around the Bruinen is unsuitable for hobbit walking parties. Down the Hoarwell we go!

1/26:
The end is in sight! Once the Fallohides reach Cardolan, meet the Harfoots, and settle down, this part of the Shire's history will be finished. Then it will be time to think about Marcho and Blanco leading the hobbits from Bree to what would become the Shire. I will probably write in more modern times while that material is percolating (Frodo Gamgee's wedding, or Faramir and Goldi's wedding, or Faramir and Ferdibrand's journey to Gondor, or Merry Brandybuck and Merry Gamgee going to Rohan, or the building of the Great Smials. One of those, probably.) Not sure yet if there is a story showing how the hobbits came to Bree from Cardolan. In any event, stay with me. The end is near. Whew. Many thanks to the readers who commented.

1/20:
The writing is going very slowly. Am thinking of severely pruning the chapter "Of Life and Death". It might just be background information and not necessary to spell out... but my editor is too busy to look at "Shire" until the end of the month. Don't know yet what I'll do with the chapter, or the ones preceding it. No reader comments in 10 days... is that a good thing or a bad thing?

1/9:
Thanks to input from Eiluj, something tells me the Fallohides will soon be "home" (at least, home for the nonce, until it is time for them to move on to Breeland about 250 years later).

Now I have to decide whether to continue after that point (their settling down) in "Shire", making it one of those super-long stories, or if I should have a Shire: Part I followed by Shire: Part II... decisions, decisions... (thoughtful frown)

1/8/04:

I am stalled on the story at the moment, looking for appropriate elf names for residents of Rivendell. Got any favourites?

We are close to the end, as far as the outline is concerned. It is just that I need some elf names for the next chapter! Have been researching but haven't come up with much yet.