MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 1938 Topics covered in this issue include: 1) Re: TMBG and questions by songrunner-+AT+-juno.com 2) Typo's quarterly ramble by Heather Arnold 3) MIST: Re: test.... by GodesCarla-+AT+-aol.com 4) Misty stuff, and then (warning!) a totally unrelated thing by Ardath6-+AT+-aol.com 5) Re: TMBG and questions by "Caity McAllister" 6) Companions.. ? by "Dragonfire k' Abington" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 08:44:15 +0000 From: songrunner-+AT+-juno.com To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: TMBG and questions Message-ID: <19990418.090116.10886.0.Songrunner-+AT+-juno.com> Heyla Listsibs! Topia wrote: >is it possible to be lifebonded to someone and they're not lifebonded >back? (just a thought) I doubt it - lifebonding was described somewhere (Ahhhh - the frustration! All of my books are now in storage for the summer so I can go home and I can't look anything up anymore!!! Help!) as a soul-binding, and they made it sound mutual. There are supposedly even the rare-but-possible "threesomes", as shown by the Keren/Ylsa/Sherrill thing. Of course, just because you're lifebonded doesn't necesarily mean that you love each other or even like each other - it's just a soulbonding (although I would assume that love usually enters into the equation, since it would be extremely uncomfortable otherwise and definitely not a sought-after thing!). Stefen did, however, mention to Skif and Nyara in the lasts Winds book that lifebondings could often be highly inconvenient, and Silverfox said the same to Firesong, and both mentioned that they were definitely a lot of work to keep each member of the pair from overpowering the other or to avoid disputes (since that would drive both of them crazy!). Anyway. Enough babbling about that. Sorry if it doesn't make much sense - I just woke up, and I'm in the middle of finals (one of the more evil inventions that i've run into!) >She didn't see the same separation between artist and performance >that I did. Do most people? Or does my brain work strangely? (Wouldn't be the first time.) I hear you. I've never seen the point of having pictures of people whose work or music I love hanging around my room (I personally prefer feathers, dreamcatchers, and any number of other odd things that make my roommates look at me rather strangely). For some reason, people never seem to match what I think they should look like anyway, and it's kind of strange to see people that I don't actually know staring at me all of the time. Besides, my opinions often change rather quickly, so I'd have an impossible time of trying to keep my current favorite up on the wall! Of course, an artist's artwork (or their books!!!) are a completely different story - I have no problems with hanging (placing?) that kind of stuff all over that place! Okay, enough babbling. Wind to thy wings. Songrunner ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 14:09:45 -0400 (EDT) From: Heather Arnold To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Typo's quarterly ramble Message-ID: Hey, I made it into grad school. (woo hoo! Yeah! Two more years 'prostrate to the higher mind'.... then I guess I get my paper & I'm free.... er, to get a job. :) My research project for the summer is working with giant mice (p27 knockouts). Giant *mice*! It's beginning to feel like Jurassic park around here. ;) Congratulations, Carrach/Tim! Can we prosecute Medivh Savar for reckless endangerment now? ;) Gotta throw in my $.02 on the fanfic/copyright debate. I have mixed feelings on the whole situation. On the one hand, jealous guarding of a fictional world makes me kind of sad. From what I've seen, the ones that get hurt most are youngsters and amateurs looking for a creative outlet that their ordinary lives don't provide: they can write a story of their own that might be seen by an audience of mom, dad, and best friend, or perhaps not read at all. Fanfic provides an opportunity to show their ideas to a group of peers and *who already know the basic premise*, and can therefore be a bit more understanding and sympathetic, not to mention giving input on plot-character-setting interactions that can take weeks to explain to non-group members. I speak from experience. And it's a crutch, yeah, but how many of you learned to walk without a little help from someone who already knew how? I know that fanfic was a very important step for me as an writer, because it allowed me to 'test my wings' in an atmosphere that was structured, supportive, and responsive, without being as competitive as 'the real world'. Without the pressure of developing an entire fictional universe for setting, I could concentrate on the development of characters - a technique for which Mercedes Lackey is definitely a good role model. Working with fanfic editors at a young age taught me lessons of tact, critical thinking, compromise, and critiquing etiquette that are invaluable in more 'professional' writing critique groups, not to mention the working world as a whole. On the other hand, even after the introduction of the release form requirement, I never felt that Misty was being unreasonably cagey about her universe. As far as I know, she never forbade fanfic. She's required of us a document that says we can write fanfic, but it's her world, and she has first dibs on it - we won't get obnoxious and make a scene if she happens to come up with something very similar to our idea later on. In a MU* or rpg, people come up with 'stories' all the time, on the fly, and it would be impossible to regulate that kind of 'published work'. I could understand if she decided that it was better to be a little harsh and stay safe, rather than get burned later. This is our amusement, but it's her income, and the incomes of several other people associated with her writing. Now don't get me wrong - I love to online rpg, and was a very serious player in several Pern MUSHes for quite a few years. I think it's fun, I think it's relatively harmless, and I think it's a very interesting way to explore a fictional world. If there was a Valdemar MU*, I would play it - but prohibiting rpg's based on her stuff was Misty's prerogative all along, and just because she exercised her right to control her own creation doesn't mean she hates her fans and wants to make 'em suffer. >From what I can tell, you don't last long in the entertainment biz if you go out of your way to neglect fans. Unless you're William Shatner. At the same time, I don't flatter or disillusion myself enough to think that Mercedes Lackey gives a care what I think of her or her writing. I am one consumer in a whole world full of consumers, and whether I buy, read, or admire her work is probably of very little consequence. She will probably never know that I consider her a mentor, nor do I believe it would matter to her if she did know. I didn't write fanfic for her - I wrote it for me, because I wanted to learn what it was like to be a writer and to show other people the things I dreamed. And I don't write my own work now for her - I write it for myself. Anyone who wants to write in Misty's world simply because they admire her writing probably can, with or without a release form: it just can't be shown to anyone else. Misty's stand on fanfic can only be enforced for 'publication' of this sort, and if you have no need for 'publication', then no one can stop you from writing to your heart's content. Once you start showing a story around, though, it's moved out of the sheer admiration stage; you're proud of your work, and you want other people to see it. You're not writing for Misty - you're writing for yourself, and she has the right and the responsibility to protect herself and her livelihood. Still, I said I have mixed feelings, and I do. I have to agree that the tone of the response was kinda nasty, but perhaps it reflects some of the nastiness Mrs. Lackey has gotten from all those wacko violent people (see 'The Camel's Back'/'The Last Straw'). I mean, *I'd* be a little cautious of anyone's motives after that kind of junk, even the motives of sincere admirers and fans who are only what they claim to be. Okay, that was more like $.04.... I'm kind of sad, now, so you'll have to pardon me if I don't include a story obMisty. Giant cloned mouse-sized sheep to all. Through sunsets golden, Typo, Delinquent member of the Mistic Circle, Cell bio refugee, Mouse wrangler extraordinaire. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 22:47:40 EDT From: GodesCarla-+AT+-aol.com To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: MIST: Re: test.... Message-ID: Heyla everyone, << i've been having some problems with subscription... if anyone gets this, please reply! Zhai'helleva, Dragonfire. >> Just a reminder from your friendly neighborhood Councilor: If you are having problems with your subscription to the list, please do not email the list and ask for a response. Instead, send an email to listproc-+AT+-herald.co.uk with a blank Subject line (or a period, if you need to fill out that line) with message body reading: which This will tell you which lists you are subscribed to. If you have further problems, contact our listmistress, Melanie Dymond Harper, at mel-+AT+-herald.co.uk We now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion...:) Zhai'helleva, Carla, ~*Councilor of Mist*~ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 01:05:45 EDT From: Ardath6-+AT+-aol.com To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Misty stuff, and then (warning!) a totally unrelated thing Message-ID: Heyla, listsibs! Beware, for this is not your average post... That's because this has a survey in it. No, you don't *have* to fill it out, although I would be everlastingly grateful if someone did. ::smiles winningly at everyone:: It's for a research project I'm working on. Yes, it is a strange topic, but I got to pick whatever subject I wanted to write on, which explains its unusual-ness. It's just not safe to let me pick my own topic! If you find you'd like to fill it out, just send your response to me off-list at: Ardath6-+AT+-aol.com However, I did add Misty-related stuff to this, which goes first: <> Oh, let's see... Mindspeech! (very original choice, huh?) I could see FarSight really coming in handy. And I want Firestarting! Don't ask why; I'm just inexplicably fond of it. :) And here's something that's bothered me for a while: in Misty's books, the female gryphons don't get anywhere near as strong a part as the male gryphons do. There's only Zhaneel, Kechara, and Hydona to represent the females, whereas for male gryphons there are Skandranon, Aubri, Tadrith, Keenath, Treyvan, Tashiketh, and Kelvren. And Zhaneel's the only female gryphon that gets a lot of time. I love Hydona, and I was very sorry to see that most of the time she was in Treyvan's shadow. Maybe it's because Zhaneel and Hydona are mothers, and Misty doesn't seem very interested in writing about mothers..? Okay, that's the end of my ob-Misty material! So if you don't want to respond to a survey, go no further! Turn back while you still can!!!!! ~~~Ardath's ESP Survey~~ I. Do you believe that ESP (telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition) or psychokinesis exist? 1. If you don't believe that telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis exist... a. Why not? b. Do you completely believe that there is no such thing as ESP or psychokinesis, or do you think that their existence might be a possibility, however small? Why do you feel this way? Do you think that one ability seems more likely to exist than the others, or do they all seem equally unlikely? c. What, if anything, do you think could convince you of the existence of such abilities? d. Do you wish that parapsychological abilities really did exist? 2. If you do believe that telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis do exist... a. Why? b. How long have you believed in their existence? c. Have you or anyone you know witnessed or experienced a parapsychological incident of any kind? If so, what was it? d. Do you believe in one ability more than the others? If so, which one(s)? 3. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the least skeptical and 10 being the most skeptical, how would you rate yourself? Do you think that you are, in general, more inclined to be a skeptic or a believer? ~~~End of Ardath's ESP Survey~~ If you made it this far: Congrats! If you didn't.. well, you won't be reading this. :) Lots and lots of pink-peppermint sheep for everybody! Ardath Summerstorm Proud member of the OOUH: Vikteren, Snowstar, and Hydona!!! Royal Defender of the Brat ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 22:21:54 PDT From: "Caity McAllister" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Re: TMBG and questions Message-ID: <19990419052154.8851.qmail-+AT+-hotmail.com> > Songrunner wrote: There are supposedly even >the rare-but-possible "threesomes", as shown by the Keren/Ylsa/Sherrill> So I read thins and a question pooped into my head and the answer is probably well-know but since I haven't read the Arrow's trilogy for I while and I feel like digging through the book to find the answer ( Yeah I know I am lazy) Anyways I know that Ylsa and Kerrin were lifebonded and Sherril and Kerrin were lifebonded but were Sherrill and Ylsa lifebonded as well? Enrich me with you knowledge of wise one and may you be blessed white fudge sheep all around. ~Stars _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 07:31:11 -0400 From: "Dragonfire k' Abington" To: mercedes-lackey-+AT+-herald.co.uk Subject: Companions.. ? Message-ID: <199904190435371-+AT+-dragonfire.Faerymail.zzn.com> Heylas! In MPrice, Yfandes tells Van that she knew how her and Van's bond would end when she bonded with him. Was it just her, or do all Companions know how their chosen's time will end? Zhai'helleva, Dragonfire. Get your free faery email! http://Faerymail.zzn.com ___________________________________________________________ Get your own Web-based E-mail Service at http://www.zzn.com ------------------------------ End of MERCEDES-LACKEY Digest 1938 **********************************