Penname: Dreamflower [Contact] Real name: Barbara C. Rich
Member Since: 22/01/05
Membership status: Member
Bio:
I have been a LOTR fan since 1967, and have been writing and posting fanfic since March 2004.
Beta-reader: Yes
Live Journal: http://dreamflower02.livejournal.com
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Reviews by Dreamflower
Filk Fest by Dwimordene Rated: PG [Reviews - 5]
Summary: A collection of filks, all parodic/satiric in nature. Not to be taken too seriously, obviously. PJ and Fran guest star in "The Plot Warp." Newest addition: "With These Dudes?", a corruption of Kirsty MacColl's fine song, "In These Shoes?"
Categories: Movie-verse
Characters: Aragorn, Bilbo, Gandalf / Olorin, Legolas, Original Character
Genres: Humor, Parody
Warnings: None
Series: None
Chapters: 7 Table of Contents
Completed: No Word count: 2807 Read Count: 6055
[Report This] Published: 15/08/05 Updated: 23/05/06
Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 18/01/11 Title: Chapter 7: With These Dudes?

Oh, awesome! Too funny! Thanks so much for the link!

Bilbo's no good, awful, confounded day by Beregond5 Rated: G [Reviews - 3]
Summary: The title says it, more or less. Bilbo didn't have to leave his home to face trouble. One-shot and an attempt on humour. :)
Categories: Movie-verse
Characters: Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Bilbo
Genres: Humor
Warnings: AU (alternate universe)
Series: None
Chapters: 1 Table of Contents
Completed: Yes Word count: 5725 Read Count: 1902
[Report This] Published: 25/12/05 Updated: 25/12/05
Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 04/03/09 Title: Chapter 1: Bilbo's no good, awful, confounded day

This was very sweet! I love Bilbo's combination of soft-heartedness and crotchitiness!

And delightful to have Gandalf show up!



Author's Response: Aww... thank you! I'm glad you liked it. :D

All That Is Gold by Ria Rated: G [Reviews - 7]
Summary: Bilbo faces another dragon . . . with the help of a new friend.

Winner of the 2nd place in the Teitho Challenge.
Categories: Book-verse
Characters: Aragorn, Bilbo, Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
Genres: General
Warnings: None
Challenges: Not Another Elf Fic
Series: "Become who you were meant to be"
Chapters: 1 Table of Contents
Completed: Yes Word count: 1811 Read Count: 1742
[Report This] Published: 17/10/07 Updated: 17/10/07
Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 04/03/09 Title: Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Oh, what a neat account of Aragorn's and Bilbo's first meeting!  To have them meet before Bilbo left the Shire never occurred to me!  And I loved the encounter with Lobelia.

Delightful!



Author's Response: Thank you. I really believe that Lobelia is underused in fanfiction: She's such a driven and entertaining character.

At first sight? by Narya Rated: G [Reviews - 12]
Summary: Flashfic; Eowyn and Faramir's first meeting in the gardens of the Houses of Healing.
Categories: Book-verse
Characters: Eowyn, Faramir
Genres: General
Warnings: None
Series: None
Chapters: 1 Table of Contents
Completed: Yes Word count: 270 Read Count: 1646
[Report This] Published: 29/10/08 Updated: 29/10/08
Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 04/03/09 Title: Chapter 1: At first sight?

This is absolutely lovely--especially that last sentence, which is utterly poetic!  I love POV gapfillers, where we are allowed inside the heads of the characters in canon moments--this one is very nice indeed!

Author's Response: Thank you, Dreamflower, I'm glad you liked it! I'm very fond of Faramir and Eowyn, so it was nice to explore the beginnings of their romance. I, too, like POV gapfillers - as you may have guessed!

Of Magic and Friendship by Traveller Rated: PG [Reviews - 29]
Summary: Years after Frodo's decision to return to the Shire after his stay in Valinor, life is almost back to normal for the four hobbits. But when the life of one of their own is threatened, will the power of friendship be enough in the face of disaster? Book I in The Travellers series.
Categories: Book-verse, Movie-verse
Characters: Diamond Took, Faramir Took, Frodo, Goldilocks Gamgee, Merry, Original Character, Pimpernel Took, Pippin, Sam
Genres: Angst, Drama
Warnings: None
Series: The Travellers
Chapters: 9 Table of Contents
Completed: Yes Word count: 31402 Read Count: 8554
[Report This] Published: 27/11/08 Updated: 17/01/09
Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 04/03/09 Title: Chapter 6: What Had Been Before

In my effort to be helpful, I forgot to reivew the chapter! Sorry!

I think you used the flashback technique very well hear. My favorite is with Frodo and Pippin, I have to confess, I have a weakness for a musically-inclined Pippin.  *grin* I hope that when Pippin got a little older, his cousin relented about the lessons!  That would be a fun story to read: Frodo teaching Pippin to play the fiddle!

 



Author's Response: Thanks! I was a little worried about how the flashbacks would work when I first wrote this story, but it seems that everyone likes them and think they postively enhance the story. I'm so glad! I'm also a fan of a musically-inclined Pippin, but to me he is a singer. Not only does it fit with movies (I think I tend to write more in movie-verse than book-verse because I've seen the movies about thirty times apiece and absolutely love them), but I guess it just kind of goes with his character. Frodo definitely has the character of a violin player- he is a natural leader, and has his dark moments as well as his light ones! So, Frodo never actually taught Pippin to play the violin, but if you would like to write a story about this, please feel free to do so! As a matter of fact, I'd really love to hear your version of that event. You have my permission to quote from this flashback, if you would like! -Traveller

Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 04/03/09 Title: Chapter 6: What Had Been Before

You mentioned in your notes about figuring out the hobbit/human age ratio. Actually, I have made such a chart myself!  I've posted it in a few places:

http://dreamflower02.livejournal.com/124223.html#cutid1

Is in my LiveJournal.  I figured it out, using an "almost two-thirds formula ( .64, as figured by Topas Took.  It uses the differential between a human toddler of two and a hobbit faunt of three, and also the difference between a human just come of age at 21, and a hobbit coming of age at 33--this works out to almost two-thirds.)

However, I should mention that not everyone agrees with this. *Most* hobbit writers do, but some feel that hobbits age the same up until their tweens, when their growth slows down. Others use a sliding scale, so that the difference is more gradual.  Some use 18 instead of 21 for the human coming of age reference, which skews everything a year or two younger.  And there are many people who don't believe there is any real difference at all, and that hobbits just delay the coming of age to 33 for social reasons, not reasons to do with growth at all.

The main thing is to be consistent, whatever system you decide on.



Author's Response: Oh, thanks so much for this! I will be sure to make use of it in the future. I try to be consistent as possible, but I guess that's where some of my stories tend to become ever so slightly AU... This chart is extremely useful to have though, thank you thank you thank you! -Traveller

Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 04/03/09 Title: Chapter 2: The Dinner-Party

Hmm...so you've moved the Tooks, Brandybucks and Gamgees and all much closer together? 

Author's Response: Yeah, I guess I have, haven't I? It's one of those things that just worked when I was creating the story in my head- I suppose I often sacrifice canon for what works with the story. Pippin and Merry actually live literally right next door to each other, and are neither in Tuckborough nor Buckland. I'm not exactly sure where they are yet- believe it or not, I actually don't have this entire story thought out, even after I've written it! It's just kind of how I function, I guess. I hope that makes sense... -Traveller

Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 04/03/09 Title: Chapter 3: Thunder in the Distance

Oh, what a neat idea to have Frodo become a healer when he returned!

Author's Response: Thanks! I'm glad you like it. I differ from other Hobbit-writers in that I prefer the term "doctor" to "healer", even though I know that Tolkien liked to use the word "healer". From your stories, I notice that you (as well as most others who write about Hobbits) tend to make the healers women. For some reason, I've always imagined them as male Hobbits. I guess I'm sort of thinking of it as a male-dominated society, like old England- men hold the "real jobs", while women are the housewives. However, Elanor Gamgee, ever the rebel, deviates from this stereotype, as will come up later in the sequel to this story, "Every Day". -Traveller

Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 04/03/09 Title: Chapter 5: A Hound, a Beagle, and a Lad

I love the clever echo of Gandalf's words to Faramir of Ithilien.

I do find myself a little confused about some of the changes you've made to canon, but as it's an AU it works. I just have to wrap my brain around them.



Author's Response: Yay, someone caught my quote/allusion thingy! (Besides my sister, who I had to tell outright before she actually noticed it!) I never really thought of my story as AU, but I've probably made changes to canon that I'm not even aware of. I just write what I imagine to happen in the way that works best. I'm not saying that I tend to exhibit total disregard for canon- it's just that when something works better as slightly different (or AU, if that's the term you prefer), I'd rather go with the flow, to use a cliche, than have to sacrifice something I've thought up to happen to the characters. If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them, but, as I've said before, there might not always be answers! :) -Traveller

Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 04/03/09 Title: Chapter 1: Dreams

What an intriguing beginning!  I like the idea of Frodo's return (done an AU like that myself, though I haven't posted it here yet) but this is quite different!

And it seems that young Faramir Took is dreaming of his namefather...what's happened to Faramir of Ithilien, I wonder?



Author's Response: Thanks- "intriguing" was what I was going for! I'd like to read your AU about Frodo's return to Middle Earth. Good guess- Fair is dreaming of the steward! Wow, nine reviews in one night- it gives me plenty to read! Thank you- I love reviews almost as much as I love writing! -Traveller

Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 04/03/09 Title: Chapter 7: Comfort in Your Arms

Oh my, Goldie and Fair are so sweet together.

Author's Response: Goldie and Fair exhibit the same basic sort of relationship as Frodo and Sam or Merry and Pippin share, but of course each individual relationship is different. They're the best of friends, and understand each other better anyone in the world and can therefore provide the best sort of comfort in times of trouble. -Traveller

Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 04/03/09 Title: Chapter 8: Never Again

Oh, poor Merry and Frodo! 

Frodo thinks that his jewel from Arwen will help? Perhaps it will...



Author's Response: I loved writing this chapter so much because of the angst. I cried so much, but it was completely worth it! I'm fairly happy with the way it turned out, although I'll never be completely satisfied with anything that I write. But I suppose most writers are that way. I know that you're a big fan of the relationship between Frodo and Merry, so I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! -Traveller

Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 04/03/09 Title: Chapter 9: Tomorrow

I very much enjoyed this story.  It had the elusive quality I call "heart", which to me, means that the author loves the characters, and "gets" them.

Unlike many people, I don't have *one* favorite character: my favorite "character" is the deep friendship between all four of the hobbits.  Any story which has that friendship as its focus is one that will appeal to me.

I liked the use of the movie-verse imagery, as Pippin awaited his fate, and the way that Arwen, Boromir and Theoden all came to him, to tell him of his choice.  But of course, he knew it was not his time yet, not when he would be leaving so many of his dear ones bereft, especially Merry.

I also enjoyed seeing Frodo in "healer mode" which is something new and different.   

I saw that you have a sequel, so I hope some of the mysteries of this story will be cleared up, like Fair's dreams of Faramir, for example.

Thank you for sharing this story!



Author's Response: "Heart"- I like that term! Thank you so much- I'm glad I've achieved this quality in my story. I most definitely love these charcters, more than any others in the whole world, and I feel like they are my old friends. I also love the relationships between all four of the Hobbits, but I still have to say that my favorite character is and always will be Pippin! The "white shores" vision scene took a lot of thinking over. I tried to make it ambigious enough to keep the reader guessing for just a little while, but I also tried to incorporate both movie imagery and originality as much as I could. After I wrote this scene, I relied the excessive amount of crying Pippin does in it; but, then again, considering his character and the circumstances... I love "healer mode"- it reminds me of "Grey's Anatomy"! I want to go to college to be a veterinarian, so "healer mode" is something I aspire to and hope to experience more of. Frodo exhibits much more of this in "Every Day". Please jump right in on this sequel and let me know what you think! Thanks again for all your reviews- I've had fun reading and responding to them. I think it really helps me as a writer to explain or analyze certain parts of my story, for it helps me understand my characters and situations better. Before I leave, I have a request to make of you- update "The Brandy Hall Incident" as fast as you can because that story has me absolutely absorbed! Also, you mentioned in "A Conspiracy of Hobbits" something about Merry getting angry at Pippin one time because he'd gotten so drunk he'd almost died. Since you've written stories about the two other times Merry was truly angry with Pippin, do you have one for this situation? Because I'd really like to read it! Thanks again, -Traveller

Every Day by Traveller Rated: PG [Reviews - 22]
Summary: The Hobbits proceed to travel down the path of hope, but the road to recovery is long and painful. When Diamond is called to follow her dreams, Merry must help Pippin through his long and difficult ordeal. The sequel to "Of Magic and Friendship" and Book II in The Travellers series.
Categories: Book-verse, Movie-verse
Characters: Diamond Took, Elanor Gamgee, Estella Brandybuck, Faramir Took, Frodo, Goldilocks Gamgee, Merry, Original Character, Pimpernel Took, Pippin, Rosie, Sam
Genres: Angst, Drama
Warnings: None
Series: The Travellers
Chapters: 11 Table of Contents
Completed: No Word count: 71024 Read Count: 8501
[Report This] Published: 26/01/09 Updated: 01/12/09
Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 28/03/09 Title: Chapter 2: Real Pain

I'm finally getting a chance to read this, and it's already very absorbing.

And I am wondering more than ever about the mysterious connection between the two Faramirs.

 



Author's Response: I'm glad that you're reading it, and that it's drawing you into the story- I'm doing my job right! The connection between Faramir and Fair Took is going to be discussed in more detail probably in the next book in the series, but more dreams will definitely occur in this story. Please keep and reading and reviewing and enjoying! -Traveller

Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 28/03/09 Title: Chapter 5: An Emerald Room in a House of Mahogany

This is quite a story!  I love the interactions here of all four of the Travellers.  It's quite nice to have Frodo still in the Shire and available to help his cousins, and Sam was wonderful.

I don't think you are doing too badly with the h/c.  It's hard to get that right sometimes, especially with no medical background of your own.  But I think you are handling the illnesses all right.  And there is no doubt of the comfort part of the equation!  The love is clear.

Frodo's memory of the miruvor and how it had helped made me wonder if he might decide to write to Rivendell, or even to the King, to see if there is something that could be done for Pippin that Shire medicine could not. Did you indicate what year this story is taking place? I don't recall...

I do find myself getting curious about Diamond's new teacher...you put some hints in there that make me wonder if all is aboveboard in that situation.

And more and more I wonder about Faramir and the other Faramir and the dreams.



Author's Response: I'm glad you're liking it! Having Frodo back in the Shire and not a complete slave to his own illness is quite an essential factor in my story. Since he's always been sort of the leader of the group, being the Ringbearer and everything, the doctor role for him just sort of made sense- that he would be able to think clearly in a life or death situation. Merry also possess this ability, but when it comes to Pippin his fear for his dear friend overrides this natural calmness. I'm so I'm doing alright with the illnesses and treatments and such. Poor Pip- if only I didn't have to do this to him! Writing to Rivendell or Aragorn was not particularly what I had in mind, but it's a great idea! The purpose of that little flashbackish sort of thingy merely to say that Pippin did indeed get ill on the journey, but was prevented from getting worse by Gandalf and the elven drink. Umm, I don't have a particular year for this story. I have a general idea, but I'd have to do the math... I absolutely LOVE Mistress Hibbs! Yes, there will be more about her, don't worry! Sorry to keep you wondering about Faramir and Fair, but then again, that's half the fun of reading the story, right? Glad you're liking it- I'll try to update soon! -Traveller

Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 14/04/09 Title: Chapter 6: Mister Samwise's Magic Tea

Aww...this is a sweet chapter. I do like the way Sam deals with revealing Pippin's condition to Pippin's brother-in-law.  And the children were adorable.

Author's Response: Thanks! When I'm not on an angst-roll, I do tend to go for the sweet factor. It took a lot of thought to discern exactly how I wanted Sam to talk about Pippin's illness with Cory- what should he reveal, what should he hold back, and how formal should their terms be? I decided that, since Sam is no longer calling a lot of people "Mister", and since he would probably know Pippin's brother-in-law pretty well, he would call him Cory and hae enough trust in him to discuss about Pippin. I love the children! Goldie and Fair are such intensely good friends, and Ham makes me laugh! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Traveller

Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 28/04/09 Title: Chapter 7: Surprises for Pippin

A very sweet chapter! I can tell that you are quite fond of horses and ponies!

I'm more than a little intrigued about the situation Diamond has found at Mistress HIbbs' home-- it seems a little fishy.

And I loved little Primmie's letter to her "Uncle Pippin"!

I look forward to seeing more.



Author's Response: Thanks! Yes, I am very fond of horses and ponies, as I ride on a regular basis (going in about an hour and a half, actually!) I do have a slight flaw when writing about them, though, I will admit. Although horses and ponies are actually two different species (my riding teacher taught me that), and have completely different personalities, I often tend to make my little Hobbit-ponies seem more like horses because it's the personality I want them to have. The only ponies I've written about that actually has a pony-personality are Tucker, Sam's pony, and maybe Cratez, Merry's pony. Cheyanna and Tawny have very much horse-personalities. But I try! Ooooh, the plot will thicken with Mistress Hibbs- you'll see! *Laughs to self, slightly diabolically* This is so much fun! But really, though, do you think the character is believeable? There's a fine line between eccentricity and believeabilty, and I'm trying really hard not to cross it. Primmie is just one adorable bundle of AWWWW! I love characterizing the cute little kids, like Fair and the Gamgees. But Primmie is a little bit special because of her empathy and connection with Pippin, which makes him love her back with an intensity that even he can't seem to explain. More on that later! Thanks for the review! -Traveller

Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 21/05/09 Title: Chapter 8: The Boat

Lovely to see that Estella has come to visit, and to see how pleased Pippin is to have her visiting and to see her with Merry.

I still think something fishy is up with Diamond's teacher. Why didn't she tell Dale that Diamond was married? Or that her husband was the Thain's heir? Very odd.

And I am getting REALLY curious about the mysterious connection between little Faramir and his namefather.  Has Pippin ever told his son about the Man he's named for?  I'd think he might guess who the Man is.

 



Author's Response: I liked writing the scene with Estella and Pippin together because they both have one thing in common- their love for Merry. I thought that Pippin would feel very ashamed and guilty that his illness put off their wedding, and that it would take lots of reassuring on the part of both Merry and Estella that it was alright and it wasn't his fault. Yes, something is fishy with Mistress Hibbs (you'll just have to wait and see what, though!). I don't actually think Mistress Hibbs knew that Pippin was the Thain's heir, because she lives kind of in the middle of nowhere and keeps to herself, and Pippin doesn't really like to flaunt his importance. I love the fact that I'm keeping you in suspense- I love to keep my readers on the edge of their seats and guessing! I think that Pippin would have told Fair some about Faramir, but only happy tales because the sad or dramatic ones would have been painful for him to think about and he didn't want Fair to seem him hurting (also the reason Fair's still with Nellie and Cory and not home with his father). It seems to me that the stories about Boromir would have been especially painful for Pippin to talk about, and about Denethor's descent into madness and his attempts to fry poor Faramir. So that would be why Fair is still doesn't know who the men in his dreams are. I have to say, I really loved writing the boat dream in this chapter. I had no idea what I was going to write about when I sat down to compose it- I just knew that Fair had to have another dream and it had to be dramatic. I really loved the way it turned out, and I hope you did, too! Thanks for your continued reads and reviews! -Traveller

Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 09/08/09 Title: Chapter 9: Keeping Merry

How nice to see an update here when I finally got to come back over to this site!  I've been so busy lately that I've neglected coming here.

Poor Frodo, poor Merry and poor Pippin! This certainly was a very angsty chapter!  But it looks as though things are looking up again.

 



Author's Response: I'm with you on the busy thing- it turns out this summer has been even busier for me than school! I was glad to finally be able to get a chapter up. Yes, poor everyone! But that, I suppose, is the essence of angst. A little bit more angst, and then some happiness- hang in there! And also more about Diamond and Fair in the next chapter- I haven't forgotten about them! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing- I always love to read your comments and I take them to heart! -Traveller

In Defense of What We Do by Narya Rated: PG Round robin [Reviews - 38]
Summary: For anybody else who has ever felt that they need to hide their fanfic habit. Rated PG for one instance of bad language.
Categories: Off Topic
Characters: None
Genres: Essay
Warnings: None
Series: None
Chapters: 12 Table of Contents
Completed: Yes Word count: 10094 Read Count: 11327
[Report This] Published: 08/02/09 Updated: 15/10/10
Reviewer: Dreamflower Signed
Date: 04/03/09 Title: Chapter 5: Chapter 5 - Sian's view (xFanarix)

I love that you are so open about the reactions of those around you!

Fanfiction: Because there is never enough canon.