Comments on Before the Great Music: An Account Before the Ainulindale

The Silmarillion Writers' Guild is more than just an archive--we are a community! If you enjoy a fanwork or enjoy a creator's work, please consider letting them know in a comment.

 

Thanks CiH. I'm glad you liked my story. I usually plan the general theme of each chapter first, then I flesh it out as I go along.

It was really challenging for me to make Melkor as interesting as possible, being cunning, envious, impatient, arrogant and all that, yet avoid presenting him as already "evil." I usually had to avoid using the word "hate," since that emotion was first explicitly mentioned only after Melkor was publicly chastised by Iluvatar, after the Music abruptly ended.

I just hope to write something about Osse and Namo before wrapping this up.

I remember reading the first chapter or two of this on lotrgfic a while ago, and somehow I didn't end up reading the rest until now.

The characterizations are wonderful; I especially liked how Mairon professes his favorite thing to be fixing Aulë's unfinished work. Melkor's interactions with the other Ainur and his attempts to make them useful to him are inspired. One almost must feel sorry for Ungwelian. I also like Melkor's preoccupation with creating a completely new thing out of nothing, rather than use that which Eru created.

I really enjoyed this and hope you will continue it at some point.