Discussing: ...like a red haired stepchild
...like a red haired stepchild
Thevina Finduilas
Message: 13033
15 Jul 03 2:02 PM
Original Post
General Audience
Read-Only
Message: 13033
15 Jul 03 2:02 PM
Original Post
General Audience
Read-Only
1- Write about what it is like to be one of the few redheads in Middle earth. Use known canon characters (Mahedros, Amrod, Amras, Dwarves could probably work- any others that you can find!) or make an OC/OFC. Middle earth needs more carrot tops, anyway, IMO. Bonus points for setting it during a less frequently-written time period.
2- Write about Middle earth's adopted children or anyone taken under a non-biological parent's wing.
3- And the combination: Write about those scorned characters who might have felt like a "red haired stepchild." Explore the feelings of persons who feel unwanted or persecuted for being different.
This may be way too vague- I'm still new at all this!
Re: ...like a red haired stepchild
Re: ...like a red haired stepchild
Re: ...like a red haired stepchild
Re: ...like a red haired stepchild
Re: ...like a red haired stepchild
I always knew I had great taste.
That and redheads are so unique, I should hardly be surprised that you talented folk share my favorite hair color.
Then again, nobody seems to excited about my challenge idea. Oh well.
At least one of the winning Mithril Awards stories was about Amrod and Amras.~Thevina, basking in the redhaired glory
(p.s. at least in Harry Potter there's a whole fabulous family of redheads. Go Weasleys!!)
Re: ...like a red haired stepchild
Give it some time, Thevina. As for myself, I don't think there's much space left on the ankles--got three long-term nuzguls on one ankle, and two nuzguls on the other. It's a wonder a)I'm not anemic and b)I can walk at all.
Re: ...like a red haired stepchild
~Nessime
BTW does having lots of red highlights count? My maternal grandmother was a bonafide redhead, and both my mother and I have always lamented the fact that we turned out to be brunettes. And to add insult to injury, I still burn and freckle just like a redhead.
Re: ...like a red haired stepchild
Re: ...like a red haired stepchild
Especially if I've been out in the sun, which also means I have added to my collection of freckles!I still have a few left...
The silver ones are threatening to outnumber the red, but there are a few still there. I used to cover the grey - which I started getting while still in my twenties
- but it got to be too much bother, especially as I have very long, thick hair. ~Nessime
Re: ...like a red haired stepchild
Ouch!
I used to cover the grey - which I started getting while still in my twenties
You have my sympathy. It's happened to me too and in a fairly big way. Unfortunately I have black hair so it can be quite distinct. Fortunately most of it is stays hidden inside and doesn't show up unless I part my hair accordingly.
Re: ...like a red haired stepchild
Avon
(Also red-haired by choice ;-))
Re: ...like a red haired stepchild
(p.s. at least in Harry Potter there's a whole fabulous family of redheads. Go Weasleys!!)
My family is about that large too - and three of us are redheads, three have dark to black hair. There's been an increasing amount of silver contrasting with the red in my hair, I've noticed, since I turned thirty!
Re: ...like a red haired stepchild
Re: ...like a red haired stepchild
Go, you other wild redheads! Nessime, of course red highlights count. And you can give me half of that thick hair, while you're at it.
Good idea about including it in the hobbit story. Now *that* would be a rarity, a red-haired hobbit. But s/he could be just the impetus to rail against Saruman and Grima...Isabeau, you be careful with all those nuzgul! I hear the bites are quite sleep-depriving.
As an aside, I contacted my local library to find the etymology of the phrase "red haired stepchild" and they could give me a definition from the Dictionary of American Regional English, but they can't seem to find the source. Hmmmmm...
Re: ...like a red haired stepchild
Have you ever come across anything re: the seventh son of a seventh son? Just out of curiosity. I'd love to find the origin of this one too.
~Nessime
Re: ...like a red haired stepchild
As a dark-haired person, I'm feeling outnumbered here! ;-) Either my sister or I has a patch of reddish hair at the nape of our necks, if you shine light on it. This doesn't often happen, and I can't remember which of us it is. It is probably the most Irish thing about one of us, aside from a few freckles.
Then again, nobody seems to excited about my challenge idea. Oh well.
At least one of the winning Mithril Awards stories was about Amrod and Amras.Hm. Let's work on this concept a little. I think 3 probably has the most potential. We have a number of Maedhros writers already (or at least, Ithilwen has about 10 Maedhros stories! Hi Ithilwen!), so I'm not sure a simple appeal to write about him or the twins would do the job.
What about this permutation:
Broadly, write the metaphorical red-headed stepchild for a character whom it might suit. Bonus points if you work the phrase in and an explanation of how it came about in M-e (who was, in Rohan, the prototypical 'red-headed stepchild' to whom character X is being compared? In Gondor? In Mirkwood?). It could also be acceptable to have a variation on the phrase that seems more suitable to the region at hand. Something like, "Don't be a red-coated filly" comes to mind for Rohan.
More specifically: Write Maedhros *as* the "red-headed stepchild"--he's the most reasonable of the Fëanorians (for awhile), the oldest son, and presumably he was under the most stress of all the sons of Fëanor, being the head of the family after Mad Dad. I'm sure he occasionally wondered why he'd been given this particular family in moments of self-pity.
Re: ...like a red haired stepchild
I like that, especially changing the phrase to make it more relevant to particular cultures within Middle earth! Sorry to be so quiet of late- I was at Mythcon. After I get some more sleep, I'll be back to posting.
