How I write.

When composing lectures or posts like this, it is at least a six step process for me.

The first is to listen to what others are asking to find topics. Often I have simple short answers and direct references with easy links.  When there are deeper and more interesting ideas unexpressed,  I gather together the knowledge and wisdom and ideas needed to answer the questions fully.   Then everything gets bound into a single document with little organization, just an olio of ideas.  Often things stay in this way for a long, long time until a delivery time and date is chosen.

The first draft can be very very long and repetitive, but it's taking my scroll of notes, copying it, and thinking about an organizational pattern that is suitable to the material.  Then it's shuffle the information around into an order that might work as a lecture or essay. 

After that at-least-third draft by now, the chore is to consider exactly who and when the information is to be delivered and what illustrations and examples to include for those who might have interest and tailoring the material for them, looking for references and citing what I find.  Now it is close to a final form, and it's copy it all again, and go thru for grammar, spelling , brevity, consistency and all those other things scholars honor.

Now, often the same material might work for two mediums, say a lecture in Second Life and a ethereal scroll(-ing webpage) online.   Then it's construct each format for its medium. In Second Life, in example, I can use objects in illustration, but not in a scroll(-ing webpage). Conversely, I can use images freely in scrolls, but not so easily in SL.

When making both a lecture and a scroll, I will prepare for a lecture by constructing a draft but not publishing the online page.  Then, at lecture time, I copy and paste from my scroll draft copiously.  During the lecture, I often receive insight and questions from the attendees that crystallize important points, or tell me what points need exposition, clarification or example.  I quickly provides those on the fly during the lecture slot if I can.  Then, after the lecture, those additions and amendments get edited into the scroll draft, and finally, the scroll can be released.  This page is an example of such a scroll: 
http://aulethesmith.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-history-of-elvish-weaponry-part-1.html

I could make illustrated classroom books like this one about Sheriwood in Second Life with book writers, but I dislike that medium due to the handling of images and loss of copyable text.  To compress data and image for a "page" degrades both the image and the text some, making the text non-copyable into other media (a good idea sometimes, but not always) and the information available only in this very specific context:

• computer on, in SL viewer, 
• logged into that account, 
• object rezzed, 
• camera oriented, and 
• little distraction  

That is a bit hard to achieve, compared to

• computer on
• browser open, 
• web page loaded

Often, when I find such things as images or note cards in SL, I will, with the author's permission only, mirror the book to a blog post like this: 

http://aulethesmith.blogspot.com/2011/05/how-to-create-rp.html

Herald of Valarin

Subject: Introduction
----------------------------
on 2007-11-17, I wrote to Tolkien fan criticizing use of the fragmented, obscure and complex JRR Tolkien "Language of the Ainur (Holy Ones)" called Valarin in the overhead titles the players were displaying in Second Life's Valimar Sim.

Subject: Please do not use Valarin in Valimar Titles.
-------------------------
First, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valarin and many other sources say this: Valarin was extremely alien to the ears of the Elves, sometimes to the point of genuine displeasure, and very few of them ever learned the language, only adopting some of the Valarin words into their own Quenya. The Valar knew Quenya, and used that to converse with the Elves, or with each other if Elves were present.
Second: Poor communication: you can't tell which name to call anyone now.
Third: (Ahulez) Aulë looks terrible. so do all those other parentheses. And you still don't know what to call the player.
Fourth: Educationally, we're already throwing formal English and Quenya at everyone. Valarin, too, is too much, IMHO.
Fifth: there are more reasons, but I've made my point.

Subject: The Resident's polite but unconvinced reply, excerpts:
--------------------------------
~~Valimar is the capital of Valinor and only city of the Ainur. If ever there was a place where one might encounter Valarin, it would certainly be the Valar/Ainur city of the bells.
~~I do agree with you the words are not pleasing on the eye, however Tolkien created them.
~~We are not asking people to memorize a book, less then 10 words.
~~please share your other reasons.


Subject: My reply (maybe more fun in character!)
----------------------------------
from: Aulë TalkaMarda, Inventor & Worldcrafter
to: Manwë Súlimo, Blessed Lord of the Winds

Greetings and blessings, to Mânawenûz,
my brother and leader in the Making of Arda!


Since there has been some discussion on this matter, and you have asked for more information, I will tell you in detail why I have repented from the use of Valarin in Valimar.

When I was new in my powers in Arda, I felt everything about me should be known and broadcast by every possible medium, including the overhead verbiage we can sport in Valimar now. You may recall my five and six line overhead monstrosities clouding the view. Because our first language is so rich in meaning (and lengthy in spelling), using it created indecipherable and complete discord in the view, not only in the long, complex word itself, but in the necessary inclusion of definitions in one or two other languages.

Instead, now I only title to provide my name, duties and rank in the common tongue that most of our new guests prefer these days, so my place in the world is known easily, using only a touch of Quenya. Perhaps the format of this three line title would suffice all Ainur and Eldar floating titles.
If a visitor seeks further information, you know me, I do not stint in providing instruction and data to the willing. For the unwilling and unknowing, not one hammer stroke (or keyboard tap) will I waste. The willing and curious will ask.

It is enough we speak Valarin from time to time, and make it possible to be known. To emblazon it in the very air every minute of every day seems misplaced pride in our own creation. I know pride and hubris - I am reminded of mine in every living dwarf and blooded hammer. In humility, I beg we set aside our own creation for the greater good of adopting the elegant elven and common tongue at every turn we can. (The purpose of our sim is to raise English literacy. Yes, learning a second language is one way to do that - but Valarin is so sketchy, it is a secret code, a barrier, not a language. Imposing Valarin does not further our sim purpose.)

Is it obvious that in the everyday written communication, we should seek simplicity, clarity, and familiarity?

In our own tongue, you and I are both "Mâchan". When I created Khuzdul, I could have used Valarin, but I did not. In Khudzul, we are "Mahal": I needed a language approachable, durable and direct: even omitting one letter is an improvement toward simplicity.

It was Vana herself, in a speech on "failures to communicate" , bespoke on the eschewing of erudition for the sake of erudition. Certainly, our welcome guests COULD understand Valarin. Is it not enough we ask them to learn Quenya AND the common dialect we prefer? Perhaps, as you suggest, we should remand this matter of our attendant titles entirely to Vana and her people to ponder and determine for clarity.

For my house and family, where we strive to make being a guest in Valimar simple, easy and pleasant. However, every elven author reports that our native speech is not pleasant to hear , (and difficult to read.) Therefore, I find myself unwilling propound in Valarin to our visitors. Even a small barrier is a barrier to familiarity.

This still leaves the unanswered question, where, if not in Valimar, is Valarin spoken? Not in Middle-Earth, certainly, nor regularly in the dwellings of the elves of Aman. No, we of the Ayanûz traditionally speak Valarin when discussing lofty matters in Aþâraphelûn Mânawenûz of Dâhanigwištelgûn and in the Mâchananaškad on Ezellôchâr, beneath Ibrîniðilpathânezeland and Tulukhedelgorûs. Then and there is Valarin's place, not every minute in Valimar.

(Does this make my point? in this day and age, inclusion of Valarin needlessly complicates communication. )

Besides, small mysteries of discovery delight elves. Let Valarin be one of those: not thrust in their faces, but hidden and pleasant to find and open and devour, like a wild egg.

I gratefully know you give some weight to my council, my friend, regardless of your determination. Thus, I remain, your loyal if always opinionated brother and aide in the making of Eä,

Aĥûlêz (Aulë) {Inventor}
Mâchanâz (Aratar) {Exalted}
Aþâraphelûn mâchan (Talkamarda) {World-maker}