(Note: These are excerpts from the original newsletter that was published on this date. The Queen's Own address has been updated. The current President of Queen's Own is Herald-Mage Adept Danya Winterborn. For more information, see http://www.dragonlordsnet.com/qo.htm.)
[Begin Excerpt]
Dear Misty fans:
[Ed. Note 2002: The fourth page of this newsletter is missing. Does anyone have it? Contact Herald-Mage Adept at Legend@malcor.com.]
We're two years old this issue!
PLEASE JOIN US IN WELCOMING OUR NEW HERALDS! Judith and I have been in a state of near shock ever since the large, thick, brown envelopes containing Herald material started arriving. We are both so inordinately impressed by those who've managed their time so successfully as to have been able to complete Misty's requirements this quickly. [On the other hand, I'm still stuck in the middle of the second draft of my persona. I haven't got "writer's block" and I'm not lazy, I'm just . . . not as organized as I'd like to be.] Herewith, our first Heralds:
All the Herald material has been, or will be, sent to Misty at her request, so please keep copies and don't ask that we send them back.
For those of you, like myself, still working on your material, or considering starting same, I have a few suggestions or hints that might help you. Put your name on absolutely everything you send to me or to one of the zines. This will avoid any mix-ups. If you're using a computer or word processor, proof your material before you have it print out. If, like me, you're using a typewriter, proof it before you take the page out. [It's really touch getting it back in the right place, and [blush] writing over/in afterwards . . . . ]
Take time out every once in a while to read what you've written out loud. that way you'll be more likely to hear when "I am" sounds a bit stilted and "I'm" would read more naturally. Also, in doing that, when you pause to take a breath, that might be a good place to insert a comma. Reading out loud actually helps you find typographical errors more easily too. Give it a try.
ERRATA: Beth Hlabse, Stacy Hunt, and I all noticed that Griffon seemed to have two different Companions. When I spoke to Misty about this, she laughed and said that she was glad we were paying attention.
[Head hanging in embarrassment.] When mentioning the Heralds and Companions list in a previous issue, I reminded everyone not to forget the ones in OATHBREAKERS. Oops. Roald's Companion's name is not mentioned.
IN ADDITION TO THE HERALD MATERIAL: Our Post Office Box has recently held 8-15 letters a day, 6 days a week. Judith and I, while pleased and flattered, are feeling a bit overwhelmed--she with inquiries about joining and the growing number of personal letters to be answered, and I with all your comments, questions, information, and messages to be deciphered and organized for the fanletter.
Judith says, " In my kitchen is a table about three and a half feet square. On it are a small lazy susan, a napkin holder, a cassette player, and a few filk tapes. The remainder of the surface has been taken over by QO. There are boxes of newsletters, stacks of letters that have been answered and need to be filed. [yes, she keeps them,] the mail of the week, (and sometimes the week before,) envelopes, stamps, and assorted miscellany. There is barely room for my teacup, and my children complain that there's not enough room for a bowl of cereal.
"Oh yes, what spills over from the kitchen table is piled on the dining room table, where the cats sleep on it, play in it, and sometimes scatter it all onto the floor. This is not a complaint, but an explanation of why I'm not always as efficient as we all wish. There is no modern office with a computer and printer. [Or fancy filing cabinets and efficient secretaries . . . . ] There are no little elves to process requests for information. We're [Judith and Sally] it, guys and gals! Please be patient with us." [And help us out too by following our requests--see PERSONALS and FANMESSAGES in particular.]
Once more I'll remind you that Judith, in addition to being a wife and mother [with all the joys and responsibilities that come therefrom,] works outside of her home 5 days a week. She xeroxes QO on a borrowed machine, keeps address records on a borrowed computer, and hand collates, folds, stuffs, stamps and addresses every issue with very occasional help. And writes lots, and lots, and lots of letters.
There is a computer in my foreseeable future, but the sheer numbers of Misty's fans are growing at such a rate that we are planning to ask for dues later in the year. The amount we will ask for will probably be ±$10. This money will be used to have the fanletter printed/copied professionally and pay for envelopes [if we continue to use them] and postage. SASEs will only be requested if you want an answer to something or want something returned to you.
We are trying to take everything into consideration--from which is more important, Judith's answering mail or babysitting the xerox machine, to can we afford to continue with the growing numbers of fans and the growing size of the fanletter, to whether or not asking for dues will mean some of you will have to drop out. What it's come down to is how to continue having fun doing this. You couldn't pay either of us enough to do it otherwise. So start saving your pennies, nickels, dimes, etc., please.
ANSWER[S] TO EDITOR'S JANUARY TRIVIA QUESTION: "What is the definition of 'aged' in horsewo/men's terms?" As the old saying goes, "Ya pays yer money and thaes yer choice."
So there you have it, children. Seeing as the horses aren't talking . . .
EDITOR'S FEBRUARY TRIVIA QUESTION: In which of Misty's DAW books did the QO blurb first appear?
LEST WE FORGET: Especial thanks to Joanne Gise from Sally as well as Judith. She traveled from NY to NJ on Super Bowl Sunday to help Judith with January's mailing. [Judith had xeroxed it the weekend before.]
A POTPOURRI OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: This past month's mail included an unusual number of questions. Many of them have been, or soon will be, answered directly by Judith, but some of them are of general interst so I'm answering them here.
[Ed. Note 2002: At this point there is a 3"-wide swath of white down the middle of page 4 in our copy. The opening words to each of the paragraphs on the page are as follows:]
HAVEN SENT is the name of the Texas c[hapter?]
They were a fun and lively read, and
As of the end of January they had fif[teen?]
PANDORA zine Editor Meg MacDonald imp[?]
Judy Roberson also wrote to say that
In this day and age where "common cou[rtesy?]
Stephanie Wong of ARROW'S MESSAGE and
R. Nathaniel [and I use that manner of
Stephanie's requirements for Arrow's
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON WHITES has
Patrick McKinnion, bless 'im, wrote to
[Ed. note 2002: If anyone has the text for this page, please send it to Danya at Legend@maclor.com. Continuing . . . ]
Dana Evans wrote Judith indicating her concern that unsuspecting Heralds might find white leather not only very expensive but also extremely difficult to care for. "Get it wet once and it's spotted and ruined for life. Also, if worn, it gets wear spots, i.e. the suede rubs off and it gets shiny, hard, and dark. If you get the 'tanned' leather, it's hard to work with, harder to wear, [and] without proper oiling it cracks, flakes, etc. Not only that, leater makes you sweat and your skin doesn't breathe. (Those who are forced to wear it often get pressure sores if they don't wear linen under it.) Take it from someone who's worn lots of leather."
I gather it's also very hard to work with/sew. If your budget will allow, and you want to wear as-close-to-the-real-thing as possible, consider ultrasuiede. I believe it's quite easy to work with and I know it's machine washable. But, be warned, it probably should be lined, or you should wear cotton or linen under it as well. And it too can be very warm. [I think there's a very special beastie on Velgarth who's hide is used for Heralds' whites. Unfortunately . . . . ]
THE ONE TRUISM THAT REMAINS CONSTANT IS THAT THERE IS NO ONE WAY. If "Dear Abby" and "Ann Landers" can admit to not knowing it all, so can I. In the last two issues of QO, I have written about and printed the responses to, my concern over what I considered the negative affects of those self-deprecating adjectives previously used in some FANMESSAGES.
Recenly three very insightful letters arrived which I believe clarify the issue very effectively. Susan Knizley wrote Judith, "I think some of us may be taking these remarks too seriously. I would no longer describe myself as being 'a little weird' or 'slightly off beam', but as a teen I did. My 18-year-old sister does. What these remarks really mean is--I am not like everybody else. I don't follow the leader through that mud hole everyone else is so crazy about. I go around it or over it. I like being different. I like tuna and banana sandwiches. I'm not conservative., etc., etc. These are catch-all phrases that really mean--Geez, I'm different from everyone else and I haven't decided how I really feel about it yet."
Mary Bertke wrote us, "Who says calling ourselves insane is an insult? It's practically (I swear I'm not joking) fashionable to call oneself insane. Insane people are so much more fun! Those people who call themselves insane at my school are people who don't read for fun and are popular, so insanity is not confined to QO. Also, there is something to what you say about after being told the same thing over and over, you begin to believe it.
"What do you think are the most common phrases sf/f readers (especially my age) hear from their parents? From what I'm told, and what some of my penpals mention being told, the most common are, 'Get your head out of that book and join the real world,' 'Normal people don't read that junk,' 'People will never like you if you're always off in another world talking about fantasy,' (The author of that quote never seems to realize that that is not how the subject happens to act.) as well as, 'Grow up and face reality,' and 'Get your head out of the clouds.' Need you wonder why people state right out that they are how they want to be and enjoy being that way, different?"
Sherry Ann Menton wrote, "I am a seventeen year old who has been raised on Freudian vocabulary and anti-Yuppyism. My friends and I are proud to not fit the Yuppy/future MBA mold, and we do use 'abnormal' and 'insane' to describe our interests. We don't mean that we are mentally ill, just that we are not typical. Before I read your note, it never occured to me that such phrases could be misinterpreted or taken more seriously than they were intended. To me, self deprecation is saying, 'I'm ugly' or 'I'm stupid', not 'I'm slightly insane.' Is this a generation thing?"
To respond to the last question first, yes, I think maybe it is mostly. Though there are some folk closer to my age than yours who still, as Susan suggested, haven't decided how they "really feel about it yet" unfortunately.
Basically, it would seem that those of you still in school, particularly at the high school level, are under enormous pressure to think and do, and be things, if not the same, acceptable by both your peers and your parents, which may not represent the real you. So you develop a protective persona which has its own vocabulary.
From the parental point of view, there is an equal conflict. Parents want their children to "fit in" at the same time they want them to "find themselves." As the King says in The King and I, "Is a puzzlement." If I may, I'd like to declare this subject closed with a reference to another musical, Fanny, in which two teenagers sing, "Be kind to your parents, though they don't deserve it. Remember that grown-up's a difficult stage of life. They're apt to be nervous, and over-excited, due to enormous stress and strife. Just keep in mind, though it sounds hard, I know, that grown-up's were children long ago . . . ." consider yourselves all hugged for your candor and sharing.
Personals offer fans the opportunity to direct a message to [a] specific individual[s.]. They are for special situations and/or circumstances. There is no charge.
[Ed. Note 2002: Personals are not being posted online because of the personal information they contained.]
Fanmessages are for the purpose of introducing yourself to other fans. They cannot be used as advertisements of products or for personal aggrandizement. No statements, references, or innuendos regarding race, religion, politics, ethnicity, or sexual preference will be included except by mistake. Please type or print, and abbreviate nothing.
[Ed. Note 2002: Fan Messages are not being posted online because of the personal information they contained.]
FYI [For Your Information] DEPARTMENT: Sara Kruger has apprised us of the International Fantasy Gaming Society on the chance that some of you might be interested. She writes, "The IFGS's an organization that puts on live action role playing games. It's based in Colorado, but we have chapters in Texas, Oklahoma, and California, and we have prospective chapters in Florida, New York, Massachusetts, and Ohio. IN IFGS you are your character. How smart, fast, etc., your character is depends on how smart, fast, etc. you are. You can play anyone you want--elves or dwarves are just two of the choices. If you can make it fit the rules you can even play a Herald! For more information, send me a SASE."
Sarah Pokorski was one of those who wrote to ask about when Misty will write a pronunciation key. When I asked her about this she responded with a question of her own, would we rather she work on the key or a new book? My answer was, "BOOK!" How 'bout you?
WHEN IT'S A QUESTION OF ETHICS, MORALS, AND THE LAW: We received a letter asking us to put in a fanmessage requesting copies of certain copyrighted tapes. To put it in the most basic of terms, this is illegal. This is stealing. I will not be an accessory to same nor appear to condone it, or anything of that sort, by putting it in QO.
CONSOLIDATED HERALD GUIDELINES to be available soon, courtesy of a great deal of time and effort on the part of Chris Johnson! He's taken Misty's plus my attempts at explaining same and put them together on a single sheet. No more digging through back issues! We'll let you know as soon as they're ready.
Wind to thy wings!
Judith Louvis and Sally Paduch
[End Excerpt]
Queen's Own is the official Mercedes Lackey Appreciation Society. Our purpose is to share our enjoyment of Misty's worlds. We are a fan-run not-for-profit organization, not a business. Our address of publication: P.O. Box 749, Laguna Beach, CA 92652 USA. This newsletter is published solely to inform and entertain the club's membership; no infringement of anyone's copyrights is intended.
Newsletters are published on (or near) the first of each month.
Editor/President Herald-Mage Adept Danya Winterborn (L.A. Malcor; AOL-IM SN Shashtah; Legend@malcor.com)
There was no art (so far) for this edition of the newsletter. If you have a clue who they were, please contact Herald-Mage Adept Danya at Legend@malcor.com. If you would like your art to be featured in the online version of the QO newsletter, send .gifs or .jpgs to Legend@malcor.com or hardcopy to Queen's Own, P.O. Box 749, Laguna Beach, CA 92652.
Mercedes Lackey does not receive mail at the Queen's Own address. Fanmail to Mercedes Lackey and releases for fan fiction should be sent to:
Mercedes Lackey
c/o High Flight Arts and Letters
P.O. Box 2970
Claremore, OK 74017
Zhai'helleva,
Herald-Mage Adept Danya Winterborn
