Fertile Fields For Fan Fiction

[Valandil]

Well... time is always an issue, but I'm starting to get the writing bug again. I want to set down to paper - or at least to hard drive / message board / whatever - some of the fan-fiction ideas swirling around in my head.

My main interest is the Dunedain - especially the northern line of kings, and a lot of the fanfiction I have written, and still want to write, centers on that line of kings. I also have some stories germinating regarding lesser mortals - even regular ole' people, set at different points in ME history.

Several years ago - a number of us took part in a great roleplay/fanfiction site, with the story of Rhudaur's fall to the Hill people (I think about 14th century 3rd Age - is that about right: Gordis, Earniel, Rian, etc?). That was a good setting. Lots of opportunity for people to be in desperate straights. So maybe other times of crisis would generate good story opportunities. Here are a couple more I've thought of:

Gondor During the Kin-Strife: Maybe some stories regarding lesser nobles, caught in the middle between Castamir the Usurper, and Eldacar of Gondor. Maybe a band of Araphor's men would have come down from Fornost (who would they back?)? Maybe a story of personal betrayal and revenge - something akin to "Ben Hur".

The Division of Arnor: Even if there was no actual combat, the division of the land between Amlaith and his brothers was probably acrimonious - and in my own imagination, Annuminas was abandoned at this time - maybe very suddenly. Good opportunity for people to be displaced. Maybe an innkeeper, whose family had worked hard to accummulate some real estate in the city, and who kept everything going by charging his rents and trying to buy more property - in more upscale areas. Only to have the city abandoned and all his holdings become worthless. He probably has some family to support. They pretty much HAVE to leave. How do they make it? Especially if it was early winter.

There could be lots more.

What time periods and situations would YOU like to write about, in Middle Earth?