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?

[Valandil]

Oh - also thinking of a setting in the early years of Arnor - the founding of a new village, off in some remote area, in the first few decades after the arrival of Elendil and his ships.

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Valandil

[...] and a lot of the fanfiction I have written, and still want to write [...]

I still remember those stories fondly. Glad to hear the bug's been biting again.

(I think about 14th century 3rd Age - is that about right: Gordis, Earniel, Rian, etc?).

Buggered if I can remember. It was a good setting, though, shame it died prematurely. The dynamics between the three off-shoot countries of Arnor was rife with opportunity for story-tellers. I still have some sketched scenes-to-be( now-never-will-be) scribbled on paper. Such cool characters we had too. Shame.

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

I still have the beginning of a fairytale-kinda story of two kids in a fisher village on Númenor, a couple of centuries before the Drowning but when it no longer was all that great.

Another story I want to write one time should be in the Shire, during the Fell Winter. Oddly, since it's a genre I haven't had much experience with, it apparently needs to be a mystery-story, featuring a conspiracy and a Shirrif as main character. I need to learn lots more before I can tackle this one, though.

[Valandil]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

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I still have the beginning of a fairytale-kinda story of two kids in a fisher village on Númenor, a couple of centuries before the Drowning but when it no longer was all that great.

Another story I want to write one time should be in the Shire, during the Fell Winter. Oddly, since it's a genre I haven't had much experience with, it apparently needs to be a mystery-story, featuring a conspiracy and a Shirrif as main character. I need to learn lots more before I can tackle this one, though.

Those both sound interesting. What kind of fairytale? Does it involve Elves? Or some of the water Maiar or something?

The second: Sort of a "Hay-ward forced to become Detective" thing - huh? I like that.

[Valandil]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

I still remember those stories fondly. Glad to hear the bug's been biting again.


Buggered if I can remember. It was a good setting, though, shame it died prematurely. The dynamics between the three off-shoot countries of Arnor was rife with opportunity for story-tellers. I still have some sketched scenes-to-be( now-never-will-be) scribbled on paper. Such cool characters we had too. Shame.
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Yes - looking back on it now, for me there were three major difficulties in continuing it.

1. The amount of time it took, and the growing needs to divert more time into other areas - particularly job search, family, working as much as I could, etc.

2. The way the story had grown, and how peripheral parts of the story had grown. It seemed like it would go on forever.

3. I was overwhelmed with drama. Too much drama in my own life, we were working hard to create drama in our stories - and then, there was also some personal drama of one of our co-writers that I let myself get drawn into. It all became somewhat paralyzing, I think.

Anyway - at each point, I always WANTED to continue, wanted to write and flesh out the stories, wanted to keep my obligations. But somehow - I became unable to.

Lots of work was put into it - lots of great work by a number of people. And it really IS too bad we could not finish. But... who knows about the future.

Earniel - you, and any others who took part and see this - did any of you have difficulties, as I did? Or were you all still "rarin' to go"?

BTW: While it lasted - I also liked our Nazgul RPG at Tharbad!

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Valandil

Those both sound interesting. What kind of fairytale? Does it involve Elves? Or some of the water Maiar or something?

No Elves. I deliberatedly set the story in the period where the Eldar had stopped visiting and it's a small village, so they wouldn't come there anyway. But Uinen does feature heavily and even Ossë had a cameo.

The second: Sort of a "Hay-ward forced to become Detective" thing - huh? I like that.

I am not familiar with the trope in question. But it was supposed to be rather mellow, though, sort of 'local, sleepy copper discovers the recent uptick in cow-rustling is only the tip of something more sinister and ends up -rather inadvertedly- saving the day.'

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Valandil

Earniel - you, and any others who took part and see this - did any of you have difficulties, as I did? Or were you all still "rarin' to go"?

I wasn't all that rearing to go. You may remember the implosion of the previous RPG had left me a bit burnt-out. Hence I joined later than most and I decided against a major character. Both my characters were secondary and so my writing-load was lighter.

We did get side-tracked a lot on side-tales, quagmired in them in the end. But when one of your main -if not pivotal- characters drops away, effectively stopping the core storyline in its tracks, there's little one can do aside from side-plots to keep the game alive in the hope the main plot can eventually get resurrected. When it became obvious that neither the princess or our big bad had the health or time for continuing the game, well, that was it. In that aspect I have no hope of ever seeing it continued, let alone end.

But I hadn't realised more players were dealing with personal drama at the time. Perhaps that explains some of the strange reluctance I perceived near the end. I felt the game was no longer a priority for many of the players, unlike the way it had been in the beginning. I suppose I may have miscalculated the level of drama that was floating around and how it affected writing-will.

On the other hand, there were some differences in opinion, such as the extent of Nazgûl powers and the fact that the 'good' guys were supposed to lose the game from the start, that were perhaps waiting to eventually become unreconcilable as the story progressed. Some of those elements were already present in our mutual previous game and we all know how that ended. Perhaps the story was just doomed to never be finished from the start.

[Valandil]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

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I am not familiar with the trope in question. But it was supposed to be rather mellow, though, sort of 'local, sleepy copper discovers the recent uptick in cow-rustling is only the tip of something more sinister and ends up -rather inadvertedly- saving the day.'

I got "hayward" from LOTR's Prologue - the section on Shirrifs, where JRRT basically says that they were chasing cows more than people. But though I knew he used a distinctive word, I had to look through the prologue to remember it. And I had to look up "trope" to be sure of what you were saying.

Cow-rustling... Fell Winter... Cows vs Wargs!!! *shudder*

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Valandil

I got "hayward" from LOTR's Prologue - the section on Shirrifs, where JRRT basically says that they were chasing cows more than people. But though I knew he used a distinctive word, I had to look through the prologue to remember it.

Heh, I didn't recall Tolkien had a bit on them in the prologue. I just had a look at the section in question but luckily it sounds exactly about what I had in mind so that's good.

And I had to look up "trope" to be sure of what you were saying.

Yeah, I've been spending way too much time reading on the site TV tropes lately. It hasn't only added a new word to my vocabulary but it's a genuine time-sink as well.

Cow-rustling... Fell Winter... Cows vs Wargs!!! *shudder*

Now you're getting there! It has potential, no?

And don't underestimate the cows just yet. Can be nasty buggers if they put their mind to it...

[Rían]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

Yeah, I've been spending way too much time reading on the site TV tropes lately. It hasn't only added a new word to my vocabulary but it's a genuine time-sink as well.

Oh, why did you have to remind me of that wonderful site?! SUCH fun!

[Earniel]

Come back, come back, to TV Tropes we take you!

[Snowdog]

Both the Kin Strife and the Division of Arnor are good RP/Fan-fic periods. I once started (on another site) an RP based on the division of Arnor. It ended up being more a fan-fic I wrote out myself. It started in the waning, decaying, sparsely populated city of Annuminas in the year 775 in the last years of King Elendur. The summary was the King knew his time was growing short, and wanted to see his son take the crown, but he feared his disruptive and somewhat unruly grandsons. The younger two were appointed commanders of the armies of the south and of the east, which led to their gathering loyalties in those areas and set the foundation of the later split.

other times that would be good for RP/fan-fic writing would be the wars of Gondor and Rohan during the Long Winter of 2758-59, the time of Cirion and Eorl, and a tale around the death of the sons of Folcwine in the year 2885.

I believe your tale about Rhuadur is posted on Henneth Annun?

[Draken]

Bump...

I like the idea of exploring the bits of the story around the edges of the page, so to speak. Just what were the Blue Wizards up to in the East? What intrigues were played out on Umbar's bustling waterfront? That sort of thing.

My own, very slowly progressing, fanfic is set in a strategically irrelevant place north of Lothlorien in the build up to the War of the Ring. I like that feeling of miles-from-the-action obscurity.

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Draken

I like that feeling of miles-from-the-action obscurity.

Yeah, for a fanfic writer it has all sort of advantages. You don't have to spend too much time to establish the sandbox you're playing in because you're writing in a pre-made world and there is still enough undefined material to work your imagination on.

[Earniel]

Of late, due to a number of circumstances, I find myself dabbling once again in fanfiction and remember once again how much fun it all was.

Instead of going for one of the shorter fan fiction ideas on my want-to-write-fan-fiction-list, I went and picked up the epic one that spans three Ages and follows several different characters and for which I have absolutely zero hope of ever finishing in its entirety. Yeah, wise choice that one, me. At least I had the good idea to start at the beginning this time.

But I have to say I'm happy to find I did get better at story-contruction than I was before, so yay, progress! I revised my ancient, convoluted plot-line to something a little smoother and with (I hope) less plotholes and a lot less reliance on canon character because I still find those so very difficult to write well. My Fëanor probably still is a disaster.

Anyone else still writing? Or beginning anew?

[Snowdog]

My wife and I have been writing a Gondor Kinstrife story.... well two actually. for a couple years now. The first one starts with the downfall of Osgiliath and works its way through to the return of Eldacar. The second one is a bit of a prequel we did as a group RP. There are some inconsistancies but nothing a good edit can't fix.

[Valandil]

I've been thinking of a Gondorian Kinstrife story myself! So that's cool. Are you posting it anywhere, or not yet? (Oh wait - you're probably linking to it - I'll check it out later)

Writing is always on the back of my mind, but I just haven't re-started. We'll be empty-nesters in another couple years... maybe that will be a good time to start.

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Snowdog

My wife and I have been writing a Gondor Kinstrife story.... well two actually. for a couple years now. The first one starts with the downfall of Osgiliath and works its way through to the return of Eldacar. The second one is a bit of a prequel we did as a group RP. There are some inconsistancies but nothing a good edit can't fix.

I had a quick peek, looks like quite an epic! (Will have a better look when I have more time. Thanks for the link!)

The Gondor Kinstrife would not have occurred to me, but there's much potential too.

Originally Posted by Valandil

Writing is always on the back of my mind, but I just haven't re-started. We'll be empty-nesters in another couple years... maybe that will be a good time to start.

I think you will find your time as limited then as you may find it now. From what I see with other people getting the kids out of the house does little to actually create more free time. You might as well start back already. *nudge nudge*

[Snowdog]

Originally Posted by Valandil

I've been thinking of a Gondorian Kinstrife story myself! So that's cool. Are you posting it anywhere, or not yet? (Oh wait - you're probably linking to it - I'll check it out later)

Writing is always on the back of my mind, but I just haven't re-started. We'll be empty-nesters in another couple years... maybe that will be a good time to start.

Yeah, it is a good time. Those kids grow up so fast! My firstborn granddaughter is in her first year of university!

The link is to the Many Paths to Tread site. it isn't complete. My wife and I started writing it on a small board and then she edits it and post it here on TORC and here on Tolkien Forums. I also started a group RP here on Arwen Undomiel which was a bit broken until my wife joined. It became a prequel to the other story.

A lot of OCs introduced into the events that are outlined by the Kin Strife texts. We've developed the Rhovanions as well as a 'Mariners Guild of Gondor' that is the primary political entity that led to Castamir's rise. Canon characters are Valacar, Eldacar, Aldamir, Vidugavia, Vidumavi, Castamir, and Vinyarion.

Lots of fun writing!