Oh boy....... here goes. I have been a huge LoTR fan ever since the first movie, which is when I first heard about the trilogy. I read all three books before watching each respective movie, I own the books including The Hobbit and Silmarillion, and I have the movies on DVD, extended edition. I watch/read them fairly often. And since fantasy is a genre I would love to break into, and I love adding to other stories in creative ways, I thought LoTR fanfic would be a fun one to delve into. The problem is, for all my love and dedication to the trilogy, to be honest I'm lost. I know all about Tolkien and his obsession over the story, he's labored to create what I consider to be the only true fantasy world complete with a history spanning three 'ages', the traditional races each with their own characteristics, various nations, elaborate languages, he put in everything. Not only does this potentially create a lot of work for me, it also gives me a very high standard. I'm determined to at least start this, though looking at my other attempts at longer stories I'm not sure how long it will last. So the help I'm looking for? *Your recommended sites for general information about the history of LoTR before the trilogy and Hobbit. I read the silmarillion but that was awhile ago and it was tough... I'm not sure I can go through it again. *I am aware of the fact that there are publications from Tolkien somewhere that he shared later on which give more information about Middle Earth... what are details on that? *Does anyone have ideas on a starting point? I just watched Return of The King yesterday, and though it would be sorta cliche and would ruin a great ending, I thought continuing from there might be a possibility. When Frodo hands Sam the book and says "There's room for a little more", I feel like giving Sam his own adventure *might* work. But I'm always open to ideas. *What is the best technique for getting into writing with the feel of LoTR? I really don't know where to begin. *Should I go with the movie storyline or the books? (If you're not familiar with both, there are some differences). *Any other tips? Sorry I know I'm asking for a lot, but though I'm very familiar with the trilogy I'm not sure I'm ready yet so I need all the help I can get. Thanks, Nate
Hey.. Silmarillion is not tough, IMO. I read it with ease back when I was 13, at least that's how I remember it. The inhabitants of Middle Earth in that book are way cool. Sam already expressed his desire for a quiet life a million times, however proving him wrong might be a good idea. I think Sam would fit rather well in another adventure with a sort of "the hobbit"-ish feel to it. Sauron is dead, establishing a LOTR feel to it would be pretty much impossible.
Nate- I don't mean to disparage your inspiration, but isn't the genre ready for the next chapter? I thought the book/movie were excellent but so many worlds have been create in this mold. Maybe shoot for that next great storyline?
Ragnar - well, I did attempt it when I was 10-11... maybe I'll try again. My goal is to retain the world and style of LoTR, I'm willing to use obscure characters or create my own. I also have two other ideas. I could write one of the other two ages, or I could start the fourth age with the elves, gandalf, frodo, and bilbo. That would be... Interesting. Does anyone know if Legolas ended up leaving with the other elves? Dcoin - You're right, it does. I thought alot about it, but I just don't have the creative ability to get away from what Tolkien gave the genre. Besides, as this is a personal project as all my writing is, I have no particular need or desire at the moment. So while a fantasy novel should try being original, I think I will enjoy myself more by adding to my favorite author's masterpiece. Thanks, Nate
