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**lindil** · 10-16-2002, 08:45 PM

At the risk of sounding rude, which I do not mean to be. Let me ask a simple question. Can one really hope to write decent fan-fiction in M-E without having read darn near everything about it?

- Learn your elvish [or at least be able to make a darn good stab at names] if you plan on creating any. [ see HoME 5 and the index/appendices of UT and Silm]
- have a real good sense of the tale[s] of Years.[RotK and PoME]

- learn everything you can about all of the Maia and High-Elves [ if you are planning on the white council that is]. [Valaquenta in the Silm and UT chapter on the Istari as mentioned] also there is a stunning article on the limitations and not of the Maiar who are closed in the flesh by Jallanite, which again might help immensely w/ background realism see http://pub72.ezboard.com/fosanwefrm8...opicID=8.topic

- learn what you can about the first white council, that preceded the WC of the third age.[Of the Rings of power and the third Age, Glorfindel essay in PoME as a possible member of the Council

- Have a good sense of what the politics of Gondor and Arnor were, in case you want to mention why they did or did not invite the Steward and the Chieftan.

- I could go on, but my point is, is that Middle-Earth is so amazing because all of the strands of history are so interconnected. So in order to attempt to weave another strand you must be intimate w/ all of the surrounding material.

I can tell you what I have done was to take mental notes re: all of the aspects that really touched upon the area I am trying to write on [ elvish singing and thought-sending in my case], and as I make my way through the 20 or so books that touch upon it, I collect the essential quotes.

Good Luck!

If you feel I have been a bit unkind and or hard, feel free to post a scathing review of the begining of my first fan-fic at my Osanwe link below. [ see the weekly articles forum and then the Tale of Linuial post 2]

10-16-2002, 08:45 PM	#13
lindil Seeker of the Straight Path Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: a hidden fastness in Big Valley nor cal Posts: 1,680	At the risk of sounding rude, which I do not mean to be. Let me ask a simple question. Can one really hope to write decent fan-fiction in M-E without having read darn near everything about it? - Learn your elvish [or at least be able to make a darn good stab at names] if you plan on creating any. [ see HoME 5 and the index/appendices of UT and Silm] - have a real good sense of the tale[s] of Years.[RotK and PoME] - learn everything you can about all of the Maia and High-Elves [ if you are planning on the white council that is]. [Valaquenta in the Silm and UT chapter on the Istari as mentioned] also there is a stunning article on the limitations and not of the Maiar who are closed in the flesh by Jallanite, which again might help immensely w/ background realism see http://pub72.ezboard.com/fosanwefrm8...opicID=8.topic - learn what you can about the first white council, that preceded the WC of the third age.[Of the Rings of power and the third Age, Glorfindel essay in PoME as a possible member of the Council - Have a good sense of what the politics of Gondor and Arnor were, in case you want to mention why they did or did not invite the Steward and the Chieftan. - I could go on, but my point is, is that Middle-Earth is so amazing because all of the strands of history are so interconnected. So in order to attempt to weave another strand you must be intimate w/ all of the surrounding material. I can tell you what I have done was to take mental notes re: all of the aspects that really touched upon the area I am trying to write on [ elvish singing and thought-sending in my case], and as I make my way through the 20 or so books that touch upon it, I collect the essential quotes. Good Luck! If you feel I have been a bit unkind and or hard, feel free to post a scathing review of the begining of my first fan-fic at my Osanwe link below. [ see the weekly articles forum and then the Tale of Linuial post 2] __________________ The dwindling Men of the West would often sit up late into the night exchanging lore & wisdom such as they still possessed that they should not fall back into the mean estate of those who never knew or indeed rebelled against the Light.