Help with youre Fan Fictions

[The Barrow-Wight]

Far too often in fan fictions, the author simply puts themselves into a fantastical character and injects them into the existing stories of Middle-earth. This almost always results in something unoriginal and unbelievable. There are thousands of pages of text across the internet that complain of such writings, the most common being the infamous 'Mary Sue'.

I recommend trying something like I did when I wrote the beginning of my two fan fictions (yes, I know, they haven't been continued for a year or more). Find a hint of a story in the LotR and write about that. For my tales, I got one main character out of the genealogies in Appendix C and another from the Tale of Years in Appendix B. Very little was written by JRRT about either one, so I am free to do with them as I will.

Also, spellcheckers are wonderful things, but proofreading is even more important. Have someone else read your writings critically. Ask them to spot the errors - then fix them. People will enjoy your stories better if they don't have to wade through poor spelling and confusing punctuation and grammar.

Hope that helps a little.