Are You Writing Serious Fantasy?

[Eruialiwen]

Mind if I join? I've been writing fantasy since I could pick up a pencil and I'm enjoying this topic [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[Eol]

Eruialiwen
Welcome to the thread!


Eol

[littlemanpoet]

Welcome, Eruialiwen! And post often! Have any answers for the many questions, or questions for the many answers? What's your writing about?

Lila: I think I saw The Dark Crystal many years ago. It's a movie all done with muppets, right? As I recall, it seemed like it had a villain but then at the end it turned into a metamorphosis/butterfly phenomenon. Which is to terribly oversimplify the story, but that's all I really remember. A grotesque deathbed scene, too, I believe. Right?

[littlemanpoet]

Bethberry: Nice to see you here at AYWSF! Have one on the house!

------> |_|)

The Bethberry story is, I assume, here on the Downs somewhere? Where can I find it? "Goldberry's lost voice" - I'm hooked!

Is this fanfic? Do you have any original fantasy? Seems to me you're gifted for it.

[Lila Bramble]

LMP- Haha, yes, the grotesque bed-death scene is quite hard to forget. And the muphets reference- I actually liked that style of 'acting,' it was quite interesting. What I meant by no major villain was that it wasn't one ruling king that held the fate of the world, but an entire race.

Bethberry- You intruiged me very much with your mention of Goldeberry's lost voice, as well!

[Eruialiwen]

Thanks [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

My writing has been about much in the fantasy world. When I was younger, of course it was much simpler, mainly due to the fact that I didn't know about the laws of fantasy. Most fantasy stories I wrote had to do with heroic beasts, and usually not human-types, although the human-types were involved at some point of the story, sometimes it was only a brief mention.

The story I'm working on now has the working title of "The Unicorns of Zalderonn". It's been revised three times in the five years since I first wrote it. 2001's revisation had a strong Marion Zimmer Bradley influence in the first book (it's composed of 5 books); there are just certain writers that influence my writing. But I was unhappy with the length of what 5 books would be--the first one just seems to draw on and on and the same will be with the third book (I'm currently in the middle of the second). I envisioned breaking it down to three books, a trilogy. Trilogies are better, anyway, or in my opinion anyway [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]. And now, my influence is Tolkien. I'd already begun the intense process of creating the planet's history, the species of its trees and flowers and animals and races of human-types, and I'd begun to map out its continents and great rivers and climates; and the solar system the planet belonged to etc. How I write, I try to put a realistic approach to the unicorns and other animals, as the unicorns can talk to one another and understand other animals' languages and human-types'. There are a couple rules, however. The animals do not speak the same way the human-types do, and their voices are at too high and low a frequency for the human-types to hear, thus the human-types think that they can't speak at all. And each species has their slightly differing language, understandable to one another no matter which "nationality" they're from. And animals understand one another to a certain extent, although the equine races know the languages of all their specie, as they're related to the First Race, the Old Race, the unicorns. And because of that fact, the equine races are held high by other species, and by the human-types, even as some of the human-types poach them for their horns.

I'm trying to use elements that no-one's used before. Like the unicorns and winged horses (pegasi) being mortal enemies, and the unicorns being prophetic, and different colors other than the usual overall white. I try not to make the unicorns seem all girlchild-y, or faerietale-y. The unicorns and their history remind me of Tolkien's elves, although I didn't copy from him. There's a lot of battle, a lot of history, a lot of adventure. Wheeee, my mind's turning to mush, I'll be back to answer/question some of the other questions/answers! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[Eol]

I'm trying to use elements that no-one's used before. Like the unicorns and winged horses (pegasi) being mortal enemies, and the unicorns being prophetic, and different colors other than the usual overall white. I try not to make the unicorns seem all girlchild-y, or faerietale-y

Nice! I recall in some myths that unicorns were not nice, pure creatures as common in Western European belief. These things were mean. I am happy to see that someone else other myself and my friend willing to take a different view.

Look forward to see your stuff!

Eol

[Eruialiwen]

Nice! I recall in some myths that unicorns were not nice, pure creatures as common in Western European belief. These things were mean. I am happy to see that someone else other myself and my friend willing to take a different view.

Exactly--I recall that as well. My story's unicorns are, for the most part, peaceful, even the stallions (sometimes called stags by the human-types) are mostly tolerant of other male unicorns. My unicorns are not pure creatures, as there are some who abuse their powers (as the main enemy in the story...he's basically like Sauron with a horn [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img].) Though they enjoy flitting among the trees like 'normal' unicorns (and wood-Elves...); they are savage if threatened or intruded upon. They're hard beasts to kill. They're rarely vicious to their own kind, even during the rutting season (although my unicorns mate at any time of the year, but more conspiciously and famously at Solstices); the fights are elaborate and rarely result in injury to either stallion.

But they're not afraid to kill if they need to. In the story, many a poacher and pegasus and unala (a sabre-toothed tiger-like beast) were gored to death or beaten into the ground by the hoofs, and if in extreme danger the unicorns will use their magic. Their magic is more of Gandalf and Saruman's type of magic (and always was, long before I read Tolkien!), not the kind that makes flowers spring from the ground wherever they walk. They're not magicians! But the unicorns in my story are a warrior race, not calm beasts that lay their heads in the laps of virgins. Young unicorns are more like the Western European vision of unicorns, and the threat of virgins is widely known to them. Adults aren't affected by virgins, not because they're less pure, so to speak, than their youth; they just know how to control their emotions and aren't subject to the manipulations of a dewy young maiden.

My unicorns are, in a sense, pure creatures, but they're not supposed to reflect the virtues of human-types as the Western European unicorns were supposed to. I mean, to one another and other good beasts they are honest, and loyal to their race and their ancestors, and compassionate for the most part unless roused (which doesn't take much to do) and on rare occasions can bond for life with a human-type and be as faithful and savage as a well-trained dog. But if they are forcefully taken from their homeland, the young who haven't much skill in their own magic will pine to the brink of death; the adults will brutally fight or kill their captors in order to escape.

Tales and myths say that cutting off a unicorn's horn causes it to die immediately (remembers the movie Legend and shudders). In my story, unicorn horns cannot regenerate like a stag's antler. It's more like they bleed to death like an elephant whose tusks have been ripped out by poachers (or something like that!). And plenty of their life-force is in their horns, but not all their magic is. Much of their magic comes from all over their bodies, but it is in the horn where it's mostly concentrated. They suffer greatly when their horns are removed. Although this is hard to do, because the horns are incredibly strong--in other words, one can't simply snap it off, fragile as it looks.

OK, this post was way too long than I intended it to be...LOL...hope I haven't been just rambling! Glad to find someone else who shares my views about unicorns not being pure, submissive creatures@!

[Bêthberry]

*quaffs proferred glass*

Thanks, lmp. As time permits, I will drop by here. As for finding Goldberry's lost voice, lmp and Lila Bramble, "Bethberry's" genesis was in a place like to Beleriand that was broken and sunk as the world was bent. Her futher adventures are in the RPG forum here, in the archives of "On Patrol" and "Picnic at the Bonfire Glade."

Bethberry

[ October 14, 2002: Message edited by: Bethberry ]

[littlemanpoet]

Friends, twenty pages may be about all we can manage. Perhaps it's time to let this join the library. Check out my signature for an alternative place to carry on these discussions.

[ October 14, 2002: Message edited by: littlemanpoet ]

[Eol]

Ya know, I think LMP is right. * Eol give LMP and hand*

Congrads on getting your thread at twenty.

[Lila Bramble]

WAHOO! 20 PAGES! But, Bethberry... my name is actually Lila, not Lily. But its okay, many have made that mistake.

In my novel I have many creatures in the horse-like family, but they're their own race since I like to have original things, or as Bethberry said, an original idea of an already created species.

And I've never trusted those unicorns, anyway...I had a dream where this was this one with red eyes and blood on his horn and another with a body impaled on its horn... [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]

[Bêthberry]

My apologies, Lila Bramble. A 4 am reading offers no excuse. It has been corrected.

*curtsies*

[littlemanpoet]

Thanks, Eol; none of this would have been possible without the active interest of especially of Starbreeze, Niphredil Baggins, Nar, Thinyandoiel, Saxony Tarn, Lila Bramble, and you; and there are many others. Thanks to all of you for a very enjoyable thread these 20 pages.

[Nar]

*sniff* And thanks to all, and to you, LMP ... *snuffle* And all these great people who just showed up like Bethberry, Eol, and Eruialiwen ... and Saxony Tarn tending the bar over there ... I need another Ale! |_|) *crying in her beer* Everybody have another round of Ale, orange juice or lime rickey, on me!
|_|) |_|) |_|) |_|) |_|) |_|) |_|) |_|) |_|)

[Saxony Tarn]

What? It's closing time already?

:: looks at clock ::

Last Call for Mead of Inspiration!!

|_|) <-- to the bards!

s.t.

[Lila Bramble]

*wipes tears* Well, this place sparked my interest in writing fantasy moreso than keeping and playing out my ideas in my head. I met so many great people! Thank goodness for FWW...BUT I'LL MISS THE BARROWS! (after all, after they won't post my story anymore [img]smilies/mad.gif[/img] I have no other purpose for visiting.) Thanks for everyone's ideas, adn lmp, for being so welcome to me, along with so many others! And Saxony, for being such a great bartender! Lay one last drink on me!

*Sits on the bar stool along with everyone else as they sip on their mugs*

GOOD-BYE TO OUR POSTS ON THE BARROWS, I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

[Morquesse]

Great, now I'm going to cry! [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]
First, thank you all for getting me to actually write stuff, if it had not been for this thread I'd probably not start writting for a long time, and not know what I was missing. In fact it was this thread that got me to join this message board. I may not post much here, but I read stuff when I can.

~M

[ October 17, 2002: Message edited by: Morquesse ]

[dragongirlG]

Bye to the thread! See you at the group? Okay? If you're not in it and love this thread, then join!

Thanks to all the people who participated in these discussions. You all were great!

[littlemanpoet]

up

[Mitheithel]

Well, I have tried for years but infact the spirit of Tolkien is haunting me. Now at least I think I have escaped from it, and my story will be completed soon (in a few years maybe) [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[Airerûthiel]

> Are any of you writing serious fantasy?

Yes, I'm a little less than a third of the way through a novel and in the planning stages of one others (possibly two although I don't know if it counts). The book is called 'The Thirteenth Heir' and it's about two teenagers who find out about their secret pasts and have to save their country from the dictatorship of the Dark Lord.

>If so, how have you dealt with the temptation to be imitative of Tolkien?

It's very hard. I just let the words flow and then edit what comes a little too close. As Tolkien himself said, "All writing is part of a cauldron, and every writer takes something from this cauldron and puts something else back in."

>How long have you been working on your story, and why?

About five months, writing about a chapter a month. I've been writing it because I love writing and I've wanted to be an author since I was six.

>What pitfalls have you faced and how have you overcome them - or not?

Getting out of holes in the story (when I get writer's block). I usually overcome them by writing a later scene I've had an idea for and then saying to myself, "Right, how can I link that to this?" I usually have chapter synopses written out before I start work, so I know where I want to take the book.

By the way, if anyone wants to read the book, click on More Than Stars in my signature. Please review if you can, I appreciate any critique I get.

Edit: If you're a member of FWW, then elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo and Anar caluva tielyanna from Torfithien!

[ April 27, 2003: Message edited by: Airerûthiel ]

[the guy who be short]

ok, i wanted to post quickly but ive only read the first half a page of this topic! assoon as im done, ill read the rest. so if anything seems copied from you, its not.

If so, how have you dealt with the temptation to be imitative of Tolkien?
not very well. i have angels as well, and i keep callingthem valar! and then one rebellious one. there are minor plot differences. eg, the angels rebel to protect earth, god wants to surrender it to the evil angel.
i have men, the key characters; dwarves, bald so hopefully nobody thinks i copied jrrt!, and some time of plant people. im still developing the plot. but the evil angel will be captured, then he will escape again, which is similar to morgoths capture and release. im afraid most of the key characters are copied, but the plot will be slightly different. im rambling.

How long have you been working on your story, and why?

let me check... nearly two months now, and because i wanted another epic like the lord of the rings. thought from reading this forum, it seems there will soon be many.
its a poem entitled the tale of the fall of men into evil, and i think there will be a sequel to it, which will be prose. its strange, because im already planning the sequel and ive only written 2 chapters of the poem!

What pitfalls have you faced and how have you overcome them - or not?
i had my own language, but i thought it would just be very obvious that id copied from jrrt if i had my own language in there. so i decided to delete it from my work. this means i made a new map in english. however, unfortunately, the geography was already incorporated into the poem. so im going to have to rewrite a part of it.
my sats exams (i am 13) are in one or two weeks, and i have spent lots of time revising, allowing only a little to write.

[ElentariGreenleaf]

Hi.

I'm actually writing a Fantasy book at the moment. I created a new land, just like Tolkien did. His work on LotR inspiered me to even create my own language. But, unlike Tolkien, I do not plan my writing. I just jump straight into writing it up. It's currently 20 pages of A4 and five chapters long, though the 5th is only a paragraph or two.

It's about a girl called Angel (not an original name, but that's a common tongue name) who runs away from home searching for Demwa, a boy she has only spoken to once. She meets some friends, yadiyadiya..... you get the idea.

The story involves magic, aswell as Eilhuirts, which directly translates as 'Animal Humans'. It also involves the Elementals. Oh, and a cat. ^_^

It'll be a while though before it's published. I'd say... oooo... at the rate I'm writing it.... 50 years? lol ^_^ If you want to read what I've done so far, pm me.

Hehe.... that probably has nothing to do with this topic though, cause it's twenty pages and I am NOT reading it! (the topic, not my book ^_^ )

Elentari the first, otherwise indigestable.

[the guy who be short]

How do you guys feel about including a *hmhm* sexual *hmhm* relationship in your story?
just romance where its necessary!

Next, how do you keep track of names etc. and phrases you like, that pop into your head? I mean, I keep it all in a notebook.
names of people (and i use the term loosely)
i get by scrambling up the names of people i know. place i just make up, or have connected to who lives there somehow. i keep my ideas in a very badly kept scrappy book. also, i write a small outline of each chapter in a bigger book.

Next, what inspires you? Is it everyday things, or something you read, or dreams? Or a mixture?

jrrt, of course! i also have a none fantasy planned for when im older...

Next, (wow, I ask a lot don't I lol), How do you feel about other people reading your work? Would you be brave enough to share it with the world and publish it or would you be like me (and Maika apparently), who are too scared to even show people we have known for years?
i would publish it. in fact, im trying to publish a very short poem i wrote now. hopefully it will be in a big book of poems by children next year!
i also email my poem, step by step, to my friends, english teacher and librarian, to see if they like it. theyre my editing team. im not shy to let my friends or a few teachers read it, but i get very shy when i have to talk to people!

Next, how long do you write for before you feel that it is finished and you can't do anymore without spoiling it?
im only two chapters in. i also keep making minor changes whenever i reread it, and i made a new map (as i said in the previous post) with altered names, places, landmarks etc. i havent really planned the end yet, but i hope i will just know when it is finished.

Next, (almost finished!) Do you illustrate your work or leave it to the reader's imagination? And do you want to design your own front cover or have someone else do it?
i havent illustrated it yet, but i think i may draw a few pictures. but like someone (forgotten name, sorry!) said earlier, im not gonna draw the main characters as they should be left to the imagination.

if you see a book in the next 10 years written by jay pancholi, with a title (maybe) of The Tale of the Fall of Men into Evil, please buy it!

[ElentariGreenleaf]

MY book's basically based on romance and fantasy. Angel and Demwa fall in love at first sight. It has a major role in the plot line too, as Angel goes searching for Demwa.

Names and phrases stick in my head. In fact, just this morning I thought of an ending for my book, even though I'm no wehere near the end. It will stick in my head for sure. ^_^ Maybe I should write some ideas down though.

What inspires me is mostly my own feelings. I long to live in a place like middle earth, but I can't cause no where like it exists, so I write the book as if I was actually there, as someone watching the characters.

I listen to the LotR TTT soundtrack when I write. If you ever read my book, you'd notice a definate pattern of happy, sad, happy, sad where the music changes.

I love it when other people read my work. I love to get feedback so I can improve certain bits. I intend to get my book published when it's done. I'm not in it for money, as I'm only 15 and really don't need any. I just want to share my dream with other people.

I'm going to keep going with my work until a feel that it is done. You'll know when it's come to an end, especially if you're like me and think up the ending first. I can now derict my writing so it gradually leads to the ending I thought of.

I add things and change things, especially to my map ^_^. As you write, you find flaws in the map, or things that need adding. On my map, a girl with no experience of long journeys travels to and from a waterfall in under a day, every day. I found that on my map the gap between her town and the falls was too big, so I had to (well, atleast will) change the map so it fits with the story.

I don't illustrate, as I feel the reader should be allowed to interperate the writing however they like. I will probably think up a rough idea for my front cover, and then get someone else to interperet both my idea and the book to make one.

I'll look out for your book the guy who be short. Look out for mine:

Eidu Are by Gabrielle Steele (the title may change)

I also started another book before this one, called Diamond Stone. It's set in mordern day, but it has a fantasy twist. I kinda gave up, but I've taken it on again ^_^

[littlemanpoet]

Delightful! Welcome to the virtual bar! Our usual bartender (Saxony Tarn) being absent of late, I'll serve the drinks.

----------> |_|) |_|) |_|)

Cheers!

Mitheithel: How has the spirit of Tolkien been haunting you? How have you been able to escape it (if one would want to [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] )?

Airerûthiel:

I usually overcome them by writing a later scene I've had an idea for and then saying to myself, "Right, how can I link that to this?"

That's a great idea! I'll have to remember that for my other writer friends. I really don't have too much trouble with writer's block myself. I don't know, I just seem to be one of those lucky ones for whom the next thing just comes. Of course, I've been at it since 1986, so I guess you might say I've had some practice.

When do you know it's done? I know mine's not done. I've learned so much by being part of a local writers' group for the last three years, that my writing has changed drastically and my skills have improved a lot! But I still don't know the ending. Well, I used to have an ending, but it's been feeling more and more like just a plot twist the longer I think about it.

So, how do things work over at Fictionpress? Is there camaradarie? A lot of interaction, or not? By the way, I read the beginning couple of paragraphs of your first chapter (all I had time for, sorry) and can quickly say that you have a gift for vivid description. Your strange names don't throw me off, either. I've read stories in which it does. I have one quick suggestion: think about telling the reader know more than she needs to know, whether at the beginning, in the middle, or toward the end. Good luck with your writing!

the guy who be short: Reading the whole thing!?! You are to be most commended! That's a lot to plow through! And I know, 'cause I've done it twice (I have my reasons) [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

What's your story about? (By now you've probably read what mine's about, so I won't bore you with repetition.)

If you'd like to read snippets of a lot of the works mentioned in this thread, check out the link in my sig.

How do you feel about other people reading your work?

I love it when people read my work! I like it even more when they say they can't put it down! And demand more chapters. Maybe I'm gettin' somewhere with this writin' thing...

ElentariGreenleaf: I'm inspired by your reason for writing. It's good to see that again. That was my reason, too. Is it, still? Well, maybe. I think I just caught the writer's bug so badly that I can't NOT write, and fantasy is just the best media for me to express my stories.

Well, it's been great to hear from you guys, and thanks for posting!
[img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[the guy who be short]

How much research does everyone put into their work? Like, if you need to know of a poison, or of symptoms or animal behaviors, etc. Or, when, say, "inventing" a sickness (ie. Frodo after he got stabbed by the Morgul blade) do you spend that much time on making it realistic? A friend of mine says she doesn't. That because it's HER story, and it's FANTASY, that whatever she says goes. No questions. End of story. I am inclined not to agree. What about everyone else?

i agree with your friend. its my world, i do what i want! however, if its something like how to hold a sword, which wouldnt change in another universe, i would research it.

Sane? Why on Middle Earth would one want to be sane? :: shudders:: Perish the thought!

exactly what i think! i think i read somewhere that all geniuses are insane. and were all geniuses, right? i think being insane generally helps me in my plot-thinking. what kind of sane person thinks of rebellious dragons? or a weakling god? [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

on the question of strong females... i have a QUEEN of dragons and a QUEEN of wolves. only because two of my female friends wanted to be evil, though [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]
all my realms, as far as i know, have kings. although i have a woman who is a key character, gifted with foresight.

how do you handle Magic?

i dont have magic. magic is not believable. i always have reasons why things happen. however, my lord of the sea can control the seas, but i dont think this is magic.
i have psychics, but then, people in real life are (or claim to be) psychic, so thats not magic.

Question for y'all: how do you use your monsters - as foils for the hero/heroine? in unexpected ways?

all will be revealed... soon.

[the guy who be short]

seems i wrote a very long post but for some reason its not here [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] it took me ages...
oh well...
my plot: (if you copy it you will be cursed to a lifetime of flies attempting to eat you)
creation, one angel is evil, yardy yar.... ok, i cant be bothered. heres the deal. you email me at jay_pancholi@hotmail.com, the subject is: your poem. i will then reply to your email, and send you my poem... well, ill keep sending it to you whenever i write a bit more.
so....do we have a deal? excellent [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

p.s., if you copy me, i will personally find you and stuff a weasel down your throat. be warned.

p.p.s.

heres my introduction, just to get you interested. dont laugh, you must remember im only 13. as you can see, i copy jrrt's style of writing. or if you cant see it, take my word for it. [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

The Earth has seen so many things, of which it does not tell,
Of the mighty dinosaurs, what ancient fate befell?
We know not, and we care not, for it is no concern of ours,
What happened in those dark and long-forgotten hours,
Yet here I tell a tale that is worthy of your ears,
A history, our history; what befell in ancient years.

[the guy who be short]

Anybody have any THINGS that kind of took over your story, or grew with the telling?

i decided to have a dragon because one of my friends wanted to be evil (well, she actually wanted to be a witch, and she dhated being a dragon, but shes not really a friend, just an acquiantance so.... anyway... [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] )
the dragon the most powerful thane of the dark lord. but it doesnt end there! she then gets her own army, and, at the bidding of the dark lord, brings about the downfall of a major city!
and it still doesnt end... she then decides to rebel against the dark lord, and gets all the dragons and many other evil creatures to leave with her.
so i now have a 3rd side in my wars, and a powerful one at that, with all the dragons, just because the person i sit next to in mathematics's friend decided she wanted to be in my poem!

Things that started out as just things but grew into something much more central to the plot?

see above!

how do you rip a hole in the Space-Time continuum

you dont if you love life. or earth. or something on earth. well, you dont if you love anything. just dont try it! please!

I just wanted to know how ppl started their stories

see the above post

Do any of you know where I can find an Elvish dictionary that I don't have to download?

here, but its only quenya. however, it makes more sense learning quenya than sindarin, seeing as all elves spoke it, save the avari east of mirkwood.

NazgulNumber10, wow, youre an awesome poet! are you sure youre 14? you should join mensa (it costs a tenner for the tests i think)

I couldn't beleive it! Its simple - if people in books had normal lives, no one would read the book! People in books have adventures becuase otherwise the person wouldn't be worth reading (or writing) about.

well said. maybe the person meant why do normal people never have adventures? i often ponder this, and i guess the answer is an adventure doesnt have to be thrust upon us, we can choose to have one ourselves. i mean, if we really wanted, we could go live in a forest for a week. that would be an adventure... however, i dont think any of us are that insane yet. im nearly there... [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

How do you make your adventures and mishaps seem realisitc, and not seem like everything happens to the same person, impossibly frequently?

use different people? im sort of using the silmarrilion as my basis, so theres no real one hero. how about this character seeks adventure, so many things happen to him/her? hope that doesnt ruin your plot.

ive read seven pages and im tired... im gonna read some other threads. ill probably be back in a few weeks, since i have exams, but email me for my poem!

[Faramir Fan]

I have just finished...

But I don't know what you would call it...

It is the story of Faramir and the War of the Ring. Told by Tolkien and I quote him often, but I wanted to fill in some of the missing parts.

For example, I wanted to develop a relationship between Faramir and Boromir, before Boromir went to Rivendell. I quite liked how that turned out. Also when Tolkien says that Eowyn and Faramir talked for five days, I wrote those conversations, as well as conversations between Faramir and Denethor, Faramir and Pippin and Faramir and Merry.

I followed the story completely and did not make any changes, only changed the perspective to be that of my favourite character's...Faramir.

Some of my difficulties, bringing my language to that of Tolkien...I used my thesaurus alot!!!

Also I had to change my ending. Just like ROTK, my ending after the War of the Ring seemed somewhat anti-climatic and I had to delete the last 2 chapters to avoid that. Which was really, really hard because I rather liked them. But as one reader told me, they really liked my ending...before they had read the last two chapters and I realized that he was right. I had ended it and to continue detracted from the story itself.

I must say it was a complete departure from anything I had ever written before and it was quite challenging, but in the end worth it...

[Lila Bramble]

Hullo, hullo, and a warm welcome to both the guy who be short and ElentariGreenleaf, and I must say that you make fine additions to our quaint pub situated at the Barrows. I am just so happy to be back in familiar territory! Lay one on me, lmp!

Ok, so I read the mention of not including magic becuase it is unrealistic. Um...aren't we writing fantasy? That's what makes it so fun, you can add things that aren't the least bit realistic and get away with it! Well, there is some form of barrier, but it sure dosen't start at magic.

An evil angel, hey? Well, could be considered a dark angel, or perhaps a follower of God blinded by evil? Or is this an entirley new 'form' of angel? Please explain, I'm interested!

Thirteen!! SOMEONE ELSE IS THIRTEEN! Um, sorry about that, it's just that everyone is so much older than me and its harder to relate to their works.

Just a question to either one of you. Have you ever heard of a fantasy author named Geraldine Harris? She is under Unicorn's publishment, the same publishing company as Lord of the Rings, but she seems almost unheard of. Her four part novel series, the Seven Citadels, was incredible.

Another welcome! |_|) (or something like that...)

All of you seem to have great stories. I've tried to write a story but I can't think of a good plot (without coping Tolkien).

Anyway I noticed a lot of people saying that they wanted to create a language. I found something that might help, but I havn't tried it yet. Go to www.zompist.com and then click on the Language Construction Kit on the right side of the page.

Hope this helps.

[ April 27, 2003: Message edited by: GreyWolf ]

[Nimiriel]

Hi guys!
Just wanted to step in and say bye, now that this thread is to be closed. I know I haven't been around much (not for about a year, shame on me) but everyday I'm grateful that this topic was started, and that I was so lucky as to be invited to join FWW. I'll see you there guys! And everyone else: Good luck with your writing!

|_|)

[the guy who be short]

well, basically god tell the Manell (angels) to sing, and whatever they sing he brings into existance. but one angel is jealous that god can make things, whereas all he can do is sing. so he doesnt sing, and sullenly sits in a corner [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
ok, theyre in the void, and there is no corner, you know what i mean! then god puts humans on earth and Naivag plus 6 angels have to go there to teach them. naivag pretends he is god, and warps creatures. email me for my poem!

THE THREAD IS TO BE CLOSED?
is this confirmed? tell me youre joking. if not, at least give me time to read the 12 pages i havent yet read. otherwise my writing skills will suffer... tell me you were joking [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

[the guy who be short]

How do you end a story?

well, as ive said possibly a dozen times, ive only written the first two chapters of my poem, and only planned the next 10, if that.
since my poem is titled: The Tale of the Fall of Men into Evil, i guess itll end something like this:
thus the race of men fell into evil.
im only just formulating the ideas of how they fell into evil though!

[ElentariGreenleaf]

WHAT? THEY SERIOUS CAN'T CLOSE THIS! They could open another one if this one is too long, but permanantly close? Where did this vile rumour emmerge from?

I always try my best not to copy Tolkien and other Authors, but there is always slight simalarities ^_^ Like my evil people, the Reapers (Nieils, in Pestied), are kinda like a cross between RingWraiths and Dementors. Here's the first encounter with one, in Eidu Are by me:

A chill suddenly went through the group. Fog rolled down from a nearby path, spreading like water. No bird sung, even the wind was silent.
“It’s a Reaper!” said Atulan quickly. “Quick, hide Angel. They mustn’t find her.” Atulan drew his sword while Clai and Truse urged Angel to hurry behind a rocky outcrop. Atulan knew there was nothing he could do against the Reaper. They freeze people’s very being if they make eye contact.
A tall figure cloaked in long, billowing, black robes stepped out from path bend. Its hood was thrown back revealing a moth-eaten face, cheekbones highlighted by large shadows where the muscles had withered to nothing. Its eyes had lost all colour but for a small slit for a pupil. As soon as it sensed Atulan it turned, hoping to find a meal. Slowly it crept forward, bending slightly from lack of food. It needed life, for death was beginning to consume it.
Atulan saw at once that this Reaper was weak. He made a great effort not to look anywhere near the foul creature’s eyes. He felt death near, but not the foretelling of his own death, but that of the Reaper. There was a chance of victory. Atulan charged towards the Reaper. He swung his sword at the Reaper’s neck, only to be met by the creature’s own, shorter blade. The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out over the mountain. Atulan strained to get the upper hand in the locked sword fight, but the Reaper was still too strong.
“Run!” he shouted at the top of his voice. At least the two Elementals would be able to save Angel. He looked away for a moment to check they had left, but his opponent took advantage of this, and pierced Atulan’s side with the short blade. Atulan turned back to fight, but looked straight into the Reaper’s eyes. His very soul froze with a fear none can defeat. The Reaper kept the eye contact as Atulan slowly fell to the floor, being drained of his life.



And Truse's description of them to Angel:

“It is to do with the Nieils. You will not have heard of them. I dare not utter that word again. They are also known as the Reapers for they suck the souls from the living, though their very appearance can cause people to kill themselves, leaving a free soul to eat. They are pure evil. Not one of them could have a spark of goodness for hatred burns into their being. They are in allegiance with the animal-people on Eil Flencrad. Only the bad animals live there, suffering in silence until the Resolution.”

[the guy who be short]

Does anyone know what their goal is yet?

describe how men fell into evil. why Gods children turned evil, and why some turned their hearts against him. to describe how Naivag (near anagram of Gavin, a friend) introduced all evil into the world.

im planning a sequel too... i dont know what will be in it though. so far, ive got: the escape of Naivag from captivity, his return to Earth, and how those who fought against him have fallen under the shadow of vanity. ive also though of putting a daring rescue and a few civil wars in there...

On Endings: I tend to like to have a definite end to my stories. A sort of "and they all settled down and lived happily ever after", as Bilbo said.

no offense if youve put a "and they all lived happily ever after" ending in your novel, but I HATE THEM. its so predictable that the hero will win, and good will triumph. who seriously thought the ring would not be destroyed?
thats why my ending will have a twist... an evil twist... [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]

I did make up my own land and world and people, but I feared it was much too close to the layout of Hyrule of the Legend of Zelda, and too much of a leech off Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings', so I destoryed the document.

theres nothing wrong with being a eech! you should see MY map. exactly the same style as jrrt! all of it! and as for the storyline...what decent creation story doesnt have an evil angel?

"Need-to-Know" reader info -- how do you give enough but not too much?

well, first of all i say: all the angels sung (save one). so people think hmmm... whys he not singing?
then i say hes jealous of god and they think: looks like a shady character... wonder what hes gonna do...
then i put he goes down to earth, pretends hes god, and all the evil he does.
hopefully people ask themselves those questions, though im not really sure if they do!

****decides to put this in for no apparent reason****
for my religious education homework, i had to draw a title page for my martin luther king project. instead, i wrote a poem, the lay of martin luther king! (lay of gil-galad?) my friend says its good but i dont like it that much...
****ends random note****

do you take someone from an unimportant role and decide to give them a big part? DO you ever reconsider the way you just left them off and pick them back up again?

i dont think this counts, but... i have a morrainech the first, and in my sequel im going to have a morrainech the seventh. and they act the same, both really sickeningly good and anti-evil. plus theyre descendants/anscestors. i dont know if that counts, but never mind.
oh, ive thought of another one! i was going to have this kingdom entirely destroyed. but then about 600 people escaped, and their king who was meant to die had major battle parts. i havent written this bit yet, its still subject to change.

page 9 and a half, and im kicked off. hopefully back soon.

[Nimiriel]

No one KNOWS if it's to be closed or not (as far as I know) but most threads don't make it after they've reached twenty pages... But LMP and the others know much more about this than I do. I hope the thread will last, and maybe I'll even be able to catch up... I hope so.
Oh, and GreyWolf, thanks for that language link, it looks like just the thing I need.

[ElentariGreenleaf]

If they close us cause we have too many pages, we could open a new one. they only cose the long ones cause they take too long to load. They did it with Crazy Captions, the Green Dragon, and some others i think....