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Elioclya
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: April 12, 2006 03:43
Hi there

You have to make sure that you remember to put with that slash after the word too, otherwise the coding automatically assumes you want everything to be in italics. If you've been doing that already, then I'm afraid I don't know what's wrong! Hoope this helps,

Elioclya
Newra
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: April 14, 2006 09:03
Thanks for your help, Elioclya! I had been forgetting to add the backslash.

~Newra
LaurelintheGolden
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: May 13, 2006 06:42
Hello -

I am working on a Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Silmarillion crossover fanfic and need some advice. The story takes place post Buffy/Angel series finales. I wasn't too happy how Joss left things and feel that there is still room for her to grow. I feel that the concept is excellent, but I do not wish to divulge it on this board as it has been a labor of love for the past 18 months. I would be heartbroken if someone stole my idea (not saying any of the good folks here would, but nevertheless...)

1). Is it possible to write a good fanfic without all the elvish phrases? Don't get me wrong, I love the elvish languages, but I'm ignorant in sentence structure. Could I get by with using elvish just for proper names, places, etc.?

I had in mind that the story was translated into English long ago by the Council of Watchers. I suppose it would be similar to Bilbo's translations from elvish.

2). Would anyone be willing to help translate some words in English to both Sindarin and Quenya? I would love the story to have an elvish title as well as it's English equivalent.

3). How many chapters should be written before it is posted? I currently have 2, but feel that I should not post it until I have a cliffhanger.

I am also taking the position that Morgoth created the orcs; not that they were elves tortured and disfigured into those hideous creatures. Would that seem too controversial? It seems to me that Tolkien himself, flip flopped on that idea.

Any suggestions or comments would be most helpful.
Thank you in advance for your time.

LaurelintheGolden
Rebecca_C
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: May 18, 2006 08:25
1- Yes, you could. With a few names and place names in Sindarin, the characters can speak in Westron (English) without any trouble at all.

2- Sindarin, I could give you without any problems, assuming Tolkein created the vocab for it. Quenya, I could probably manage as long as you don't give any really complex sentences.

3- If you're posting in the fanfiction section of the Fan Creations, You don't have to post it all at once. If you write fairly quickly and the first few chapters tell the reader enough to keep them interested, then you need only start with a few. As long as there is enough action to start with you'll be OK.

4- Up to you totally. You should see the liberties I've taken with the timeline in my fic- what's posted is OK, what's planned probably will not be! Book 2 is slightly trickier.
So if you want to, then Morgoth could have made the orcs. Having read Lost Tales 2 for the first time, fundamental changes to a story are not unusual, Beren was once an elf. I'm sure Tolkien won't mind. The only people you're likely to come up against are the purists who didn't even like the movie!

If you need any help with the Sindarin, pm me and I'll do some translating for you. You don't need to tell me the whole story, just the phrases with maybe a little bit of context, if you don't want to tell anyone yet.
Fellowship
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: August 28, 2006 08:26
HI! I have a question. I started writing a fanfiction about a year ago and put the first chapter on ff.net. Well all it got was flames and critisizm.
The grammar and such in it was so terrible that it was kicked off. I have since got a beta and fixed it, and edited and re-edited, until it is a pretty good story.
Well now we come to it. I want to know what people here think of it before I try putting it on FF.net again and I'm not quite sure if it fits the rules of the fanfiction section.
I have finished it and let my close friends read it. They enjoy it enough to where I'm writing a sequal. Where could I put it where people could read it an let me know what they think?

I have it on the main page of Lorien in "Rell's Fanfiction" So members can read it there.

Thank you!
Nenriel
Trasta
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: August 28, 2006 09:52
I need some help on my fanfic, I submitted two chapters of my story, but I cannot access the second chapter. And yes, i tried the pull down chapter menu. It didn't even show chapter one.

Please help me!!
Ecthelion646
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: September 15, 2006 07:29
i'm currently trying to write a fanfiction set about 200 years in the 4th age. For the most part all original characters, but intermixed with filling in the history of the rebuilding and expansion of Gondor, Arnor, Dale, Glittering Caves etc etc AND a new war

sadly only have one rough rough chapter done, and its more of a middle of the story chapter

Expected players are the Arnorians, Gondorians, Easterlings, Men of Dale, Woodmen of Mirkwood and the Men of Nurn. Still not fully sure on the details, writers block and all... but the murders of a female steward and maybe the last of the beornings able to shapeshift, committed by a certain Wraith will be the catalyst

would anyone be interested in reading the chapter I have written so far, and give me their opinion?
Ecthelion646
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: September 16, 2006 06:32
no one?
Goldsand
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: September 17, 2006 12:30
Sometimes it just takes a few days ... good luck with your fanfic - sounds interesting so far
superlegolas
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: October 18, 2006 10:39
Ecthelion646,

I would be willing to read it for you and give you some advice. feel free to pm it to me.
Ecthelion646
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: October 24, 2006 10:49
hey superlegolas, check your pm or gimme your e-mail so i can send you the file
Maralyn_Imladiel
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: September 27, 2007 02:08
I've got several problems regarding fanfictions. :S Firstly, I have an annoying habit of starting one story and then abandoning it for another. This cycle has been repeated several times, and now I've got at least seven unfinished stories getting dusty in folders. The thing is, one moment I get struck with so much inspiration I feel I need to write right away, and then the next moment I read over what I've written and absolutely hate it. Which brings me to another one of my problems: low self-esteem. I've been writing for a few years, and I can never be content with my work. My family calls me a perfectionist, and frankly, I'm inclined to agree with them. I will usually end up deleting a story I loved twenty-four hours ago simply because I have lost confidence in it. I also tend to get depressed after I read others' fanfics because they're so much better than mine. I know practice makes perfect, but it's been harder and harder for me to find inspiration lately. Help!
Smi
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: October 22, 2007 12:44
Here is a technique I use for writing dialogue in character:

- - -

If I'm writing dialogue I need to make sure that it is in character. To do this I go through several steps. Being somebody who loves drama and acting, I find this extremely useful and relitively easy to stick to. I will use two examples. One is from a fanfiction that I am writing at the moment, and one is using an interpretation of a Tolkien character.

These are the steps I take.

First, I work out who the character is.
-Robin is a very old hobbit, a barman working in the Green Dragon. He is old, grizzled and likes a good drink.
-Grima Wormtongue is servant to Saruman, he is slimy and a little creepy.

Next, I work out how a character like this would talk. What sort of accent do they have? What do they sound like?
-Robin, being a hobbit and very rural, probably talks in a British Westcountry accent similar to Sam's. He probably slurrs his words quite a lot, because he likes a drink.
-Grima is greasy and slimy, so he may speak slowly and in a clearer English accent, picking his words carefully.
Try speaking a few assorted phrases aloud in your chosen tone of voice for your character.

Think about what you would like your character to say now, remember how they would say it.

Say what they would say aloud!
-Robin has just seen somebody walk into his inn, and asks what they would like to drink. "What can I get you sir?"

Now write down your dialogue for that character. Remember how they would speak and try to duplicate it on the page
Try not to use modern day phrases unless this is the effect that you are specifically aiming for. Be especially aware of this if your story is set in Middle Earth or somewhere similar.
-Is Grima more likely to say: "Did I not council you, Lord, to forbid his staff? That fool, Hama, has betrayed us!" or "Oh for God's sake dude, I told you not to let that bloody stick in! Hama's only gone and betrayed us, what a ******* idiot."
Thought so.

Now you've written it down, read it aloud one last time in context. Does it make sense? You may want to change it slightly so it fits in more. Remember to keep in character.
-At the moment, Robin is saying "What can I get you sir?" but this could be improved upon. Read it aloud and make any changes. "Right then sir, what can I get you? How about some o' my finest home brew?"

Once you are sure that you've got it perfect, write some more dialogue if necessary and remember to keep reading the previous paragraphs as you go along. It is also a good idea to read through the entire chapter when you're done, reading the dialogue aloud and making the necessary changes.

- - -

This is just a tip, but I find it helps me loads when I'm writing. Especially putting on the different accents and even acting out the mannerisms of the characters as I speak the dialogue. It's great fun, as well as being a helpful technique.

[Edited on 2/1/2007 by Smi]
Rulea
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: October 27, 2007 12:32
I'm currently in the process of writing an A-U fanfic called "Beyond the Veil" a little HP/LOTR tale of Sirius in Middle-Earth after he falls through the veil. The plot is Sirius lands in Middle Earth and he is greeted by the half-elf Castillia who takes him to her employers, the Tolman Family of Tolman Hall where he reveals to be a wizard. The family treats him as a special guest, but the father of the family uses Sirus to help him gain more land and eventually makes him his adopted heir, since his only son drowned years before. The father's oldest daughter Moona is furious because she will not recieve anything once her father dies, so she develops a plan where she will marry Sirius and then kill him so she can have the land. Her plan works for awhile, but Sirius ends up falling for Castillia, a maid and an heiress of Tolmadge Hall, her family home.

Her backstory is when she was 13, her elven mother ran off and her father ran after her and left Castillia with the Tolman family until her father returned. He never did and when she was 18, she expressed an interest in returning home, but the father of the Tolman family did not like the idea of a woman running the manor so he downgraded her to a servant, telling her she owes him and his family for sheltering her. She returns Siruis' love, though they must keep it a secret from Moona. Moona finds out and orders Castillia drowned, but she is saved by Sirius and her house elf, Perchance. Then Castillia leaves Tolman Hall and returns to Talmadge Hall and lives there until she hears Sirus and Moona are to be wed and she gose and tries to stop the wedding. Lilly, James, Tonks, and Lupin are also in the story and I have Middle Earth set up as a "Other Releam" where people who were unjustly murdered can have a second chance at life. My 2 questions is how would Sirius react in Middle Earth and what is your opinion of the plot? Would it be a great read?
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BabidiBuu
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: July 27, 2009 11:06
I've been planning on writing a fanfic based on the idea of "What would happen if evil won" but there are probably alot of things i need help with..

The story i have in mind will be about three sides: Mordor, Isengard and Hope. You can read about some of the things in this thread..
http://www.councilofelrond.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=XForum&file=viewthread&tid=31792
(Sorry if giving links to different threads aren't aloud )

The story will probably be based on the movies, but should i read more about some of the stuff in tolkiens world? Should i roleplay as some of the characters who will appear in the story?

P.S: No nead to post in that thread that is linked up above, you can just reply to this or PM

[Edited on 27/7/2009 by BabidiBuu]
Chocolatequeen
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: May 15, 2010 10:42
What's the average length of time before a fanfic is reviewed and accepted? I submitted the first chapter of mine two weeks ago and I still have not received an email in response.
Elioclya
Lady of Ithilien
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: May 22, 2010 03:55
Hi chocolatequeen - I'm afraid I've been a bit slow lately on the submissions front lately, but yours should be up in the next couple of days. Sorry for the delay
Hiril_Elfwraith
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: June 13, 2010 06:31
Hello all...

I'm not sure if my writing qualifies as fanfiction. I often grab some language from ME or maybe some relation to a character, plus my Elves are almost completely Tolkien. I'm not sure if that makes it fanfiction, but that's not my point.

Basically, the only common theme in my stories is that a) the main characters are male and b) I include torture. A lot of torture. And when I say a lot, I mean a lot. I mean, I think I'm pretty good at writing--descriptions and all that--and everyone who's read my work has praised it highly, but I don't know if the level of enjoyment for my readers is diminished by the sheer amount of pain.

I don't know...could someone help? Suggestions?

I mean, the writing is for my own enjoyment, but sometimes I feel like they're just stories of these poor characters, limping along from torture to torture. (Actually, I did an RP of that once with a friend, where that was the main theme with no overarching grandeur, but that's a long story...)

Sooo...yeah.

PM me, I guess. Or reply here. Whichever.

[Edited on 14/6/2010 by Hiril_Elfwraith]
Feylinn
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: October 06, 2010 07:47
BabidiBu: I don't know if you read comics/graphic novels (I certainly do cuz I'm a nerd!), but I think theres one out there you could read to just get an idea of how you want to structure things.

Marvel recently came out with a Wolverine storyline called 'Wolverine: Old Man Logan'. The basic premise is a lot like what you are brainstorming- what if the bad guys won?

I'm not suggesting you rip-off Marvel Comics, but maybe use it as an idea-jogger (the way the Hulk-Gang is portrayed strongly reminds one of Orcs...).

Just a thought, good luck!
BabidiBuu
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: June 17, 2011 08:52
ADMIN EDIT: moved threads from 2009 ahead.

I've been wanting to make a fanfic about what it would be like if Evil had indeed won, but im going to have to do alot of research and i might need your help.. I might do a fanfic on how the Evil Side won, but i wont do it yet. or should i do that one first? Unfortunately, i have not read any of tolkians books(Still reading Sill. though!) so this fanfic is probably going to be movie based.

The fanfic i have in mind will be about three sides: Mordor, Isengard and "Hope"
Mordor and Isengard. Strangely enough, their allience isn't exactly doing to good. Why? Sauron either
A: Is tired of their allience and wants Middle-Earth for himself.
B: Is afraid that Saruman is, actually, Stronger then him and will try to take Middle-Earth for himself.
C: Scam. Used Saruman for his own needs and now that all of Middle-Earth belongs to the bad side, has no further use for Saruman.
Or D: All of the above.
Early on in the story, everything is all hunky dory between Mordor and Isengard, later on though it starts to be a little iffy, and then after that: War..

As for the side called Hope: do you remember the two rohirram kids in the second movie, Freda and Eothain? the two that fled their village while the mother stayed? Well, they (And the Mother. Morwen, was it?) will be the main characters for Hope, along with Eowyn, Gandalf and (Maybe) Eomer.

Things i might need help with: What should i title the story? Should i roleplay as the characters to get a feel and who they are, what they would say or what they would do, act or react? How did some of the characters survive? Where are they now? What are they doing? And will they survive? i might need more help, but so far im going to do more research..

The Major Characters for the three sides
Mordor: Witch-King, Gothmog, Mouth of Sauron, Gorbag and Shagrat.
Isengard: Lurtz, Grima, Sharku, Ugluk, Snaga, Grishnahk.
Hope: Morwen, Freda, Eothain, Eowyn, Gandalf, Elrond, Galadrial and maybe Eomer.

There will be alternate endings, and there may be alternate chapters but i would have to be very carefull with altering a chapter. "Pluck but one string and the whole thing onravels."
If it is recommended, i will make polls about some of the things that will and/or might appear in the story. If it isn't recommended i will stay away from making polls.

[Edited on 17/6/2011 by ~nólemë~]
BabidiBuu
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: June 17, 2011 08:54
I hope this isn't bad doing this

Here are some idea's i've come up for the fanfic. Remember, this fanfic is going to be based on the movies!

-Story will begin at Amon Han, with Aragorn fighting Lurtz while some of the surviving Uruk's battle Legolas and Gimli. In the end, the Uruk-Hai win.
-After that, there will be a narration from either Gandalf, Elrond or Galadrial, telling us about the fall of Rohan and Gondor. Mordor and Isengard team up and destroy the city of Minas Tirith.
-Isengard's side of the story begins with the Uruk-Hai Army arriving at Osgiliath. Mordor's side of the story begins at Minas Tirith (Isengard get's Osgiliath, Mordor get's Minas Tirith which might be renamed to Minas Mordonnon or Minas Morannon.)
-Uruk's and Orcs fight over who gets and/or keeps Edoras. The Nazgul come to settle the hustle and bustle.
-Morwen, Freda and Eothain's story begins about the same time when the Uruk's and Orcs fight over Edoras.
-Saruman thinks about the choices he made.
-Sauron declares war on Saruman.
-Freda and Eothain escape while the Mother, yet again, stays behind.
-Word escapes that a few prisoners(Freda and Eothain) have escaped Edoras and a party of orcs and man led by Gothmog and the Mouth of Sauron search for the two children.
-Freda and Eothain escape to Lothlorian. A few days later, Galadrial tells the two that it is not safe and that they must find Gandalf and Eomer in the realm of the hobbits.
-Gothmog and the Mouth of Sauron arrive at Lothlorian and take control. the Mouth of Sauron confronts Galadrial, and Gothmog looks into the Mirror of Galadrial.
-A party of Uruk-Hai come to reclaim Edoras, but are wiped out by the Ringwraiths and their Fell Beasts. In the Isengard side of the story, the Uruk-Hai reclaim Edoras and no Ringwraiths or Fell Beasts.
-Morwen finds out that Eowyn is a prisoner as well.
-Freda and Eothain find Gandalf, but no Eomer. Gandalf tells the two children that Eomer and the surviving rohirram are in the shire, and Gandalf takes Freda and Eothain to Rivendell.
-Gothmog and the Mouth of Sauron arrive back to Edoras. In the Isengard side of the story, Edoras is infested with Uruk-Hai who fight of the attackers, but Gothmog and the Mouth of Sauron escape. An Alternate Chapter is Gothmog and the Mouth of Sauron along with their party of Orcs and Man reclaim Edoras.
-The Witch-King leads an attack on the Uruk-Hai in Osgiliath. Ugluk and Sharku escape to Isengard.
-Gothmog, Witch-King and the Mouth of Sauron plan an attack on Isengard, and to kill Saruman.
-Ugluk and Sharku make it back to Isengard and warn's everyone that Mordor may be planning to attack.
-Which Mordor does. Gothmog, the Witch-King arrive in the Tower of Orthanc, where they are confronted by Lurtz. Gothmog distracts Lurtz while the Witch-King heads up to kill Saruman. An Alternate version is the Witch-King and the Mouth of Sauron head up to kill Saruman.
-In the Mordor Version, Gothmog is knocked down by Lurtz who charges in the deliver the finishing blow to Gothmog, but Gothmog is able to recover and stabs Lurtz and cuts his head off. In the Isengard Version, Gothmog blocks Lurtz attack, but Gothmog is then stabbed.
-The Witch-King battles Saruman, but Saruman then gets the Upper Hand but does not realise that Gothmog was behind him, and stabs Saruman. In the Isengard Story, Lurtz heads up and distracts the Witch-King, giving Saruman a chance to deliver the finishing blow to the Witch-King, destroying the Nazgul..
-Three alternate versions of that battle. For the Mordor Side, Saruman battles Witch-King and Mouth of Sauron, but is killed by the Witch-King. Gothmog then arrives and is dissapointed that he missed the fight. Second is Saruman gaining the upper hand but is stabbed from behind by Gothmog again. Isengard's version is Lurtz heads up and battles the Mouth of Sauron. Witch-King is killed and the Mouth of Sauron gets his head cut off by Lurtz.

That is all for now. Hopefully they aren't to confusing. And if there is something that needs changing, please let me know
Erucenindë
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: June 17, 2011 08:55
wow. sounds really good babidibuu. You have put alot of thought into this. Def a good, "what if?" story. So Aragorn, legolas, and Gimli die?

keep up the good work!
BabidiBuu
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: June 17, 2011 08:57
Really? Thanks!

Indeed. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli die If they did die that might have triggered a whole new chain of events, which reminds me: What of Frodo and Sam? Even though our favorite trio is dead in the story, what about the two hobbits? Not to mention Merry and Pippin..

If you've played Battle for Middle-Earth II you will notice that the whole Mouth of Sauron and Gothmog attacking Lothlorian is based off of the first mission on Evil Mode, except no Gothmog and in the cutscene it was the Mouth of Sauron who looked into the mirror of galadrial. Sorry about the double-post by the way. I will be updating the thread if i come up with anymore ideas
Erucenindë
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: June 17, 2011 08:58
haha i have played BFME2, and the whole evil mission. I watched my bro play the RofWK mission.

well for evil to win, Frodo and Sam would have to fail. how that happened, i do not know, whether that means death, imprisonment, or what.

ADMIN EDIT: End of moved 2009 posts.

[Edited on 17/6/2011 by ~nólemë~]
Frodo~the~Second
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: June 26, 2011 11:11
Hey, guys!

My sister and I are planning on writing our own fantasy series (not a fanfic), and it's up to me to come up with the main idea. But I'm having a bit of a problem: I am skilled at adding to a character--giving them relatable struggles, making them seem more real, always renewing their awesomeness--but when it comes to originality, I am at a loss. I am always afraid of making my characters too similar to someone else's by mistake (Ex. What if I want a trouble-maker? He will end up just like Pippin!), and of making boring characters that no one will remember or want to read about. No matter how hard I try, my main female roles (though they never are) always seem Mary-Sue-ish. Why? I have no idea. I never give my characters unrealistic anything, be it a magical pet to a perfect boyfriend and so forth. If I don't already have something to work with, my well goes dry. But I'm not asking for ideas. I just need help.

Will someone please give me tips on making original, likeable characters? This shadow looms over my head like so many unanswered problems.

God bless!

~Frodo (the Second)


P.S. Getting paranoid. Did I post this in the right place?

[Edited on 26/6/2011 by Frodo~the~Second]
~nólemë~
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: June 26, 2011 11:21
Moved here, as it's an ideal topic for this thread.

FtS, can you provide more details on the fantasy series you're writing? Such as if it's going to be Tolkien-themed or not? It's not easy to write very general tips, so perhaps you could post some info on what races the characters in your series belong to? There would be different expectations for humans, hobits, and Elves etc. But if you're inventing an entirely new universe, it's kind of hard for an 'outsider' to give you any tips on how your races should behave to be realistic.

In what ways do your female characters seem Mary-Sueish, if you don't give them unrealistic features? Is it something you feel, or something a reader tells you? There are different classifications for Mary Sues, ranging from the strict one (a flawless life-saver) to mere individual tastes (some people call basically any OC they don't like a Mary Sue).
---------- Image "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." J.R.R. Tolkien - The Hobbit
Frodo~the~Second
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: June 30, 2011 04:13
Thank you for your help!

Well, when it comes to describing our 'universe', I'll explain that I see every fantasy world belongs to the same universe. Ex: Narnia and Middle-earth and Never-never-land are all different location in the same world to me. So, we are designing characters for the same world (we just have to rename it for copyright purposes, just like half of the world ).

When it comes to races, I was thinking sort of a cross between Hobbits & Elves. They are shorter than humans, taller than hobbits (and less chubby). We don't know the plot of the story yet, so currently we're just doing what I call "blueprinting".

I suppose when it comes to the Mary Sue thing, it's more a matter of likeability. My characters are for the most part real, but without any likeable traits. I don't really know how to put it... *light bulb* Like Eowyn. She is distinguishable because she is really tough (but not manly). She's a very strong and likeable character. But it's very hard to design a female roll that doesn't get on people's nerves. In every book I've ever read besides Lord of the Rings and Narnia, it seems the author has the same problems. The main woman seems too much like every other female character (one in particular just reminded me of a younger version of Eowyn). How can I make her unique?

If I am being unclear, please tell me. Thank you for your help!

God bless!

~Frodo (the Second)
~nólemë~
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: June 30, 2011 11:43
When it comes to races, I was thinking sort of a cross between Hobbits & Elves. They are shorter than humans, taller than hobbits (and less chubby).


This is tricky, as it seems they can be anything without appearing OOC. There is little that Elves and hobbits share in terms of characterisation. I can only think of their relationship to nature (preservation & reasonable usage, never exploitation), and self-orientation (little interest in the other races, preoccupation with their own history). Perhaps an inclination towards peace, too.
I'm speaking of the majority of Elves and Hobbits now, we know there were exceptions from the norm.

Have you already considered if your characters will be mortal or not? Because that particular aspect determines the different natures of mortals and Elves.

But it's very hard to design a female roll that doesn't get on people's nerves.


To my experience, you can never please everyone anyway (even if a thousand people love something, you can bet there are others who think it's disappointing), so my advice would be to write what you can relate to, a character that resonates with you. I believe this will make the character more 'real'. But, I am not an author, so an input from an actual author would be interesting to hear at this point.

How can I make her unique?


I can suggest no more than avoidance of the most frequent fanfic stereotypes you came across, and putting a great deal of thought into the inner workings of your world while consdering if the heroine's character and background are in concordance with these.
---------- Image "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." J.R.R. Tolkien - The Hobbit
Frodo~the~Second
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Post RE: Fan Fiction Help
on: July 02, 2011 12:31
Thank you, ~nolme~ for all your help!

When I said that the race is like Elves and Hobbits, I did mean what you mentioned above. As far as mortality, yes, they are mortal, but they live for a longer period of time than Hobbits, say... 300 years or something.

And you're right. I should not try to please everyone because it's impossible to make everyone happy. I will try to follow your advice and create characters that I like and not worry quite so much about pleasing readers.

Thank you again for your help!

~Frodo (the Second)
Beren_Onehand
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Post Re: Fan Fiction Help
on: April 18, 2012 05:07
I was wondering if there is someone here who could help me improve a poem?
"All we have to decide, is what to do with the time that is given to us"
~nólemë~
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Post Re: Fan Fiction Help
on: April 19, 2012 01:53
What in particular do you wish help with, Beren? Usually, betas and fic assistants specialize in something - spelling, canon, vocab etc., so the best starting point is to pinpoint what aspects of your poem you need help with.
---------- Image "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." J.R.R. Tolkien - The Hobbit
~nólemë~
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Post Re: Fan Fiction Help
on: September 18, 2012 07:29
Here is a very useful fanfic help thread I've stumbled upon: http://www.fanfiction.net/topic/2378/3163310/1/

I'd highly recommend it to everyone worrying that their character may be a Mary-Sue. It's an interesting read (granted, I've only started reading the first page, but it sure looks promising), and the advice provided there is valuable for OC writers.
---------- Image "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." J.R.R. Tolkien - The Hobbit
JULES
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Post Fanfiction Story
on: May 03, 2013 07:28
I hope I am posting this in the right place.

I have been writing a very long story from the start of the journey for many months.

I would like some views please -

I need to introduce a character in Rivendell - would normally be an Elf - as part of the household staff - but is influenced by Saruman.

My question I guess is - if that is believable in the first place - and secondly - if it was - would be they able to work in Rivendell before the Fellowship start their journey without Elrond being suspicious?

I want to use him as a baddie character threatening the hobbits - but not sure if Elrond wouldn't be able to pick up on his character.

This character would appear to everybody to be the model Elf - doing all tasks etc - but I need to have a darker hidden side to him for a few scenes as well.

Looking forward to any comments or suggestions.

I am having Glorfindel and Erestor in my story - which is based on a combination of the books, movie and my own ideas.


Jules
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Post Re: Fanfiction Story
on: May 03, 2013 07:29
Sounds like an interesting story!

Elves are not un-influenincible. lol! I mean, just because they're an elf doesn't mean that aren't immune to bad influences or thoughts or anything. Personally, I think elves can have bad motives (ask someone who knows more about the Sil and stuff, I'm not sure if there are certain examples or not). I mean, elves are probably least likely to "turn bad", compared to men, but they are susceptible to greed and lust all the same. I mean, in the Hobbit King Thranduil is said to be greedy for gold and such, and the Elrond, Galadriel, and Cirdan all accepted the rings of power. What I am saying is I think it is probable that an elf could be too greedy, or be persuaded to do bad things in promise of reward, etc.

Now about Elrond not being suspicious, that I think would be hard, but not impossible. The elf in question would have to lay very low in order not to get on Elrond's radar. Elrond is a perceptive elf. But your story might be able to include how your elf has to keep Elrond not suspicious and such.

This is just my opinion on things, nothing more.

All that being said, it is your story, you can do with it as you want. There have been crazier stories out there. But it is nice to see you are making an effort to make this story good and believable and that is great.

JULES
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Post Re: Fanfiction Story
on: May 03, 2013 07:29
Hello,

Thank you for that - very much appreciated.

Yeah - the Elrond thing is harder to master than the whole "can the elf be influenced" idea - and I thought his "gift of forsight" might be a harder nut to crack.

I have written about 13 chapters - starting from the Shire and Bilbo's leaving - and am up to the Ford crossing before Rivendell. So I wanted to work it all out in my head before continuing too much further.

Thanks for the comments.

Jules
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