*Fan Fiction Information and Recommendations*

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Many members of the Downs enjoy reading fan fiction and some have asked for information and recommendations. Newcomers to the forum are often not aware that the Barrow-Downs also has a fan fiction forum located here. However, there are also numerous other sites with fan fiction, of wildly varying quality. This thread is for your recommendations - please give links and tell us what it is that you particularly like (or don't like!) about the stories you mention. You may also mention your own stories; members here may not always check out the fan fiction site regularly, so it will hopefully be helpful to remind them of new developments elsewhere.

Here are two recommendations of mine, written by two of our administrators:

Mithadan's Tales of Tol Eressëa, continued here , here , and here

Gilthalion's THE HOBBITS


Please do not give complete reviews or differentiated comments here - you may do that on the fan fiction site.

[Morthoron]

Might I make a suggestion regarding the Fan-fic forum? Considering I have the technological capabilities of a 9th century Northumbrian woodcutter, and have no idea the labor involved, would it be possible to redesign the Fan-fic forum so that it emulates the main Discussion forum as far as editing abilities and interface? It just doesn't seem as user-friendly as the main boards.

I realize this may be due to my own ineptitude (my 7 year-old daughter assists me with complicated television remotes and other such technological oddities), so I will defer to experts in the field. Thank you for your patience in this matter.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Morthoron, the BD fan fiction forum is actually our old discussion forum site, with a different server base. (UBB instead of vBulletin) Therefore, it doesn't have the same features and organisation - not due to our administration, but to the nature of the server.

We upgraded to vBulletin a couple of years ago (you can tell by some of the smiley codes in posts that predate that time) and decided to utilize the "old" forum for fan fiction. Since this server has additional features that the UBB site does not, there are differences in things you noticed, such as editing, links, etc. Just think of it as a separate site - kind of like the difference between LotR books and movies!

[Morthoron]

Thanks for the prompt reply, Estelyn.

[Sauron the White]

Estelyn -- thank you for making this easy.

[Guinevere]

I can highly recommend all the stories by Marnie to be found on her Celeborn homepage. here

Particularly Oak and Willow is a wonderful (and long!) story which I enjoyed thoroughly and have read several times over.
(The story of Celeborn and Galadriel, with a difference - this time it's from the Sindar POV. Features Daeron, Elu Thingol, Luthien, Beren, Angrod, Finrod and many others.)
The story fits perfectly into”canon” and yet it is totally thrilling to read. All the characters are spot-on and “alive” – and Celeborn is just adorable!
I love Marnie's style – not a single word is out of place (or time). And there is so much depth to it, too.

"Those who remain" is also a marvellous story, sad and hopeful at the same time, it made the tears rise in my eyes. It's about Celeborn coming to see Sam, after the end of LotR. Both have been left by the person they loved, and so have something in common. (Features also Rosie) In my opinion, Marnie's style comes here very close to Tolkien!

[Gwathagor]

Gilthalion's story is SOOO long!

EDIT: I just read Those Who Remain and enjoyed it a great deal.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Thanks to the miracle of web-archiving, the old Barrow-Downs fan fiction section can be brought back to life! For all those who have asked about stories such as "Dude, Where's My Ring?" and others, here's your opportunity to (re-)read them!

Middle-Earth Fan Fiction

[Folwren]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

Thanks to the miracle of web-archiving, the old Barrow-Downs fan fiction section can be brought back to life! For all those who have asked about stories such as "Dude, Where's My Ring?" and others, here's your opportunity to (re-)read them!

Middle-Earth Fan Fiction

Oh!! What a flood of nostalgia! It was almost as vivid and strong as one of my many experiences of dèjá vu! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

[Gordis]

Only the first chapters of the stories are archived - the rest seems lost.
Or is it only my browser?

[Siiw]

Error including required files: Can't locate /home2/barrowwight/cgi-bin/vars_display.cgi in @INC (@INC contains: /usr/lib/perl5/5.8.8/i686-linux /usr/lib/perl5/5.8.8 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.8/i686-linux /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.8 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.7 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.6 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.5 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl .) at ultimatebb.cgi line 54.
No such file or directory
Make sure these files exist, permissions are set properly, and paths are set correctly.

What happened to the fan fiction?

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Siiw

What happened to the fan fiction?

Middle-Earth Fan Fiction

This is what is archived. There are no stories that postdate 2003. Evidently, no one was capable of writing a proper Middle-earth tale after that year. Perhaps the powers-that-be chose 2003 to be a cut-off date considering that it marked the 30th anniversary of Tolkien's death, and they believed that every conceivable variation of Middle-earth Mary-Sue tales had already been written.

I don't believe we'll be able to write on this site ever again; unless, of course, one is smitten with Middle-earth were-wolves or soccer. *shrugs*

[Encaitare]

This thread hasn't been updated in a while, but I haven't properly posted in a while, so I guess that works out well. Right?

I haven't read much Tolkien-related fanfiction in a while, either, but one author whose works I continue to follow is AuriMynonys. This is because after all these years, I'm still pulling for Grima and Eowyn, can you believe it? What can I say, I'm a sucker for doomed romances. She's one of the best authors for the pairing, to be sure. Most of her fics fall in the PG to PG-13 range, but one or two are more "adult," so just use your judgement.

(And thank goodness some of those fics on the 'Downs archive are gone. I think I had some in there, and my high school fanfiction is much better left lost to the ages...)

[Mnemosyne]

I finally finished managing to upload my Fourth Age OC Hobbit Epic, Keep Alive the Memory, on the old UBB site, here. I know it's bad form to self-rec, but ever since I started writing the piece I dreamed of getting it published on the 'Downs and having some of you admirable folk read and review it.

Speaking of--this means (actually, it happened over a year ago, but no one actually posted about it here) that the website crash of Aught Eight which disabled the fan fiction forum for a while has been fixed, which means that we've again got easy access to The Hobbits, Whatever Happened to Folco?, and those bits of The Fairy Wife that have made their way on the site.

I'd also like to rec Morth's stuff, which is incredibly creative and deals with the lands east and south of what we know of from LotR. He did start publishing on the Barrow-Downs fan fiction page, and if you'd like to check it out and encourage him to upload the last bit *cough* please do--you can find it here.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Mnemosyne

I'd also like to rec Morth's stuff, which is incredibly creative and deals with the lands east and south of what we know of from LotR. He did start publishing on the Barrow-Downs fan fiction page, and if you'd like to check it out and encourage him to upload the last bit *cough* please do--you can find it here.

Thanks so much for the kind words, Mnemo. The Tales of a Dark Continent story placed 2nd in the Drama category at the almost-coveted, faux-prestigious, nearly-famous, quasi-important Middle-earth Fanfiction Awards (MEFA). It would have placed first, or so I am told by many voters, but as it is a full-length novel, many folk were daunted by the size of the work (some 87,000 words). As Emperor Joseph once said to Mozart, "It's quality work, but there are simply too many notes..."; therefore, I will soon be providing an edited version without articles, prepositional phrases or adverbs.

Rather than upload it to the BD fan-fic site, which has become a literal barrow down in its own right, here is the story in its entirety in an easier to read format:

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4625805/...Dark_Continent

[Mnemosyne]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

It would have placed first, or so I am told by many voters, but as it is a full-length novel, many folk were daunted by the size of the work (some 87,000 words).

I know exactly how you feel... only my magnum opus had to deal with being Honorably Mentioned at Fourth (one point below the second and third places, too, grr). Even more embarrassing is that my highest placing tale was movie!verse (fix-the-movies!verse, but still movie!verse) and thus had my arch nemesis, Frolijah of the Cerulean Orbs of Power*, as a protagonist.

Thanks for placing the full link. ^_^

*A power which was largely abused first by Jackson and then by the rest of the fandom, whom I fear will never join the spirited Brown-Eyed Camp. For a much more effective use of the Eyes, see Sin City.

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

It would have placed first, or so I am told by many voters, but as it is a full-length novel, many folk were daunted by the size of the work (some 87,000 words).

Well, my "magnum opus" had several other problems, as far as MEFA was concerned, so nobody even bothered to nominate it. I didn't post it in popular archives (my own website isn't sufficiently popular), I didn't post it in html (the files were pdf, and from what I was told, that is a Mortal Sin), it was 132,000 words (which is kinda average length for me, if not a tad on the short side), and I guess it didn't have enough Hobbits, known Elves, or known Men in it (I was flat out told by several folk that "no one is really interested in Gandalf"). It's what I get for being more interested in Valinor than in Middle-earth. Ah, well. I don't write for the adulation, so it's not really an issue. That anyone reads it at all is enough.

[Mnemosyne]

Originally Posted by Ibrîniðilpathânezel

Well, my "magnum opus" had several other problems, as far as MEFA was concerned, so nobody even bothered to nominate it. I didn't post it in popular archives (my own website isn't sufficiently popular), I didn't post it in html (the files were pdf, and from what I was told, that is a Mortal Sin), it was 132,000 words (which is kinda average length for me, if not a tad on the short side), and I guess it didn't have enough Hobbits, known Elves, or known Men in it (I was flat out told by several folk that "no one is really interested in Gandalf"). It's what I get for being more interested in Valinor than in Middle-earth. Ah, well. I don't write for the adulation, so it's not really an issue. That anyone reads it at all is enough.

And here I was planning on nominating one of yours for next year, along with several other examples of Downer fic! (Seriously.)

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Originally Posted by Mnemosyne

And here I was planning on nominating one of yours for next year, along with several other examples of Downer fic! (Seriously.)

I'm flattered (thank you ), though I'm not sure they'd consider it eligible anymore, since I haven't added anything new in... two or three years, I think. Though I'm considering revising the one completed novel, and I actually started working on the stalled one again recently. Dang writer's block. I knew that I should never start posting a work in progress. It's almost a sure guarantee that I'll stall before the end. *sigh*

[Mnemosyne]

Originally Posted by Ibrîniðilpathânezel

I'm flattered (thank you ), though I'm not sure they'd consider it eligible anymore, since I haven't added anything new in... two or three years, I think. Though I'm considering revising the one completed novel, and I actually started working on the stalled one again recently. Dang writer's block. I knew that I should never start posting a work in progress. It's almost a sure guarantee that I'll stall before the end. *sigh*

As far as I know, anything's eligible as long as it hasn't run as a completed work before. (Which also means this: WIPs compete with each other!) When the 2010 season starts up I'll do some more poking around (they usually change the rules just a bit each year) because most of the stuff I want to nominate has been around for quite some time. As long as they can get in touch with the author, I think it's good.

All of my other potential 'Downer noms I've already mentioned above (although I just trawled the archive and couldn't find the Folco fic--Esty, have you taken that down? (And you may also consider this a prod to continue your work!)), otherwise I'd try to drag this back on topic a little bit.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Originally Posted by Mnemosyne

...the website crash of Aught Eight which disabled the fan fiction forum for a while has been fixed, which means that we've again got easy access to The Hobbits, Whatever Happened to Folco?, and those bits of The Fairy Wife that have made their way on the site.

Thanks for that reminder, Mnemo! Alas, I haven't visited the site regularly, and your post, bringing up this thread, reminds me to do so. I shall take the time to read up on some of the stories there.

I just trawled the archive and couldn't find the Folco fic--Esty, have you taken that down? (And you may also consider this a prod to continue your work!

Thanks for your interest! The Folco story is still there; its title is To Everything ... Time, which accounts for not being able to find it under the question that sparked the idea. I'm not a great writer of fiction, so have neglected to carry on with the tale. Work on Music in Middle-earth last year took priority over all other writing, so I do have an excuse of some worth. I shall dig out my notes and see if I can get into it again. I don't normally like to leave things unfinished!

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

I'm not a great writer of fiction, so have neglected to carry on with the tale. Work on Music in Middle-earth last year took priority over all other writing, so I do have an excuse of some worth. I shall dig out my notes and see if I can get into it again. I don't normally like to leave things unfinished!

That is something I can REALLY understand! Although I have written a lot of fiction, and it was actually several very bad years full of deaths among family and friends (not to mention the family strife that followed) that started my current bout of writer's block, it wasn't helped when the Muse got pulled in other directions. Most recently, I started producing a line of original designs and patterns for charted needlepoint, and have been working to build up enough of a "library" to start marketing them beyond local shops. Every time the Muse wants to dabble with writing, there's the pull that says, "No, you've got this next pattern and model to complete," and that takes priority because it means real income potential. (I did manage to squeeze in my love of Tolkien even there, though: one of the designs/patterns is titled "Stars in Shadows Shimmering." I really have to get that ad page for this stuff up on my website....)

Don't you hate it when Real Life insists on getting in the way of Art?

Okay, okay, back to the topic!

[Mnemosyne]

The 2010 Middle-earth Fan Fiction Awards are underway.

It's a fandom-run competition in which readers can "vote" for their favorite stories by leaving reviews (a longer review is worth more points), and contains some of the best fan fiction written in the past year--or previously.

I am posting this information here because I am trying to nominate exceptional examples of 'Downer fic. I've already made a few nominations, but if anyone has any other suggestions I am open (or they can join the awards and nominate them themselves!).

Additionally, should people be scrolling through the site, bored and in need of something to read, you are guaranteed to find at least one piece that you like on the archives (that's a very poor recommendation, because it's so vague, but it will have to suffice for now).

The website may be found here. I compete and review under the name "Celeritas".

Sincerely yours,
Mnemosyne

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

I thank you kindly (and publicly) for your nominations (under the pen name MJ -- y'know, I appear to be one of a very few LotR fan writers who actually publishes stuff under their real name, no doubt a holdover from my days as a print fanzine editor/writer, where everyone used their real names). And I wish you good luck -- also Morth, who I see is nominated as well. I have my doubts as to whether or not this will amount to anything for me, as I'm not active in the online writing communities, but what the heck. It's an honor to be nominated after all these years.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Mnemosyne

The website may be found here. I compete and review under the name "Celeritas".

Good lord, Mnemo, I had a lengthy conversation with you as 'Celeritas' and you never told me you haunted this forum! Thanks again for the insightful review last year.

I have only one story in the running this year, and not so ambitious as the last.

[mark12_30]

Originally Posted by Mnemosyne

I've already made a few nominations, but if anyone has any other suggestions I am open (or they can join the awards and nominate them themselves!).

The website may be found here. I compete and review under the name "Celeritas".

Celeritas Mnemosyne,

Humbled and honored by your nomination, for which I thank you, and for your kind comments about The Fairy Wife and about Tapestry. I am glad that you have enjoyed them both!

Thanks again.

[Mnemosyne]

So, I was out of town when all these replies came in... anyhow... thanks... I'm really honored to try to get some more exposure to these excellent pieces, and if you look at the public reviews it's started working...

Those who are curious can follow the awards here, and can sort reviews by author. They'll keep on accepting them into December, then tally them and present winners.

[Galadriel]

Has anyone read Fanfiction by Ivanneth? And has anyone seen her(his) artwork? I think she's brilliant. She captured Fëanor, Maedhros and Fingon perfectly.

Here's the link for her FF:
http://www.fanfiction.net/u/283154/Ivanneth

Here's her homepage with all her artwork:
http://ivanneth.com/

[skip spence]

Originally Posted by Galadriel

Here's her homepage with all her artwork:
http://ivanneth.com/

That's pretty good! She doesn't leave much for the imagination though, does she?

[Guinevere]

Originally Posted by Galadriel

Has anyone read Fanfiction by Ivanneth? And has anyone seen her(his) artwork?

I read Ivanneth's stories "The Follower" and "Ill chance or Strange Fates" years ago (more than once) and still find them some of the best Silmarillion Fanfictions.
Her artwork is also very beautiful. (Though her Feanorians look a bit too feminine for my taste. But her Finrod is exactly as I imagine him. And "Seven little Feanorians" is very amusing!)

Btw did you know Galadriel, that Kasiopea has drawn some lovely Illustrations for "The Follower"? You'll find them on her homepage under "Sketches".

Kasiopea's Tolkien Illustrations are wonderful and her comic strips about Boromir as a kid are hilarious!

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by Guinevere

I read Ivanneth's stories "The Follower" and "Ill chance or Strange Fates" years ago (more than once) and still find them some of the best Silmarillion Fanfictions.
Her artwork is also very beautiful. (Though her Feanorians look a bit too feminine for my taste. But her Finrod is exactly as I imagine him. And "Seven little Feanorians" is very amusing!)

Btw did you know Galadriel, that Kasiopea has drawn some lovely Illustrations for "The Follower"? You'll find them on her homepage under "Sketches".

Kasiopea's Tolkien Illustrations are wonderful and her comic strips about Boromir as a kid are hilarious!

Really? I'll get right to them!

[Galadriel]

Originally Posted by skip spence

That's pretty good! She doesn't leave much for the imagination though, does she?

Hmm. She doesn't, but I still love her

Also, take a look at this one:

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4899822/..._and_Starlight

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Originally Posted by Mnemosyne

The 2010 Middle-earth Fan Fiction Awards are underway.

It's a fandom-run competition in which readers can "vote" for their favorite stories by leaving reviews (a longer review is worth more points), and contains some of the best fan fiction written in the past year--or previously.

I am posting this information here because I am trying to nominate exceptional examples of 'Downer fic. I've already made a few nominations, but if anyone has any other suggestions I am open (or they can join the awards and nominate them themselves!).

Additionally, should people be scrolling through the site, bored and in need of something to read, you are guaranteed to find at least one piece that you like on the archives (that's a very poor recommendation, because it's so vague, but it will have to suffice for now).

The website may be found here. I compete and review under the name "Celeritas".

Sincerely yours,
Mnemosyne

I'd like to remind all Downers that voting in this competition ends on December 15 - you still have almost two weeks to read, review and vote for your favourite stories! Hopefully, of course, they're by a fellow Barrow-Downer...

[Mnemosyne]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

I'd like to remind all Downers that voting in this competition ends on December 15 - you still have almost two weeks to read, review and vote for your favourite stories!

I'd like to reiterate Esty here, and add that I've been really impressed with the number of reviews the 'Downer fics have gotten, considering that so few of the reviewers have heard of them. Since my real intent in nominating them was to try to open a lot of the fandom's eyes to fan fiction that they hadn't encountered before, I consider that a rousing success.

I'm planning on starting my reviews this weekend, so watch out!

[Mithadan]

Mnemosyne, thank you for nominating some of my stories. I am honored.

I would like to point out that some of our writers are listed under names other than their nicknames on the Barrowdowns.

Mnemosyne writes as Celeritas.

mark12_30 writes as Daffodil Furrow.

Ibrîniðilpathânezel writes as MJ.

Are any other Downers nominated other than we 4?

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Morthoron is nominated, under the same name.

[Mnemosyne]

And just to complete the set, Estelyn Telcontar and Mithadan are both competing under their Barrow-Downs names. That's it, as far as I'm aware--unless there's anyone here who has a secret fan-fic-writing alter ego that they don't want anyone to know about!

The MEFA website may be found here, if anyone who hasn't already done so is interested in checking the awards out. I encourage everyone who has an interest in this aspect of exploring Tolkien's creation to browse the whole site and leave some reviews for whatever fics they encounter that they enjoyed: there's an easy-to-use search function so that you can pick stories with those characters, settings, and points in time that they're most interested in. And with 600 stories running you're sure to find something that suits your fancy! So I encourage everyone to check out the whole website and not just those tales written by members of our august forum, because you don't know what you're missing!

[narfforc]

Esty I am going to attempt to put some of my story on the site you mention, however I am not very good with Tekromancy, so if I'm stuck canst thou helpeth me.

[Mnemosyne]

The full results for the MEFAs are in (voting ended on the 15th) and I thought I'd place up here, for all to see, how those 'Downers who competed this year did:

mark12_30's The Fairy Wife took second place in Drama: Aragorn or Hobbits.

Estelyn Telcontar's "To Everything... Time" took second place in Drama: Incomplete.

Morthoron's Monty Python's 'Fellowship of the Ring' received an Honorable Mention in Humor: Parody or Black Humor.

Ibrinidhilpathanezel's novel I Entulesse took third place in Longer Works: General, and her short story "The Awakening" took second place in Ring War: General.

My short stories "To Absent Friends," "Slipped Under the Door of the Master Bedroom, September 25, 1444," and "Undue Patience" each took first place in their respective categories: Hobbits: Family, Character Study: Vignettes, and Humor: Eriador or the Shire. "Sharing Sam" received second place in Hobbits: Post-Quest, and "One Breath of Air" received an honorable mention in Other Beings: General.

For those unfamiliar with the MEFA system, stories each compete in sub-categories, under larger category heads (which are usually genres, times, races, etc.). Categories contain 6-11 stories, and the mods usually try to make the categories as small as possible so that only 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place are given out. Stories in categories larger than 6 receive honorable mentions if they placed in the top half of their category.

If anyone's more interested, the full list of results can be found here.

Given that most of these fics were written by authors that a majority of reviewers had never heard of, I'm really impressed with the results (though I was a tad disappointed that Mithadan's stuff didn't place at all. I mean, AElfwine!).

Please join me in offering congratulations to everyone that competed, and I hope you all had fun. I already know of at least one Downer fic that I had forgotten about during nomination season that I'll try to nominate next year, and I'll probably go digging sometime next month for others!

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

And congratulations to you as well! Yeah, I was well aware of the fact that nobody knew me, and I had the added whammies of focusing on a less than popular character (for fanfic, at any rate) and having my stuff compete in some of the broadest possible categories. Under those circumstances, Place and Show ain't doin' too bad (to use horse race parlance)!

Congratulations to all the other authors from the Downs. Not a bad showing at all.