[sindohte]

When it comes to writing in general or writing Tolkien related fanfiction in particular - are there any books that have a cherished place on your bookshelf? The books that you recommend don't necessarily have to be Tolkien related at all.

To get things started, I have 3 books which I refer back to regularly.

1. The Complete Guide to Middle Earth by Robert Foster (I probably use this book most often to double check the spellings of characters and places. A great resource when you happen to forget something like one of Aragorn's umpteen aliases).

2. Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card (This book is part of a larger series called "Elements of Fiction Writing." I enjoyed this book because of its easy to read style and concrete suggestions on how to create a three dimensional character and then tell a story from the character's viewpoint).

3. Please Understand Me II by David Keirsey (The psych major in me is in love with this book. Definitely not a casual Saturday afternoon type of book to read, but it contains a treasure trove of information about the 16 basic personality types. When combined with Orson Scott Card's book, it allows you to add even more detail to the psychological makeup of your character).

[Tripsoverhercats]

Maps. Maps that let you figure out exactly where you characters are, and how they are going to get to where they are going. And what might be in their way.

Two of my prizes are the Atlas of Middle-earth, and the Atlas of Pern, both by Karen Wynn Fonstad. She goes into such fine deatail as to where the armies were, how the battles went down, and how long it took for characters to move from place to place. The Atlas also covers things like population densities, languages, and climates. I highly recommend getting a copy of her Middle-earth Atlas, I am constantly referencing mine!

[JennnLee]

My two favorite writing books, the ones that have inspired me the most through the years, are Writing Down the Bones by Natlie Goldberg, and Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. Both demystify the process of writing, and assure you that if you move the pen across the page, you are a writer.

[Gaslight]

I don't write a thing without my Atlas of Middle Earth! I also use The Tolkien Companion by J.E.A. Tyler, though he doesn't have an entry for everything, or cross-referenced. It's still good enough for what I want to use it for. I try not to rely on one source overly much because of errors (such as Ruth Noel's The Languages of Tolkien's Middle Earth). Thank god for the Internet, too! It makes it easy to find lots of diverse sources on the topics you need.

Do handbooks on writing really work? I've tried reading them, and I just can't apply the rules to what I want to say. I simply write and re-read it over and over until it "sounds right." Not a very academic approach!

[sindohte]

[NancyBrooke]

I love my Elements of Style by Strunk and White (commonly reffered to as just "Strunk and White." Want to know whether to add that 's , or where that comma goes? It's all in there. It's simple to use, easy to understand and, actually, the examples are kind of entertaining. OK! I'M A GRAMMAR NERD!!

You know the 'White' is E. B. White; he of "Charlotte's Web" and "Trumpet of the Swan."

[sindohte]

Nancy,

Once upon a time I had a copy of Strunk & White, but it got lost in the shuffle. I think the time has come for me to buy a new copy because the point was brought home to me just the other day. My supervisor, who also happens to be a wonderful grammar nerd told me that I had used a split infinitive in a crucial sentence of the psychological evaluation that I was writing. Poor me little ole me points to what I assume is the split infinitive and my supervisor gently corrects me that this was a dangling preposition - yet another grammar error that I had missed. Seems as if it is time for me to brush up on my grammar, because I think one of the signs of the coming apocalypse is not knowing the different parts of speech. :yikes

sindohte

[Viv]

Yay, Strunk and White! Okay, so I make my living chasing commas, but you're right: Strunk and White's Elements of Style is possibly the most helpful book in print for anyone who wants to write in English. It's tiny (only 92 pages of paperbackness, including the index), and seems almost chatty in tone.

If more fic writers read Strunk and White, I'd never have to beta another icky possessive (specifically Legolas' ... which technically implies that there is more than one pretty elf).

Side note on specific errors: Split infinitives are sometimes very good for dramatic voice. For instance, "To go boldly where no one has gone before" just doesn't sound as nice as the original.

Dangling things, however, can affect meaning seriously, so those really do need to be fixed, where possible. I generally do that a lot when I beta read.

[Ellbee]

I've got a Strunk and White, as well as my old Harbrace from High School, both of which I have found very handy on occaision. I always advise people to pretty well ignore the grammar-checker that comes with most word processing programs, because they can come up with the most outrageous nonsense. I've also got a couple of dictionaries, which I use all the time, not so much to check the spelling of words, but to clarify the meanings, and make sure I'm using the one that I want. I find it's even more helpful than a thesaurus, which I also use. Not, I hope, to find fancy-schmancy words, but because I find I get a word stuck in my head and use it too much. I once discovered I had used the word 'turn' five times in one paragraph.

A handy book on writing that I've got is called "What If" by Anne Berhays and Pamela Painter. It's full of all sorts of interesting writing exercises, like having you write two versions of a scene, one from first person, one from third. Or write a 500 word essay on "Sunday." It's been a great help to me to get the juices flowing when I think, as I often do, that they have completely dried up.

-Ell

[Roisin]

[NancyBrooke]

[sindohte]

[Leila]

I keep a dictionary near the computer in my room and a thesaurus close by for when I'm using a program other than Word (which has one in it).

I've got an idea for something we could do as a site project. If you hate it, just pretend I never even mentioned it.
A few or so of us could get together and make a Lord of the Rings Fanfiction Writting Handbook. Besides all the usuall stuff (grammer, spelling, etc.) it could have a section that will help people stay within the guidelines for this site. It would be printed on regular paper (we could have special paper for the cover and back) and would be given to any site members who want one. All they have to pay is shipping and handling. The money to pay for it could be donated by the any and all site members. There's 260. If every member donate a mere $5 we would have $1300 for the project. That should be able to cover the cost of ink (for printing), paper, and whatever else we might need.
My grandmother has 2 extra printers that i may or may not be able to get to work (I hope I can get one to work, I've been thinking of taking them home with me and having a look) and am willing to do the printing if I can. If not, maybe I can save up some money (I'm hoping to get an after school job soon) and buy one.
Well......that's about it......Do like my idea?.....Hate it?........

[Viv]

[Leila]

What I'm talking about is a handbook that can members can use that they can take wherever they go to write. Without needing a laptop with them.
Binding? We could hole punch it and use 3 ring binders or staple it with a heavy duty stapler or something like that. Shouldn't cost too much to do it one of those ways or one like them.
It will be a bit tricky getting them to some people, but we can deal with that when the time comes.

Maybe there should be a place where you go to sign up if you want to help make this. What do you guys think?