[SpaceWeavil]

I decided to post about this and see what people think, after reading the other thread here about distances between Mirkwood and Rivendell and what have you. It has actually been something I have had thoughts about for a while though.

If you have characters moving around in Middle Earth, how important do you think it is to keep the description of their journey accurate? My dilemma has been, for a while (with a particular story) how to get into the action when in actual fact, my characters would have to travel for a very long time to get there. Now I could just skip the whole journey and say 'and then they arrived in Gondor after one seriously long hike' or words to that effect, but at the same time I quite liked the idea of it taking ages, since that gives time for the two characters to react to one another and develop a relationship (in whatever sense of the word you wish to envisage ). But then if I take the length of FotR or something to actually get to my story, I will surely bore the undergarments off my readers (and possibly myself, which I think would be worse for the fic).

So can anyone figure someway to compromise maybe? What ways has anyone seen in fics where this sort of 'journey' story is done very well? How do you accurately portray the vast distances and size of ME without actually putting readers into a coma?

[Yavanie]

I think you've got it: compromise.

If you want to develop characters along a journey then, by all means spend some pages on it. Otherwise a few phrases like you suggested work well. "they traveled in this manner uneventfully for X weeks" or "after two weeks of good weather they passed out of the wooded skirts of the mountains and onto the plains. They covered more ground each day across the plains, reaching the next destination in only a month." then you could include some small interactions every couple of days or weeks as fits your story. Just a few tell tale events to give the reader some indication that the characters are interacting. Of course, if it is a larger group it would probably move slower. main characters could be separated and not interact much because the female rides with ladies and the guy takes his turn as forward scout, rear recon or guard duty and closer patrol, so not really getting more than a glimpse of the girl when they make camp or set out and only occaisionally getting to talk to her. Of course, a smaller group would make faster time, and if they are elves, don't need to rest as much (though I'm sure the horses would need to).

In short generalities are fine, I would hint at some kind of realistic timeline even if it's not explored in depth. Of course sometimes a story is truly developd along the journey and not at the destination. In which case go for details.

I guess that really wasn't much help, huh?

[VanatheEverYoung]

I have this same problem with my fic. (Only my characters are moving all over Europe ). I try to keep track of the time, but not represent it all in the text. I'll write something like: "It took five days to cross the mountains, but luckily no evil lurked there." So that the readers aren't bored by an entire chapter of nothing but hiking, and they know that time has moved forward.

With bigger lengths of time, I try to write one or two chapters for character and/or relationship development. I assume you're referring to a trip from Lothlorien to Harad . I think one or two (or even three ... or another interlude) chapters would be good enough. Maybe a chapter at or near Rauros, Emyn Arnen, and Umbar (wait ... is that even on the way? Don't have my maps with me) where some adventure/crucial part of the story takes place (orc attack, encounter with Faramir, etc.) and through those events the relationship and characters can develop.

That's just what I do. I'm sure there are other, more experienced writers who have better suggestions. I do try to stay away from the dreaded ~*~ as much as possible, though.

[NancyBrooke]

[sofia]

[SpaceWeavil]

[Yavanie]

SW,

so the main character hate each other right now? Maybe, skip to the destination and then have then get in arguments in front of others that they now come in contact with and they start throwing stuff in each other's faces that happened along their journey, almost flashback (could also assume they did a lot of NOT speaking to each other along the way). Maybe like: "Oh yeah? well whose idea was it to _____? Where did that get us oh great one who knows it all!!" or "Well I wasn't the one that said _____ and then got all offended to find out it wasn't so!" , " but you're the one that said ______ about me first!"

okay you get the pic, two bickering teenage siblings sort of, just a suggestion.

[SpaceWeavil]