[BittenBuggy]

At the risk of reiterating a post and getting fussed at by a certain Admin ..... I was wondering if Old English dialogue is acceptable for a LotR fanfiction.

I was a member of a Tolkien-reader organization a few years passed (pre-films) and you were required to send in submissions in order to remain a member. They could be fiction or non-fiction, based on anything to do with Tolkien and his works.

Unfortunately, at the time I was working on acquiring a degree in Shakespearian literature. It was very difficult to jump from one form of dialogue to the next. As a result, the submissions (mostly short stories, but some novel-length) I sent in were snubbed because they did not represent the same 'writing style' as Tolkien had intended.

This was distressing for me because I think the Old English dialect has such a rich and beautiful flavor. But the question is, is it truly acceptable for Tolkien fanfiction?

[Scribe]

Well I personally don't have a problem with it. If you wish to write in Old English that's is up to you. We only pay attention when the substance of the story is contrary to the guidelines of this archive and that there are grammatical and formatting errors that make it difficutl to read. Bear in mind, people have tastes and if they do not wish to read Old English because its too difficult for them to understand, its just as much their right as it yours to post.

As for Tolkien in Old English I can't say. I do believe that a formal type of writing should be adopted when writing Tolkien and most of the time, I avoid using contractions "can't, 'don't s etc. I wouldn't find it unacceptable but it is probably more elaborate than Tolkienspeak which has a very unique style of writing.

Hope that answers your question.

[Moralanqua]

I think, that if used appropriately, it adds depth.

You just have to remember who the fanbase are and consider the fluidity of the writing when applying such rich and complex prose.

'Watered down' - in dialouge, its stunning!