[Ania]

I was just reading through my favourites fics and what struck me was the different ways that people present the same characters. One of the classic examples of this would be poor old Legolas, I have seen him a soppy mess, a noble prince, a spiteful child, and one of the delightful things about fanfic is that some writers are able to do a decent and convicing job with all of these portrayals of the same character. (Well maybe less of the soppy mess, but I think Lady Rheena pulled it off! He got sme backbone in the end!)

Anyway..I was just curious, what are everyone's favourite "styles" of fanfic, e.g. do you prefer a a slight AU, more humanised portrayal of elves which takes a rather amused look at their Dorwinion drinking habits, or do you prefer a more elegant portrayal of the elves that is truer to how Tolkien wished for them to be portrayed.

Or do you like me, like a variety for when you are in different moods?

[elea24]

I'm a girl that likes variety. I really appreciate fics that are true to canon, but I also love a humorous satire or AU.

I think if I hadto choose only one style for the rest of my life (which would be an awful choice), it would probably be long-length het dramas, because I'm a romantic girl at heart who loves a bit of intrigue and lots of drama.

[NancyBrooke]

At the heart of it, I want to see a new dimension to Tolkien's world and/or characters, so I particularly like fic that draws from canon but shows me something I haven't seen before. Other than that it can be humor, it can be drama, and it be about any race of folks, canon characters or OF/MCs, so long as it shows me something new, or something known in a new light. I do have a particular affinity for gap-fillers, though.

[Haleth]

I tend to gravitate towards well written, little stories about big things.

Oddly enough, I tend write write stories that are the exact opposite.

[dolarabee]

In a perfect world, where I'd have all the time I want/need to read, I'd go for lengthy stories, taking me on adventures spanning the whole of Middle-earth. I like drama, angst, love and romance, and while darker themes may attract me, sometimes my mood makes me look for something lighter.

Much like Nancy, I prefer something drawing from canon but daring to go further, touching on things as of yet unexplored or that Tolkien might have only hinted at.

I'm mostly attracted to Men but will get sucked into the world of Elves every once in a while.

AU and What-if stories are very welcome, as long as they don't veer off in the totally OOC. Though I've come across some really over-the-top ones for humour/parody's sake and they were quite enjoyable.

But since we don't live in a perfect world, in the last couple of years or so, I've mostly only read drabbles and short stories... and I'll stick with my favourite characters to get a fix.

do.

[ellaava]

its a attractive and huge verity,,, its a well made ,,, its completely interesting post for me....

[Sulriel]

My favs are the ones that strictly stay *within* canon, but go very deeply in between the lines and tell the stories that haven't yet been told.

I am another one who prefers the longer stories but really don't have time to savor them the way I want so I more often go for the shorter tales.

[ZeeDrippyVessel]

I've become quite the canon-whore (Except I believe the Elves enjoyed sex!) and have a preference for hairy men... or hairy dwarves. I prefer longer stories with well developed plot lines that add dimension to what we already know. I REALLY need for a canon character to remain recognizable or In Character. (meaning wimpy Eomer doesn't do it for me.) Once a canon character goes OOC, I can't cope. Pink and Fluffy Snape will send me running and screaming. (Yes, I've seen it. Not pretty.)

[LadyBluejay]

Hi,everyone,

I don’t know if I am counted as a newbie and have to introduce myself or not, since I’ve been posting stories here for years – so I am going to jump right in.

My favourite things to read and write are stories that are weaved tightly in and around the canon. And I want my characters to stay true to Tolkien. Like Zee I can’t bear a wimpy Éomer, or a story where he keeps apologising for being king. Tolkien says he had proud eyes and that’s how I see him.

Faramir also, I did not like the movie Faramir at all – where was the dark- haired, grey-eyed man who was both stern and wise?

But with my Lothíriel’s I can let my imagination run riot within the bounds of her being Imrahil’s daughter. I have no time for sword wielding Amazons, but have made her sometimes dutiful sometimes feminine and mostly a little feisty.

OC’s are great too because they can add a touch of humour, evil or a romantic interest that Tolkien never gave us.

Fanfic is fun, isn’t it? LBJ