[SpaceWeavil]

Argh, I shall try for the second time to post this. Computer is not co operating today.

Anyway, I wanted to ask a question that relates to a fic I'm working on at the moment. It's not one I've posted anywhere, nor do I intend to post it for a while yet (until I finish some of the WIPs I have posted). Basically my question is, how much can you quote from the books or movies in a story before it gets annoying?

The story's an AU 'what if', based on a conversation between Galadriel and Frodo in FotR and on a letter the Professor wrote, about what would happen if Galadriel had got hold of the One Ring. The story's basically a rewrite of the War of the Ring, taking it from the starting point that, when Frodo offers to give Galadriel the ring, she actually does think about taking it. (so the whole story is basically her thinking what would happen). It all takes place in that short moment when Frodo offers the ring, so what I was planning on doing was starting and ending the story with a short excerpt from FotR.

I'm just worried that it might be too long a quote, although I can't cut it down any more than I already have without losing the point of the scene. But if it's going to be irritating for a reader, it's better going, I should think, and maybe an author's note would be better?

Of course, I've given credit in an author's note, and what I've done is put the quotes in italics, and have said this is what I'm doing at the start, so it's obvious I'm not passing anything off as my own. But it still worries me a bit.

Also, if anyone could think of another, better way of introducing the story, maybe without using the quotes, that would be much appreciated.

I just thought I'd play with the notes and stuff for this story again to see if it kicks my other muses into gear, to get me back working on my WIPs.

[ellisk]

In the second part of my story, I introduced every chapter with a quote from UT or Silm because it helped explain something that went on in the chap. I don't think it's annoying if it is pertinent. And if you worked it to open and close the story, I think that sounds interesting. I don't think there's anything wrong with this way of intro'ing your fic. That's my two cents.

[inglor]

Interesting: having a quote start a chap or story

Still interesting: Having a quote start and end a story.

Annoying: More than three quotes per chap. but in a single chap fic, it depends on the length, longer=more quotes.

Inglor

[NancyBrooke]

So, you're talking about quoting a significant scene, right, not just a few lines?

I find it annoying, myself, when an author just includes parts of the films/books in their fic; it seems dishonest and lazy.

You, however, we know are not lazy:

[SpaceWeavil]

Basically this was how I've opened the thing so far, with this little block out of FotR:

[SilverMoonLady]

*waits with bated breath* Now, that is a project, my dear! I personally think that having the scene as a settup would work fine, especially with the AN.
And, btw, this is just the kind of AU I think would knock the socks off any fan of the books!
A little tweak..

[SpaceWeavil]

[VanatheEverYoung]

I don't see a problem with that bit. Yes, it's a long quote, but without it, the scene isn't set up quite the same. BTW, it's not nice to tease! How long do we have to wait for this story?

[SilverMoonLady]

I was hoping...

[SpaceWeavil]

[SilverMoonLady]

*passes the chocolate & liqueurs, and feeds the bunny*

[NancyBrooke]

I think when you started this thread you wanted a strong opinion, and with it some advice you could take or discard as you thought best; to that end:

I think what you have planned there is fine, but if you just started with

[Viv]

I struggled with a similar situation in my epic Legomance: I needed to retell the death of Aragorn (from LoTR Appendix), pretty much exactly as Tolkien did. So I took a lot of his dialogue, but I re-blocked it, inserting new mannerisms and movement, a different point-of-view character. Where I could, I changed the wording, making it more compatible with the way I was writing the characters.

With these subtle changes, no one has ever even mentioned that a lot of the dialogue in that scene was Tolkien's. But that could be because many lotrfic readers don't read the appendixes anyway.

[Elentari]

SW, with the piece you showed, you could either use the whole text you separated or just the final lines. (I personally vote for the lengthier, I think it would give the reader a more complete grasp of the ambient, for lack of better word.)

Begginning and ending with a quote would be a nice gap-filler. We did not see what passes through galadriel's mind, and it would be very scary indeed. I join the club- I will be waiting this one with great anticipation!

However, as with FF in general, everything lies heavily in the writter's style. there is a one fic that goes with re-writing LoTR almost chapter-by-chapter, it's an unashamed Mary-Sue, a tenth-walker, and legomance to top it, and still is a delightful piece to read. You'll even find it in- gasp- FF.net. The Truth about Elves, by Blue Kat.

I have no doubt you'd pull it off. (That's flattery, btw) But I guess you are thinking on the lines of begginning-ending. Well, I am waiting eagerly.

*Sits on chair tapping feet n the ground*[/url]

[Lossefalme01]

Ooo, that fic sounds really interesting!