Filling In The Gaps

[Inderjit S]

I just thought of this idea whilst I was having a bath. Don't know how "good" it is, that's for everybody else to decide.

What if we have some kind quasi fan-fic, in which we "fill in the gaps" of events that took place in LoTR which Tolkien only briefly dealt with, or some of the background scenes in LoTR.

For example, Bilbo's meeting with Gildor and co., Pippin and Merry forcing Sam to join their conspiracy, the journeys of Gildor and his Elves and Glorfindel, or Boromir, the scene in which Éomer rides of to intercept the Ork-band and threatens to kill Grima, the battle between the Umbarians and Angbor before the arrival of Aragorn and co. Or you could delve into the minds of some of the evil characters, why did some of the hobbits join the evil men after they invaded the Shire or discuss the perfidy of people like Grima, Lotho and Ted Sandyman. Or that ultimate enigma, the conversation between Gandalf and Bombadil.

[Inderjit S]

Hm...anybody?

[Eledhwen]

I've been doing some of this sort of thing and posting it at various times. For instance, I wrote a piece set in Rivendell at the moment the Ring was destroyed, and the effect it had on Bilbo (It might be in the Hall of Creative Endeavours, I can't remember :o ). I also wrote a short piece on the death of Saruman from Grima's viewpoint, and have posted a couple of screenplay excerpts of other events mentioned in The Hobbit.

A thread dedicated to such stuff is a great idea! Did Tolkien not say in a letter (I'm at work - so can't refer) that he hoped others would fill in the bits he had only sketched. He considered this thought to be 'absurd'. Looking at his work from the outside, without the cloak of the author's humility, we know different.

*edit* Found a screenplay excerpt (http://www.thetolkienforum.com/showthread.php?p=311743), the Rivendell (http://www.thetolkienforum.com/showthread.php?p=220226) one, and the Grima (http://www.thetolkienforum.com/showthread.php?p=405201) one.

[Lhunithiliel]

Hmmm, Inder, El, I think this idea can gain quite a high rate of interest ...

I however think, that it needs some guidence.
Inder? ;)

[Eledhwen]

I think that to succeed, such a project needs guidelines; otherwise we will end up with a half-baked role play thread.

I would suggest that the accounts only contain characters that would legitimately enter the story from the existing Legendarium ... No invented Elf leaping to the rescue, or fake antagonist to stir up the trouble. For instance, my account of Gandalf in Dol Guldur had a conversation between Orcs purely as a shortcut for providing information for Gandalf to overhear. They did not interract or become main characters. I would break my own rules if, for instance, Gandalf was challenged by a Ringwraith and had to do battle; for though the wraith would legitimately be there, it is probable that Gandalf would have mentioned such an encounter, and he didn't. Clearly, though, some stories would need invented characters. For instance, we only know the names of the protagonists in the later battles for Erebor, Esgaroth and Dale, and some invention would be needed if the glamhoth were to be any more than a dark wave of evil beings of whom no detail was given. It is in the skill of writing such characters without upsetting the histories that would be the big challenge.

I thought that people could 'book' an event, like they book Characters for the Gallery of Characters; but it is entirely legitimate that different authors will write completely different accounts of the same event, and each stand on its own merit.

There could even be competitions (if the authors' egos could take not winning) to decide the best accounts.

[Lhunithiliel]

Eledwhen, Inderjit S, you seemed interested in developing this project... :cool:
I personally think it is a very interesting one and I would love to see it started! :)

[Halasían]

This sounds like a great idea! I've written a few of these types of things on my own now and then. I have one which was *gulp* partially inspired by the movie called [i]The Battle of Pelennor - The Aftermath. Its more of a journal writing and a telling from the perspective of one of the un-named Rangers that met Aragorn in Rohan.

[Eledhwen]

You can post your story here (http://www.thetolkienforum.com/showthread.php?p=439248#post439248), and come back to this thread to make or read any comments.