Tolkien-Related Works - can they get published?

[Narya]

I have often asked that question since many have lived and loved the books and stories so much they can actually make characters of their own and stories of their own that actually revolve around Middle Earth. I know that of course there's the copyright issue and the approval of Tolkien's descendants, but will they approve of such you think?

Maybe after much editing and much scrutiny there could be a series of books written by fans and approved for publishing by Tolkien's heirs?

Just wishful thinking...

[HLGStrider]

It would be interesting. . .but what obviously comes to mind is that most fanfiction is so incredibly bad.


Still the writers of it are undeniably usually amatuers and it may be possible to get together a good group of good writers to write ME stories.

I think it would be more fitting for a magazine, however.

[Lhunithiliel]

I guess that the worst and most dangerous problem could be just copying instead of creating.

And ... then it leads to ...:

1/ one either copies (style, environment, events etc.) and then is lost in the shade of the true "light" of the Master's original;
or
2/ one produces sth. original - and then it eventually results not related to ME at all.

Still, I guess that option 2/ is the better one!
Original ideas (in whatever field), as a rule, have a secured success.

[HLGStrider]

There is at least one publishing company I've come across in my searching that publishes only books based in a world invented by their company. I'm not sure how it works. I've never seen any of the books, but you have to write within their world to be published by them.


Another example is the huge amount of Star Wars and Star Trek writing. I'm sure that something similar could be started around Middle Earth. . .but would the writing be good?

[Arvedui]

To point you to one example of (IMO) very good litterature based on Tolkien's writings, go check out the thread mentioned in my signature. (http://www.thetolkienforum.com/showthread.php?t=16131)

Of course, it helps if you are more than normally interested in life in Arnor/Arthedain before its fall. ;)

[Barliman Butterbur]

I have often asked that question since many have lived and loved the books and stories so much they can actually make characters of their own and stories of their own that actually revolve around Middle Earth. I know that of course there's the copyright issue and the approval of Tolkien's descendants, but will they approve of such you think?

Historically, every book (and movie) that's really good and original has generated dozens of really bad copycats — the "vultures of original ideas," so to speak. This has gone on since man made art.

Barley

"Never believe anything until it has been officially denied." —Claud Cockburn 107b

[HLGStrider]

Unfortunatey, Valandil's efforts are the type I think are well written but have very little chance of being commercially published. The interest in them is just so small.

Even with a large fan base, any commerical venture would probably need to focus outside of that as well. No one uninterested in Tolkien would read Valandil's work. For one thing there are too many references that wouldnt' make sense to someone who had just watched the movies.

[Inderjit S]

The truth is that 99% of Tolkien fans are dillettantes. We have the odd Micheal Martinez or, but since the audience is so small, there is no point in having a plethora of Tolkien scholars. As HLG points out, Tolkien fans would be interested in such a work-but of course some Tolkien fans are interested in this and some in that. Middle-Earth is not like the Trojan War-which has had many different "authors", or many people continuing or adding to the legendarium as we have people like Homer, Virgil, Sophocles and Chaucher adding to the whole legend, or developing it. The Trojan War legend is very much pseudo-myhtical, rather then the work of one man as Middle-Earth is.

[Narya]

A magazine is a good idea. Perhaps DAP would consider it?

I know of many stories that aren't copycats, some are actually original work that only make use of the history of ME and the characters and Geography but the story itself is different.

But I agree that the issue of originality will be a big factor affecting the publishing of such fanfiction.

[Inderjit S]

Some kind of Tolkien magazine is a possiblity, and you could publish any fan-fiction, if it is particularly lengthy, in installments. Lots of old novels were published in magazines, in installments. Also, some television shows have relatively succesful "fan-fiction" being published, (albeit by proper authors), for example, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel both have various fan-fiction books.

[Narya]

Well looks like that's an idea, now isn't it?

Do you think if we make a go at it, it'll be succesful?

Who knows how to contact Tolkien, inc.?

[Arvedui]

I believe thatThe Tolkien Society (http://www.tolkiensociety.org/) publish a couple of magazines/fanzines. Maybe you could try to contact them?

[Valandil]

I'm a bit slow - only just found this thread. :p Thanks for the kind words, Arvedui and elgee! :) For my part, I maybe have a 'dream' about writing up all these ideas running through my mind and maybe finding a way to get them published, but for me, so far anyway, the satisfaction and enjoyment have come in the doing.

That may well be the limit to my satisfaction and enjoyment - but that's OK. I think elgee is right in that there's a very limited audience - and also that Lhunithiel is right - that original works are better. For now though, I'm enjoying 'filling in some of the details' that I like to dwell on - and don't at all consider myself a professional writer, so I don't feel the need to aspire to more than that.

So - do I have much chance of getting anything I might manage to write published? Not likely. But can I enjoy what I'm doing? So far, yes. :)

[Mike]

I never really understood the motivation for writing fan fiction. Perhaps someone could explain it to me?

As a short-stroy writer myself I find I much rather would write my own thing, free of the bounds of another author's world. People then read a story by me, and go "Gee, this guy's good (Or "Geez, this guy really sucks.")"

With fanfic it's: "Geez, this guy's good at writing Tolkien's stuff." or, "A disgrace to the master."

Sp, explain fanfic, please.

[Valandil]

For me, I guess it's a desire to explore some lesser-known corner of a fictional setting. Perhaps others have other motivations.

[Hammersmith]

My first experimentation with writing was Star Wars fanfiction. It was borne of a love of the genre and a desire to contribute something to it, as well as a desire to interact in some way with the characters I loved.