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Birdland · 07-24-2002, 05:35 PM

Hey all. I don't think that Bethberry posted this thread to criticize. I think the links she's supplied are very helpful, and here's why. (OK, this will sound like criticizing):

An interesting RPG, to me, is all in the details. That is what made Tolkien such a facinating writer. A character didn't just "sleep under a tree". He told you the type of tree, and what it's branches would look like when the moon shined through its branches, or the rain touched its leaves. A traveler doesn't just "look up at the stars". The stars had names and meaning, and the character would be inspired or intimidated by them.

Also it's good to remember that if you want a story to read "like Tolkien", you don't have to rely just on Tolkien's work. Our favorite author got his ideas and inspiration from the tales and languages of many cultures, and with the magic of the Internet, you have these same sources right at your fingertips! If you would like to choose a name for a character, but don't want it to be in one of the Elf languages, you can go to one of the many foreign language dictionaries or phrase books online and come up with some great names for characters. For example: here's a great site I found when trying to come up with a character name once:

Multilingual Names for Birds

Or if you need to create a "history" for a character, go search out the less common folk tales and songs of any culture. That's how Tolkien came up with many of his ideas, and you can do it, too! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

07-24-2002, 05:35 PM	#16
Birdland Ghastly Neekerbreeker Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: the banks of the mighty Scioto Posts: 1,751	Hey all. I don't think that Bethberry posted this thread to criticize. I think the links she's supplied are very helpful, and here's why. (OK, this will sound like criticizing): An interesting RPG, to me, is all in the details. That is what made Tolkien such a facinating writer. A character didn't just "sleep under a tree". He told you the type of tree, and what it's branches would look like when the moon shined through its branches, or the rain touched its leaves. A traveler doesn't just "look up at the stars". The stars had names and meaning, and the character would be inspired or intimidated by them. Also it's good to remember that if you want a story to read "like Tolkien", you don't have to rely just on Tolkien's work. Our favorite author got his ideas and inspiration from the tales and languages of many cultures, and with the magic of the Internet, you have these same sources right at your fingertips! If you would like to choose a name for a character, but don't want it to be in one of the Elf languages, you can go to one of the many foreign language dictionaries or phrase books online and come up with some great names for characters. For example: here's a great site I found when trying to come up with a character name once: Multilingual Names for Birds Or if you need to create a "history" for a character, go search out the less common folk tales and songs of any culture. That's how Tolkien came up with many of his ideas, and you can do it, too! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]