Quote:
--Eucatastrophe.
--Revelation.
--Honor, valor, courage, humility, good manners, honesty.
--Nasssssty villians (what I find the most difficult.)
--Both detail and sweep.
--The open reader is changed.
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An interesting list,
Helen , especially the last one, which is difficult but something that ideally should happen. While I have no trouble agreeing with your points, where I personally have problems is deciding how
different certain elements of the story can be and yet still qualify as writing in the spirit of Tolkien. In other words, this list is meaningful not only for what is on it but also for what is not.
Nogrod brought up considerations of style a while back, mentioning posters who write with a distinct medieval flavor versus those who consciously express themselves in a decidedly "modern" tone. It's a point worth exploring. My personal preference is not to disqualify a work merely because of style. LotR had vast differences in style and voice from one chapter or episode to the next. If you add Hobbit and Silm into the equation, the differences become even more pronounced. JRRT frequently had to defend himself against critics who did not like this. At the very least we can say that the author shifted from voice to voice depending on his audience, the particular character involved, or the subject he was discussing. For that reason alone, I would not feel comfortable adding stylistic requirements to your list.
There is another question that's bothered me a long time. One factor that divides even very good fanfiction and rpgs from the original is the way the characters' internal lives are portrayed. Very rarely does Tolkien let us get into the head of a particular individual. More frequently, we see that character through another's eyes. (There are exceptions, but these are rare.)
Sometimes, when outside people ask me what I write on the Downs, I jokingly answer "Middle-earth soap operas". So many fanfiction works and rpgs, even those that are very well written, have a definite "angsty" flavor. There are a few exceptions--Mithadan comes to mind. But many of us do delight in plumbing internal depths, something which JRRT rarely did. So, anyone out there, do you think it is possible to craft angsty fantasy of this type (inside or outside of Middle-earth) that still qualifies as "being written in the spirit of Tolkien"?
Littlemanpoet - Thanks for the personal clarification. It was indeed helpful.
Whoops! I just crossposted with you.....