Did JRRT encourage new ME stories?

[davem]

Originally Posted by Morwen

Middle Earth fanfiction currently exists and is most likely currently enjoyed. Therefore those who want more stories are getting precisely that. So why then, in your opinion, does the Estate need to give an official sanction to someone to create Middle Earth stories? Is there some particular reason why the informal vehicle of fanfiction is not enough?

And if anyone wants they can even print out the stories they like & get a bookbinder to knock them up a nice leather bound volume with the title in gold leaf on the spine.

It seems that what is being asked for here is for a story/stories which are officially sanctioned in order to make them 'more' significant, & which can then be discussed & argued over on Internet fora. That & the desire to have a bunch of 'new' M-e volumes on people's bookshelves.

Oh, these 'fantastic' books which are waiting to come into being! These books which don't exist in any shape or form.

Has it occurred that to demand to have something which doesn't exist, simply because it is not logically impossible that it may one day exist is a bit of an odd demand to say the least?

Sauron the White & Feanorsdoom - Now, if you had come across a fan work that you sincerely believed was good enough to stand alongside Tolkien's works I could understand you maybe contacting the Estate & petitioning fans for support in getting it published. As it is you seem to be arguing that one day such a story might be written & that it should then be published. You argue that the Estate should 'take a writer under its wing' & help & encourage him or her to be the next JRRT. I have to ask you in all sincerity who is this writer? Has anyone volunteered to become this writer? Have they written any M-e fiction as yet?

Or is the Estate to advertise for a writer in the small ads? Are they to send out invitations to famous writers offering them a contract - even if the writers in question have no desire to write new M-e stories?

Can we move away from this 'Well, its not logically impossible for someone one day to
write new M-e stories" & have some names & background? Do you actually know of anyone who's putting themselves forward? If so, let's see what they've written & then we can decide whether they're likely to be any good.