Old characters, new adventures

Alexa's head was pounding.

Stirring, her eyes slowly flickered open, focusing on a dark figure sitting by her bed.

Curious, she sat up and stared at the figure. It was a man in a long tunic and he was fast asleep.

‘What the hell?'

And this is how oxford-hamilton begins her epic tale, using characters from the beloved Lord of the Rings series to tell a new story of friendship and adventure.

Fan fictions like oxford-hamilton's are stories that use existing characters and settings that are written by fans.

There are numerous fandoms about Harry Potter, Twilight, Lord of the Rings — you name it — and fan fiction stories are written about virtually any TV show, movie or book you can think of.

Fanfiction.net user DragonFyre400 writes stories about Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. She became interested in fan fiction at a young age. “I used to imagine myself in the stories that were happening. I quite enjoyed using my own creativity to make up what kinds of mischief or adventures I could get into with characters that were far removed from reality.”

DragonFyre400 wrote her very first fan fiction when she was in grade four. “It was actually a class assignment to write down what you would want to happen on your birthday, no matter how silly or unlikely. I wrote about waking up and finding that the Sailor Scouts from the anime Sailor Moon had somehow found themselves in my house.”

Oxford-hamilton, who also posts her stories on fanfiction.net, writes stories about Lord of the Rings. “My initial obsession with the Lord of the Rings books and films got me into fan fiction, although mostly I just read parodies, which were hilarious. I've always been a bit jealous of those writers, as I can't pull off comedy myself.”

She described her writing to be a compulsion. “Sometimes once I've read a book or seen a movie, I get that ‘hangover' you get when you finish something amazing and don't want it to be over. Fan fiction is my way of staying connected to and expanding on these amazing worlds.”

Before writing a fan fiction, or any story for that matter, you must do your research. DragonFyre400 stated that “research really depends on how detail-oriented the story is going to be. I've seen simple stories that were very satisfying to read that could not have taken much research, and I've seen stories that have woven so much of the fandom's history and lore into their story that the research must have been massive. For my present piece, I do enough research to make sure that I am not misspelling any names or locations. If I mention some of the history, I want to do so accurately.”

Before oxford-hamilton began writing a Lord of the Rings fan fiction, she also started off by doing her research. “At the beginning, the books, maps and drawings and predominantly the films were really useful, I even used a few passages straight from LOTR (fully credited to Tolkien of course). All the book and the film scripts were the handiest, but now since I've gone way off the map, I don't really research things as thoroughly as I did at the beginning.”

Besides Lord of the Rings, both authors get their inspiration from many different places. “I am also a great fan of Harry Potter, and have written several fan fictions of that fandom as well,” said DragonFyre400. “Sometimes I'll see a great scene in a movie or read something in a book. And sometimes I even get inspiration from real life. I try not to write myself into fiction, because it can be very overdone and gimmicky if done wrong, but many times my humorous characters draw from my own sense of humour.”

According to oxford-hamilton, music can also be a major influence — she names each chapter of her work with the titles of songs. She also draws inspiration from historical fiction, murder mysteries and science fiction. “Writers like Agatha Christie and TV shows like Doctor Who are also great inspirations,” she added.

Fan fictions come with their own set of challenges. Both authors said that writing fan fiction can be hard at times, because just like writing an original story, you still have to take your characters and place them into a plot. “Even when the story contains magic, there is still a certain amount of plausibility that must be kept. The reader suspends belief to a certain degree, and so especially when there are fantasy elements involved, you have to be careful to make sure that things make sense,” said DragonFyre400.

She added that, even when you're coming up with an original story, it's important to maintain the character's original charm. “It's what attracted you to that character to begin with. Sometimes it can be refreshing to see familiar characters do new and exciting things, but there is a difference between exploring new horizons and totally ruining a character's image.”

Oxford-hamilton added that “characters that are fully formed and ready for you to use can be both a blessing and a curse when it comes to writing fan fiction, especially if you're trying to write a serious fiction. If you can't come up with a legitimate reason for someone to act out of character, then it changes the story you're trying to write, which isn't a challenge you'd face if you were writing your own story. On the other hand, the beauty of fan fiction is you can do whatever the hell you want, so your only challenge is choosing elements to keep as part of the story.”

People write fan fiction for many different reasons. They may like the story or the characters, and DragonFyre400 said that she likes the feeling of release that she gets when she writes one. “It allows me to enter a world that is not my own and create stories and adventures to please me. I always want others to enjoy my stories, but if I feel that if I do not enjoy writing it, then the chances are that the story may end up being abandoned due to writer's block.” She added that she likes the challenge of taking a set of characters “that so many people are familiar with and know, and give them new life and make them fun in new ways.”

For those who want to try writing their own fan fiction, originality is the key. “Originality in fan fiction is a great way to practice for the possibility of creating your own story. Give a life to these characters and treat them with as much respect as you would if you had created them. Just because you do not make money off of them does not mean that you can't enjoy them,” advised DragonFyre400.

Be sure to also write down all of your ideas and make an outline. “There are plenty of times I've started up a story based on a dream or wild thought I've had. Get that idea written down, and then make the story revolve around it. Know where you're going to end and how you want to start as well. Endings change, but the foundation and beginning of the story will either let you build to great heights of imagination, or will not hold up your plot and make you crumble,” she continued.

The best thing you can do is read, DragonFyre400 concluded. “You cannot be a good writer if you do not read. Reading expands your vocabulary and exposes you to great stories and character that can be molded or adapted into a story of you own, either as an inspiration for a fan fiction or even as the inspiration of an original story. J. K. Rowling was heavily influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien, and many of her plot devices were inspired from his works. There are only a few true plots in existence, and every good story is just someone's take on it.”

The last thing to remember is to let your imagination run wild and have fun! “Just go for it! If you love that world enough then get it down on paper and get it out there! And even if you don't want to publish it, just write it for yourself,” said oxford-hamilton.

To read more stories or to post some of your own work, check out fanfiction.net.