The Adventures of Bilbo and Itaril

Gandalfs Beard

Thanks Odo!

Gandalfs Beard

Seeing as how Itaril has become a point of debate again, I thought I'd bump this thread up a bit. It's a fan fic (written by yours truly :mrgreen: ) folks, so any newbies have to start at the beginning of this thread. PS: I imagined Itaril as slightly older than Saoirse Ronan (more of a Kate Beckinsale Underworld vibe), so don't get all creeped out.

Kafria

Thanks for bumping this up. Had seen the mention, but obviously not come across this before! Loved it, well done - and it made me cry and laugh near the end as all good stories do!

Gandalfs Beard

Thanks Kafria. It's probably the best piece of fiction I've ever written (and the only one I've ever got beyond the first chapter ), but I'll never be able to publish it for money due to copyright infringement . I did post it at Fanfiction.net though

Kafria

Haven't been to fanfic for ages, GB. Are you still getting hits?

Gandalfs Beard

I haven't been there for a while myself, but I expect I'm still getting hits. I've actually been doing very well with my Tolkienized Lewis and Lewisized Tolkien shorts (the latter being written be someone else). I've been getting a lot of people putting it in their favourites list and giving positive reviews. I really should have another go at that, but I'm better at writing in Tolkien's high-English LotR/Silmarillion style than Lewis's narrator interjection style. But I might take another crack at it. I just have to find some more of Lewis's Narnia series that could use a bit of Tolkien sprucing up, and some LotR passages that would sound hilarious written in Lewis's style.

Hip Hip Hooray!

Thanks for bringing this thread back so quickly Petty.

GB

Moved to Fanfic Forum because it's better suited there, and because that forum looks so lonely.

Reading this again makes me pine, you know! Where is old Beard? I do miss him!

I've said I was going to do it for ages, but now I finally did it: I read your story, GB

Loved every chapter, both the contents and the writing. Almost forgot I wasn't reading Tolkien sometimes Really don't know what to say, your story deserves so much feedback, and I am at a loss for words! Fantastic writing and a brilliant plot mixed with some priceless humour inbetween (I mean, "entirely in a state of…erm…undress", that's beyond priceless ). Your story left me with a desire to read the books and watch the films again, well done is all I can say

Ringdrotten wrote:I've said I was going to do it for ages, but now I finally did it: I read your story, GB

Loved every chapter, both the contents and the writing. Almost forgot I wasn't reading Tolkien sometimes Really don't know what to say, your story deserves so much feedback, and I am at a loss for words! Fantastic writing and a brilliant plot mixed with some priceless humour inbetween (I mean, "entirely in a state of…erm…undress", that's beyond priceless ). Your story left me with a desire to read the books and watch the films again, well done is all I can say

Cheers Ringdrotten.

Thanks for that. I'm really chuffed you liked it so much.
It's probably the best piece of Fiction I've ever written (or even finished writing). But as it's a Fan Fic depicting licensed characters, I'll only ever be able to share it on the internet or pass around the printed copy for free.

Still, accolades are sometimes the best reward.

I was truly inspired by the greatness of Tolkien's characters, and the fact that he left just enough room in his narratives to make this even plausible at all. I did a whole ton of research and editing to make all the pieces fit together just right to drop it seamlessly into Tolkien's pre-established works (with only a bit of homage to the films). In a way the credit should really go to Tolkien's characters. They seemed to write themselves, and tell me a story that only they knew about; a lost tale that explained some of the mysteries of their pasts.

I doubt I'll ever be able to write anything (or finish writing) of my own that will ever compare to this novella.

GB

"I did a whole ton of research and editing to make all the pieces fit together just right to drop it seamlessly into Tolkien's pre-established works "

I can only imagine. Glad you did, though, made the story all the more credible Particularly impressed by how you managed to fool me you were Tolkien when the main characters spoke. Was going to say "especially Bilbo and Gandalf", but they're all very convincing - perfect! That, and the food descriptions and the pipe smoking - neither of them were overdone. Instead, they fit perfectly into the story. Brilliant

Gandalf's Beard wrote:

I doubt I'll ever be able to write anything (or finish writing) of my own that will ever compare to this novella.

GB

GB-

Don't be ridiculous! OF COURSE you'll be able to top this novella! And your novella is great- I'm so glad you re-posted it here so I could finally read it. (It was fun to see the references to "whimsey" again.) GB, you clearly are a skilled and passionate author. You have the skill to create new characters and new story arcs for for an existing work, so you certainly have the skill to create an entirely new work. Right? Using existing characters and stories just gets the author and the readers up to speed more quickly.

You're incredibly creative. I never, ever gave any thought to what the journey to the Undying Lands might have been like. Or what Frodo and Bilbo's relationship might have been like prior to LOTR. Or what Bilbo would have sounded like discussing his sex life. And that last one makes me very uncomfortable, so your novella is a triumph: I wanted to find out what happened next! I HAD to keep reading, even though I would rather hear my parents discuss their sex life than read Bilbo discussing his. You got me to leave my comfort zone.

There's not much other feedback I could give you that haven't gotten already. I should say, though, that your last paragraph/epilogue was beautiful. It reminded me of the end of Princess Bride, one of my all-time-favorites. Thank you!

I look forward to reading more of your work on this site.

-Paul

Cheers Paul.

Thanks very much for the accolades.

Believe me, Bilbo was far more uncomfortable telling that part of his story than you were hearing it.

I do keep having a crack at fiction writing. I have since High School. But I never get beyond the first chapter. . I have achieved more in non-fiction, writing articles and essays on Political Economy, Religion, and Mythology; many of which are published on friends' blogs. A lot of my posts in Ye Olde Forumme (in the early days, before Eldo, Odo, and Petty came along) were based on my research.

This story really wrote itself. The characters told me a story yet to be discovered by Tolkien. I wrote it as the best fiction writers do, driven by compulsion (OCD). All I had to do was some basic research to make sure the continuity and time-lines merged smoothly with what had come before.

I can only hope I get hit by that sort of lightning again, but with my own characters.

GB

Hey GB, good to see you around again! I hope you're doing well.

Thanks Eldo!

I hope to spend a bit more time here again. It's kind of feast or famine with me. By the way, lovin' the new look (did you really get permission from Ted Nasmith? ).

GB

Oh Gandalfs Beard, Oh Gandalfs Beard,
Is it true my friend what we have heered?
That soon you'll write another tale,
If you do, it could not fail,
But cheer us up and make us smile,
In your dream-space let us spend awhile!

"A Forumshire Phantaste," by Rudyard Kipper.

Wisey Banks

Gandalf's Beard wrote:I hope to spend a bit more time here again. It's kind of feast or famine with me. By the way, lovin' the new look (did you really get permission from Ted Nasmith? ).

I hope you can find time to post here again. I'm glad you like the new layout, too! I didn't contact Ted Nasmith personally, but Baingil, who made the new layout, did.

Good to see you again, GB Great poem, Wisey

Wisey Banks wrote:Oh Gandalfs Beard, Oh Gandalfs Beard,
Is it true my friend what we have heered?
That soon you'll write another tale,
If you do, it could not fail,
But cheer us up and make us smile,
In your dream-space let us spend awhile!

"A Forumshire Phantaste," by Rudyard Kipper.

Wisey Banks

Ah! Good to see you back too Wisey.

Given all the casting announcements, I guess I'll have to put my tuppence in on that. There are definitely a couple of questionable casting decisions in my book. So you can expect me to drop by on other threads too. Besides, I need a break from all the Heavy Stuff.


GB

Eldorion wrote:

Gandalf's Beard wrote:I hope to spend a bit more time here again. It's kind of feast or famine with me. By the way, lovin' the new look (did you really get permission from Ted Nasmith? ).

I hope you can find time to post here again. I'm glad you like the new layout, too! I didn't contact Ted Nasmith personally, but Baingil, who made the new layout, did.

That's quite a Score Eldo! I wonder how many other Tolkien based forums can say the same.

Now all we need is the Tolkien Estate to make us their official forum.

And it's good to see you too Ringdrotten.


GB

PJ MAKES FORUMSHIRE "OFFICIAL"

HOT PRESS EDITION


Rumour has it (from a respected source) that Peter Jackson plans to make Forumshire the Official Meeting Place of movie fans.

The staff at this journal are suitably amazed.

While here on this thread, we would also like to mention how highly we regard Gandalf Beard's great modernist tale of True Love in Middle Earth. Worthy of a movie itself!


Lesbo Proudfoot
Editor in Chief

The Archet Bugle

*sigh* if only rumors were true.... trumors....

I think if PJ came here, so would Rules - and lots of them, Tin.

While I'm here, GB, may I ask, do you plan to write another fanfic. I've read Bilbo and Itaril three times, and enjoyed it more each time, and each time it only whets my appetite for another Middle Earth tale.

Hopefully PJ would like our anarchist spirit. He is, after all, a Tolkien Liberal.

I will write another fan fic if I get struck by lightning again. I don't want to just make something up merely for the sake of it. I left some room for Bilbo to tell Frodo more stories of his adventures with Itaril. I reread my story every now and then to see if something comes to mind.


GB