Anything, but ordinary, please!
Challenge Details
Okay, we know that the typical character in fanfic, beloved of Mary Sue writers everywhere, is either a beautiful princess, an independently wealthy orphan, or a horribly abused slave. We know that there are a lot of noble characters mentioned throughout the books - indeed, most of the Fellowship are of the ruling classes (the only ones who aren't are Sam and Bill the Pony). But what about the ordinary folks? So here's the deal: write a story about an ordinary person in Middle Earth.
A denizen of the Shire, of Rohan, one of the Rangers, a resident of Bree, of Minas Tirith, an Ent that joins the battle against Saruman, even an ordinary non-noble elf in one of the Elven domains. The canon characters are allowed to appear in the story, but only in the periphery: viewed in passing, or a *maximum* of six sentences of dialogue.
The character cannot have noble blood - not even on the wrong side of the blanket. They must be of the common people.
Entries with Stories
The following authors have entered a story in the Challenge.
- acacea - On The Flood
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 19 Feb 05
- “The shards came severally to shore...the other was found spinning on the flood by one who had an errand on the water” ... a cloven half of Boromir’s horn is found in the Anduin by one of his men
- Alawa - Jewel in the Crown, The
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 04 Apr 03
- The Crown of Eärnur receives a final polish on the morning Aragorn becomes King. Now entered for the 'Anything, but ordinary, please!' HASA Challenge.
- Avon - Coming Home
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 09 Nov 03
- Inspired by and written around Fileg's wonderful poem, Home by Morning. A ranger's wife waits for her man to come home. *Was Promises to Keep*
- Chris - Morwen and Eredh
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 31 May 03
- Written for the Anything, but ordinary please... challenge. A sunny autumn day, a harvest and just a bit of romance.
- Cirdan - Chance Meetings
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 16 Apr 03
- Legolas of Gondolin and Gimli the Blind Elf meet again at the Mouths of Sirion after years of not seeing each other. Mablung is present for this momentous event. (Momentous in their lives, not in the greater history of ME.)
- Dwimordene - Very Rain of Sparrows, A
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 11 Mar 07
- Peace. Land. Life. Loyalty.
A Kin-Strife parable. - Eledhwen - Deep Black
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 23 Jul 03
- Entry in the "Anything but Ordinary" challenge. A Rohirric fighter, one of those who has seen too few winters, at the battle for Helm's Deep.
- Forodwaith - Fading Leaves
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 06 Jul 03
- An elf of Rivendell is delayed in her departure West after the War.
An entry for the "Anything, but ordinary, please!" Challenge. - Moriel - Daughter of Rohan
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 10 Jul 03
- A village in western Rohan is attacked by the uruk-hai, and a young girl ponders about life and death. Declined from the archive...comments greatly appreciated.
- Morwen Tindomerel - King's Folk, The
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 27 Oct 03
- The good folk of Bree learn the truth about the Rangers, set in the November after the WR. A fusion of movie and book canon with a great deal of my own fanon thrown in.
- narie the waitress - Shades of Grey
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 14 Mar 03
- As spawned by the Anything, but Ordinary Nuzgul-gone-Challenge, a very short sketch concerning the Grey Company, as seen through the eyes of a woman who is most certainly not riding out with them. Canon compliant, as far as I know.
- Nuinavar - Healing After War
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 26 Dec 03
- A servant of the garrison in Minas Tirith, Lossufin,thinks of his son as he serves food and drink to Aragorn in the interim before he heals the people of the city. Feedback appreciated.
- shunt - Upstairs, Downstairs, in my Lady's chamber.
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 04 Aug 03
- Coffee Talk on a balcony in Rivendel - A vignette for both the "Anything But Ordinary" & "Snapshot" challenges.
Advisories - language, satire, innuendo so broad even Nessime caught it.
WARNING - This tale snuggles comfortable within Canon only if you have not read Volume 11 of Histories of Middle Earth. - Simbelmynë - To Face the Sea
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 12 Apr 03
- She must go now, the longing is so great that she cannot bear it anymore. She was young, yes, and she had never seen what was on the hither shore. Worries of a fourth-age elf maid, her fears and loves. Very Short.
- Thevina Finduilas - Call of the Drúedain
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 03 Mar 04
- Written for the "Anthing, but Ordinary, Please!" challenge. Short, somewhat angsty story of a drum maker escaping from a bad family situation in Pelargir.
- Tindomiel - Weaver's Apprentice, The
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 21 Jun 03
- The Ring War didn't just affect its heroes...it touched the lives of all the people of Middle Earth. A teenage girl of Minas Tirith watches the coming Darkness with fear, becomes caught up in the war itself, and finally finds her own happiness in the midst of Gondor's victory. Written for the "Anything, but ordinary!" Challenge.
- Zimraphel - Until The End
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 27 Jul 03
- A faithful servant remains at Turgon's side as Gondolin falls around them. Vignette for the Anything, But Ordinary Challenge.
