It is to be hoped that these resources will prove useful to our members in writing and researching their stories. These links are checked periodically, but sites sometimes go offline, so there might be broken links. Please do let us know if you find any! Whenever possible, we replace broken links with links to the site through Archive.org.

Also, feel free to send us more links that you might find useful.

Writing Resources

Live Journal Communities for writers
fillingcorners
shared_wisdom
theficklemuse

Dr. Merlin's Guide to Writing Fanfiction
http://firefox.org/news/articles/650/2/Dr-Merlin039s-Guide-to-Fanfiction/Page2.html

How to Write Almost Readable Fanfiction
http://littlecalamity.tripod.com/HowTo2.html

What is Fanfiction FAQ
http://www.loony-archivist.com/ptcarchive/faql.html

Free Online Thesaurus
http://freethesaurus.net/
http://thesaurus.reference.com/

Online Rhyming Dictionary
http://www.rhymer.com/

The Elements of Style
(William Strunk Jr.'s classic book on grammar and style available online)
http://www.bartleby.com/141/

GrammarBook.com
http://www.grammarbook.com/english_rules.asp

Grammar Tips for Writing Fiction
http://www.theforumsite.com/forum/post/4166400

Fiction Writing Tips
http://www.how-to-write-better.com/articles/writing-fiction/fiction-writing-tips

Tolkien's Use of Thee and Thou
http://www.henneth-annun.net/stories/chapter_view.cfm?stid=6960&SPOrdinal=1

General Info on Middle-earth

Encyclopedia of Arda
http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/default.asp

The Thain's Book
http://www.tuckborough.net/

Finduilas's J.R.R. Tolkien HomePage
http://fin.yserve.net/layers/html/main.shtml

Shire of the Hobbits
Geocities Page through Archive.org

Dana's Annotated Tale of Years
(This is a nifty version of the ToY, with the First Age from the Encyclopedia of Arda, and the rest from the ToY in LOTR. But she's made some corrections and additions--such as birthdates and so forth, which she has noted, and has included the years in Shire Reckoning as well as the Third Age years.)
http://danae-b.livejournal.com/1292.html#cutid1

Tolkien Chapter of the Week Project
(A discussion project of the usenet groups, alt.fan.tolkien/rec.arts.books.tolkien)
http://tolkien.forchhammer.net/CotW_1.html

A History and Complete Chronology of Numenor
http://sdgeard.customer.netspace.net.au/hccnum.html

Middle-earth Calendars http://fin.yserve.net/tables/html/dates.htm
http://www.panix.com/~wlinden/shire.cgi

The following links were contributed by Linda Hoyland:

Mythic Truth -
(This is a very interesting and detailed site about Catholic influences in "Lord of the Rings".
Highly recommended, it greatly enhanced my enjoyment of the book as well as giving me ideas to help me with writing my stories. Linda Hoyland)
http://www.mythictruth.com/

Talking about Tolkien -
(An interesting site with lots of photos of Tolkien and info about his work. It is being compiled for Chinese fans but is in English too.
It even tells you what lines from the book found their way into the films and has the timeline,useful if your copy of LOTR Is in another room while writing a fanfic.
There are also links to audio and video of the Professor. Linda Hoyland)
http://www.talkingabouttolkien.com/index_english.html

From pointy ears to Grima's tears -
investigations of a Tolkien enthusiast
(A collection of essays on various subjects the most interesting being about healing in Middle-earth. Linda Hoyland)
http://www.istad.org/tolkien/

Warm beds are Good
(An interesting essay about different kinds of love and friendship, as well as sex in Tolkien's work.)
http://www.ansereg.com/WarmBedsareGood.pdf

Tolkien Geek
(A delightful site summarising and commenting on Tolkien's works.)
http://tolkiengeek.blogspot.com/

Hair and Eye Colours
(A very useful list quoting what Tolkien has to say about the hair and eye colour of his characters.)
http://www.lcwsites.org/~lisa/colors.html

Names

Historical naming lists:
(a hint for using historical lists: choose names of Frankish, Merovingian or Germanic origin for male hobbit gentry; choose simple Saxon or Early English names for working class hobbits; choose names of Anglo-Saxon origin for the Rohirrim. Chose Scandinavian names for Dwarves)
http://www.gaminggeeks.org/Resources/KateMonk/

Flower and Jewel names for hobbit females
Geocities Page through Archive.org
Geocities Page through Archive.org

Feminine Naming Conventions in Middle-earth
(What not to name your female characters. Excellent article.)
http://www.openscrolls.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=94

Excellent Site with Middle-earth Naming information
(Includes links to info for not only Elves, but other races as well)
http://www.realelvish.net/names.php

Female Exilic-Sindarin Names
http://www.realelvish.net/noldorin_namesfemale.php

Male Exilic-Sindarin Names
http://www.realelvish.net/noldorin_namesmale.php

Genderless Exilic-Sindarin Names
http://www.realelvish.net/noldorin_namesgenderless.php

List of Hobbit Family Names
(Fairly comprehensive list. Just remember that the Westron names were not used in LOTR and that some names, such as Fairbairn and Gardner were not used until the Fourth Age.)
http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-hobbit-families

Hobbit Names
(Contains comprehensive lists of hobbit names found in LOTR)
Geocities Page through Archive.org

Sources for Dwarven Names
http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/sca-myth.php
http://www.massively.com/2008/06/29/blogging-into-mordor-finding-the-perfect-name-for-your-dwarf/
http://www.vikinganswerlady.com/ONMensNames.shtml

Edain (mortal human) names
Geocities Page through Archive.org

Numenorean-Sindarin Names
Site Offline, Available through Archive.org

Languages

Languages of Arda
(Ardalambion has information on all of Tolkien's languages.)
http://folk.uib.no/hnohf/

Online Sindarin Dictionaries
http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/index.html
http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/online/english.html
http://www.websters-dictionary-online.org/translation/Sindarin/
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/5330971/sindarin-english-dictionary

Online Quenya Dictionaries
Geocities Page through Archive.org
http://www.websters-online-dictionary.com/translation/Quenya/
Page Offline, Available through Archive.org
http://www.fact-archive.com/encyclopedia/Quenya

Tengwar
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/tengwar.htm
http://at.mansbjorkman.net/tengwar.htm
http://tolkienonline.de/etep/Tolkien/T/Tengwar/index.htm

Cirth
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/cirth.htm
http://ring-lord.tripod.com/cirth/

Sindarin Dictionary (from Linda Hoyland)
http://www.jrrvf.com/hisweloke/sindar/online/sindar/dict-sd-en.html

Travel Times and Distances

Timetable and travel info for LotR
Site Offline, Available through Archive.org

Travel Times in Middle-earth
http://www.theoriginalseries.com/traveltimes.htm

The Eowyn Challenge
http://home.insightbb.com/~eowynchallenge/Tools/tools.html

Genealogy

Hobbit genealogy
http://members.aol.com/sinelson/hobbitgen.html
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=849324
http://members.cox.net/anglachel/support/Frodo_Family_Tree.pdf

Cousins Explained
http://www.obliquity.com/family/misc/cousin.html
http://www.familyhistoryquickstart.com/2007/10/08/cousin-relation-explanation/

Flora and Fauna

General garden sites
http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/4405.asp
http://englishgarden.bellaonline.com/Site.asp
http://englishgarden.bellaonline.com/Site.asp
http://www.direct.gov.uk/HomeAndCommunity/InYourHome/PestAndWeedControl/PestAndWeedControlArticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=10026739&chk=skSe3r
http://www.gardenguides.com/index.htm
http://www.english-country-garden.com/flowers.htm

Flowers, Trees and Other Plants
http://www.british-wild-flowers.co.uk/index%20flowers.htm
http://plant-species.suite101.com/article.cfm/british_spring_flowers
http://www.judywoods.dial.pipex.com/British%20Wild%20Flowers.html
http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/index.php?section=environment:species:tree

Mushrooms
http://www.gigaflop.demon.co.uk/mushcook/tables.htm

Foraging
http://www.goselfsufficient.co.uk/all-about-foraging.html
http://www.goselfsufficient.co.uk/foraging-for-berries.html
http://www.goselfsufficient.co.uk/Foraging-for-meat-and-fish.html
http://www.goselfsufficient.co.uk/Foraging-for-mushrooms.html
http://www.goselfsufficient.co.uk/Foraging-for-nuts.html
http://www.goselfsufficient.co.uk/foraging-for-wild-greens.html

Birds
http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/
http://www.garden-birds.co.uk/

Butterflies
http://www.nature.british-towns.net/nature/07_cnam_british_butterflies.asp?page=1
http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artjun06/cd-bfly.html

Fish
http://www.arkive.org/british-species/fish/

Rabbit snare
http://www.m4040.com/Survival/Skills/Hunting%20and%20Snaring/Snares/Rabbit%20Snare.htm

Medical and Herbal Info

Online editions of old medical texts
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/felter/intro.html
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/petersen/intro.html
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/kings/intro.html
http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/index.html
http://www.bibliomania.com/2/1/66/113/frameset.html

Herbal remedies
http://www.taramandala.org/bs_herbs_props.htm
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/comindx.html
http://www.pikeherb.com/bronchitis.htm
http://www.liferesearchuniversal.com/grannymain.html

The following links with medical information contributed by SurgicalSteel:
Squire's Companion to the British Pharmacopoeia
Culpepper's Complete Herbal
A Textbook of Operative Surgery ca 1890 - pretty graphic, as it is a surgical text
A Treatise on Insanity: useful if you're wanting to deal with mental illness
A Manual of Military Surgery: Civil War Era, has some good material on things other than battlefield trauma that military surgeons were expected to treat

Food and Recipes

http://www.godecookery.com/goderec/goderec.htm
http://www.whirlwind-design.com/madbaker/breadfaq.html
Page Offline, Available through Archive.org
http://www.ladiesofreenacting.com/Receipts.html
http://www.ladiesofreenacting.com/index.html
http://www.housemouse.net/hkitch9.htm
Site Offline, Available through Archive.org
http://housebarra.com/EP/ep04/20cooking.html
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/1977-11-01/The-Art-of-Open-Hearth-Cooking.aspx

Fighting and Weapons

Fighting techniques
http://www.aemma.org/
http://mysite.verizon.net/tsafa1/pell/index.htm
http://www.chateauflammel.org/delarosa/docs/SCA%20Sword%20&%20Shield%20Curricul.doc

Weapons
http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/middle-ages-weapons.htm
http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/siege-weapons.htm

Archery http://www.pointstothecross.com/basics.html
http://www.regia.org/warfare/SaxonArchery.htm

Miscellaneous

Music
http://www.contemplator.com/folk.html
http://www.mudcat.org/threads.cfm
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/ballads/ballads.htm

Bagpipes
http://www.cs.uleth.ca/~kaminski/midi/

Clothing
http://www.alleycatscratch.com/lotr/

Replica Mediaeval clothing (from Linda Hoyland)
http://www.historicenterprises.com/

Screencaps (contributed by Shirebound):
http://www.framecaplib.com/lotrlib.htm