You're likely reading this because you have an interest, in some way, in Tolkien-based fanworks. That means that, at some point, several things had to happen. You had to pick up Tolkien. What motivated you to do that? Was it a book put in your hands by a parent, teacher, or friend? Or did you see the films and have to have more? Or did you see a work of art or read a story online that would not leave you alone until you learned more about the world that inspired it?

Then you had to, at some point, decide that, of the hours allowed to you during your week, you wanted to spend some of it on or with Tolkien fanworks. Again, what put those fanworks on your radar? Maybe you'd been part of fanworks communities before, accidentally found Tolkien fanworks online while looking for something else, or had been making stories and art about Tolkien before discovering that other people do this too. Over and over again, you choose to continue to be a part of this community. Why? What keeps you coming back?

This month, for my monthly Tolkien fandom studies and history column, Cultus Dispatches, I took on the Organization for Transformative Works' "10 things about fandom" challenge for International Fanworks Day. I thought it would be an easy column. It was not—in fact, it may be the most challenge column I've written yet! When the dust settles after a lot of thinking, discussing, writing, and phoning in favors to friends who know way more about aspects of the fandom's history than I do, what I really tried to do was find ten "moments" that explain how so many of us—sixty-four years after the first Tolkien fanfics were published—are still doing this thing. What brought us here? What keeps us here?

It's really important that this list is not definitive. It is one person's perspective, and while (appropriate enough for a tens challenge!) it is informed by ten years now formally researching Tolkien fanfiction, its cultures, and its history, it is one person's perspective. If you made or make your own "ten things" list about our fandom, please comment on my article or just hit reply here and let me know. I'd love to share others' perspectives as well!

You can read "10 Important Moments in Tolkien Fanfiction History" here.