The Fics that Hooked Me: a rec list

My mind is so literal (and old fashioned) sometimes: instead of thinking web browser bookmarks, I imagined handmade card bookmarks scattered through an old copy of The Silmarillion, with some of Himring's drabbles printed on them. (Which I think woul  be lovely)

I'd love to know what other fics you first discovered in this fandom.... 

The printed out drabbles are such a sweet idea, maybe I should do it!

I binged basically all of Dragonstorm's fics when I first found my way into the English-speaking Silm fandom in 2019, as well as bunn's series Return to Aman (I think that's the one, I know there's another that I keep confusing it with) but there are also a few from the German fandom that I remember very fondly.

Dragonstorm's To Catch a Falling Star remains one of my absolute favourites and one that I often return to!

Ooh, yes! bunn's writing is marvellous! Her Return to Aman series was on the Quora rec list too, so they were among the first fics I downloaded, along with Quenta Narquelion and her War of Wrath series. But by the time I'd read through all the fics listed above, I'd discovered the major distraction that is the SWG and was swept away by the ever-full smorgasbord of new fic, so I only got around to reading hers about a year ago. However, it was the perfect time as my health had taken a dive and I was feeling very low and it was such a comfort to just sink into the world that she brought to life.

I only discovered 's fics much later via the #fanworks-recs channel, and they are always so entertaining! I really enjoyed her Belladonna in How to Make Friends and Influence Hobbits and To Catch a Falling Star sounds delightful. (I've just downloaded it!)

So glad you appreciate the list.

I've listed all my first fics in the order that I read them, and yours were foundational! They introduced me not only to the concept of drabbles, but how inpactful a few lines can be when masterfully wrought. Your ficlets also made me aware of how powerful fanfiction can be, when canon can be alluded to without having to go into all the background detail. 

(And a little fangirling here, but I recall how so delighted and exited I was that one of my fave authors had selected my art to write for, for that first Scribbles & Drabbles!)