This essay is an overview and analysis of the use of language in J. R. R. Tolkien fanfiction. Including a brief discussion of The Lord of the Rings as a source for fanfiction and a more in-depth look at several pieces of fanfiction as case studies, I use language and Tolkien’s constructed languages to explore the relationship between a source canon and fanfiction. Building from this, I reflect on Tolkien’s philosophy of myth, language, and culture in relation to fanfiction, comparing Tolkien’s subcreation to the vast amount of creativity his work has inspired, and ultimately consider fanfiction through the lens of myth to argue that mythmaking is a bidirectional act, drawing on the past while offering itself to future writers.