Bernadette Benda

I think we all need to step back and appreciate that “Ronald” is in Tolkien’s name.

(MY GOSH. Ok, so on a draft I was working on over the summer, I named a fast food place “Ronald John’s”. And later I thought, “wow, what a stupid, stupid name.” But now I think I named it that because I was naming it after Tolkien. WHAT.)

Ok, moving on.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. This is a follow up post to other books I’m thankful to for all the “important”‘ things they taught me. This one is a thank you to Tolkien.

When my dad read the Hobbit to me when I was a wee age, he really awoke a sleeping dragon. The Hobbit was like a magic word had been spoken and it activated the writer inside me. The goblins, Bilbo, the dwarves, the wood elves (who at first I  thought were made of actual wood. I mean, they are called “wood elves” after all, what was I suppose to think??), Gandalf, death *sobs*, and of course a dragon.

My journey into Lord of the Rings was – um, divergent??? I was read the books half by  my sister and half by my dad when I was a little older, but I also saw parts of the movies when I was a kid (I’ve seen “Riders of Rohan” SO many times. Also “Houses of Healing”. Yeah, I didn’t really know what the heck was going on but it was great). So it was all a little haphazard and stuff and out of order but WHATEVER.

But to summarize, I grew up running around in a cloak with a wooden sword pretending to be “off with you, on one of you’re adventures.”

But more importantly, I always wanted to write my own.

Of course eventually I realized that I couldn’t write the Lord of the Rings (it had already been done and all that), but still is inspired me. The epicness, the friendships, the journeys. How he made up language and worlds and cultures, some terrifying, beautiful, and homey. Lord of the Rings has fun parts, terrifying parts, beautiful parts.

Honestly, there’s so much I could say, but I’m going to stop now before it gets too sappy.

But anyway, than you Tolkien for inspiring me with your worlds and your imagination. Now, let’s go hunt some orc.

NANOWRIMO UPDATE

*screams* 

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