Run With It

Writers often talk about their stories forming themselves. I’ve experienced it myself for sure. But some writers may find it scary to deviate from an outline or predetermined plan. Some may find it uncomfortable to explore a new idea, or character, or place in the story world. What if it messes up the whole plan?

In this article, we find an interesting behind-the-scenes glimpse of The Lord of the Rings. Let’s take a look.

“I met a lot of things on the way that astonished me. Tom Bombadil I knew already; but I had never been to Bree. Strider sitting in the corner at the inn was a shock, and I had no more idea who he was than had Frodo. The Mines of Moria had been a mere name; and of Lothlorien no word had reached my mortal ears till I came there. Far away I knew there were the Horselords on the confines of an ancient Kingdom of Men, but Fangorn Forest was an unforeseen adventure. I had never heard of the House of Eorl nor of the Stewards of Gondor. Most disquieting of all, Saruman had never been revealed to me, and I was as mystified as Frodo at Gandalf’s failure to appear on September 22.”

J.R.R. Tolkien, in a letter to W.H. Auden, 7 June 1955

Now I’m not sure about you, but all of this was news to me. I would have never guessed a character so cornerstone to the story as Aragorn (Strider) had never been planned. I find it fascinating that in this paragraph, three of my favorite events, places, and characters surprised Tolkien himself: Bree, Strider, and Gondor. Notice also, how all three intertwine. Strider was from Gondor, but no longer there, necessitating the Stewards. And we met him in Bree.

Bree, the home of the Inn of the Prancing Pony, the place where the Wraiths nearly find Frodo, and where we meet my all-time favorite character, Aragorn, King of Gondor. Oh. Gondor? What’s that place? Ah yes. That’s where Aragorn’s throne is, where the Steward holds it for him. The Steward, the father of Boromir and Faramir, two of my other favorite characters.

And of course, Gandalf not showing up to meet Frodo added a nice twist to the story.

But think if Tolkien had never run with those ideas. The Lord of the Rings certainly would not be as we know it. The things that surprised Tolkien, the things he chose to explore, happen to be the core of my love for the stories.

So when you stumble on something that surprises you as you write, don’t be afraid to chase it, to explore it. You never know where it might take you.

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“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

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