Happy Tolkien Day!
"I have very little interest in serial literary history, and no interest at all in the history or present situation of the English 'novel'. My work is not a 'novel' but an 'heroic romance' a much older and quite different variety of literature." -Letter 329, Oct 1971
"I have seriously embarked on an effort to finish my book, and have been sitting up rather late: a lot of re-rereading and research required. And it is a painful sticky business getting into swing again. I have gone back to Sam and Frodo, and am trying to work out their adventures. A few pages for a lot of sweat: but at the moment they are just meeting Gollum on a precipice. What a lot of work you put into the typing, and the chapters written out so beautifully! I wish I still had my amanuensis and critic near at hand." -Letter 59, airgraph to Chris Tolkien April 5, 1944
It's so interesting to hear about Tolkien's process of writing LotR. :)
I rewatched Fellowship of the Ring for the umpteenth time on plane when i did a mini trip to FL this past week. (back now)
Plot bunnies within:
“My dear lad” Bilbo and Frodo extension in Fotr
Boromir extension at council of Elrond “what if Sauron takes back what is his. What then. ?"
Each fellowship’s thought when Gandalf perishes with balrog (Drabble series) oh the angst! (hehehe )