There are a lot of things that make me happy, the most obvious of which is my boyfriend. This goes without saying. But he is not what this post is about. This post is about what makes me happy aside from that, and I'll be honest, while it's not close, it is in second place.
I realise how silly it might sound, but it brings me to tears. I get excited every time I see it, read it and so on, and when I went to the cinema for it, just the opening credits brought me to tears.
I just wish it was real.
Middle Earth.
I first saw the Lord of the Rings when it was released. It was the first time I'd ever been exposed to Fantasy, and I fell in love immediately. I read the books shortly after I saw the first film, and it was when I finished the trilogy, in October 2003, that I first decided I wanted a career in fantasy writing. I was 12 years old.
I've had other 'dreams' come and go since then, but writing has been the only one that has never once wavered. Even when I wanted to be in a band, I was still actively writing. It's still my only solid dream, the one goal I have that I can honestly say I want with all my heart, and I am working for it. It will happen one day.
But the roots of my passion for writing, and for fantasy in general, despite the fact that my fantasy isn't quite the same as that of Tolkein, lie within Middle Earth.
The magic, the races, the world, its history. I love it all. I owe a lot of my passion to the films and the books, to the story itself. It shaped fantasy as we know it today, and even the film adaptations - while not precisely the same as the book (for example, Frodo didn't leave the Shire with the ring as soon as Bilbo left. It was years later before he left, and he had the ring in his possession for 17 years before it was destroyed) - make me happy, to actually see Eriador, Rhovanion, The Lonely Mountain. It's incredible. Believe me when I say I need to go to New Zealand one day and see Hobbiton for myself.
The stories have been done justice through film, I believe. Others will disagree, and they're welcome to, but when I see even only the title screen, I'm crying. I open the books and I am absorbed into them for days. If it wasn't for The Lord of the Rings, I would not be who I am today, and that is a very simple fact. My passion for fantasy has shaped who I have become friends with, shaped my hobbies, and shaped my dreams. Even The Hobbit is outstanding, though, once again, not identical to the book.
I love anything to do with it (except any suggestion as to how they made the film, I prefer to think it's real for as long as I can get away with), and there's a wonderful company, WetaNZ, that is responsible for creating the props for both The Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit, among many other things, and they sell replicas of the props, using the same materials, moulds and everything they used to create the originals. We own only one piece from Weta - the Key to Erebor, from The Hobbit, and I bought a copy of the Deed of Contract that Bilbo had to sign before heading out with the Dwarves, too - full size - but it was from another manufacturer (no wonder at only £25), but believe me when I say that I'd buy the official Weta staves of Sauroman, Gandalf and Radagast if I could. I would.
Hell, I'd live in Hobbiton if I could, and just become a Hobbit. I'm short enough, and I have an appetite to match, and their houses are gorgeous and their lifestyle is so quaint and simple. And, despite the fact that the end of The Return of the King was different to that in the book, I'm glad they didn't add it into the film. I don't think I could stand to see what became of the Shire.
My point is, I love Middle Earth. I love it. I wish time and time again that it was real. It's another reason I write. Because I fall in love with fantasy worlds so easily - though not so deeply as Middle Earth - even if they're of my own creation, and I write so that I can escape this world - and let's face it, this world is pretty foul - and I can stay there for as long as I like. I'm sure this is some sign of a mental or social disorder that, if I let it, may one day become serious. But in that case, I will become the Elinor, the old aunt in Inkheart. I will build a magnificent library, and I will live in it, never leave, and just visit any world I ever want, whenever I want. I will write more and more, create new and wonderful worlds, and have complete control over its history and future, even if that does mean that awful things have to happen, because it's these awful things that make the worlds more real, make the people real, regardless of whether they're Human, Dwarf or Elf.
I will get where I want to with my writing. I will convince an agent that I am worth their time, and I won't stop until I get what I want. I have so many ideas, I've filled notebooks with ideas for many different books. I have no intention of stopping, even when I do get where I want. I want success, but only so that I can continue with what I love, so that I can jump into my worlds and survive while I do so, to pay the bills, own a house, have a secure life that I can abandon whenever I wish.
I will get where I want.
I realise how silly it might sound, but it brings me to tears. I get excited every time I see it, read it and so on, and when I went to the cinema for it, just the opening credits brought me to tears.
I just wish it was real.
Middle Earth.
I first saw the Lord of the Rings when it was released. It was the first time I'd ever been exposed to Fantasy, and I fell in love immediately. I read the books shortly after I saw the first film, and it was when I finished the trilogy, in October 2003, that I first decided I wanted a career in fantasy writing. I was 12 years old.
I've had other 'dreams' come and go since then, but writing has been the only one that has never once wavered. Even when I wanted to be in a band, I was still actively writing. It's still my only solid dream, the one goal I have that I can honestly say I want with all my heart, and I am working for it. It will happen one day.
But the roots of my passion for writing, and for fantasy in general, despite the fact that my fantasy isn't quite the same as that of Tolkein, lie within Middle Earth.
The magic, the races, the world, its history. I love it all. I owe a lot of my passion to the films and the books, to the story itself. It shaped fantasy as we know it today, and even the film adaptations - while not precisely the same as the book (for example, Frodo didn't leave the Shire with the ring as soon as Bilbo left. It was years later before he left, and he had the ring in his possession for 17 years before it was destroyed) - make me happy, to actually see Eriador, Rhovanion, The Lonely Mountain. It's incredible. Believe me when I say I need to go to New Zealand one day and see Hobbiton for myself.
The stories have been done justice through film, I believe. Others will disagree, and they're welcome to, but when I see even only the title screen, I'm crying. I open the books and I am absorbed into them for days. If it wasn't for The Lord of the Rings, I would not be who I am today, and that is a very simple fact. My passion for fantasy has shaped who I have become friends with, shaped my hobbies, and shaped my dreams. Even The Hobbit is outstanding, though, once again, not identical to the book.
I love anything to do with it (except any suggestion as to how they made the film, I prefer to think it's real for as long as I can get away with), and there's a wonderful company, WetaNZ, that is responsible for creating the props for both The Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit, among many other things, and they sell replicas of the props, using the same materials, moulds and everything they used to create the originals. We own only one piece from Weta - the Key to Erebor, from The Hobbit, and I bought a copy of the Deed of Contract that Bilbo had to sign before heading out with the Dwarves, too - full size - but it was from another manufacturer (no wonder at only £25), but believe me when I say that I'd buy the official Weta staves of Sauroman, Gandalf and Radagast if I could. I would.
Hell, I'd live in Hobbiton if I could, and just become a Hobbit. I'm short enough, and I have an appetite to match, and their houses are gorgeous and their lifestyle is so quaint and simple. And, despite the fact that the end of The Return of the King was different to that in the book, I'm glad they didn't add it into the film. I don't think I could stand to see what became of the Shire.
My point is, I love Middle Earth. I love it. I wish time and time again that it was real. It's another reason I write. Because I fall in love with fantasy worlds so easily - though not so deeply as Middle Earth - even if they're of my own creation, and I write so that I can escape this world - and let's face it, this world is pretty foul - and I can stay there for as long as I like. I'm sure this is some sign of a mental or social disorder that, if I let it, may one day become serious. But in that case, I will become the Elinor, the old aunt in Inkheart. I will build a magnificent library, and I will live in it, never leave, and just visit any world I ever want, whenever I want. I will write more and more, create new and wonderful worlds, and have complete control over its history and future, even if that does mean that awful things have to happen, because it's these awful things that make the worlds more real, make the people real, regardless of whether they're Human, Dwarf or Elf.
I will get where I want to with my writing. I will convince an agent that I am worth their time, and I won't stop until I get what I want. I have so many ideas, I've filled notebooks with ideas for many different books. I have no intention of stopping, even when I do get where I want. I want success, but only so that I can continue with what I love, so that I can jump into my worlds and survive while I do so, to pay the bills, own a house, have a secure life that I can abandon whenever I wish.
I will get where I want.
Edit: this is the new trailer to The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug that was released officially just 3 minutes ago. I can't wait.
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