It couldn't be The Silmarillion as he hoped – there weren't any hobbits in that – so he began drafting a new story without any idea of what it would be about. By the time it was eventually finished, The Lord of the Rings had taken Tolkien a full
12 years
to write and another five to get published.
How long did Tolkien take to create Middle-earth?
Some people therefore suggest that it took J.R.R. Tolkien
about 38 years
— from 1916 to 1954 — to “create” the literary Middle-earth that has become the subject of so much widespread discussion and documentation.
When did Tolkien start writing The Lord of the Rings?
Written in stages
between 1937 and 1949
, The Lord of the Rings is one of the best-selling books ever written, with over 150 million copies sold.
Why did it take so long for Tolkien to write The Lord of the Rings?
Tolkien began writing The Lord of the Rings in December 1937. After progressing through the first part of the story he paused for a while around 1942. It took him this long to write that much
because he was writing in his spare time, in-between teaching seasons and when his other responsibilities permitted
.
What did Tolkien write first?
Tolkien and Edith become betrothed after she is received into the Catholic Church. Tolkien writes his first identifiable
“Middle-earth” fragment ‘The Voyage of Éarendel the Evening Star
‘. Tolkien begins to write The Story of Kullervo. Tolkien revises the poem later called ‘The Horns of Ylmir' [ie.
What is Gandalf's real name?
Gandalf's original name of
“Bladorthin”
was not entirely lost though, as Tolkien eventually used it to name an ancient king, later in the books. Although Gandalf is his most commonly-used moniker, he went by several other names as well. In his origins as a Maiar spirit in Valinor, he was known as Olorin.
Who is the oldest character in LOTR?
Tom Bombadil
is the oldest, as are other Maiar and Varda listed above. The Ents came from the thoughts of Yvanna (a Varda), who is the same age as Tom Bombadil. Also, the Ents were not resistant to Saruman's evil, but Tom Bombadil was unaffected by Sauron's evil ring.
Did Tolkien want to write Lord of the Rings?
The reason J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings was that
his readers wanted to read more about hobbits
. When first told this by his publishers, Tolkien replied, “I cannot think of anything more to say about hobbits.
What kind of writing is The Lord of the Rings?
Tolkien is most well-known for the literary genre of
high fantasy
, which he employs in his writing of The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series. Tolkien coined the term “sub-creation,” which is necessary is writing a work of high fantasy.
What was Tolkien's writing process?
Tolkien would go through
many edits
and rewrites over the next twelve years, putting the book down for some time, then working feverishly through chapters at a time. During most of his writing process, England was embroiled in World War II.
Did Tolkien invent orcs?
Q: Did J.R.R. Tolkien Invent Orcs? ANSWER: Most people will tell you that J.R.R. Tolkien invented the Orcs of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings but
that is not correct
. Tolkien reused older ideas for his fantasy creatures, including the Orcs.
What happened to Tolkien's friends?
Did Tolkien really lose two close friends in the First World War? Yes. The true story behind the Tolkien movie confirms that two of the four members of the Tea Club,
Barrovian Society were killed in the Great War
.
Did Tolkien fight in World War 2?
Tolkien, one of the world's most beloved authors, was a World War I signaling officer who survived the Battle of the Somme, and two of his sons served
during World War II
.
How old is Smaug?
Certainly dragons live very, very long– Glaurung had been ‘brooding' for a century, and was still considered to be juvenile. Smaug was
at very least ~180 years old by
the time he was slain.
How old is Radagast?
Unfinished Tales explains that Radagast, like the other Wizards, came from Valinor
around the year 1000 of the Third Age of Middle-earth
and was one of the angelic Maiar.
Is Saruman an elf?
He was not actually a Man, or
even an Elf
(as Men often suspected), but a Maia clothed in flesh — an Istar (see Origins above). As such, he was immortal and extremely powerful, yet had limits on how far these powers could be used. His two most salient powers were his knowledge and his voice.
