It Takes A Village

I love The Lord of the Rings movies. They have a certain air of nostalgia for me. I saw the first one in the UK—three weeks before I was due to make a permanent move to Australia. I felt like I was going on my own epic adventure, but with no enchanted ring and a lot less hair on my feet. I watched the second movie in Sydney, Australia on Boxing Day with my family, who had come to visit me for my first Aussie Christmas. The third, I watched with my brother back in the UK the following Christmas. By that time, I had been given the nickname Samwise, so you can imagine the ramifications of the third film on my emotions. Truth be told—I sobbed the whole way through. Why? Well, the story was alive in me and I honestly felt like I had lived it out myself, because my journey, though less dramatic was full of adventure, hardship and joy.

I find it incredible to think that around seventy-five years after The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings trilogy were published in print, it was Peter Jackson that read the works, adapted them and then in turn, with the help of countless others—realised them into being. Though imagined in one mind’s eye and put into words, how incredible is it that another could partner in having Tolkien’s story realised into being.

In speaking with an author friend of mine, she told me about the number of people that were involved in the writing of her latest book. She counted twelve people. TWELVE. They included agents, editors, copywriters, publicists, publishers, beta readers to name a few.  Having just completed a six month novel writing workshop, I too understood the necessity of input from other people.

I used to think that writing was a lonely and isolated calling.  To some extent, it is, but when your work is to be unleashed on the world, you need a community to help get you there. And this, in turn, has made me realise: it takes a village to tell a story.