My son gave me quite a start the other day... he told me he wanted to be a writer. I was surprised, to say the least, because until then he'd exhibited no interest in writing and he'd rarely read anything other than the occasional "Graphic Novel." So what happened? My son admitted that the first spark toward his decision to pursue a career in writing was the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. He loved the movies so much he did what countless other kids did and played the video games. He enjoyed the video games so much that he then read the books (shame on me for not noticing!). This roundabout way to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, although unexpected, was totally understood and appreciated. I myself started my literary interests through comic book adaptations of Tarzan, Flash Gordon, etc. So I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Anyway, my 17 year-old son now wants to write "anything and everything" he says. The weird thing is that he's also doing better in school now and there's talk that he may even make the honor roll. This from a kid that once considered hooky a viable and noble passtime. Aw, c'mon, I'm really proud of the kid and I'm forever in Tolkien's debt for helping to open my only son's eyes to a world beyond Rap, Hip-Hop, Street Creds and Gangsta attitudes. There was a time when I thought that my rather large collection of books would just fade away, but now my son devours them at a wonderful rate; recently finishing off "Scar Night" and "Raising Cain."
How cool is that? Thanks J.R.R.
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