Hey writing friends!

What would happen if the Lord of the Rings series was actually an allegory for the writing process? Wonder no more! In our efforts to motivate ourselves to write novels and get them published, we’ve highlighted some characters from the series and how they translate to people we meet in our writing experiences. We’d love to hear about the people in your life that have helped you get to where you are today!

1. Samwise—Your faithful friend/spouse that makes it in the acknowledgements

Personally, Sam is the gem of the LotR cast. He sticks with you no matter if you make your word count or not. In fact, he’s probably the one that encourages you to keep writing no matter if you think you’ll never ever be done with your book or “make it big.” He’s the friend that none of us deserve but still stays loyal to the very end.

2. Gandalf—Your favorite author or writing mentor

There’s at least one writer that gave you the initial spark to write something yourself. In a sense, you would still be living your life and having loads of free time had they not written something that spoke to your inner writer and convince you that the writer’s life is worth living.

In our eyes, they’re a pretty big deal, and whenever we’re in a Q&A about who inspires us to write, we’ll think fondly of this mentor/senpai person. And we’ll likely sputter and guffaw if we get to meet them at a book signing. It’s okay—they speak gibberish.

3. Aragorn—Supportive writers in your genre

The writing community is amazing: mainly because in a orc-eat-orc world, writers will gladly rally around you and support your writing success. The Aragorns in our lives are the writers that are legendary, nice, and brave; we’d hate them if they weren’t so beautiful and kind.

4. Gimli—Feisty self-published friends

It takes grit to be a self-published author. They get most of the traditional author taunts and jabs but are resilient nonetheless. Don’t underestimate the Gimlis you meet: they will be first in line to review your books via Amazon and Goodreads, and they’ll welcome you into the self-publishing community if you decide that’s where your heart truly lies.

5. Legolas—Your friends that rarely talk to you but are surprisingly supportive from afar

Okay, this gif represents the one time Legolas speaks directly to Frodo. Bearer buds forever? All jokes aside, the Legolas in your life are the people that you met in high school, college, your hometown that currently aren’t involved in your writing career, but come out of the woodworks (woods? Is this an elf pun?) to buy your books, congratulate you, or otherwise spread the news to their friends about your novel.

6. Pippin and Merry—Online book bloggers or bookstagrammers

Pippin and Merry face their own battles, but these friends prove you don’t have to be a writer to take part in the book promoting process. They don’t understand the burden of being a writer, but they will certainly sing your praises (sober or drunk) and tell all their blogging friends about your latest release.

7. Boromir—Writers making good bank on their mediocre series

We all know at least one Boromir in our lives: that one writer that gets all the glory and praise from their dads for their writing—even though you know your work is better. Instead of being jealous, we can acknowledge that they for the most part did the work and deserve their time in the sun—before they die from multiple arrow wounds.

8. Gollum—Online trolls that try to steal your ideas

Ugh, literally the worst. They can’t piece together simple fanfiction, let alone a full-blown novel. They come across as huge fans of your work, but while you’re sleeping, they’ll take bits of your novel and claim it as their own. They’ll never make it far, but the betrayal still stings. (Another LotR pun??)

9. Arwen—Literary agents and other network contacts

Just about every writer either needs a literary agent or professional editor—someone who heals your manuscript mistakes with beauty and grace and saves you from the demons of criticism and self-doubt. These Arwens put their trust in us mere mortals as they represent our work. They are also rare and treasured friends as they see us through a difficult part of the writer’s journey.

10. Galadriel—Tough but amazing writing critics

Woof, have you ever wanted to quit a novel because of harsh-but-true criticism? Galadriels tend to be scary and beautiful. They’ve been around the writing block a few times and want to help you, but they tend to get really scary when providing feedback. Like, their voice gets super deep and foreboding and everything. But their advice is ultimately what will turn your manuscript around and point you in the right direction.

11. Eowyn & Faramir—Fellow writers suffering from writer’s block

Eowyns and Farmirs are the types of writers that don’t get a lot of positive reinforcement from family members. Like, their parents are either not around or try to set you on fire. They didn’t say being a writer would be easy. Luckily, even though they spend a lot of time doubting their work and their skills, all they need is positive reinforcement and that one writing friend that inspires them to ditch the haters—or stab them in the face.

12. Theoden—Writer still soliciting a literary agent

Thodens have seen rejection; soliciting for literary agents or publishing companies is ultimately an invitation for people to email or send letters about how your book isn’t good enough. When you meet Theodens, they try not to be bitter about rejection letters—but it eats at them after so many attempts. It’s not until they change their attitudes and rally their friends and family around them that they’re able to pursue their writing dreams—even when it seems like all hope is lost.

 

Hope you enjoyed this brief writing break! Did we leave out any characters? Continue the allegory in the comments below!

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