Friday, January 4, 2013

Creativity Tips: Keep that Blank Sheet Handy

Want proof that my periodic nag about keeping paper and pen close at hand is important? Check out this tidbit from the Jan. 3, 2013, edition of The Writer's Almanac:

Today is the birthday of J.R.R. Tolkien (books by this author), born in Bloemfontein, South Africa (1892). He studied classics, language, and literature at Oxford. In 1925, Tolkien returned to Oxford University as a professor. One day, while grading exams, he discovered that a student had left one whole page in his examination booklet blank. Tolkien, for reasons unknown even to him, wrote on the page, "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." This single line turned into a bedtime story that he told his children, and from there, a book: The Hobbit (1937).


2 comments:

Vicki said...

Aww... that's the same edition of the book that was in my house when I was growing up. My dad read us the book, and then I read it again for school in 10th grade. Such good memories. :)

Jan said...

Vicki, that's so funny. I chose that image because it's the edition of the book I had! Glad it brought back good memories for you too!