WIZLIT

What’s Your WIZLIT? –The Hobbit

Author Patricia J. Hoover is our guest blogger for today’s “What’s Your WIZLIT?” She chose THE HOBBIT by J.R.R. Tolkien.

First, here’s a bit about PJ:
P. J. Hoover grew up visiting museums and dreaming of finding Atlantis. She eventually married and had two children, shifted her dreams to reality and began a writing career. P.J. enjoys writing fantasy for middle grade and teen readers, boys and girls alike. Her middle grade fantasy novels, THE EMERALD TABLET, THE NAVEL OF THE WORLD and THE NECROPOLIS, chronicle the adventures of a boy who discovers he’s part of two feuding worlds hidden beneath the sea. Prior to writing full time, P.J. worked as an electrical engineer designing chips in Austin, Texas.

1. Tell me a little bit about a children’s book that was a source of wisdom or inspiration to you.
I’ll go with THE HOBBIT on this one. Aside from the Narnia books, it’s the first real introduction I had to fantasy. And though not strictly a kids’ book, it’s such a foundation for fantasy today that it has to almost be considered one. Narnia I loved, too, but the adventure and the magic and the voice drew me into THE HOBBIT like no other book before it.

2. When did you first read the book?
I don’t think it was until eighth grade, which is so hard to believe. But I was pretty busy rereading GONE WITH THE WIND a million times in seventh. And the Narnia books and Nancy Drew occupied much of elementary school. But when my eighth grade English teacher had us read THE TWO TOWERS, I was hooked. I went to THE HOBBIT and read THE LORD OF THE RINGS through. Since then I’ve picked up THE SILMARILLIAN and some of the plentiful other Middle Earth books. I even have the Middle Earth cookbook!

3. What did it teach you?
THE HOBBIT taught me how much fun wizards and dragons and made-up lands based on real Earth can be. So much of what I love about my own writing is basing pieces of stories from the real world around us. And seeing clues of how Middle Earth fit into real Earth showed me this possibility. THE HOBBIT also taught me it’s okay to talk to the reader a bit from time to time (which I do love sneaking into my books when I can. Editors seem to want to cut this kind of thing.) And it taught me about mixing adventure and humor and voice.

4. Have you gone back and read it again? If so, did you get new things out of it?
I’ve read it at least five more time since. I’ve also listened to two different versions on audio. And each time, I enjoy it as much as the previous. Now, when I read it as an author, I can appreciate so much more the fabulous pacing and the voice. These are things I never really “got” before. They may have contributed to why I loved the book, but now I can put a name on them.

5. How have its lessons made a difference in your life?
One of the best things about THE HOBBIT is the legacy it’s left on the fantasy world. Tolkien dedicated his life to the world of Middle Earth. There are people who claim to be Tolkien Scholars. There are communities of people who live in Middle Earth. I guess what I’m trying to say is what an amazing impact his writing has left. But, on the flip side of this, one thing this impact has taught me is rather than immersing myself in a world created by someone else, I should create my own. And this is what I love about writing fantasy for kids and teens.

P.J, I love it that you weren’t just inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien, you were moved by him as well. And here you are, with three fantasy books to your own name!

Interested in sharing a book that made a difference in your life? Click on the “What’s your WIZLIT?” tab and tell me all about it!