Return to Elliotland

"Dad," Elliot told me the other evening.  "When I'm a little older I want to write a story that's a little like the Lord of the Rings."

I suppose that's not surprising since I've been reading that lengthy story for some time to my children.  "What will it be about?"  I asked.

"Well, it will take place in a magical place called 'Elliotland' and it will have a Dark Lord called Ara-corn and his father's name will be Ara-lorn and there will be a wizard named Ara-zorn."

"All their names rhyme?"  I asked curiously.  It could get to be a difficult to follow the characters if all their names were like this.

"Of course,"  Elliot said.  "In stories like this, all of the people who are related to each other have names that rhyme.  And the road to the Dark Lord's Tower will be guarded by an octopus with a thousand arms called Kay-lob."

"That sounds dangerous," I said.  "But I don't think an octopus can have a thousand arms.  Octo means eight.  What you're talking about would be a mili-pus."

"Yes, and there will be a Jabberwocky there as well and probably slithy toves -- but they aren't important."

"Sounds like you have it all figured out," I told my son.

"I forgot to tell you that there will be ring wraiths.  Only there will be ten of them in my story, not just nine like in the Lord of the Rings!"

"Wow," I said.  "That'll be a big seller. 'Ten percent more ring wraiths.'  Who could resist such an offer?"

Elliot is only seven, but he has figured out that it is a lot easier to borrow from stories that you like than to generate new ideas.  I suppose it isn't too hard to take an existing plot and pump up the volume on it a bit and change a few names and have an exciting story.

If you liked Lord of the Rings, you'll love Return to Elliotland!

Most books have flaws, which I suppose means that they can be improved on.  I happen to like the Lord of the Rings, but I'm sure there are plenty of things that Tolkien could have written differently and perhaps the book would have been better.

The one book that doesn't have this issue is the Bible.  As I read it and apply it to my life, there are blessings that I experience that I couldn't in any other way.  I hear my heavenly Father speaking to me and it encourages me and lifts me and drives me to be more like Him.

It doesn't need ten percent more of anything.  If we can only listen to its words and live them, we too can have life.