In thinking about the number nine I
always go right to the Lord of the Rings. Nine brave heroes set out from
Rivendell to counter the nine evil Ringwraiths. When I consider my own quest
stories and how many should be in the team, I never think of writing nine. Nine
is so big. J.R.R. Tolkein was truly a master writer to choose nine characters
to involve himself with. But how fun to imagine having nine friends, clotting
the trail, sitting around the sizzling bacon during the campfire, making a
cacophony of snores at night; and leaving one elf to smile about the noise
while he sits on watch. And poor Frodo, blushing while bards sing about his
nine fingers.
Nine months is so long when you’re
pregnant, too. God knew what He was doing to design it that way, of course. It
takes nine months to adjust, to begin to lay your life down, and to transition
into anticipation. The story I’m writing now has five main characters and four
side ones. Hmmm. Maybe I’ll lock them in a cave and make them figure out how to
free themselves. Maybe I’ll dabble with the wonders of nine, just for fun and
as a nine-sided challenge!
No comments:
Post a Comment