The Tolkien Blog Party 2024 Kick-Off Post + Tag

Greetings!  Welcome to my twelfth annual Tolkien Blog Party!

Let me explain how this sort of BYOBP (Bring Your Own Blog Post) party works, in case you haven't participated before, or it's been a while, whatever.  I will provide a couple of games for you to play (starting tomorrow), a giveaway (which you can enter here), and the official party tag (see below). 

Everything else is up to you party goers!  Everyone gets to share posts on their own blogs that relate somehow to J. R. R. Tolkien or his creations. We will spend the week celebrating not only the author and the books he wrote, but also the world of Middle-earth, the movies based on his stories, and so on!  I encourage you to use any of this year's official graphics in your posts -- you'll find all five of them here in my announcement post. 

The only real rules are: 

• your post must be related to Tolkien and his creations somehow, 
• your post should contain a link back to this post so people can find the party and join the fun, and 
• your post needs to be respectful and family-friendly (this is a celebration, so please don't contribute any rants or whiny posts). 

If you don't have any ideas of things to post, you can always simply fill out the tag, which you'll find below this handy link-up widget. Enter each of your posts in the widget (including posts of tag answers) so we can all visit each other's blogs and share the Tolkien party fun!

This year's tag is inspired by some of the most famous locations in Middle-Earth.  Here it is:

1. The Shire:  What place in Middle-earth do you think you would feel the most like home for you?

2. Bree:  If you could create a Middle-earth-themed restaurant, what would you serve there?

3. Rivendell:  Where in Middle-earth would you like to hang out with your friends for a week or so?

4. Moria:  Have you ever delved into the history of Middle-earth (or the history of Tolkien's creative process)?  If so, did you learn anything cool you'd like to share?

5. Lothlorien:  Would you like to sleep in a tree?

6. Edoras:  Do you like horses?

7. Minas Tirith:  Have you ever dressed as a Tolkien character, whether for a convention or Halloween or anything else?  (Bonus fake internet points if you share a photo!)

8. Erebor:  Do you have any Middle-earth merchandise you particularly treasure?

9. Mordor:  Have you ever read anything by Tolkien that wasn't about Middle-earth?

10. The Grey Havens:  How long has it been since you last ventured into Middle-earth via book or film?

Simply copy those prompts and paste them into your own blog post, answer with as much detail as you wish, add party graphics and a link back to this post, and illustrate as much or little as you like! Once you've posted your tag answers, come back and add a link to your post to the list above so we can all visit each others' blogs and enjoy their answers. And don't forget to visit other people's blogs too, to keep the party going strong!