How to write 'The Lord of the Rings'

J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings, on why he built the entire world of Middle-earth before writing a single story in it:In a rare interview, Tolkien is asked why he spent 14 years building the world of The Lord of the Rings.His answer reveals a philosophy of creation rooted in something deeper than storytelling.When pressed on whether the hobbits and their world emerged from his unconscious, Tolkien pushes back. He describes himself as a "meticulous sort of bloke" who spent tho