The idea for the first chapter ("A Long-Expected Party") arrived fully formed, although the reasons behind Bilbo's disappearance, the significance of the Ring, and the title The Lord of the Rings did not arrive until the spring of 1938.
Ideju o prvom poglavlju ("Dugo očekivana proslava") Tolkien je dobio potpuno razrađenu, iako razloge Bilbovog nestanka, važnost prstena i naslov "Gospodar prstenova" nije razradio do proljeća 1938.