I used to play Dungeons and Dragons with my brothers when I was growing up. Lord of the Rings is my favorite movie. (I consider all three to be one long movie) I think these interests are just another reason I like making bows. It's like the ancient bowyer building a weapon to hunt with or for defense.
My brother was excited to hear I had started making bows and we started joking around about being a "Level 1 Bowyer". He asked, "So are you level 2 yet?" and started laughing. We had a conversation about what the requirements would be to "gain levels" in Bowyer skill.
Here's just a fun list of what I've come up with so far....
Level 1
Make a successful bow
Make your own string.
Level 2
Make a bow from two different woods
Make your own arrow (more of "Fletcher" task I guess. I just think that a Bowyer should be able to make arrows too)
Make a bow and arrive at goal draw length and weight.
Level 3
Make a bow from three different kinds of wood.
Make two different kinds of strings. Endless loop and Flemish twist.
Make a dozen matching arrows.
I'm just having fun with this....I'm sure there could be many other combinations or requirments... maybe some of you Level 20 Bowyers out there have some ideas. Different styles, types of designs for bows, ELB, recurve, flat bow, board or stave, wood bending, different kinds of finish, arrow spine, arrow speed, cast, amount of set, accuracy, draw weight, different materials, handle style, tips, etc etc etc....