J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter series has captured the imaginations of millions of readers around the world, and it’s hard to imagine a time when the world didn’t know the name Harry Potter. However, the story of how J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series is just as fascinating as the stories themselves. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at how Rowling wrote Harry Potter.
The Idea: J.K. Rowling came up with the idea for Harry Potter on a delayed train journey in 1990. She was living in Edinburgh at the time and was on her way to London when the idea for Harry Potter came to her. She spent the next five years working on the story and developing the characters before she sent the first manuscript to a publisher.
The Process: Rowling has said that she wrote the first book of the series, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” in longhand, using pen and paper. She wrote whenever she could find the time, often in coffee shops or on trains. In an interview with The Guardian, she said, “I used to write in longhand on the back of an old manuscript of my first novel, because I couldn’t afford any new paper.”
Once she had finished the manuscript, Rowling submitted it to several publishers, but it was rejected by all of them. However, she persisted, and eventually, Bloomsbury agreed to publish the book.
The Editing Process: After the first book was published, Rowling continued to work on the rest of the series. She wrote the subsequent books on a typewriter, and by the time she finished the seventh book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” she had become a household name.
Throughout the writing process, Rowling had a close relationship with her editor, Emma Matthewson. In an interview with the BBC, Matthewson described the editing process as a “true collaboration.” Rowling was open to feedback and worked closely with Matthewson to refine the story and characters.
The Legacy: The Harry Potter series has gone on to become one of the most successful book series of all time, with over 500 million copies sold worldwide. It has been translated into 80 languages and has been adapted into a successful movie franchise. Rowling’s writing has also inspired a generation of young readers and writers.
In conclusion, J.K. Rowling’s journey to writing the Harry Potter series was a long and challenging one. From the initial idea to the finished books, Rowling faced rejection and worked tirelessly to bring her vision to life. However, her perseverance paid off, and she created a literary phenomenon that continues to captivate readers today.
