I watched an interview with J.K. Rowling, and the interviewer found it hard to believe that she didn’t know Harry Potter would be such a huge success.

The interviewer kept on asking how Rowling envisioned what it would be like to get famous, but she kept denying any visions of grandeur. “You are wasting your time,” she said at last when asked for advice to writers who are sure they’re destined for the top, “Just get on and work.”

When we start writing, it’s easy to imagine our stories becoming bestsellers, adapted into blockbuster movies, and gaining widespread acclaim. But fantasies don’t finish drafts. The path to becoming a successful writer is paved with hard work, determination, and the willingness to face the challenges head-on.

  • Leeharveyteabag@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    If you haven’t read them yourself then you don’t understand how truly horrible her writing is. Her prose is wooden, her dialogue is forced, and she named a Chinese character “Cho Chang” with a straight face. There are plot holes so big that she has to continually go back and retcon random bullshit, like the literal plumbing at Hogwarts. The big scary spell is “abracadabra” with one letter changed.

    She’s a hack.

    • LeylaaLovee@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      1 year ago

      Don’t forget about the only black person in the book being named “Kingsley Shacklebolt”. Or that the house elves all actually want to be slaves! Or her drawing of the wizarding schools of the world where all of Eastern Europe shares one school but England and Scotland have their own schools.

    • Moonstone@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I agree with you!

      I read the all the books some months ago out of curiosity. The game came out, the school library had all the books, and i was just searching for a new book to read when i saw them. In my opinion, the first ones were okay, but the last ones are badly flawed in every way possible. Ron becomes dumber with each book, the romance of harry is so bad written i couldn’t believe it how terrible it was, and the worst of the worst are the obvious plotholes.

      J.K. Rowling had more luck than skill.