J. K. Rowling answers questions about herself

Here are some questions J.K. Rowling has been asked, with her answers.

How did you get the idea for Harry Potter?

I was taking a long train journey from Manchester to London in England and the idea for Harry just fell into my head. At that point it was essentially the idea for a boy who didn't know he was a wizard, and the wizard school he ended up going to.

How long did it take to write the first book?

5 years, although during that time I was also planning & writing parts of the six sequels.

What did you have to do to make sure readers could start with "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and not be confused?

It's becoming more of a challenge to keep new readers up to speed with every new Harry book (I'm currently writing the fourth). In the case of 'Chamber of Secrets' matters were relatively straightforward; I tried to introduce information about Harry and his first year at Hogwarts in as natural a way as possible. However, by the time I reach books five and six, this is going to be much harder.

Did you always plan to write Harry's story in more than one book? If so, how many?

I always thought of it as a seven-book series because I decided that it would take seven years from the ages of 11-17, inclusive, to train as a wizard, and each of the books would deal with a year of Harry's life at Hogwarts.

Any hints you could share about what to expect in future Harry Potter books?

The theme running through all seven books is the fight between good and evil, and I'm afraid there will be casualties! Children usually beg me not to kill Ron whenever I tell them this; they seem to think he is most vulnerable, probably because he is the hero's best friend!

How do you come up with all the unique names, places and things that help make Harry Potter so intriguing?

Many of the names are invented, for example 'Quidditch' and 'Muggle'. I also collect unusual names, and I take them from all sorts of different places. 'Hedwig' was a saint, 'Dumbledore' is an old English word for 'bumble bee' and 'Snape' is the name of a place in England.

Did you ever expect Harry Potter to be so successful?

I would have been crazy to have expected what has happened to Harry. The most exciting moment for me, against very stiff competition, was when I found out Harry was going to be published. It was my life's ambition to see a book I had written on a shelf in a bookshop. Everything that has happened since has been extraordinary and wonderful, but the mere fact of being able to say I was a published author was the fulfillment of a dream I had had since I was a very small child.

Of the many things you must have heard people say about Harry Potter, what are some of your favorites?

My very favourite was from a twelve-year-old Scottish girl who came to hear me read at the Edinburgh book festival. The event was sold out and the queue for signing at the end was very long. When the girl in question finally reached me she said, 'I didn't WANT there to be so many people here, because this is MY book!' That is exactly how I feel about my favourite books... nobody else has a right to know them, let alone like them!

Are you recognized, now? Do you get stopped for autographs? How does that feel?

I am rarely recognized and I am very happy about that, because I like being an anonymous person! It usually happens when I'm writing in cafes, because the connection between me and cafes is strongly imprinted in Edinburgh peoples' minds. Occasionally I have handed over my credit card and people have recognized the name, which is a very comfortable level of recognisability. One shop assistant told me she had taken the second Harry to read on her honeymoon! The most embarrassing occasion was when I took my daughter to see 'A Bug's Life' with some friends, and a woman with a party of a dozen little girls asked me if she could take a picture of me with all her charges.

Are you excited about the movie deal for Harry Potter? Where else might we see Harry Potter in the future (toys, video games, etc.)?

I am very excited (and a little bit nervous) about Harry Potter the Movie. Warner Brothers have bought merchandising rights, so it is possible that we will be seeing Harry Potter toys.

Is this the first book/story you ever wrote?

It is the first book I have ever published. At the time I got the idea for Harry I had written and put aside two adult novels.

Did you always want to be a writer?

Yes, ever since the age of five or six, when I wrote my first 'book' - a story about a rabbit called 'Rabbit'.

Where, when, and how do you write?

Any time, any place, and longhand!

What books and authors did you read as a kid? Which are your biggest influences?

I most admire E. Nesbit, Paul Gallico and C.S.Lewis. My favourite book as a child was 'The Little White Horse' by Elizabeth Goudge.

What advice would you give to young writers today?

I doubt a writer who has got what it takes will need me to tell them this, but - persevere!

If you were not writing, what might you be doing, instead?

Well - as you can see by the answer above, I would be at a dead loss. Profession-wise, I would still be teaching, which I enjoyed.

What are your hobbies? Favorite holidays (and how do you celebrate them)?

I was embarrassed the other day to discover that I didn't have much to say to the question 'what are your hobbies?' (asked by a nine year old boy). The truth is that if I'm not looking after my daughter, spending time with friends or reading, I am writing. The boy who'd asked seemed quite frustrated by this answer, but the truth of the matter is that even if writing is now my full-time profession, it is also my greatest pleasure.

I doubt if it will come as a surprise to anybody that I love Hallowe'en. Although I missed last year, because I was in the U.S., I usually hold a big Hallowe'en party for my friends and their children.

What does your daughter think of your work? What books do you want and like to read with her? And her to read on her own?

She is still too young for me to read the Harry Potter books to her, but I am really looking forward to a time when I can share them with her. She loves the Beatrix Potter books and I recently read her 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe', which she thoroughly enjoyed.