J.K. Rowling is one of the most successful writers of all time, but what exactly is it, that makes her who she is?
Joanne Kathleen Rowling is a fan favourite across the world. Everything from her social media activities, to her wonderful and selfless charity work, she is an author to remember.
1) She finished her first draft of Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone on a manual typewriter
She may have finished the book on a typewriter, but her plans were all handwritten
Mostly hand-written, J.K. also enjoyed writing the first Harry Potter book on an old type-writer. J.K. Rowling decided to write the first draft of Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone on a typewriter. She was usually in cafes along with her daughter from her first marriage, Jessica. She also loved to write by long-hand, also in cafes while Jessica was asleep in her stroller.
2) She is a big fan of the game, Minecraft, and plays it with her son David
J.K.’s favorite bonding time with her son is the popular game MineCraft
J.K.’s favourite past-time is procrastinating. Social media, tea, 24-hour news and of course MineCraft are all some of J.K. Rowling’s favorite ways to get through those tricky chapters She plays the game on ‘hardcore’ mode, meaning that she must defend whatever she builds from the monsters within the game. Fans were in awe of this revelation of J.K.’s past time activity, which made her just that bit cooler.
3) Rowling based Quidditch after basketball, which is also her favourite game to watch.
Rowling has multiple notebooks filled with ideas for the name of the wizarding sport
J.K. believes Quidditch mostly resembles basketball, her favourite game to watch. She says that the idea came to her after she wanted to see a game with more than one ball in play, something that has always seemed amusing to her.
4) Rowling also has a pseudo name, Robert Galbraith and writes detective novel series
As a child, she always wanted to be called Ella Galbraith, although she has no real idea where the last name came from.
The name Robert Galbraith came from J.K. Rowling’s pure love of the name Robert. Robert F Kennedy was one of her heroes, and she realized she hadn’t used it in any of her books published under J.K. Rowling. The last name, however, is a mystery within itself.
5) She sued those who leaked the information that Robert Galbraith was her, and won the case where she donated the case money to charity.
The ABF Soldier’s Charity give support to soldiers and veterans from the British Army
Wanting an un-biased view on her work, J.K. Rowling was described as ‘angry and distressed’ when her pseudonym was revealed. She sued those who published her name, and all damages went towards ABF’s The Soldiers Charity, along with any royalties for Cuckoo’s Calling for the next three years.
6) She also wanted to write under this name to get back into writing a different genre without any hype.
J.K. felt publishers would be bias towards her if she used her real name
To send in a manuscript as one of the most successful authors of all time, almost guarantees a publishing deal. This is the reason Robert Galbraith was introduced in the first place. J.K. explains she wanted to get back into the writing industry without a bias thought, and she succeeded in that too.
7) She filled up five notebooks with 'Q' word ideas before settling on Quidditch
J.K.’s notes are amongst some of her most prized possessions.
J.K. is known for excessive note-taking. She has admitted to filling up five notebooks, scribbling down ideas for the word ‘Quidditch’. It wasn’t until after she had a fight with her then-boyfriend that she decided on the name.
8) J.K.'s parents met at Kings Cross Station, which is where Harry catches the Hogwarts Express.
A ‘Platform 9 and ¾’ sign has now been put up at Kings Cross Station.
J.K. decided to put the iconic Kings Cross Station into her story for the most romantic reason. She revealed that the reason behind the Platform 9 and ¾ being at the station is because that is where her parents met on a train to Scotland. To her, Kings Cross has a very symbolic and important place in her heart, so it only makes sense for it to be the place where her beautiful story begins.
9) Her literary heroine is Jo March from Little Women
Jo March from Little Women is one of J.K.’s favorite characters
To be small, tempered, and have a burning desire to be an author are the three reasons why JK Rowling admires Jo March. There are many connections seen between the two, and it is clear as to why JK admires the famous character.
10) She based Hermione on 11-year-old her.
J.K. admits that Hermione was based on her 11-year-old self
It is hard, for an author to not base at least one character on themselves. In J.K. Rowling’s case, she based 11-year-old Hermione on none other than 11-year-old herself. The wits, love for books, and slightly bossy nature is something all fans can agree may resemble J.K. Rowling, and not in a bad way.
Rowling has inspired many people throughout her career, but the person who she is today, would not have been possible without her amazing attitude towards life. Thank you, J.K.
Five Articles You May Be Interested In:
Harry Potter to Star in BBCs New Grand Theft Auto Drama
What is Minecraft? Five Fast Facts You Need to Know
The History of Video Games: 11 Interesting Facts You Didn’t Know
5 Interesting Facts About the Upcoming The Witcher Movie (2017)
Assassins Creed Movie: 15 Interesting Facts You Need to Know
