J.k. Rowling: Way To Success

Introduction

“No, there is literally nothing on the business side that I wouldn’t sacrifice in a heartbeat to have an extra couple of hours’ writing. Nothing” (Source: Brainyquote). This quote illustrates J.K Rowling’s (Joanne Rowling or Jo) love for writing, which started in her youth, in which J.K Rowling would write stories for her friends at lunchtime, and even wrote her first novel at the age of 11; a story about 7 cursed diamonds and the people who owned them.

J.K Rowling is the author of the worldwide known Harry Potter book series and inspired to write the series after riding a train to Manchester. Born on July 31st, 1965, J.K Rowling loved writing as a kid and would even type stories on the computer when she was a researcher for Amnesty International; before she started her writing career. She has two daughters: Jessica Isabel Rowling Arantes and Mackenzie Jean Rowling Murray and a son, David Gordon Rowling Murray. Her ex-husband is Jorge Arantes; her current husband is Neil Murray. Youth Jo was born in Yate General Hospital, near Bristol, on the day of July 31st, 1965. Her Mother was Anne Volant Rowling, who was a Science technician in Chemistry at Wyedean Comprehensive, while her Father, Peter Rowling, was an Aircraft Engineer at Rolls Royce. She also had a sister, called Dianne (Di) Rowling.

When Jo was 4, she moved to Winterbourne and lived in a house on 35 Nicholls Drive. She attended St. Michael’s Primary School for her education there. Supposedly, J.K Rowling got inspiration for Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore from the headmaster there, Alfred Dunn.

Afterward, when she was 9 years old, she moved to the neighborhood of Tutshill, located in Gloucestershire, England, close to the Forest of Dean and River Wye. There, Jo lived in a house called Church Cottage. Church Cottage was Jo’s childhood home from 9 to 18. A majority of Church Cottage features include things that helped shape and inspire the Harry Potter series such as the cupboard under

Introduction

“No, there is literally nothing on the business side that I wouldn’t sacrifice in a heartbeat to have an extra couple of hours’ writing. Nothing” (Source: Brainyquote). This quote illustrates J.K Rowling’s (Joanne Rowling or Jo) love for writing, which started in her youth, in which J.K Rowling would write stories for her friends at lunchtime, and even wrote her first novel at the age of 11; a story about 7 cursed diamonds and the people who owned them.

J.K Rowling is the author of the worldwide known Harry Potter book series and inspired to write the series after riding a train to Manchester. Born on July 31st, 1965, J.K Rowling loved writing as a kid and would even type stories on the computer when she was a researcher for Amnesty International; before she started her writing career. She has two daughters: Jessica Isabel Rowling Arantes and Mackenzie Jean Rowling Murray and a son, David Gordon Rowling Murray. Her ex-husband is Jorge Arantes; her current husband is Neil Murray.

Youth

Jo was born in Yate General Hospital, near Bristol, on the day of July 31st, 1965. Her Mother was Anne Volant Rowling, who was a Science technician in Chemistry at Wyedean Comprehensive, while her Father, Peter Rowling, was an Aircraft Engineer at Rolls Royce. She also had a sister, called Dianne (Di) Rowling.

When Jo was 4, she moved to Winterbourne and lived in a house on 35 Nicholls Drive. She attended St. Michael’s Primary School for her education there. Supposedly, J.K Rowling got inspiration for Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore from the headmaster there, Alfred Dunn.

Afterward, when she was 9 years old, she moved to the neighborhood of Tutshill, located in Gloucestershire, England, close to the Forest of Dean and River Wye. There, Jo lived in a house called Church Cottage. Church Cottage was Jo’s childhood home from 9 to 18. A majority of Church Cottage features include things that helped shape and inspire the Harry Potter series such as the cupboard under the stairs. “Parallels include a dusty dingy cupboard under the stairs – where Harry is forced to live by his evil aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon Dursley in the books” (Source: Walesonline.co.uk)

For her education in Tutshill, Jo attended Wyedean Comprehensive and Tutshill Primary. One of the things that Jo hated about Tutshill Primary was that her teacher, Mrs. Morgan, would seat her students according to how intelligent the students were. The bright and intelligent students were put on the right, while the unintelligent students were put on the left side of the room. On Jo’s first day of school at Tutshill Primary, Mrs. Morgan gave a test on fractions, in which Jo failed the test, which caused her to end up sitting on the left side of the room. Jo felt that the fractions test was dishonest because she didn’t know anything about fractions, which inspired her to create the Harry Potter character, Severus Snape.

After leaving Tutshill Primary, Jo then attended Wyedean Comprehensive at the age of 11. Jo was at first terrified of going to Wyedean Comprehensive because she heard that new arriving student’s heads were stuffed down the toilet. Instead of her head being stuffed down the toilet, she fought against the toughest girl Wyedean. Jo won but “It came with a price. In “Not Especially,” Jo said that she spent the next few weeks “peering nervously around the corners” in case the bully was looking for her” (Pollack, P, and Belviso, M, pg 28).

During her last year at Wyedean, Jo was appointed as Head Girl, in which their duties include representing the school at events and making speeches.

University

In 1983, Jo was accepted into Exeter University. She studied French (which included a year in Paris) and graduated with a BA in French and Classics. “Her Classics studies would come in very handy later when she was thinking up all the spells in Harry Potter, some of which are based on Latin!” (Source: Bloomsbury.com)

Jobs

After graduating from Exeter University In 1986, Jo moved to London and took the job of a researcher at Amnesty International. Amnesty International is a

Writing Harry Potter

In 1990, Jo was sitting in a delayed train from Manchester to London King’s Cross. There, at London King’s Cross, she came up with her greatest idea yet: Harry Potter. “Once Harry “fell into her head,” Jo could think about little else” (Pollack, P, and Belviso, M, pg 45).

After Jo had the idea of Harry Potter, her mother died because of Multiple sclerosis. Then, Jo moved to Oporto, Portugal, in 1990 and took the job of an English teacher. While in Portugal, she met a journalist called Jorge Arantes. They both fell in love and married in 1992. In 1993, Jo gave birth to Jessica Isabel Rowling Arantes. Even though Jo loved her daughter, she didn’t love her marriage and got divorced. In 1993, she left Portugal and Jorge. When Jo left Portugal, she finished 3 chapters of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

After leaving Portugal, she moved to Edinburgh, Scotland and took the job of a French teacher. There, she wanted to finish her book terribly. Jo wrote at restaurants and cafés such as Nicholsons Restaurant, in which the owner was Di’s husband. With the help of her friends and family’s encouragement, Jo finally finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. When she wasn’t teaching French, she was working on her manuscript. After 7 years of rewriting every chapter and editing her story many times, she was finally ready to show the story to an agent.

Jo sent the first 3 chapters of her book to an Agent, who would sell the book to a publisher to get it published. Then, Jo received her manuscript back in the mail. She found out that the agent refused to read the rest of her story. Could all the hours and time she spent writing, rewriting chapters, and editing her story all been for nothing? But instead of losing all hope, she sent the manuscript to another agent, Christopher Little.

Christopher Little one day found Jo’s story in the slush pile. A slush pile is a pile of manuscripts sent by agents and publishers. One day, he was going to meet someone at lunch, but before he left, he picked up a manuscript that the other people from his office enjoyed. After reading the manuscript, he thanked Jo for sending in her story and was eager to publish it. Jo’s book was sent to Bloomsbury Publishers after getting rejected by 12 other publishers.

Biography

1. Pollack, Pam, and Meg Belviso. Who is J. K. Rowling? Penguin, 2012.
2. J. K. Rowling Biography – life, family, children, parents, story, school, mother, young, book. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.notablebiographies.com/Ro-Sc/Rowling-J-K.html
3. J.K. Rowling – J.K. Rowling. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.jkrowling.com/about/
4. WalesOnline. “Childhood Home Which Inspired Harry Potter Author JK Rowling Put on the Market.” WalesOnline, WalesOnline, 22 Mar. 2013, www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/childhood-home-inspired-harry-potter-1821416.