JK Rowling Writing Course of: eight Guidelines All Writers Can Be taught From

Are you a super fan of the Harry Potter series? Are you writing a book for the first time (or for the hundredth time) and are you (still) fascinated by JK Rowling's writing process?

JK Rowling is the best-selling author of the Harry Potter books and the beloved creator of the Harry Potter books.

A total of seven, the series begins with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (or Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) and ends with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – with each book becoming darker and more dangerous than the Boy Who Lived Forever.

If you're a writer, you probably know a.) At least the Harry Potter series, and b.) Dreaming of a writing career that thrives like JK Rowling's.

But to do this you need to master the craft of writing.

And what better way to build your craft than learning from JK Rowling's writing process?

We could all learn from JK Rowling's writing process

If you're anything like me, you've probably dreamed of a career as a writer like JK Rowling, especially while you were working on the first draft of your first book.

I hear you.

Who wouldn't want to create a teenage girl who shatters boundaries and stereotypes like Hermione Granger, or a complex shapeshifter who lets readers guess like Snape?

Wouldn't you like to write in your book for a moment as exciting as receiving a letter of admission to Hogwarts? I admit I still hold mine for mine. (Perhaps Weasley's owl was lost in transit.)

But until then, I know it's valuable to turn my free moments into focused focus on how to improve my books.

Whether you want to write short stories or 90,000 word novels, we can all expand our craft by following some of JK Rowling's writing tips.

Once upon a time I wrote about Neil Gaiman's writing rules. Today I want to show you JK Rowling's writing rules.

Taking a page out of JK Rowling's writing process can potentially create an environment as masterful as the wizarding world, or as memorable as Rowling's best-selling series in history.

8 rules that follow JK Rowling's writing process

You know who JK Rowling is. You know Harry Potter has taken the world by storm. You may even be aware that Rowling struggled to get published. It's true there was a time when several people didn't want to take any chances with Harry Potter (shock: publishers don't know everything).

Ms. Joanne Rowling knows the publishing world and can talk about victory and defeat from both sides.

From shorter children's books like the first book in the series to longer, complicated plots like Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, few today will argue that Rowling is ignorant of a plot.

Even with scripts like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Rowling knows how to grab our attention and hold it from page one to the end. Throughout her writing career, she has shared a lot of great writing wisdom to help teach other writers how to do the same thing.

Still, some people might say that there is no way to summarize their best tips. In my opinion, JK Rowling has eight writing rules that stand out.

Eight rules for writing that you too can master.

Rule one

Be inconsiderate when it comes to protecting writing days i.e. H. Do not indulge in endless requests to have "essential" and "long overdue" meetings these days. The funny thing is that even though writing has been my real job for a few years now, I still have to fight for the time to do it.

This is especially difficult for those of us with families. Our loved ones come first, and while this is true, our loved ones need to understand that we need time to write.

Setting sensible boundaries with these loved ones is a critical step for a writer – even if they're as simple as, "Mommy needs fifteen minutes of quiet time, okay?"

If you are having trouble setting boundaries with loved ones, try to set a reasonable limit for a week. Look how it goes.

If it's too much or too little time, tweak it. Establish a routine that signals to others that it is your writing time, but also to let them know that you are there for them outside of your writing area.

Not only will this teach others the importance of flexibility and discipline, but also that your writing is valuable. It is your work and your dream! If you need quiet time to write, it doesn't mean you don't love your family. By sharing this with them, you may be able to avoid problems.

Regardless, your writing also deserves your time. Communicating openly with your friends and family can help everyone understand and respect this.

Rule two

You have to work. It's about structure. It's about discipline.

It's easy to forget that writing is a job.

We don't always feel like doing our job. We certainly don't always feel inspired. To be a writer, we need to practice sitting down and writing when we don't feel like it. These moments are the ones that really matter, even more so than the glowing, flying, writing moments.

These moments turn amateurs into professionals and rough drafts into polished manuscripts.

The muse works for you. You don't write and call at her expense – you train her to show up as she writes.

Rule three

I stopped fooling myself into thinking I was different from who I was and started focusing all my energy on finishing the only job that was important to me.

Yes, you can write with another job.

Yes, writing is possible with other responsibilities.

Are you a writer (I know your inner critic growled no, but I also know that a tiny candle flicker of insatiable hope whispered inside you with so much longing that you could cry.)

You are a writer. That means you write.

A runner is running.

A painter paints.

A cook is cooking.

You are a writer. You write. Accept this, fight to believe it, and wonder how far that belief can take you.

Rule four

Write What You Know: Your own interests, feelings, beliefs, friends, family, and even pets will be your raw materials when you start writing.

This doesn't mean you have to experience aliens to write about it. It means that all good stories have universal application. A good example is this Google Doodle. (Trust me. I'm going somewhere with it.)

Take two minutes and thirty-six seconds to see this.

It's adorable, isn't it? Without a single word, this video told an effective story. You felt for the little ghost both when it was sad and when it was happy, right?

That was universal application.

It doesn't matter what culture you come from or what language you speak. All people know what it means to be lonely, to feel left out, frustrated, determined, and finally to be with friends.

This story works because the creators used their interests, feelings, beliefs, friends, family, and even pets to tell this story. (I like the kitten herself.)

I'm very oversimplified, but here's the gist: you already know how to tell a moving story because you are living one. If you've ever had emotions, ever reacted to something, you already know what a universal application looks like.

The practice and discipline of writing will only help you get it down on paper.

Rule five

I advise children who ask me for tips on being a writer to read as much as possible. Jane Austen gave the same advice to a young friend, so I'll be in good company there.

Read.

Rule Six

Perseverance is absolutely necessary, not just to produce all of these words, but to survive rejection and criticism.

This is one of those uncomfortable publishing truths: you get rejected. A lot of.

I wish there was a way around this. Harry Potter has been rejected time and time again because it is sometimes. And it's not just publishers: if it's published and your work is out there, you will get bad reviews, too.

Most of the time it's just people who don't understand what you're doing. You know that intellectually. Your heart, however, will break into a thousand pieces.

But here's the secret: you can't stop writing because of push back.

You are NOT allowed to stop writing because of push back.

Keep going. Do not stop. If rejected, pick up your pen and move on (and use the way you feel to bring a more universal application into your work).

What if you really feel discouraged? Remember that someone who doesn't like your book may not be the ideal reader either. What, strange as it sounds, you want.

Finding readers who don't like your book means that you probably did a good job writing a certain type of book, which will increase your changes in finding, connecting, and changing the lives of your ideal readers.

I have a friend who doesn't like Harry Potter (gasp! I know!)

There are literally millions of other readers (myself included) who disagree with her penchant for stories.

So keep writing your book because your ideal readers will need it.

Rule seven

What you write becomes who you are. So make sure you love what you write!

This is a deep one. Don't forget your diving gear.

Writing is a bit like a Mobius strip in a way:

Your beliefs, experiences, and feelings will help you write. However, your writing often clarifies, corrects, and reveals your beliefs, experiences, and feelings.

There are things you know you have no idea you know – but your subconscious does, and that stuff will flow into your writing.

As you write, you will discover things about yourself. You will also clear things up because it is only when you write them that you realize they need to be cleared up at all.

Writing is a brave, daring endeavor, and life-changing discoveries are part of the journey. Never let anyone tell you that it is easy.

Nothing really great is ever

Rule eight

Failure is inevitable – make it a strength. You have to come to terms with wasting a lot of trees before writing something you really like, and that's how it is. It's like learning an instrument. You need to be prepared to hit wrong notes occasionally or fairly often. I wrote a lot before writing something that I was really happy with.

And that's normal. It's okay too.

You're going to write a lot of crap. You're going to push past these things and write more crap. It can take twelve years. It can take a million words. If so, you are on the right track – the same one your favorite authors walk.

Accept that it will take time, and that sometimes your pencil is not your friend. In this case, if you accept it, you will not throw in the towel and set the house on fire. Instead, you can say, "Well, damn it; that sucked, didn't it? I knew it was going to happen. Time to write something else."

Writer, insistent on the JK Rowling writing process

You can do this, clerk. We're all on the same path and that means we can encourage each other along the way. Please don't give up.

And if you're ready to give up, return to JK Rowling's writing process, which I believe is enforced using these eight writing rules. Look for the one you are struggling with the moment you are ready to quit. Confirm and toss it in the trash along with your other messy manuscript pages.

That voice trying to make you stop doesn't respect your writing.

But you should.

It's time to write something else.

Which of these rules from JK Rowling's writing process appeals to you? Share in the comments.

WORK OUT

Write what you know Set a timer for fifteen minutes and have a single experience of your life – one to which you reacted with emotion – and apply the universal application to your current story. Or start a new story based on that experience. This can be about loss or love, anger or fear, rejection or acceptance.

Whatever it is, after you write it, post it in and don't forget to comment on the practice of three other authors.

Ruthanne Reid

Best selling author. Wife of the geek. Mother of the cat. Owners of many things that need to be plugged in.