J. K. Rowling's Future Plans - Life Without Harry Potter

It took J. K. Rowling 17 years to write all seven of her Harry Potter books, and now that she has finished, what are her plans? According to an article in Time magazine in which she was named 2007's Person of the Year, Rowling said she will continue to write, of course - but what will she write? Adult fiction, and more fiction for children, are her answers. There will be nothing else set in the world of Harry Potter. At least for awhile, anyway.

When J. K. Rowling finished the last chapter of the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, she wrote the last word, dotted the last period, and then couldn't stop a barrage of tears from flowing. After crying for awhile, she found herself running to the minibar for a drink of champagne.

The final book in the famous Potter epic was released in July of 2007, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and it sold 15 million copies around the world in a 24 hour period, quicker than any of her previous books. She has now taken some time off, seen quite a few ballets, spent quality time with her children, indulged in various leisurely outings, and focused more time on charity work. But she says she can't help but feel there's a huge gap in her life from losing Harry.

Recently Rowling stated she's been experiencing moments of weakness where she strongly wants to begin an eighth Potter novel. Her daughter, Jessica, who is 14 years old and a huge fan of the series, has also applied pressure to mom to start another book set in the Potter world. But Rowling says if she does pen another volume, Harry will no longer be the main character.

So what is Rowling writing now? Not any television scripts. Producers of the popular TV show, Doctor Who, recently asked Rowling to write one episode for them, but she turned down the offer. She will write more literature though. She says she's already completed a handful of short stories, and is working on two new books: an adult fiction book, plus a children's book that features a monster (it is not fantasy based). Surely the public wonders if these will be as successful as the Harry Potter series. Rowling admits they probably won't be. And more people are wondering if she's as equally adept at writing fiction for adults. We'll find out soon enough.

J. K. Rowling has tried her hand at writing adult fiction before. She finished two regular novels before starting on the Potter books, but never felt they were worthy of publication. Now she will try again, and her fans can't wait to read the results. Some have surmised Rowling will use a pseudonym for her next works. But she says she will not do so, as she knows her identity would quickly be discovered by the press.

Rowling also has plans to release an Encyclopedia at some point that covers the entire Harry Potter Universe, although she says she will take her time with the work so that it is well-researched and extremely thorough. All profits from it will go to her favorite charities.

But wait a second, Rowling has already written another book after the Harry Potter series! Reported on the Amazon.com web site, Rowling wrote The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which was initially a fictitious book of children's stories mentioned in the original Potter books. She decided to sit down and write the real version and "publish" it in a limited edition of only seven copies, six of which were to be given to friends closely related to the Potter series, and the final one auctioned off for charity. Each book was handwritten by Rowling and includes her own illustrations. The copies were bound in leather and adorned with silver and expensive gems. The auctioned copy eventually went for 1,950,000 pounds, and the purchaser was Amazon.com!

From her extremely successful Potter books, Rowling has more cash now than the Queen of England. Deals for video games, toys, and hundreds of other products carrying the Harry Potter seal have helped generate millions of dollars worth of income. And the Warner Brothers films haven't hurt much either. It is estimated Rowling has the numerical equivalent of a billion dollars, making her the first literary billionaire in the history of the world.

Do you know where the idea for the the Harry Potter series came from? Rowling was riding a train heading to London from Manchester when the idea popped into her mind. Because she had forgotten to take a pen with her, she spent hours contemplating the story during the ride, generating plot points and various characters. Here is how she describes getting the idea in her own words: "I had been writing almost continuously since the age of six but I had never been so excited about an idea before. [...] I simply sat and thought, for four (delayed train) hours, and all the details bubbled up in my brain, and this scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who didn't know he was a wizard became more and more real to me."

In June of this year Harvard is holding a commencement with J. K. Rowling as the main speaker. Previous speakers have included Bill Gates of Microsoft and President Bill Clinton. Rowling will receive an honorary Ph.D. at the event as well.