The Magic Beyond Harry Potter

After millions of copies being sold across the world, it is safe to say that you probably have heard of the Harry Potter series by J. K Rowling. You know of Harry and the scar on his forehead, Lord Voldemort, and Hogwart School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. These books have been adored by millions, and movies were created to compliment these books.

To me these books are more about just Harry Potter and becoming a great wizard. It's more about the triumph a mother and a writer, whose passion and excitement over ideas becoming her fortune and reality.

J. K. Rowling (Joanne Rowling) had an idea on a long train ride one day about a scrawny boy with black hair who didn't know that he was a wizard. Her excitement for this story leads to her finally writing it down. Her favorite place to write was in a café. She was unemployed, and from another person's point of view she probably seemed to be one of those people who would always be struggling financially.

It is always said as a word of advice to aspiring novelist to never give up. When you are rejected once, or twice, or even twelve times, you should never give up hope. As a matter of fact, J. K. Rowling's book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was rejected eight times. But finally, without giving up hope, Scholastic picks up the book and it begins to hit shelves

Did you know that the original title the first book was, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone? It was changed when it was brought to the United States. (Fun random fact)

To me, the Harry Potter series is not just about the story between the front and back cover. It is about a woman who went from having very little to a lot, just from being passionate about what she loved. It gives a ray of hope to all writers out there that there is still a market for being a novelist.

Hollywood and all the video games out there give a sense that the only thing people seek is visually stimulating entertainment. There was a time in my life that I was afraid that if I was to write a book, no one would care. Any true writer out there knows that writing is not at all about making money. They write because there is a story in their heart that needs to be told, whether fact or fiction. A writer thinks about it every day, and even if they don't write it down, they are constantly thinking about the stories they wish to tell.

Do you think J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of Lord of the Rings, created the Elvin language just so that a publisher would pay him more? Of course, he didn't. It created a deep richness to the story that had to be told.

As people began to read less throughout the years, it was a concern of mine. But the true magic behind the Harry Potter books is the inspiration it brought back into reading and writing.

How many of you haven't sat down to a book until Harry Potter? Or how many of you had kids that refused to read until Harry Potter? This could be a hit and miss. Perhaps this is just a one time thing where people fell in love with this series hard, and after this they will stop reading again. I really don't think it's true. I think people will continue to read more.

If nothing else, Harry Potter re-inspired me that there are people out there still listening to the written word. They are still picking up books, and loving each word. They are standing in line, dressing up, pre-ordering, and shutting off the TV...for a book. To me, that is the true magic of it all.