If JK Rowling Cares About Writing, She Should Stop Doing It

jgaiser · 02-26-2014, 12:31 PM

A bushel basket of sour grapes:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/lynn...b_4829648.html

A couple of quotes so you can get the feeling of the article:

Quote:

I didn't much mind Rowling when she was Pottering about. I've never read a word (or seen a minute) so I can't comment on whether the books were good, bad or indifferent. I did think it a shame that adults were reading them (rather than just reading them to their children, which is another thing altogether), mainly because there's so many other books out there that are surely more stimulating for grown-up minds. But, then again, any reading is better than no reading, right? But The Casual Vacancy changed all that.

Quote:

So this is my plea to JK Rowling. Remember what it was like when The Cuckoo's Calling had only sold a few boxes and think about those of us who are stuck there, because we can't wave a wand and turn our books into overnight bestsellers merely by saying the magic word. By all means keep writing for kids, or for your personal pleasure - I would never deny anyone that - but when it comes to the adult market you've had your turn. Enjoy your vast fortune and the good you're doing with it, luxuriate in the love of your legions of fans, and good luck to you on both counts. But it's time to give other writers, and other writing, room to breathe.

And author Mark Lawrence's reply:

http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.co.u...sing-tide.html

DiapDealer · 02-26-2014, 12:40 PM

Yeah. That blog-post was just a big, bag of dumb.

But probably a very successful "Look at Me!" campaign.

Katsunami · 02-26-2014, 01:46 PM

LOL. As if every author in a genre will stop publishing books or won't sell any should Rowling decide to write one in that genre. Ridiculous.

QuantumIguana · 02-26-2014, 01:54 PM

If she put out another Harry Potter book, I'd read it. I probably won't read her current books, they just aren't the sort of books that interest me. However, if other readers think her books are worth reading, that's fine. Just because I don't read them doesn't mean they are unworthy of being read.

This sort of bashing isn't something that you see coming from really successful authors. It comes from those who want to be really successful, but aren't, and who display contempt for readers for not reading their obviously superior books. I looked up Lynn Shepherd's book on Amazon, and you have to throw out the one-star reviews from people who hadn't read the book, but sales of her books aren't exactly setting the world on fire. The Solitary House, #87,297; A Fatal Likeness, #113,667; Murder at Mansfield Park, #107, 995; Tom-All-Alone's, #1,963,573; Trecherous Likeness, #2,471,175.

Catlady · 02-26-2014, 02:24 PM

What a twit.

And if she hasn't read any of the Harry Potter books, how does she smugly decide that it's oh-so-unfortunate that adults enjoyed them? How does she know that adults couldn't find something worthwhile in these books?

I say this as someone who read exactly one Harry Potter book, thought it was just "eh," and have no desire to read JK Rowling. But such jealousy of a writer who has entertained millions upon millions of people is just incredible.

din155 · 02-26-2014, 02:46 PM

This begs the question - Did Huffington post charge her for the blog upfront or will take some part of her future revenue?

MeSue · 02-26-2014, 03:10 PM

I never read the Harry Potter books or saw the movies when they were all the rage. Read Casual Vacancy last year and didn't care too much for it. I finished it even though I found it sad and depressing, so maybe that is testament to her skill. Then I decided to try an audiobook of the first Harry Potter just to see what all the fuss was about, and because I'd heard the narration was really good. I wasn't impressed with that either and not sure I would have finished it without the Jim Dale narration. (Could quidditch be any more boring?) Have read some comments that the series didn't really hit its stride until book 3 or 4, but have not been motivated to start another HP book. I haven't been able to muster any enthusiasm for The Cuckoo's Calling either, even though it is more my kind of genre. The article is certainly whiny, but I do think she is overrated.

Jessica Lares · 02-26-2014, 03:11 PM

Yeah, because people only buy HER books and no one elses...

I have a habit of buying everything and anything from my favorite bands and artists, in fact I'm about to blow $99 on a remaster of an album that debuted 20 years ago. I'm the same way with JK Rowling, I have bought, and will buy anything she'll ever release.

That doesn't mean I won't buy whatever else everyone is doing. But I can't do that if I don't even know that it exists.

SO tired of all the criticism over reading a freaking book series. One that finished years and years ago even. I gave up my religion because of people like her who talk so poorly about something they know very little about.

Those books helped me through the hardest years of my life, and I have people in my life that I wouldn't have if I never was part of that fandom.

Those books, to a lot of people like me, are more than what's written on those 4,224 pages.

ApK · 02-26-2014, 03:24 PM

Surely that blog posting was intentionally tongue-in-cheek, attention-bait.

As for Potter and JK herself. Seems to me the chick can write., I enjoyed the movies, and read the first book, but lost interest during the second and never continued. I'm impressed by the scope and richness of the story and the world, though.

I enjoyed Cuckoo's Calling. I would read more like that from that pseudonym.

Hamlet53 · 02-26-2014, 03:29 PM

I saw that headline on HuffPo a few days ago. I did not even read the article as I felt that the headline told me all I needed to know. Sour grapes from an author who does not understand how so people can purchase books by Rowling while the author's own literary masterpieces are not getting the deserved recognition.

jgaiser · 02-26-2014, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApK

Surely that blog posting was intentionally tongue-in-cheek, attention-bait.

You must be reading a different article that I did. While it definitely is attention-bait, it was anything but tongue in cheek. It was whining that Rowling has entered *her* genre and is *stealing* readers from her *just* because of her name and should just quit writing and give other folks a chance.

ApK · 02-26-2014, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jgaiser

You must be reading a different article that I did. While it definitely is attention-bait, it was anything but tongue in cheek. It was whining that Rowling has entered *her* genre and is *stealing* readers from her *just* because of her name and should just quit writing and give other folks a chance.

I got that, I just can't believe that anyone could actually mean it.

ApK

p.s. I got that from the quotes in the OP. I could not read the article, because I was busy reading an article by JK Rowling.....

jgaiser · 02-26-2014, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApK

I got that, I just can't believe that anyone could actually mean it.

Ok... I really think we need a sarcasm tag, cause that one went right over my head...

sun surfer · 02-26-2014, 03:57 PM

What rubbish those quotes are from the article. If it were just an anti-fan going on a tirade about Rowling it'd be one thing, but an author complaining that Rowling shouldn't write in a particular genre, with apparent earnestness and jealousy seething through? It's rather pathetic.

This could hurt the author more than help her, and I have a feeling she'll probably probably be very grateful for Goodreads' controversial policy that doesn't allow discussion of an author's actions in reviews, though from a very quick perusal of some of her works there I already see backlash comments, heh.

Ninjalawyer · 02-26-2014, 03:58 PM

Ironically, I've often thought things would be better if a lot of the editorial writers for the HuffPo just stopped writing.

On the plus side, this one didn't try and explain the secret evils of vaccines, or feature Deepak Chopra spouting pseudoscience about quantum physics, so I guess maybe it's an improvement over the norm.

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02-26-2014, 12:40 PM	#2
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,353 Karma: 203720150 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Yeah. That blog-post was just a big, bag of dumb. But probably a very successful "Look at Me!" campaign.

02-26-2014, 01:46 PM	#3
Katsunami Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,111 Karma: 34000001 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: KPW1, KA1	LOL. As if every author in a genre will stop publishing books or won't sell any should Rowling decide to write one in that genre. Ridiculous.

02-26-2014, 01:54 PM	#4
QuantumIguana Philosopher Posts: 2,034 Karma: 18736532 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2 gen, Kindle Fire 1st Gen, Kindle Touch	If she put out another Harry Potter book, I'd read it. I probably won't read her current books, they just aren't the sort of books that interest me. However, if other readers think her books are worth reading, that's fine. Just because I don't read them doesn't mean they are unworthy of being read. This sort of bashing isn't something that you see coming from really successful authors. It comes from those who want to be really successful, but aren't, and who display contempt for readers for not reading their obviously superior books. I looked up Lynn Shepherd's book on Amazon, and you have to throw out the one-star reviews from people who hadn't read the book, but sales of her books aren't exactly setting the world on fire. The Solitary House, #87,297; A Fatal Likeness, #113,667; Murder at Mansfield Park, #107, 995; Tom-All-Alone's, #1,963,573; Trecherous Likeness, #2,471,175.

02-26-2014, 02:24 PM	#5
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,407 Karma: 52613881 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	What a twit. And if she hasn't read any of the Harry Potter books, how does she smugly decide that it's oh-so-unfortunate that adults enjoyed them? How does she know that adults couldn't find something worthwhile in these books? I say this as someone who read exactly one Harry Potter book, thought it was just "eh," and have no desire to read JK Rowling. But such jealousy of a writer who has entertained millions upon millions of people is just incredible.

02-26-2014, 02:46 PM	#6
din155 Guru Posts: 880 Karma: 7556602 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: UK Device: Kindle PW, Win 10 thinkpad 8in	This begs the question - Did Huffington post charge her for the blog upfront or will take some part of her future revenue?

02-26-2014, 03:10 PM	#7
MeSue Geek in the Forest Posts: 399 Karma: 1077186 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: FL Device: iPad Air, iPhone 4s, Nexus 7	I never read the Harry Potter books or saw the movies when they were all the rage. Read Casual Vacancy last year and didn't care too much for it. I finished it even though I found it sad and depressing, so maybe that is testament to her skill. Then I decided to try an audiobook of the first Harry Potter just to see what all the fuss was about, and because I'd heard the narration was really good. I wasn't impressed with that either and not sure I would have finished it without the Jim Dale narration. (Could quidditch be any more boring?) Have read some comments that the series didn't really hit its stride until book 3 or 4, but have not been motivated to start another HP book. I haven't been able to muster any enthusiasm for The Cuckoo's Calling either, even though it is more my kind of genre. The article is certainly whiny, but I do think she is overrated.

02-26-2014, 03:11 PM	#8
Jessica Lares Wizard Posts: 2,240 Karma: 5759170 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Near Dallas, Texas, USA Device: iPad Mini, iPod Touch (5th gen)	Yeah, because people only buy HER books and no one elses... I have a habit of buying everything and anything from my favorite bands and artists, in fact I'm about to blow $99 on a remaster of an album that debuted 20 years ago. I'm the same way with JK Rowling, I have bought, and will buy anything she'll ever release. That doesn't mean I won't buy whatever else everyone is doing. But I can't do that if I don't even know that it exists. SO tired of all the criticism over reading a freaking book series. One that finished years and years ago even. I gave up my religion because of people like her who talk so poorly about something they know very little about. Those books helped me through the hardest years of my life, and I have people in my life that I wouldn't have if I never was part of that fandom. Those books, to a lot of people like me, are more than what's written on those 4,224 pages.

02-26-2014, 03:24 PM	#9
ApK Award-Winning Participant Posts: 7,384 Karma: 68329346 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: NJ, USA Device: Kindle	Surely that blog posting was intentionally tongue-in-cheek, attention-bait. As for Potter and JK herself. Seems to me the chick can write., I enjoyed the movies, and read the first book, but lost interest during the second and never continued. I'm impressed by the scope and richness of the story and the world, though. I enjoyed Cuckoo's Calling. I would read more like that from that pseudonym.

02-26-2014, 03:29 PM	#10
Hamlet53 Nameless Being	I saw that headline on HuffPo a few days ago. I did not even read the article as I felt that the headline told me all I needed to know. Sour grapes from an author who does not understand how so people can purchase books by Rowling while the author's own literary masterpieces are not getting the deserved recognition.

02-26-2014, 03:57 PM	#14
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44667380 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	What rubbish those quotes are from the article. If it were just an anti-fan going on a tirade about Rowling it'd be one thing, but an author complaining that Rowling shouldn't write in a particular genre, with apparent earnestness and jealousy seething through? It's rather pathetic. This could hurt the author more than help her, and I have a feeling she'll probably probably be very grateful for Goodreads' controversial policy that doesn't allow discussion of an author's actions in reviews, though from a very quick perusal of some of her works there I already see backlash comments, heh.

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02-26-2014, 03:58 PM	#15
Ninjalawyer Guru Posts: 826 Karma: 18573626 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Touch, Nexus 7 (2013)	Ironically, I've often thought things would be better if a lot of the editorial writers for the HuffPo just stopped writing. On the plus side, this one didn't try and explain the secret evils of vaccines, or feature Deepak Chopra spouting pseudoscience about quantum physics, so I guess maybe it's an improvement over the norm.