on and on

My father-in-law is responding to the meds and is awake and aware. Grandmother Death seems to have given him a pass this week.

I am at the end of the revision of my historical – huzzah – and am looking forward to getting back to the new WIP.

Our problems with Time Warner Cable – messed up cable, internet and phone – continue to drive us crazy and make their technicians curse and kick the ground. This has been going on for a month now. I am about to cancel all of the services, permanently, and see this as the Universe’s way of giving me more time to write and read.

A couple of people have asked me what I think about J.K. Rowling’s announcement that Dumbledore was gay. I think she misses writing, that’s what I think. I suspect that now the pressure is off to finish the series, and the hoopla over the last book’s publication has died down, she finds herself thinking about her characters a lot. And I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s writing about them, but she doesn’t want to tell anybody until she’d finished.

What do you think?

16 Replies to “on and on”

  1. I’m glad your father-in-law is doing better and that you’re finished with your revision! Good news.

    I like your idea about Rowling. So many other people like to play in her world (in fanfiction) and she’s been so busy writing the actual stories that she hasn’t had time to play herself. She was talking about writing an encyclopedia of backstory at some point, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she was working on that.

  2. I think she has notebooks and notebooks full of backstory and post-story, and after 17 years she is so full of them that they spill out deliciously as she is asked questions.

  3. I agree with girasole (and you, to a point). I think she has all of this stuff written down about her characters that just couldn’t make it into the books or would have distracted from the plot, and now that it’s all over it’s “safe” to start disseminating that information. I really don’t think she’s going to write another Harry Potter story, but she probably will write that encyclopedia she’s been talking about (and hopefully that encyclopedia will have lots of information about the characters).

    I doubt she’s coming up with new information about her characters at this point, if that’s what you were insinuating. In any case, Dumbledore’s orientation is hinted at in the last book. I think she’s just sharing information that she already knew but her fan base didn’t. She can’t tantalize us with hints about the next book anymore, so now she has to use the other information at her disposal.

  4. I think J.K. Rowling is a wonderful writer when it comes to action and adventure and mystery, but the romance in her books never did it for me. And this Dumbledore revelation isn’t too interesting either. I don’t know. Insert a shrug here because I guess I feel all the romance, etc, always felt forced and unrealistic.

  5. Oh, no, I agree with you. I don’t think she’s making this stuff up now – I think she’s always known it. But now that she’s not hampered by the need to write within the confines of the plot, she is freer to discuss (and ponder) aspects or details of her characters that didn’t make it to the page.

  6. My personal opinion is that Ms. Rowling was looking to get a reaction of those who already have issues with her writings. And when I say “those” I am referring to the ultra conservative, nut, psudo-intellectuals that are out to destroy a beautiful story of good verses evil, friendship and sacrifice for those that you love. Oh yes! That sure sounds like pure evil to me.

    Well done Ms. Rowling! If this was your wish you have succeeded! What will be next I wonder………maybe it will be revealed that Harry’s parents were never married! Snape was really a woman and we can only begin to imagine the secrets that Hagrid was hiding! I think the entire thing is hysterical. I can not wait for the HP encyclopedia to be published.

    Does this remind anyone of the Tinky Winky controversy of a few years back? Tinky was one of the little Telly Tubby that was purple and carried a purse. Of course we all know how that little soft spoken creature ruined the lives of so many. Hummmmmm if my memory serves me right, I do believe that Dumbledore does sport quite a few purple robes. No purse though just a wand.

  7. I’m glad to hear your father in law recovered well :). And congrats on the final draft.

    I have Time Warner Cable and it constantly cuts out and goes so low with connection it’s basically dial up. I don’t know what the problem is, but it sure is annoying.

    I have actually already had a lot of debates and discussion about this, just because the opinion on it differs so widely. I’ve been told by some that they think she did it for press and money, which I think is ridiculous considering where she comes from and the fact that she’s so rich now she doesn’t NEED more money, she’s not the money-hungry type, at least from what I can tell.

    I’ve also been told that she didn’t need to mention it. Well, a fan asked a question that related to it, and if she sees Dumbledore as gay she has the right to tell her fans so. I don’t think it had anything to do with wanting press or attention, or going along with this so-called fad to make someone gay in a story. I think that’s just what she’s always imagined him as. And those who say he’s not gay because they never saw him as gay…well guess what, it’s her story and she makes the characters and chooses their fate. I’m not saying they are stupid for thinking that, I’m just saying that it’s her call and if she says he’s gay…he’s gay…saying he’s not because you don’t want him to be is like saying a certain person didn’t die because you didn’t want them to or didn’t imagine them dying.

    What really makes me laugh is people saying how it’s going to change their entire idea of Dumbledore, and how he’s not a role model anymore, all that bull. He’s still the same person, with or without the label of homosexual. I think he was a great person in the books, and regardless of his flaws, he’s a great role model. Sexual preference does not change that.

  8. Her desire to talk about the world and people she created is understandable, and as I writer I get that. As a reader, though, I wish she’d hush. I like it better when authors leave us the fictive dream.

  9. Huh, that’s interesting, because I want to know as both a reader and a writer. I can still have my own little flights of fancy, but I like knowing “what really happened,” too. 🙂

  10. He’s still the same person, with or without the label of homosexual. I think he was a great person in the books, and regardless of his flaws, he’s a great role model. Sexual preference does not change that.

    Hear, hear! *applauds*

  11. I suspect she’s still writing. Perhaps not with a contract, but then again, it took her many years of writing and revising to arrive at the final version of the first Harry Potter book, so I bet she’s not the slightest bit concerned about that.

    I do wonder how without an advance she’ll make ends meet, though. Heh.

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