As I’ve said elsewhere, I’d like to see her move on. She’s got more worlds in her.

Seems to me that we’ve figured out the definition of the word “elvendorks” – and it’s us.

Maybe she’s not the only one who needs to move on.

Perfectly understandable!

John, more Elvendork than I want to admit

However, having said that, I also believe that she is able capable of writing in any genre or style she would wish to. In fact, I think she will/would be successful in whatever endeavor she chooses.

To put it in a more personal perspective, my husband left one successful career after more than thirty years for another, equally successful. People still ask him if he misses the first because they just know he must. While he misses certain aspects of it, he has enjoyed his second career, and to some degree, even more so than his first. Part of the reason for this is that he is now able to devote more time to writing. While he wrote throughout his first career, and now with his second, he now has the time to write fulltime. As for his writing genre, he has written everything from a textbook to poetry to novels (of different genres).

I think the same can (and will) be said of Rowling. Whether or not she ever writes another Harry Potter, she will continue to write. That’s what writers do…they write. They are compelled to write.

And as much as I love Harry Potter, I rather wish she’d rather:
1) write whatever she really wants without regard for her rabid fans
2) write something totally different

but in the long run, I hope she just enjoys her life, and is able to live it the way she wants to live it.
exiting soapbox mode….

And perhaps pressure to write more Wiz stuff will make her obstinate and determined to do something different.

She’s previously said that if she wrote any other WizWorld works, “our” HP characters would be only b peripheral. As I suggested earlier, perhaps she might write a collection of short stories that wouldn’t require a huge narrative arc, but could include her hermetic artistry. Or, rather than writing about the Order, about which we know really do know quite a bit (including the ending), what if she were to write about the four founders of Hogwarts? That would be interesting! And she could do it in the context of A History of Hogwarts, which would make a fascinating book and include the historical events referred to in the HP books.

But, I’ll admire Rowling if she goes in another direction and pulls out of G. Gryffindor’s hat something completely different.

As RevGeorge says, “Personally I don’t think she has to write another word in her life if she doesn’t want to.”

Kitties don’t do anything they don’t want to, except go to the vet…

Personally I don’t think she has to write another word in her life if she doesn’t want to. She’s already cemented herself as a great author. We’ll just have to wait & see what she does.

Question: Would JKR consider herself a failure as an author if she chose not to tackle another series, but concentrated on short-term projects associated with HP characters and settings?

The answer for me is “hopefully not.” For every *next generation* of readers, the wonder of Harry’s story waits to be discovered. Could we not presume Jo’s resources to be endless in choosing storylines like the two-page prequel we were given…little projects that would most likely add up to big bucks for charities, special events, and the like in future?

Perhaps we sell Ms Rowling short sometimes in our haste to consume, digest, and contemplate all the HP we can get our hands on. I know I don’t appreciate pressure “to produce” following successful projects just because I have the skills to keep doing them.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but let’s give Jo space to create at her leisure (enjoy what she does give us), tamp down our anxieties to have more Harry (not that we should stop our discussions), and allow her to consult on HP Movies 7 & 8 to their completion (oh, what a day that will be!). THEN we will know whether she is ready to put Potterdom on paper again

pj, trying to give the lady a break.

Along with Red Rocker, I see this work as directed to a more adult readership. A little more mystery/romance and a splash of humor thrown in for good measure. As we have already read from the Waterstone copy.

I don’t see Jo writing 700 pages on this prequel idea either. If she pursues this idea that we in the fandom are deciding for her (LOL), I see a series of short works, written in sequence, for charitable purposes only.

She should do this regardless of whether her next work will be as successful as HP. It’s unlikely that anything – by anyone – will ever be as successful as HP. But she shouldn’t let that stop her.

In a funny sort of way, she should listen to the lesson she preached to the Harvard graduating class: don’t be afraid of failure.