MuggleNet - Earlier today, JK Rowling hosted a live web chat on Bloomsbury's official website where she answered several questions about Deathly Hallows( which are, of course, spoilers. )
And what happened then, oh great storyteller? And then what happened after that? And after that? And after that?
A story's value is in the telling, not just the details. Giving out what are essentially lists of facts ("Harry has twelve grandchildren: four boys, seven girls, and a hobbit. Snape thought that Rita Skeeter was kind of cute, but he never would have mentioned it to anybody") does not make for storytelling of any sort. (Plus is makes the fanficcers sad.)
I like the books (by and large), but stuff like this bothers me for reasons I can't quite put my finger on. (The books actually suffer from non-storytelling like this in places, too. Take the bit where Harry looks at Snape's memories--Rowling might just as well have said, "Ok, reader, now I'm going to run down the list of explanations for Snape's behavior over the last few books. Pay attention.")
Some of this is nice to know; but yes, if it had been included in the actual book, it would have definitely bogged things down. I like the idea of a separate HP encyclopedia/history book/Silmarillion/whatever for those who are interested, but isn't required by those who aren't in order to enjoy the series.
Take the bit where Harry looks at Snape's memories
Yeah, she does that a lot. That was what I was referring to in one of my other posts when I said something about "too many tangents as it is" or somesuch. "Show, don't tell" was something they drummed into me in my creative writing class; that's more of JKR just telling the reader things they need to know than showing them.
"As JK left us with little to no idea of what is happening to everyone post Deathly Hallows, other than the fact they shouldn't have been allowed to choose their children's names…" - from the
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That chat makes me feel like 1) she forgot Harry was a classic "unreliable narratori and 2) Harry turned into an anime 10 year old girl just before passing on the "important details" for JKR to share in the interview.
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A story's value is in the telling, not just the details. Giving out what are essentially lists of facts ("Harry has twelve grandchildren: four boys, seven girls, and a hobbit. Snape thought that Rita Skeeter was kind of cute, but he never would have mentioned it to anybody") does not make for storytelling of any sort. (Plus is makes the fanficcers sad.)
I like the books (by and large), but stuff like this bothers me for reasons I can't quite put my finger on. (The books actually suffer from non-storytelling like this in places, too. Take the bit where Harry looks at Snape's memories--Rowling might just as well have said, "Ok, reader, now I'm going to run down the list of explanations for Snape's behavior over the last few books. Pay attention.")
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Take the bit where Harry looks at Snape's memories
Yeah, she does that a lot. That was what I was referring to in one of my other posts when I said something about "too many tangents as it is" or somesuch. "Show, don't tell" was something they drummed into me in my creative writing class; that's more of JKR just telling the reader things they need to know than showing them.
Reply
"As JK left us with little to no idea of what is happening to everyone post Deathly Hallows, other than the fact they shouldn't have been allowed to choose their children's names…" - from the
( ... )
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JKR said one character was slated to die but got a reprieve. I'm very curious as to who that is!
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... although it certainly still could have been Arthur ...
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-Hagrid, to Harry, on his 11th birthday, at the shack-on-a-rock.
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-Nosehair Gazette
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