J.K. Rowling leaves door open for 8th book

[AceHBK]

Just when we all thought she was iron clad not going to do another Harry Potter book, J.K. Rowling said she is tempted to do an 8th book. The door is open....

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/..._for_8th__Potter_book/articleshow/2647224.cms

 

[Big Don]

With the amount of money she stands to make, anyone would be tempted. She ought to either write them herself, or license the franchise out the way George Lucas did with all the Star Wars novels, video games, toys, tshirts, etc. Yeah, nobody really needs more than a billion dollars, but, hell why not?

 

[grydth]

Unless Rowling spends like athletes or members of Congress, she isn't likely ever going to be motivated by a need for money.

But how about all that attention she is used to...... gradually fading away? That is why you'll see Harry Potter and the Fear of Being Obscure, available Christmas 2009.

 

[stickarts]

I started the books mainly out of curiosity since the books were so popular. I was surprised at how I got more interested with each book and I was hooked by the 4th book and sad when it ended in the 7th book.
I hope she does another one, but only if it is of the same quality as the previous books.

 

[terryl965]

Money Money Money man she will never be broke so if she does write another it would be for some other reason.

 

[Kacey]

JK Rowling has stated in many places that she has become attached to her characters - that she changed the events of the last book from her original plan because there were certain characters who were supposed to die that she just could not bear to have killed.

Authors become attached to their creations; they live the lives they write about at some level - at least, if they are good authors, they do. There are so many questions left about various characters that could be answered in future volume(s) - if she chooses to write because she cannot bear to let the characters go, because there are other things about the characters that should be known - then that is a good reason to write. If it is solely to make more money, then that is a bad reason to write.

I sincerely hope she will not license them out - she spent so long refusing to license merchandise or the novels to become movies because she was concerned that it would not be done tastefully, that I hope she will continue to refuse licensing out the characters any more than she already has, especially for future books.

 

[MA-Caver]

I sincerely hope she will not license them out - she spent so long refusing to license merchandise or the novels to become movies because she was concerned that it would not be done tastefully, that I hope she will continue to refuse licensing out the characters any more than she already has, especially for future books.

I hope she does... for one thing it allows the characters to grow. An author can only take their creation so far before imagination peaks. While Rowling has shown copious imagination to be sure... she can also burn out... no matter how much she loves her characters.
Allowing others to take up the story line and with her approval is a good way to go. She can ensure that this character won't turn evil, or end up this way or whatever.
Besides she left a 19 year window wide open between the end of the (7th) book and the epilogue, this left a world of possibilities.

 

[Kacey]

I hope she does... for one thing it allows the characters to grow. An author can only take their creation so far before imagination peaks. While Rowling has shown copious imagination to be sure... she can also burn out... no matter how much she loves her characters.
Allowing others to take up the story line and with her approval is a good way to go. She can ensure that this character won't turn evil, or end up this way or whatever.
Besides she left a 19 year window wide open between the end of the (7th) book and the epilogue, this left a world of possibilities.

Oh, I agree that she left plenty of room for filling in - also plenty of room for the next generation of students. My concern with licensing the characters out, however, is that I've seen some truly atrocious writing in some of the licensed stories in other universes - especially Star Wars and Star Trek - by authors who took established characters and did very little with them. I've also seen some really good books written that way - but they are far outnumbered by the poor ones, at least the ones I've read.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

If she comes out with another one I will be reading it!

Truthfully though, how could she stop. Once you start down the path on something that people find so much joy in and that you are so good at how could you stop. I expect another book in four years or less!

Plus if she does not write another one I do not know if I will ever be able to forgive her!

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Don't forget fanfiction, which is often quite good (and often quite bad).

 

[jks9199]

Oh, I agree that she left plenty of room for filling in - also plenty of room for the next generation of students. My concern with licensing the characters out, however, is that I've seen some truly atrocious writing in some of the licensed stories in other universes - especially Star Wars and Star Trek - by authors who took established characters and did very little with them. I've also seen some really good books written that way - but they are far outnumbered by the poor ones, at least the ones I've read.

Or got a contract to write a book about the characters, and had, at best, a "writer's guide to the <whatever> universe" that they occasionally referred to. I've seen characters that I liked in series go bizarre directions under new writers...

 

[exile]

My guess is, if she does write more about the wizarding world it will be (i) herself and only herself doing the writing and (ii) any profits from the book will go to a charity or social cause, or set of charities or social causes, that she is strongly committed to. My impression, from her life so far, her clear perspective on things in the books, and what she says in interviews, is that she's someone who wants her money to do some good for someone else as well as herself. If I had to bet, that's what my own $$ would be on...

 

[Big Don]

The thing is, until she dies, and she looks to be in pretty good health,she will always have the option of writing another.

 

[ArmorOfGod]

You know, I don't get the Harry Potter books. I am a huge fanboy and Harry Potter fits very firmly in the fandom world, but I just don't like it.
I have tried reading the books several times, but hate the way they are written.
Like I said, I tried, but just don't like it.

AoG

 

[CuongNhuka]

This wouldn't surprise me. I figured she would make more books. You know, what they do after, back stories of characters, indepth-books about obscure (mentioned only once) characters. The guy who wrote Oz did the same, and so did the guy who made Lord of the Rings, names elude me at the moment.

 

[jks9199]

This wouldn't surprise me. I figured she would make more books. You know, what they do after, back stories of characters, indepth-books about obscure (mentioned only once) characters. The guy who wrote Oz did the same, and so did the guy who made Lord of the Rings, names elude me at the moment.

You're talking about L. Frank Baum and J.R.R. Tolkien, respectively. But the comparison isn't particularly fair. IWhile it may be true that Baum was simply chasing a reliable payday, but Tolkien actually conceived Middle Earth in incredible depth; the Silmarillian, Lost Tales, and the rest are more compilations of back story that he'd created than diving back into a familiar well.

I'll compare it to Modesitt's Recluce novels; often something hinted at in one is explored more fully and completely in another. It's clear that Modesitt has the history of Recluce, Candar, Hamor and that world much more completely plotted and developed than is apparent in any one book.

 

[CuongNhuka]

You're talking about L. Frank Baum and J.R.R. Tolkien, respectively. But the comparison isn't particularly fair. IWhile it may be true that Baum was simply chasing a reliable payday, but Tolkien actually conceived Middle Earth in incredible depth; the Silmarillian, Lost Tales, and the rest are more compilations of back story that he'd created than diving back into a familiar well.

I'll compare it to Modesitt's Recluce novels; often something hinted at in one is explored more fully and completely in another. It's clear that Modesitt has the history of Recluce, Candar, Hamor and that world much more completely plotted and developed than is apparent in any one book.

True, so you see my point in the idea that she could easily go off and do some character study on the people from the original books?

 

[MA-Caver]

True, so you see my point in the idea that she could easily go off and do some character study on the people from the original books?

She could. Even go as far as write short stories about each of them and compile them into a volume. :idea: Hey, not bad eh?

 

[punisher73]

I was hoping that if she didn't write anymore books herself that she would go the George Lucas route and approve plot lines but let authors dabble in the universe so to speak.

Even if she didn't want anything done with the main characters, there is still a HUGE backstory of things that could be told. Like when Harry's father was in hogwarts or even short stories based on characters in the books.

 

[arnisador]

I hoep she writes them herself...I don't see this as (yet) being something easy to hand over. The J.R.R. Tolkein and Frank Kerbert situations were special, also.