What Writers Can Learn From The Harry Potter Series

Arguably, one of the best-received fantasy series in recent years has been J.K Rowling’s, Harry Potter. If you were like me and grew up in the early 2000s, there was no escaping it. The books, the movies, the toys. It was everywhere.

I still remember the first time I watched the Sorcerer’s stone on VHS. At six years old, my cousin and I hunkered out in the cold basement with a bowl of popcorn and nervous excitement. The latter mostly me being afraid of the dark of the basement.

Anyways, from there I was hooked. My mother was an avid reader of the series, and many others as well. With everyone so invested, it raises the question of why.

So how did it all happen?  What created the craze? Why did the wizarding world suddenly explode? Sadly, we may not have a single definitive answer, but here’s my opinion from a writing perspective. Here are four things writers can learn from the story of “the boy who lived.”

A quick side note, I’ve been reading your comments. Thanks again for letting me know your thoughts. This post is intended as a follow up to a previous article. There was more that I meant to touch on and it didn’t quite fit before and, I feel it can apply to more than just writing. So stay tuned till the end.

For those in a hurry, I realise this article may be a bit long, so the main takeaways are at the bottom.

Spoilers ahead of course.

Mastering Worldbuilding

Let me begin by defining worldbuilding. It was difficult to find a definition for this, so bear with me. Normally, worldbuilding usually discusses the logistics, rules, customs, and culture of the setting. Good worldbuilding is usually in the worlds that have consistency in these rules and believability in them.

In this instance, I’m talking about the feeling of wonder and being transported into the locations and the story. So to put it best, how immersive the world is.

First and foremost, Harry Potter is written like a mystery. Not a quest like traditional fantasy. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. In fact, it’s part of it’s hook.

There’s questions. Who is he who must not be named? Why did Harry live? What’s the sorcerer’s stone and who’s after it? Who’s the heir of Slytherin and how are they petrifying students? Who put Harry’s name in the goblet of fire?

Every Book is a mystery, and we are trying to decipher what will happen next. It’s the intrique that pulls us in. And through it all, Harry is our perspective character and we learn and experience the world through him. He’s the everyman. He’s believable, and we can root for him. And better yet, we can sympathize with him.

Through him we experience the great hall, the chamber of secrets, and Diagon alley as if we are there. We can be invested in Hogwartz and want to visit it ourselves. That’s good worldbuilding.

Many will tell you there are some glaring problems in the rules and logic of the world, and there are, but maybe Rowling put crafting a story first, then a world.

Crafting Charming Characters

Speaking of putting story first, what better way than with characters. They are who we think of the most. Over the years reading and watching the movies, we see them grow and change. We know them and can relate to them. They feel real.

Granted, you could argue some are cardboard stock characters. For example, Malfoy fulfills the stereotypical bully trope, but it doesn’t make him less of an enjoyable character. I loved the duel in book two between him and Harry. Malfoy’s snotty attitude was fun to read.

So just because it’s a trope, doesn’t mean it’s cliché. One of the most challenging things in writing is making your work seem original, and I could discuss tropes ad nauseum, but my point is here is it’s what you do with those tropes that make your story yours.

For example, let’s use Dumbledore. He’s both the quintessential mentor and wizard type, yet he’s still different in his character than say Gandalf or Obi-Wan Kenobi.

As a mentor, he guides and protects Harry through his trip from ordinary to the extraordinary world if we are speaking in terms of the Hero’s journey. As the wizard type, he fits all the stereotypes as far as age, appearances, knowledge, and power.

But Dumbledore is different. He has a personality distinct from others in his archetype. He has a strange pull to candy and sweets. It’s simple changes and idiosyncrasies that make him stand out from the rest.

It’s the little quirks to characters that makes them memorable and believable.

Using Relatable Themes.

Thirdly, we see how the characters relate to each other and the world around them. Hermione prides her self on knowledge first and foremost. Neville acts cowardly and has to overcome his fears standing up for what’s right. We see their quirks and how they interact with each other. Again, they feel real.

So this is where themes kick in. Much like in real life, it’s our choices that matter. For example, one of the main themes of book one is the importance of love and strength it has over our lives.

In the opening, Harry lives with Dursley’s in a closet under the stairs, and he’s miserable. Even though they are family, they treat him as an annoyance and a slave. There’s a lack of love and belonging. This is a hurdle for Harry throughout the series.

At the end of book one, It was his mother’s love that spared Harry from death. In book three, it was the happiness and love of seeing his parents together that created Harry’s Patronus. Love repelled the beasts that would devour his soul and his happiness.

Let’s go back to Neville. A common question tossed about in stories is what makes a hero. Neville, like harry, lack the traditional hero traits. They’re not strong, or smart. Harry is shown many times to have no idea what he’s doing and terrified. So what makes a hero?

Being a hero doesn’t mean you’re invincible. It just means that you’re brave enough to stand up and do what’s needed.

Rick Riordan

Translation, it’s when they stand up despite their fear that makes them heroic.

Love, loss, life, and death, what can relate more to the human experience? The books raise the importance of love and the true meaning of being a hero.

The Lie Of Perfection

Even the biggest stories have horcruxes. There are problems and inconsistencies. Even Rowling admits the series has mistakes. The books are simple fun. But if you go digging, you’re bound to find a few things a little off.

Personally, I would argue Voldemort as evil as a villain he is, isn’t a very unlikable or a stand out villain. Umbridge definitely was, and maybe Malfoy a little as well in book three, but I can’t say the same for the main villian of the series. Don’t get me wrong. The themes, imagery, and mystery of him are great.

But in my opinion, once he’s on the screen so to speak, he’s very mustache-curly or borderline cartoony. Especially in The Chamber of Secrets. This was one thing the movies fixed.

“Dead. Even Dumbledore’s bird knows it. Do you see what he’s doing, Potter? He’s crying.” . . . “I’m going to sit here and watch you die, Harry Potter. Take your time. I’m in no hurry.”

Rowling, J.K. “Chapter Seventeen The Heir of Slytherin.” Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Scholastic, 2002 pp. 321-321.

Also, the audience has little reason to hate him beyond the acts he’s committed in the background most of the series. There’s no emotional attachment to the audience for most of the series. This video might explain it better.

My point is even J.K. Rowling herself makes mistakes and not every story you create is going to be perfect, and you can’t please everyone. As authors, we need to craft stories we enjoy, and put out our best and what makes us happy.

The Necessity of Failure

Keep in mind that most of this is my opinion, and you can feel free to disagree. Most of us know the story by now. J.K. Rowling got rejected twelve times before someone took a chance on her.

The bottom-line is it takes determination to make the book work, and I believe risk. Without risk, there’s no chance of failure. Without, failure, we don’t move forward. We stagnate.

Without risk, as authors, we aren’t as invested. We don’t have skin in the game. Personally, I think that’s the problem with Rowling’s Crimes of Grindelwald. It was too big to fail. There was no pruning knife or chance it wouldn’t be watched, so why bother?

It was only after being rejected did she continue to fine-tune her stories into what we know and love. This is what I wanted to follow up on. Risk and failure are necessary to any author’s craft.

The Takeaways

To recap, worldbuilding can be a deep hole in writing, but should never take priority over the story itself. Intrigue and mystery are crucial elements for investing readers into your world. Also, when you add a relatable POV character it can help ease the readerinto the same experiences as them.

Secondly, Characters are the lifeblood of the story. Their decisions should drive the plot forward, and playing off tropes and spicing their personalities with idiosyncrasies and quirks make them more believable.

Third, relatable themes driven home by the development of your characters can make for an impactful story.

Lastly, even the greatest don’t nail their story the first time, and risk and failure are necessary for the development of the author was well as the characters of your stories. Only you can decide when you are ready to quit, and only you can put your best work forward.

It’s your story. Write it.

Thanks For Reading

Hey guys, let me if you enjoyed this kind of post or not, and what kind of content you guys would like to see. I’m thining of maybe doing a few author interviews, but I’m not sure yet.

Extra sources for further research.

https://culturedvultures.com/6-reasons-harry-potter-best-story-generation/

https://blog.reedsy.com/worldbuilding-guide/

Why Harry Potter is Great Literature