Harry & Ginny - Witch Weekly Edition

I'm no good at photoshop and stuff like that but I can't help imagining Witch Weekly's special edition dedicated to Harry and Ginny's romance once they went public again. I'm sure such a rag as this would jump at the chance to write something scathing and gossipy about them. So here are some headlines that I came up with upon the occasion:

WITCH WEEKLY

Special Edition

HARRY POTTER'S SWEETHEART: Is She The One?

The Chosen One Off The Market: Truth or Ruse? p. 4

GINEVRA WEASLEY: does she have what it takes? p. 5-6

Q&A with HARRY POTTER: Fact or Fiction?

Find out everything you ever wanted to know about The Boy Who Lived! Including interviews with his classmates, professors, colleagues, and a special guest piece by Rita Skeeter! p. 7-12

What to wear on a date with The Chosen One?

Find out what the experts think! Special sponsor 'Twilfitt & Tattings' p. 13-14

You & Harry: A Perfect Match?

Find out if you and The Chosen One belong together! What do the stars say? p. 15

Read Sybil Trelawney's Gloomy Predictions:

"I have always Seen that this boy's life is full of heartache..." p. 16

*****

So, guys, what do you think? What other headlines and features would you like to include? Leave your ideas in the comments! 

By the way, maybe someone can make it into an actual magazine cover? That would be fun! 

Hmm... maybe I could also write some of these articles for the next year and create an actual magazine?

*clears her throat* 

So... ahem, ahem... if anyone wishes to try their Quick Quotes Quills at penning an article for a wizarding magazine, I'll be glad to hear from you...

Revisiting J.K. Rowling's old website

If you don't mind, today we'll be using the Pensieve to travel many years back into the past. You see, I've decided to go down the memory lane and revisit J.K. Rowling's old website. Who's with me? Dive in, then! 

 

In 2004 Jo's website went through a complete makeover and became what I think was the coolest author website ever. It was just awesome and I think what made it so great and unusual was that it had Jo's personal touch all over the place. It looked like a cluttered desktop, littered with Jo's own stuff: family photos, different mementos, gum wrappers (from all the gum she used to chew after quitting smoking), her glasses, her notes, etc.. 

You could click on different things (a hairbrush, an eraser, a pencil sharpener, etc.) that worked like Portkeys: they glowed bright blue and transported you to a different part of the website. You could hear different background noises: the phone ringing, the car honking, the dog barking, the fly buzzing, snatches of a programme on Wizarding Wireless, Peeves swooshing past... There were riddles to uncover and special prizes to receive. For example, you could get these wonderful old drawings done by Jo herself: 

There was so much to explore and so many things to look for! I particularly loved its different sections: News, Diary, Biography, Rumours, Rubbish Bin, Wizard of the Month, Extra Stuff... so much extra stuff! I still upon occasion find myself rereading it as it provides a treasure trove of information that goes beyond the books and into the very core of Jo's creative process.

The biography was written by Jo herself and on each page you got to see some mementos referring to her past. Here, for example, is the first page of her story that she supplied with an old photo of her mom, her sister and herself, a hand-drawn picture of what (according to her) she looked like as a baby and a pair of train tickets (because her parents met on a train): 

Wizard of the Month section changed every month for some time. Here are some familiar faces for your viewing pleasure: 

News and Diary sections weren't updated as often as one could have wished for but it was always fun just to click on them, because you got to see different wizarding advertisements that appeared and disappeared. 

Rumours and Rubbish Bin sections were just hilarious as she parried all that rubbish that was routinely reported about her. Rubbish Bin was actually divided into: Starting to Smell, Excessive Additives, Recycled, Mouldy, Pure Garbage, Toxic. If anyone is interested, I've got all these sections preserved :D

Then there was The Secret Door. It opened once in a while, containing some new information, usually pertaining to new books. In order to get this much coveted new information you had to find and work out the clues (something I was never good at but, thankfully, many others were!).

But a real gem, in my personal opinion, were the W.O.M.B.A.T.s. I adored them! For those who don't know, W.O.M.B.A.T.s were special aptitude tests that consisted of three parts, encompassing pretty much every aspect of life in the wizarding community, and had to be taken within a certain time limit. It was quite difficult, because it was not a trivia kind of test about books but a test where you had to deduce things based on your knowledge of the wizarding world and its many intricacies, but it was fun and you got marks from 'Outstanding' to 'Troll' and also a fancy certificate. I still have all three of mine! This is the description of the tests from the old website:  

 

The W.O.M.B.A.T.s, unlike the O.W.L.s, consist exclusively of written papers. Therefore W.O.M.B.A.T.s could be sat by Muggles as well as wizards, although the Wizarding Examinations Authority does not believe that any Muggle would have the degree of inner knowledge required to achieve a pass.

So, as you can see, I really loved that old website and I really miss it. Does anyone else know what I'm talking about or am I just this old? :D

My eleventh writing-related blog post is all about books and what makes them timeless and universal

Pre-discussion questions to consider: What makes books timeless and universal in your opinion? What books come to mind when you think about that? Can it be achieved through captivating writing, spot-on characterization and vivid world-building alone? Or is there something more at play? 

Today I’d like to talk about books. Do you ever marvel at how many books there are in the world? Do you ever feel sad or frustrated at the fact that you will never be able to read all of them? That you won’t get to know about many of them? I often think about books, especially those that leave an everlasting mark in the world beyond that of literature and have a most profound effect on people and their lives. There are a lot of great books. There are a lot of great books that you read only once and never come back to again. There are a lot of great books that get forgotten with time and never taken up again. There are a lot of great books that never reach the readers at all and no one knows just how great they are or what they have missed. There are books that are not at all great but that become famous or, rather, infamous. There are books that set trends and inspire short-lived fads and obsessions. But then there are books that are timeless, that capture our hearts, that impact our lives, that compel us to come back to them again and again. They have countless editions, websites dedicated to them, fanfics, fanart, movies, series, millions of fans all over the world, they appeal to people of different ages and they pass from generation to generation… I’d like to talk about such books and try and figure out what makes them timeless, universal and classic and whether it is something that can be acquired and applied to my own books. 

I know there are quite a few books that fall into this category (though, admittedly, a tiny percentage if we take all fiction books out there) but I would like to look at and analyze the two series that I’m completely and totally obsessed with: Harry Potter and Anne of Green Gables. If you’ve read them you know that they are very different and yet with similar, unfading, universal appeal and legions of fans all over the world. So what is it about them that converts people and makes them fans for life? I personally believe that if you’ve read either and felt no desire whatsoever to want to devour them all over again straight away or to find yourself inside them that you just didn’t get them, because you can’t have read them and felt nothing. These books are imbued with powerful magic the like of which is extremely rare and if you haven’t felt it than you’re probably a muggle – the worst sort of muggle there is. I’m kind of happy now that no one reads my blog, because I’m sure I would get a lot of flak for saying that. But that’s the truth! You are! 

Anyway, the first thing that comes to mind when I think about why I love them so much and why they are so popular with people in general is their beautiful, quirky and unforgettable settings. Hogwarts. Hogsmead. Diagon Alley. Avonlea. Green Gables. People love those places! They even recreated them in real life! So if you have enough money, you can even go and find yourself inside your favourite book! Not many authors can boast to have inspired something like that and it's really something incredible, something beyond my wildest dreams, something a lot of authors aspire to, I'm sure. There are many books that I really liked but that never found a home in my heart, because they failed to capture me with their world-building, by making it too dangerous and quite impossible to live in. I think there should be a balance between the bad and the good, the beautiful and the ugly, the light and the dark, the normal and the bizarre. The aforementioned books keep the balance perfectly and make you want to be a part of their world. 

Also both series explore universal themes that will never become out-of-date or out-of-fashion: the search for home, for love, for friends, for kindred spirits; the wish to belong, to be understood, to be accepted; the pain of being an outsider, a nobody, being different; the choices that we make, the abilities that define us, the mistakes that ruin our lives and have unpredictable consequences; the death of loved ones and the wish to bring them back, etc.. They are full of words of profound, poignant, eternal wisdom that we keep on the most important shelves of our memories and quote whenever the occasion is right, when we come face to face with fellow fans or when we just want to appear really clever and witty. 

Then there are the characters. Not just the main ones. The secondary ones. Even the tertiary ones. They all represent a certain type - a stereotype, if you will - that we can either relate to or say that we know exactly someone like that; they all have a particular feature or features that stand out or set them apart or make them instantly recognizable and memorable – but with all that it doesn’t make them one-dimensional or flat due to the mastery and genius of their creators. They have many layers to them, layers that we discover with time. I think it’s important for a character to have a feature or a trait that grabs our attention and helps us define and identify them before exploring them further. They are real. They are real to us. We feel like we know them. We feel like they would understand us like no one else. We want to be their friends, partners, adversaries. They make us experience real emotions. They become part of our life. 

Some other things that make a book special for me are, of course, the story, the voice, the humour, the language and the way the author has with words. I suppose a lot of great books have these components and many others that I haven’t mentioned and yet they fail to leave a lasting mark. I honestly believe that there’s got to be something else: something that cannot be explained by logic or analysis, something that is pure magic - a final drop that turns an ordinary concoction into a magical potion. No matter how gifted you are, how honed your craft is, how many books you’ve written or how many formulas you’ve tried – there’s one ingredient at least that is beyond your control. It’s like being lucky. You can’t generate it. You can’t explain it. 

But I can’t help wondering, you know, if any of my past, present or future books and characters have what it takes to capture hearts, to inspire fandoms and followings, and remain with their readers for the rest of their lives and beyond? 

Favourite books - what makes them timeless and universal? bit.ly/1RjW0S1 via @faridamestek (Click to tweet) 

Harry Potter and Anne of Green Gables – what makes these books timeless and universal? bit.ly/1RjW0S1 via @faridamestek (Click to tweet)

Harry Potter Moment of the Week # 14

Place you wish we'd explored in the series but didn't?

The Atrium

Actually, it's the place that we've dipped our feet into - three times at least, each time on less than pleasant occasions - but ever so slightly... I'm talking about the Ministry of Magic. I just find it fascinating and I'd love to spend more time there. It's such a complex place; it has so many levels and layers, visible and hidden; secret rooms and rooms full of information and fantastic knowledge to explore. I'd love J.K. Rowling to write at least one book about Harry, Ron and Hermione's adventures at the Ministry of Magic once they start working there. I'm pretty sure that it would provide soil just as fertile as Hogwarts for mystery, intrigue, plots and adventures. In fact, I want to read such story so much, I sometimes think of actually taking it into my own hands and writing a canon-based fanfic that would take place at the Ministry of Magic and tell the trio's first adventure there as its employees. I wouldn't mind co-authoring the story with someone too, so if anyone feels up to it, drop me a line!

Harry Potter Moment of the Week

As it is free week I've decided to have some fun and share with whoever is reading my posts my old attempt at writing a-Rita-Skeeter-type of article about Ginny in Witch Weekly Magazine, under the section 'Fashion Flops'. Here it goes:

Miss Ginevra Weasley, 19, shocked the gathered witches and wizards as she struck a pose at the Ministry of Magic Annual Charity Ball in  an offensively extravagant gown and a matchless Pygmy Puff-style clutch. "It looked like she made it herself," said one of the guests of honour, outraged by such a ghastly display.

Many of you, of course, remember her as the girl who captured Harry Potter's heart, breaking hundreds of other hopeful and, undoubtedly, more deserving hearts in the process. And, by the looks of it, she isn't going to stop there, if her recent fashion antics are anything to go by.

"I don't know who she's fooling," said Pansy Parkinson, who was also in attendance, "but if she was going for class, then she shouldn't have purchased what looked like a multicoloured knitted rag from a Muggle second-hand shop. But then again, the Weasleys have always been notoriously poor and I sincerely hope that she'll benefit from this ball. After all, its purpose is charity."

Meanwhile, the staff of our magazine wonders what Harry Potter himself thinks of his girlfriend's abysmal lack of style and is deeply concerned whether it will not damage his public image. We believe and we are sure that our readers and fervent admirers of Mr. Potter will agree that he deserves a more suitable candidate for his heart than a flighty Quidditch player.

So what do you, guys, think? I mean to say, I'm pretty sure that wizarding newspapers and magazines wouldn't pass up a chance to write some scathing articles about Ginny.

Harry Potter Moment of the Week

Quibbler or Daily Prophet?

I have to say Daily Prophet. After all, it is the major wizarding newspaper in England and "it's good to keep up with what's going on in the wizarding world" (Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter One - Owl Post), even if the source of information can be often biased. But isn't it the case with newspapers and other news sources in general, whether it comes from muggle or wizarding world? It did print true stuff when it wasn't under pressure from the Ministry of Magic to keep things quiet and, thankfully, Rita Skeeter is not the only correspondent working there. Ginny Potter worked there as a Quidditch Correspondent and I greatly enjoyed following her reports on Quidditch World Cup that took place this summer in Patagonian desert - just check out Pottermore - it was great. So, on the whole, I believe I would enjoy getting and reading it. I can't find the quote but I think it was Dumbledore who said something along the lines that Daily Prophet is bound to get something right once in a while. Besides, I just can't imagine taking Quibbler seriously and as much as I love Luna I'm so not into Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. However, I would consider it as an alternative source of information (that it actually became for a while) if Daily Prophet continued to print false reports and turn a blind eye on something as important and life-threatening as the return of You-Know-Who.

Harry Potter Moment of the Week

Best "Dumbledore Moment"

I once again turn to HBP and as I do so I realize that the sixth book has a lot of things that make it my favourite book as well as a great many things that make it my least favourite book in the series, some of which I mentioned in my last week's post and will, no doubt, mention in the next week's post too. Of course, Dumbledore, being my second favourite character in the series after Harry, has a lot of excellent scenes throughout the books that I enjoy reading and rereading, but I'm going to go with the one that takes place in the beginning of HBP - Chapter Three "Will and Won't" - when Dumbledore arrives to take Harry to the Burrow and has a little chat with the Dursleys. In my opinion this part is a real gem and here are some of my all-time favourite Dumbledore moments and quotes: 

There in the doorway stood a tall, thin man with waist-length silver hair and beard.  Half-moon spectacles were perched on his crooked nose and he was wearing a long black travelling cloak and a pointed hat.

'Judging by your look of stunned disbelief, Harry did not warn you that I was coming," said Dumbledore pleasantly. "However, let us assume that you have invited me warmly into your house. It is unwise to linger overlong on doorsteps in these troubled times.'

He stepped smartly over the threshold and closed the front door behind him.

'It is a long time since my last visit,' said Dumbledore, peering down his crooked nose at Uncle Vernon. 'I must say, your agapanthuses are flourishing.'

'Ah, good evening, Harry,' said Dumbledore, looking up at him through his half-moon glasses with a most satisfied expression. 'Excellent, excellent.' These words seemed to rouse Uncle Vernon. It was clear that as far as he was concerned, any man who could look at Harry and say 'excellent' was a man with whom he could never see eye to eye.

He [Dumbledore] drew his wand so rapidly that Harry barely saw it; with a casual flick, the sofa zoomed forwards and knocked the knees out from under all three of the Dursleys so that they collapsed upon it in a heap. Another flick of the wand and the sofa zoomed back to its original position.

'We may as well be comfortable,' said Dumbledore pleasantly.

'I would assume that you were going to offer me refreshment,' Dumbledore said to Uncle Vernon, 'but the evidence so far suggests that that would be optimistic to the point of foolishness.'

A third twitch of the wand and a dusty bottle and five glasses appeared in midair. The bottle tipped and poured a generous measure of honey-coloured liquid into each of the glasses, which then floated to each person in the room.

'Madam Rosmerta's finest, oak-matured mead,' said Dumbledore, raising his glass to Harry, who caught hold of his own and sipped. He had never tasted anything like it before, but enjoyed it immensely. The Dursleys, after quick, scared looks at each other, tried to ignore their glasses completely, a difficult feat, as they were nudging them gently on the sides of their heads. Harry could not suppress a suspicion that Dumbledore was rather enjoying himself.

Dumbledore paused, and although his voice remained light and calm, and he gave no obvious sign of anger, Harry felt a kind of chill emanating from him and noticed that the Dursleyes drew very slightly closer together.

'You did not do as I asked. You have never treated Harry as a son. He has known nothing but neglect and often cruelty at your hands. The best that can be said is that he has at least escaped the appalling damage you have inflicted upon the unfortunate boy sitting between you.'

Both Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon looked around instinctively, as though expecting to see someone other than Dudley squeezed between them.

'And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.'


Ah! I just love this chapter. It has both the humour and the serious and it's so Dumbledore!

In defence of J.K. Rowling, because I'm a true and loyal fan

I really hate the backlash that J.K. Rowling's words concerning Harry, Ron and Hermione created and the flak that she's receiving from all quarters and from her "fans" in particular. As a writer I know what it's like to look back on something that you've written and suddenly realize that you should have done it differently. In fact, that's exactly what happened with a book that I published several years ago and am currently reworking into a fantasy novel. But, of course, in my case I had no trouble taking it down, because no one gave a damn about it anyway. I loved it. I published it. But I looked back at it several years later and realized that I wanted to change it. Completely. Is it a crime? Don't we change our minds all the time in real life? Don't we have second thoughts about what we do, what we say, who we marry? Don't we want to go back and change things? Don't we wish to have a Time Turner? Or is it a crime because J.K. Rowling has done it? Because she is famous? Because she has legions of fans who now turned on her like a pack of ugly orcs, calling her names and ridiculing her at every turn?! There's a definite upside to being a nobody in the world of literature, after all...