J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling (http://www.thesnitch.co.uk/ castlist/JK%20Rowling.jpg)

I remember in 2nd grade when the Harry Potter books came out. My brother and my mom heard of these books and tried to share them with me. I kept telling them I wasn't going to read them (I was more interested in Little House on the Prairie at the time). After a long persuasion from both my brother and mom I finally picked up the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I was glued to the book for days. Once I finished it I could not wait for the next one. I was so mad at myself for not reading these books earlier. Forget those Little House on the Prairie books; I wanted more Harry Potter! I wondered more about the author, J.K. Rowling. News had gotten out she was a woman author (the J.K. stood for Joanne Katherine). I wanted to learn more about her and when the next books would come out. When I got older and more of her books came out, I was still reading them and waiting for the next one to come out. I even went to the midnight party at Borders when the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets came out. I had never known a series of books to keep me this absorbed in them.

J.K. Rowling’s was born in Chipping Sodbury, England on July 31, 1965. She moved many times during her life. She lived with her mother, father, and younger sister, Diana. In her older life, she studied French and Classics at Exeter University. She also studied in Paris and then moved back to London. Later in her life, she lived in Oporto, Portugal. There she married Jorge Arantes and had a baby girl, Jessica Rowling Arantes. Arantes and Rowling divorced afterwards in 1995. It was during this time she came up with the idea of the Harry Potter books. On a delayed trip from Manchester to London she came up with the characters and the main plot. In her free time she would write Harry Potter and think of new ideas for the story. She did not have very much money while writing Harry Potter. She remarried in December of 2001 to Dr. Neil Murray and now has a son, David, and two daughters, Jessica and Mackenzie.

J.K. Rowling with the cast of Harry Potter. (http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/gallery/2001/11/05/kids.jpg)

J.K. Rowling was unemployed and living on state benefits before she started writing Harry Potter. Once she had finished writing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s (Philosopher’s) Stone. It was published and was a hit instantly. She earned over a million dollars just from her first three books. She has also had her books made into movies. One reason J.K. Rowling is such a hero to me is because she didn’t just write the books to make money, she actually enjoys writing and does it because she loves it. Of course, money did help when she was unemployed. When she was younger she would often write short stories and I think her writing career sprouted from there. I think it shows her dedication to writing because even when she did not have a lot of money she still did what she liked best and followed her dreams.

There are more reasons why I am so inspired by J.K. Rowling, not just because of her life but by the changes she has made. She has inspired not just me, but millions of people by her success story. I think she has really made people believe they can do anything, even at the darkest of times. Her writing has been so inspirational she has even won the Hugo Award, Bram Stoker Award, Whitbread Award for Best Children's book, a certificate for winning the Smarties Prize three consecutive years in a row, and many other awards. Her sense of humor has always put a smile on my face and it shows in her writing. She always wants her books to turn out just right. I don’t think she strives for perfection for her readers but just enough to satisfy herself. Sometimes when I’m writing I try to think of J.K. Rowling and what she would do in this situation. I think we both have a good sense of humor and we try to use it in our writing. One way I’m envious of her is she can think of so many good ideas and topics for her books. That is one thing I have the most trouble doing, thinking of interesting and likable ideas. Whenever I think of writing a story I think of Harry Potter. Which isn’t always the best idea because then I’ll want to copy something from her writing! I’m so obsessed by her and Harry Potter. I’ve visited so many websites about it and read all the books at least four times. I can’t picture my life without reading them.

Another reason J.K. Rowling and her books are so important to me is they inspire me to read. Now it’s not that I didn’t like to read before the Harry Potter books came out, it’s just I like to read even more. I think her books challenged me and helped me become the reader I am today. In a way, it’s like she taught me a new favorite pastime. Reading means so much to me and I think it means a lot to her. She has helped many organizations and that means a lot to me. She goes to interviews and always cooperates with reporters even if she doesn’t exactly like what they are asking her. She is generous and is very in dedicated to what she believes in.

As I mentioned before, I am envious of J.K. Rowling’s writing style and her ideas. I have always wanted to write a great story that other people would love reading. I’m a perfectionist and I want every sentence to sound interesting. I want my writing be the best it can be. Even as I’m writing this “my hero” essay I feel like what I’m writing is boring the reader (if you are awake right now I guess it hasn’t). I feel like I need to put a bunch of !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! to get your attention. I’ve noticed a lot of people think something is important when there is an excessive use of exclamation points. Now I’m getting way off topic, excuse my improper use of unity. My communication arts teacher probably hates me right now. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is sometimes I wish I could write exactly like J.K. Rowling. I love her writing style and wish I could write as well as her. Her stories are very elaborate and creative. For example, my story might be about a dog and its adventures (sounds exciting doesn’t it…); while her story is about a dog who is secretly telepathic and can communicate with only certain people and then she tells the story of this (yeah, I know this sounds kind of stupid too… but at least it’s better than mine!). She is so good at what she does. I am so in awe of her abilities.

J.K. Rowling is such a hero to me. Her entire success story inspires me and others to strive for what we love and believe in. She inspires me to do better in life, as well as my writing. Her books have made me a better reader and writer than I would have been without them. I wish I could thank her for all she has given me. My envy of her abilities helps me do better in my own work. It’s like when there is a student that always does better than you and you want to beat them even if it’s just on a spelling test. Now some of you reading may think “What the heck is she talking about?” and that’s probably because you have never met anyone in your life that has made an impact on you. I hope someday you may be as lucky as I am to actually have a person that inspires you to do better. For me, that person is J.K. Rowling.