J.K. Rowling was not very well off as an emerging author. At first, she went through the rough introduction of the working life. She had to go through a multitude of jobs before finally settling down and writing. Once, Rowling spent two years simply researching human rights violations for Amnesty International. She thought it was commendable work, but soon found that job to be tedious and predictable and resigned. Rowling also held a long string of jobs as a secretary. The work was also very boring and she didn't make a lot of money, and she later admitted that she, "proved to be the worst secretary ever."
Rowling was always writing. Even during work. Her bosses did not like her writing on the job and Rowling even got fired for a couple. However, in the long run, Rowling simply quit those jobs that she loathed. During that period of time, she wrote several short stories and some started, but abandoned, novels.
One day, Rowling received a letter from her old boyfriend at Exeter that he was currently in Manchester and that he wanted to see her again. Shortly before that, she was searching for a new job and found one as an office worker for the Manchester Chamber of Commerce. With two reasons to go to Manchester, Rowling went to Manchester. Rowling did spend time with her old boyfriend, but remained unflinching in her writing. Sadly, her new job at the Manchester Chamber of Commerce proved to be as mundane and drab as the other jobs she held. Rowling even kept hoping that there wasn't a birthday or a celebration going on that would take away her precious writing time.
That precious writing time also included the commute from her home in London to Manchester and back. When she was returning to London one day, the train suddenly stopped. There was a mechanical problem that would take about four hours to fix. Normally this would have been wonderful writing time, but that day, Rowling just gazed at some cows in a field in a meadow in front of her. All of a sudden, it hit her: the idea for Harry Potter. She said, "I was sitting on the train just staring out the window at some cows. It was not the most inspiring subject. When all of a sudden the idea for Harry just appeared in my mind's eye. I can't tell you why or what triggered it. But I saw the idea of Harry and the wizard school very plainly." That was the prodigious moment when Harry Potter was born. Rowling continued her job in Manchester, but kept writing about Harry and took every chance to frame a story line for the Harry Potter book.
Soon, thereafter, all of the good spirits came to a halt when Rowling's mother died. She was 45 years old. Rowling was heartbroken, especially because her mother never got to experience Harry. Because of all of this, Rowling could not concentrate on her work very well and was soon fired from the Manchester Chamber of Commerce.
Rowling was extremely sad; her mother had died, she was fired from her job, and on top of all of that, her relationship with her boyfriend was going nowhere. Rowling decided to go teach, and she wanted to do it in some far-off country. Her wish came true in 1990 when she accepted an offer to teach English in the Portuguese town of Oporto. Rowling quickly accommodated to life in Portugal and her students liked her very much. Harry's story was starting to come together and Rowling especially loved to collect unusual names for her characters. She was finally lightening up.
She was even happier when she fell in love with a journalist from Portugal. They dated and she discovered that he was bright, sensitive, and interested in her. They got married after a few months, but her husband's job made it difficult for them to spend time together. However, in 1992, Rowling was pregnant with their first child and she hoped that it would help bring their relationship closer. However, with the hormonal changes of pregnancy and pressures of a married life, Rowling lapsed into fits of depression. To her, her husband was always at work and not showing the kindness he had previously given her. The birth of their daughter, Jessica, didn't really help the already deteriorating marriage, either. Rowling divorced her husband and took custody of Jessica.
There was no reason for Rowling to stay in Portugal, so she traveled back to London. In the midst of her depression, Di, who was living in Edinburgh (in Scotland) called her and asked her to move to Edinburgh so she could be near family. Rowling agreed, packed her bags, her notes for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, three chapters in, and moved to Scotland. In Edinburgh, she had to live in what she described as a "grotty flat" which somebody loaned to her.
One rainy afternoon, when Rowling showed what she had written to Di, Di laughed. She thought is was good and that laugh helped Rowling keep writing the book. She decided to finish the book in a year and then get it published. Rowling could not afford the luxury of writer's block, so any idea of working while she wrote went out the window. She learned that she was eligible for public assistance, but not for child care. This drove Rowling into a state of unemployment, something that Rowling called; "an appalling poverty trap."
Receiving public assistance was what Rowling described as the lowest point in her life. She didn't want Jessica to grow up in poverty and made Jessica her inspiration to keep writing. Public assistance barely covered food and rent, so there were days when neither Rowling nor Jessica had enough food. Every day, Rowling would put Jessica in her stroller and walk her around town until she fell asleep, and then head over to a local cafe, one of her most frequent stops being Nicholson's Cafe. She would sit there and write for a couple of hours while her daughter slept. Years later, Rowling marvels at how much she got done in such a short period of time. Harry was Rowling's only comfort.
Rowling completed Philosopher's Stone in early 1994. She polished the manuscript carefully and the book was finally what she had hoped for. Later in the year, Rowling found an agent, Christopher Little, who absolutely loved the manuscript. Little sent out many manuscripts to publishers everywhere, and nearly everybody rejected the book for being to long and wordy and literary. Finally, Bloomsbury, a British publishing company, took on Rowling's work. Rowling compares that moment to when her daughter was born: pure bliss. In 1997, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Sorcerer's Stone in the US) was published. It was so good, and people loved it so much that the book was even being auctioned off! Joanne Kathleen Rowling was finally going somewhere!
Rowling was always writing. Even during work. Her bosses did not like her writing on the job and Rowling even got fired for a couple. However, in the long run, Rowling simply quit those jobs that she loathed. During that period of time, she wrote several short stories and some started, but abandoned, novels.
One day, Rowling received a letter from her old boyfriend at Exeter that he was currently in Manchester and that he wanted to see her again. Shortly before that, she was searching for a new job and found one as an office worker for the Manchester Chamber of Commerce. With two reasons to go to Manchester, Rowling went to Manchester. Rowling did spend time with her old boyfriend, but remained unflinching in her writing. Sadly, her new job at the Manchester Chamber of Commerce proved to be as mundane and drab as the other jobs she held. Rowling even kept hoping that there wasn't a birthday or a celebration going on that would take away her precious writing time.
That precious writing time also included the commute from her home in London to Manchester and back. When she was returning to London one day, the train suddenly stopped. There was a mechanical problem that would take about four hours to fix. Normally this would have been wonderful writing time, but that day, Rowling just gazed at some cows in a field in a meadow in front of her. All of a sudden, it hit her: the idea for Harry Potter. She said, "I was sitting on the train just staring out the window at some cows. It was not the most inspiring subject. When all of a sudden the idea for Harry just appeared in my mind's eye. I can't tell you why or what triggered it. But I saw the idea of Harry and the wizard school very plainly." That was the prodigious moment when Harry Potter was born. Rowling continued her job in Manchester, but kept writing about Harry and took every chance to frame a story line for the Harry Potter book.
Soon, thereafter, all of the good spirits came to a halt when Rowling's mother died. She was 45 years old. Rowling was heartbroken, especially because her mother never got to experience Harry. Because of all of this, Rowling could not concentrate on her work very well and was soon fired from the Manchester Chamber of Commerce.
Rowling was extremely sad; her mother had died, she was fired from her job, and on top of all of that, her relationship with her boyfriend was going nowhere. Rowling decided to go teach, and she wanted to do it in some far-off country. Her wish came true in 1990 when she accepted an offer to teach English in the Portuguese town of Oporto. Rowling quickly accommodated to life in Portugal and her students liked her very much. Harry's story was starting to come together and Rowling especially loved to collect unusual names for her characters. She was finally lightening up.
She was even happier when she fell in love with a journalist from Portugal. They dated and she discovered that he was bright, sensitive, and interested in her. They got married after a few months, but her husband's job made it difficult for them to spend time together. However, in 1992, Rowling was pregnant with their first child and she hoped that it would help bring their relationship closer. However, with the hormonal changes of pregnancy and pressures of a married life, Rowling lapsed into fits of depression. To her, her husband was always at work and not showing the kindness he had previously given her. The birth of their daughter, Jessica, didn't really help the already deteriorating marriage, either. Rowling divorced her husband and took custody of Jessica.
There was no reason for Rowling to stay in Portugal, so she traveled back to London. In the midst of her depression, Di, who was living in Edinburgh (in Scotland) called her and asked her to move to Edinburgh so she could be near family. Rowling agreed, packed her bags, her notes for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, three chapters in, and moved to Scotland. In Edinburgh, she had to live in what she described as a "grotty flat" which somebody loaned to her.
One rainy afternoon, when Rowling showed what she had written to Di, Di laughed. She thought is was good and that laugh helped Rowling keep writing the book. She decided to finish the book in a year and then get it published. Rowling could not afford the luxury of writer's block, so any idea of working while she wrote went out the window. She learned that she was eligible for public assistance, but not for child care. This drove Rowling into a state of unemployment, something that Rowling called; "an appalling poverty trap."
Receiving public assistance was what Rowling described as the lowest point in her life. She didn't want Jessica to grow up in poverty and made Jessica her inspiration to keep writing. Public assistance barely covered food and rent, so there were days when neither Rowling nor Jessica had enough food. Every day, Rowling would put Jessica in her stroller and walk her around town until she fell asleep, and then head over to a local cafe, one of her most frequent stops being Nicholson's Cafe. She would sit there and write for a couple of hours while her daughter slept. Years later, Rowling marvels at how much she got done in such a short period of time. Harry was Rowling's only comfort.
Rowling completed Philosopher's Stone in early 1994. She polished the manuscript carefully and the book was finally what she had hoped for. Later in the year, Rowling found an agent, Christopher Little, who absolutely loved the manuscript. Little sent out many manuscripts to publishers everywhere, and nearly everybody rejected the book for being to long and wordy and literary. Finally, Bloomsbury, a British publishing company, took on Rowling's work. Rowling compares that moment to when her daughter was born: pure bliss. In 1997, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Sorcerer's Stone in the US) was published. It was so good, and people loved it so much that the book was even being auctioned off! Joanne Kathleen Rowling was finally going somewhere!
