Rowling and Dianna Wynne Jones

[Danemead]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C5687
From: Danemead
Subject: Re: Rowling and Dianna Wynne Jones
Reply To: [Yahoo! #5684] Re: Rowling and Dianna Wynne Jones
Date: 8/4/00 1:47 am  (ET)

Somewhere in my collection of books (which is currently in massive
disarray due to my re-painting my 'library' room), I have a book that
explains that there are about 100 basic plots in the entire history of
fiction. All novels correspond to one of these scenarios. The whole point
is... How does the author take that basic idea and turn it into something
magical? You have literally thousands of fantasy novels being churned
out year after year. How many of them make the best-seller lists? How
many of them are worth reading?

I think it's fortunate for the other authors and for the publishing
industry that an author like J.K. Rowling comes along once in a
lifetime. She took one of those basic plots, which has been used in
hundreds of published books, and turned it into pure gold. Because of
her fantastic talent, I have not only enjoyed HER published works, I
have also been introduced to dozens of other authors of similar stories,
whose works I have purchased in the last 12 months. JKR's success can
only create a snowball effect for the rest of the quality writers of
fantasy and children's literature.