[HPforGrownups] Re: Thoughts about writing books 5-7 (WAS: Playing the game )

[Susanne Schmid]

No: HPFGUIDX 30221


 
  "Cindy C." <cindysphynx at home.com> wrote: 
>Hmmm.  Interesting discussion, Susanna and Luke.  But can >someone 
>expound on how JKR uses the same plot devices and same plot 
>patterns?  

Oooohhhh, yessss! (In my heart, I'm such a Hermione, so I love to explain!)

OK, that's what I meant- sorry for not having argued it better in the first place. And sorry if the use of the term "plot pattern" is inexact, in fact it is home-made by a non-native speaker. So have mercy on me.

Plot pattern PS/SS: (Short prelude to introduce us to who Harry is and why he's staying with the Dursleys)

                     Summer: He makes something "unusual" happen- Boa Constrictor at the zoo

                     Hogwarts: Everything stays calm for the first two months, introduction of important elements (in this case many, all the teacher and student characters, ghosts, and the castle in general, Fluffy)

                     Halloween: Event that gives a decisive turn to the plot (Troll in the dungeons and friendship with Hermione)

                     Between Halloween and about Easter: Everything remains relatively calm, HRH do "detective work" and discover who is Flamel

                     Christmas: Harry receives something important (Invisibility Cloak and flute)

                     End of school year: Showdown

Plot pattern CoS:    Summer: Something unusual happens (Dobby smashes the famous violet pudding, but everybody *thinks* it was Harry, so it fits),Harry spends part of the summer at The Burrow

                     Hogwarts: Everything is calm for the first two months, important elements are introduced (Ron's broken wand, the car, Lockhart, Mandrakes)

                     Halloween: plot-accelerating event (first petrification)               

                                          Christmas: Detective work (Polyjuice Potion)

                                           Until Easter: everything calm

                                           April-end of year: more petrifications, Dumbledore suspended, mystery solved, final showdown

Plot pattern PoA:                 Summer: "abnormal" event (Harry blows up his aunt), Harry spends rest of the summer elsewhere (Leaky Cauldron instead of The Burrow)

                                           First two school months: during the relative calm, important elements are introduced: Dementors, Boggarts/worst fear, Hippogriff, Lupin)

                                           Halloween: plot accelerating- Black breaks into the castle and destroys the Fat Lady

                                           Christmas: significant present (Firebolt)

                                           between Halloween and Easter: detective work (even if done passively, when Harry hears Black's Story while hiding under the table) and research work, done by Hermione for Hagrid/Buckbeak, Harry's Patronus training

                                           last day of school year: showdown (oh, boy!)

Plot pattern GoF:                  Summer: magic at the Dursleys' (this time the Weasleys' arrival plus Ton Tongue Toffee), Harry spends the rest of the summer at The Burrow- the QWC is the first real digression from the "calm summer"-concept

                                           Hogwarts: calm reigns for the first two months, introduction of important elements (Mad-Eye Moody, Unforgivable Curses, Dobby and Winky at Hogwarts)

                                            Halloween: plot-accelerating event (you can say that!!)- Harry's name comes out of the goblet

>From here on, I have to admit that things get a little more intricate than in the other books, because it's the three tasks and not the 3 terms any more that dictate the rhythm. Anyway:

                                            End of term: showdown

So far, so good. It will be difficult to change these plot patterns, unless JKR really decides to give up Hogwarts as main setting at least for the fifth book, so as not to have to stick to "school rules" any more. Otherwise the rules are the following:

1) How to introduce new, important objects (in the largest sense of the word) and persons: This is logical to happen at the beginning of the school year, when new subjects come up, new things are taught and new teachers may enter the scene. And then, there's always the possibility of Christmas (Harry's birthday being outside the school year) presents.

2) Two months exactly for slow development and slipping information that won't be recognized as important until later in the book.

3) Halloween: An important date anyway, as the Potters were murdered on 31 October, so it seems logical to make THE important event happen on that day

4) After the decisive event, it is necessary to get some detective work done (again, in the largest sense of the word)

5) The big showdown can only take place at the end of a school year, to allow us a look at Harry who, after more and more traumatic expeeriences, has to go back to the Dursleys.

To be very honest, I only became aware of all this (not being the analytical type) when I wrote my own fanfic, the longest chapter of which is dedicated to the account of those four years through the eyes of Snape's wife, so I had to check with the books, as I couldn't make the mistake of letting him go home when in "reality" (cough cough) he was at Hogwarts- and by doing this plot interweaving, the pattern emerged rather clearly.

So, I can only repeat my advice to JKR: Let Hogwarts be closed down, at least for a year, and take the story elsewhere, or take Harry to another place, making him communicate with R and H by owl post, or whatever.

Susanna/pigwidgeon37 (having again neglected her office work and gladly expexting to be burned at the stake for anti-JKR-heresy) 
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