Yes, but how do *we* make the mundane into the magical (or everyday alchemy)

[Steve <bboy_mn@yahoo.com>]

No: HPFGUIDX 49663

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Peter Shea <bebche2 at y...> wrote:

> Peter said:
> 
> In his review of GoF, Stephen King wrote "The fantasy writer's job
is to conduct the willing reader from mundanity to magic." Obviously,
JKR's phenomenal success is the result of her ability to do this.
> 
> ..edited...
> 
> Peter the Couch Elf

bboy_mn:
Sorry to ignore the question you asked (I edited it out). I just want
to make some general comments about JKR's writing.

The thing that amazes me and in a sense makes it so magical, is how
incredably compact and efficient her writing is. She somehow managers
to say SO MUCH with so few words. I've seen many sentances that are
only two or three words long. In five or ten pages she can condense
massive amounts of story. 

She really doesn't describe things in great detail. That flys in the
face of all our English teachers, who drilled 'don't tell us, show us'
into our head. We aren't suppose to talk about things, we are suppose
to describe them. We are suppore ramble on for pages, creating a vivid
mental picture for the reader by describing every visual, audial, and
tactile characteristic as the story unfolds. Yet, JKR accomplishes
pages in paragraphs, and fequently condense pages into a few short
sentences.  

For the most part, Harry total psycholagical state, his deepest
emotions, his greatest fears are covered in one quick reference to his
stomach; which is beautiful. 

Without endless scene descriptions, in the most compact of form, she
has created the most vivid and life-like world. I see that castle, the
ground, the stone floor, the common room, the four posters with red
hangings, they are as real as the world around me. I know exactly what
Dobby looks like right down to the last detail. By the way, the movie
got him completely wrong. Trust me, the real Dobby has a butt. 

That's the magic of JKR, she didn't tell me, she didn't show me, she
just gave me enough to ingite my imagination, and that exploded into
the most vivid and real of worlds. I would say that is truly magical
writing.

just a thought.

bboy_mn