Thread: An article...

Hi guys I've been a member of this forum for a short while now and have decided to finally put some of my writing on here. This is a short article I wrote for my blog and any critique offered will be appreciated So -deep calming breath- here goes.


Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 - the end of the Potter era?
It's at last time to close the final curtain on the movie series that has taken a decade to complete. With all the books finished and published and the final film released, there has been a full stop placed firmly at the end of the phenomanally successful Potter series.
J.K Rowling is far from a literary genius (and I say this as a fan of her work) yet she has crafted a rich universe and a host of characters millions of children have grown up with. She has encouraged countless children to discover the joy of a great book and her stories and her success will go down in publishing history and rightly so - she has created a series that will doubtlessly become modern classics.
We have been with Harry from the very beginning, from his realisation that he was a wizard right up to the very end when the formidable Lord Voldemort was spectacuarly defeated. We gasped at the twists and the turns, mused over the mysteries, questioned Snape's true intentions a hundred times over and perhaps even shed a tear or two for the much loved charatcters who fell by the wayside.
But now it's all over, what happens next? J.K Rowling is set to release an interactive, online Potter experience named Pottermore in October this year, but beyond this Potter has indeed cast his final spell.
What does the end of this era of Harry Potter mean for Young Adult Fantasy and it's authors? It's time now that Harry retired and made way for new success stories in the genre and his departure poses opportunities for authors and their work to shine through without being cast in his shadow. Many of those who have been following Harry, those fans who queued in the rain outside Waterstones at midnight, waiting with fervent anticipation to get their hands on the latest long-awaited installment will now be looking for something new and it is the those brilliant yet struggling, jaded authors or the previously unnapreciated, unsung heroes of YA fiction who will provide.
Publishers are constantly seeking the next big thing and Harry has left a wizard shaped gap in the market that needs to be filled with something different and unique but equally as enthralling. We'll all miss Harry, but now he's laid down his wand, the way is clearer for new YA fantasy and its authors to take their place in the spotlight.

Hi Lavender

Nice piece, well written. I've concentrated on mainly technical points as I'm not big on the world of Potter, the books, or the films.

Some nits I picked up on:

phenomanally = phenomenally

J.K Rowling is far from a literary genius / has encouraged countless children to discover the joy of a great book

I'd agree with the first statement, but then the second seems to contradict, with its use of the term great. Maybe discover the joy of reading.

will now be looking for something new and it is the those brilliant yet struggling, jaded authors or the previously unnapreciated

Typo alert for the first highlighted section.

unnapreciated = unappreciated

or the previously unnapreciated, unsung heroes of YA fiction who will provide.

Left hanging at the end. unsung heroes of YA fiction who will provide it. Or something similar.

I thought there might be scope for a little tightening of the final two paragraphs, maybe even merge them as one. There seems to be some overlapping in them, and it might be a little more succinct. It needn't detract from this though.

Congrats on your first post.

Scott.

Thanks for the comments, Scott they are all appreciated.
The spelling mistakes should have been sorted before I posted - I'll remember to spellcheck before I post any more work in the future!
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment

This is a light but compelling read - it does make me want to perhaps delve into these books, and curious about what will be the "next big thing"
---todd

I think the article provokes discussion, which I'm sure is your intention. I had to remind myself not to comment on the ideas of the blog itself, but the writing. The purpose is hugely successfully. Other than the technical bits mentioned, I would only add that I love this statement "J.K Rowling is far from a literary genius (and I say this as a fan of her work)" While seemingly contradictory, I think many writers are able to murmur their agreement when reading it.

Not the end of Harry Potter! Nooo!

I am so depressed about this. I became interested in the franchise a few years ago and I absolutely loved all the movies. Even though I’m a late comer to the party I am so disappointed that the last movie is out and the story is over. Alas.

This is a very concise piece and I liked it overall.

You know about the spelling issues (phenomenally, realization, characters, and more). Writing in a word processor would prevent these issues. You could also use the Chrome browser, which has a built in spell checker.

There are some sentences like this one: “been a full stop placed firmly at the end of the phenomanally successful Potter series”; that seem to be a bit wordy. You could have said, “been a full stop placed on the phenomenally successful Potter series.” That or some other way to simplify the sentence a bit. There are a few sentences in this that are the same. My personal rule is if I can’t/wouldn’t say it in conversation, then I don’t write it.

Other than that, I think you did very good job. As you said, I’m sure we will all miss Harry. Thankfully, I already have another fantasy series I am pining over at the moment.

Great comments guys, really helpful thanks