she first had the idea for a character named Harry Potter in 1990, she knew it was special. While traveling on a London train, Rowling imagined a “scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who didn’t know he was a wizard,” but she did not have a pen to record her thoughts. Looking back, Rowling thinks this was a blessing in disguise because she was forced to sit and think about the boy and other characters for the book. That very night she sat down and began work on the book, although Rowling admits that the few pages she wrote that night do not resemble the finished manuscript.3 Wherever she went, Rowling was armed with the manuscript. It grew and grew over the next five years, but Rowling wasn’t sure she’d ever finish it. At the time, Rowling was teaching full-time and was a busy single parent, so spare time was at a premium. However, every chance she got, she rushed off to write a few pages. Rowling admits that sometimes she actually hated the book, even while she loved it.4 Once Rowling finished the book, the next step was to secure a literary agent to help her get the book published. Rowling knew this would be a challenge, stating during an interview that “the difficult thing is going to be to get published. If it’s published, it will be huge.” Rowling was right: it took a year for a publisher to bite. In fact, many publishers turned down Rowling’s book. But, once she received the phone call that a publisher had made an offer, her life was never the same.5 Rowling says she was unprepared for the book’s wild success. On an American book tour, she couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw a mob of fans screaming with excitement. That day, she signed over 2,000 books. Everywhere she went, people recognized her. Life in

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she first had the idea for a character named Harry Potter in 1990, she knew it was special. While traveling on a London train, Rowling imagined a “scrawny, black-haired, bespectacled boy who didn’t know he was a wizard,” but she did not have a pen to record her thoughts. Looking back, Rowling thinks this was a blessing in disguise because she was forced to sit and think about the boy and other characters for the book. That very night she sat down and began work on the book, although Rowling admits that the few pages she wrote that night do not resemble the finished manuscript.3     Wherever she went, Rowling was armed with the manuscript. It grew and grew over the next five years, but Rowling wasn’t sure she’d ever finish it. At the time, Rowling was teaching full-time and was a busy single parent, so spare time was at a premium. However, every chance she got, she rushed off to write a few pages. Rowling admits that sometimes she actually hated the book, even while she loved it.4     Once Rowling finished the book, the next step was to secure a literary agent to help her get the book published. Rowling knew this would be a challenge, stating during an interview that “the difficult thing is going to be to get published. If it’s published, it will be huge.” Rowling was right: it took a year for a publisher to bite. In fact, many publishers turned down Rowling’s book. But, once she received the phone call that a publisher had made an offer, her life was never the same.5     Rowling says she was unprepared for the book’s wild success. On an American book tour, she couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw a mob of fans screaming with excitement. That day, she signed over 2,000 books. Everywhere she went, people recognized her. Life in

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the public eye became overwhelming, but Rowling remained grateful for the success and the impact her books had on readers. She continued to write and publish more books in the Harry Potter series, solidifying her place as one of the most successful authors of all time. Rowling's journey from a struggling writer to a celebrated author is a testament to perseverance and the power of imagination.