Learn to Write Like JK Rowling

JK Rowling is an amazing author. She not only wrote about magic in the Harry Potter series, but she somehow performed it. She reminded us all how magical writing can be. For anyone aspiring to be a published author, acquiring her magical skills is as precious as attaining the Philosopher's Stone itself.


How does one write in such a way to captivate their audience so completely and universally?

How does one build worlds that are as rich and as real as Harry's?

How does one create characters so believable, so enduring and so surprising with every turn of the page?

These are the questions we ask. Unfortunately, JK Rowling's plate is full with weaving her next tale, and perhaps she is even too close to her work to know how to answer these questions for a general audience. But don't despair, my friends! There is hope, there is one professor on loan from Hogwarts (at least I imagine that's where she must be teaching with all of her insight!). This woman has studied JKR's work so thoroughly, so deeply and with the unique perspective of a writer's eye.

This woman is Susan Sipal and I am ecstatic to say that, on Sunday, I completed her month long online writer's workshop named (so aptly) A Writer's Guide to Harry Potter. This course helped me grow in so many ways

• from the perspective of a Harry Potter fan, it added a new depth to the series I have already loved and researched, 
• as a reader, I have learned new skills to use to read all books with, not only for enjoyment, but more critically as an aspiring writer,
• as a writer with a current WIP (work in progress) I can now see such simple new ways to make my characters and their world more vivid
• as an aspiring writer (and a newbie, at that) I found a supportive group each with their own unique perspectives, projects and genres, and
• as a student to the craft I found an instructor who was very approachable, knowledgeable and understanding. 

Can all of this come from an examination of JK Rowling's current work, Harry Potter? Well, under the right lens, absolutely. To give you a taste for what Susan Sipal offers in the course, here is a list of the lesson titles we had over the course of one month:

First Week:
** Welcome and Introductions

** Introduction: Lessons with the Headmistress

** Characters with More Emotional Range than a Teaspoon (Characterization)

** Quidditch, A Prisoner of Azkaban, and Thestrals to MoM (Voice and Reader Fulfillment)

** Return to the Dursleys (Establishing and Breaking Story Patterns)

Second Week:
** Shrieking Shacks, Whomping Willows, and Moaning Myrtles -- or the Dark Lord's in the detail (World Building)

** Revealing Wormtail (Dropping Clues, Hiding Secrets)

** Put a Fidelius Charm on Your Godric's Hollow. (Backstory)

Third Week:
** Myth Connections (Mythic Structures, Archetypes, and Themes)

** His Royal Snivellus -- the Ambiguity of Snape (Themes and Borders)

** Of Grindelwald and Hitler (Real World Relevance)

Fourth Week:
** Keep it FUN (Engaging the Reader)!

** Draco loves Hermione! At least in fan fiction. (Fan Involvement)

** Making a Magical Impression in the Muggle World Or a Few Tips on Building a Public Presence

I am still decompressing all of the information!

So now it's your turn to begin to learn to write like JK Rowling! Here are the different ways to making that happen:

1. SIGN UP FOR THE WORKSHOP: Follow Harry Potter for Writers This is Susan Sipal's blog and it is where she will announce her next workshop. When she does that, SIGN UP! (It will cost you less than $20. She is ridiculously magnanimous with her pricing! Which is, after all, why I was able to take advantage of this opportunity.)
2. LEARN FROM THE BLOG: Spend A LOT of time on Harry Potter for Writers All of the lessons began as blog posts for the site, so you can find it all for free. This is a free option, so, for some, it may be the only option, but just keep in mind that Susan is not a stagnant teacher - she did not just feed us the same old blog posts from whenever they were originally published. She updated them, and adapted them based on the changing world of Harry Potter and JK Rowling. In fact, JK's new novel release happened in the middle of our course - Susan was all over it and we discussed all of the implications of what was released to the media and how.
3. GET THE EBOOK(S): You can BUY A Writer's Guide to Harry Potterfrom Amazon This is an eBook that has all of the lessons compiled in it (again, without updates, though). Susan also has two other eBooks on Amazon The Boy Who Lived Comes to Life: A Literary Analysis of the First Chapter of Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone
   and The Boy Who Lived Comes to Die: A Literary Analysis of the Final Chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallowsthat are supplements as well, but she explained that in the workshop we got all of these things.

I highly recommend getting to know Susan Sipal if you are a writer, or even if you are a Harry Potter fan with no intention to write. She simply has so much to offer. If you are on Twitter, check her out @HP4Writers.

Today's post was merely to let you know about this wonderful online resource. What comes of it now, only time will tell, but I can assure you that in the future of this blog, Rivera Runs Through It, you will be sure to find posts filled with a knowledge that was gained from this experience!

Have you ever studied Harry Potter on a deeper level looking at myth, alchemy and The Hero's Journey?

What are your experiences with online learning and online workshops?

Do you have any online learning experiences for writers you can share (I'm hungry for knowledge!)?