I don't blame her

J.K. Rowling, author of the universally popular Harry Potter series, recently released a mystery novel, The Cuckoo’s Calling, under a pseudonym, Robert Galbraith. I thought it odd that she had done that. Think of the money she makes (sigh) from just one title, no matter the genre. When she takes to her computer it’s like spinning gold from oxygen. So why write under an assumed name?

I’ve put some thought into this, and now I can see why she did what she did. Rowling has nothing to prove. Everyone knows she can write bestsellers. Most important, she knows she can. She already has the name, the reputation, and the money. She’s free now to write for more visceral reasons such as a deep-seated need for purpose, divine call, and service. Maybe she even writes for fun.

I do not blame Rowling for seeking anonymity. She wants her new work to stand on its own merits. She seeks objective reviews, not those written through the rosy lens of swooning readers who look favorably on anything she writes merely because her name is on the front cover of earlier books they loved. The Cuckoo’s Calling is a new literary venture for Rowling. Maybe even Rowling needs to confirm to herself that, despite her phenomenal success with the wizard books, she can write a compelling mystery.

It must be freeing, as she says, to write for the sake of a good story that excites her inner muse instead of to meet sky-high expectations of her vast readership, which, if you think about it, can inhibit creativity. The desire to please readers who are enthusiastic for earlier books is a noble thing, but it's a double-edged sword. It can overwhelm that muse, and if not acknowledged, can negatively influence future work. There is a tendency for writers to try and re-create whatever it is their readers like about earlier projects, which stifles freshness and leaves an otherwise creative author going round and round on a literary grinding mill, turning out readable but predictable stories. Likely Ms. Rowling enjoyed writing The Cuckoo’s Calling because the very act was all about the story, independent of anyone’s expectations.

Writing for the fun of it. What a wonderful way to spend your day.