Ask J.K. Rowling a Question About The Casual Vacancy Showing 301-350 of 1,725

[Annalisa]

Dear JRRowling, you have the magic touch when teenagers are involved. A casual vacancy is also a book on how Social Policies can impact young people and make a difference. Do you believe good policies can be independent from good people enforcing them?
Thank you.

[Renee]

How did you feel that the writing process was different with writing The Casual Vacancy than The Harry Potter series? Is there a difference writing for Adult than YA or Junior?

[[deleted user]]

How did you come up with the idea of writing The Casual Vacancy?

[Zoe]

Your characters in The Casual Vacancy aren't as archetypal as those in HP (eg Hermione, my role model, who has depth but is still a very definitely Good/Light character) because they have flaws, and I think those interact really well for the story. Who would you like to be of the characters in thi book, if any?

[anna marie]

In terms of personal success (Not regarding money) which book(s) are, for you, more important/ you are more proud of? The Casual Vacancy or Harry Potter? THANKS

[Bhavna]

Firstly, thank you for writing an age appropriate book for those of us who grew up side by side with Harry. The Casual Vacancy is ideologically consistent with the Harry Potter books. The latter are hero-centric, as well as have clearly demarcated good guys (Albus) and bad guys (Dark Lord). To what extent were you consciously writing a book that blurred the membership of these "camps"? Was it your point to say that there are no heroes in real life?

[Ladybooksalott]

When/Where did you get the idea for this story? Since you got the Harry Potter idea when you were on a train.

[Amy]

I thoroughly enjoyed the H. P. series, and when I read "The Casual Vacancy", I was hit by the total 180 you did in your writing. Why the total turn about? I have to admit I wasn't crazy about it when I first started reading "The Casual Vacancy", but in the end I was glad I stuck with it. Keep up the great work!!!

[Antonio]

My question is... now what's next? A new series of books, this time for adults perhaps? Or maybe one-off books like the Casual Vacancy?

Also... How does it feel to have reached this level of success on the first try with Harry Potter? Would you have preferred to explore multiple stories away from the limelight before being subjected to such scrutiny immediately?

[Ehsaas]

I have read the entire Harry Potter series.. Its Fiction..out and out..what inspired you to change the genre from fiction to social awareness? Did u feel u were out of your skin when writing casual vacancy or with harry the author had grown up too ?

[Sophie]

Have you heard a real-life good news story, a crisis averted, that has happened as a direct result of someone reading The Casual Vacancy?

[Gillian]

Reading The Casual Vacancy it was refreshing to see characters who were not perfected and polished that we see so much of in more recent books. I found it particularly interesting because I could relate to these characters, I've had friends similar to them and so I could understand how they may have been offended by the 'higher class'.

My question is in regards to misconceptions and labelling. I was wondering what you think of the misconceptions surrounding estates and lower class people; in recent times we have had shows depicting people who live on estates to be rough, non caring and in all ways different to everyone else. I know this not to be true, I was wondering about how it makes you feel that people are so careless to judge to look by who they really are and simply label them, define them with this one thing.

[[deleted user]]

How does it feel to write a book without Harry? :)

[Ginny]

I really enjoyed the Casual Vacancy, although it was a bit of a shock, as it was so different from your previous novels! However, you still provided us with interesting, complex characters and a great storyline (although not one I'll let my 11 year old read yet!) Question: I could find no redeeming feature in Stuart "Fats" Wall (even given his start in life) is this deliberate, or just my interpretation of his character or maybe as a result of his upbrining with no moral grounding??

[[deleted user]]

If you could change anything about the story, what would it be and how would you alter it?

[Robyn]

What inspired you to write this book, considering that it is quite different from the other book you've written? And did it feel strange writing something that was so different to your other novels?

[Lina]

Were you scared of what people would think about The Casual Vacancy?

[Monique Vala]

After spending so many years writing Harry Potter, it is hard to write other Books and not mixing them up with Harry Potter?

[Andrea]

What are your next projects? Are you planning a sequel to The Casual Vacancy or maybe another completely different book?

Love from Italy

[Elena]

Hey, I loved The Casual Vacancy. I'm sorry for the basic question, but what inspired you to write it?

P.S. Australia loves you! :)

[Ana]

I would like to know if this is a permanent departure from fantasy, young adult books? I have not read this book but from other comments it appears to be so, just wondering if it's permanent?

[Caroline]

What inspired you to write The Casual Vacancy? and are any of the characters based on real life people?

[Serena]

I'd like to say first off that the Harry Potter series is my favourite series of all time. It really inspired me because of how Harry had virtually nothing, but he had good friends and none of the trivial things people take for granted.

My question is, was it hard for you to break away from Harry Potter, knowing/feeling people would compare The Casual Vacancy to Harry Potter?

P.S. You are an inspiration!

[Sonja]

Why was each and every character in The Casual Vacancy so utterly despicable?

[Άρτεμις]

All the stories narrated in the book, concern 'hot' social issues. Apart from Barry Fairbrother's family, all the others are infected each by one of the taboo-topics of our world. (Drugs, single-parent family, adopted children, domestic violence, rape, infedelity, bullying,etc). Is there a symbolism in the set up of Pagford and its residents, and a reason there is such striking comparison to Barry's family values and ethics?

[Erica]

What things give you inspiration from books? i love reading and writing, and music and friends give me all my the inspiration and the power of resume writing :)
Thank you so much, to give me that chance ask you something, because i love all you books!! :) <3

[Francesco]

If you could be one of the casual vacancy characters, what will it be?

[Monique]

What were you thinking?????

[Zoe]

How does it make you feel when you spot either the Harry Potter series or The Casual Vancancy on other people's bookshelves?

[Steven]

Which scene did you start with?

[Sarah]

Hello, I'm a 'wannabe' writer and would like to know what are your top ten tips about writing books that fall into the fantasy Genre?

[Elizabeth]

I really loved "The Casual Vacancy", as much as I loved the Harry Potter series. Is it harder to write adult books, with an adult perspective, values, and themes, or do books for children/tweenagers, come much easier??? How do you get your mind to swap from one to the other?????

[Kasumi]

How much have you in common with your characters in The Casual Vacancy, if you have?

[Shana]

What made you decide to end the book with such tragedy? Did you feel it was necessary in the story, or did you think it would elevate the story?

[Aurumora]

Is it difficult for you to shut off with a story when you have finished writing it?

(I hope I find the right words in english)

[Adeeb]

How did you manage to write about characters in very horrible, yet make it bearable for readers to read?

[Natalie]

What inspired you to write a book so different to Harry Potter, or how was the idea formed?

[Allison]

How often do your previous works or characters in the Harry Potter series inspire you to keep writing?

[Mariam]

What was your inspiration for the story?

[Assen]

Was this book based on emotional trauma (a personal experience) or is it a figure of fiction?

[Tara]

Why did you decide to write a serious adult novel, when your previous success was based around a wonderful children's story that inspired children and adults alike? Did you grow bored of writing child fiction, did you just want to branch out, or a combination of the two?

[João Pedro]

How it was this expirience of writting a non-Harry Potter book? It was nice, or awkward? Did you felt nostalgic about it?

[C.L.]

How did your writing process for The Casual Vacancy differ from that of Harry Potter, if at all? How much of your work with Amnesty International, and your attention to politics, influence the writing?

[Sherrie]

The book ends with the funeral of Krystal and her younger brother, Robbie. If the book had continued after the funerals how would the loss of two of her children have affected Terri? Would she conquer her addictions or continue on her downward spiral?

[Jasmine]

The best part about your writing is the way that not only do you write about something that has importance to you, but you write with the purpose of having your readers bring something out of it. What is it that you hope for your readers to bring out of The Casual Vacancy when they've finished the final page.

[Finn]

Hello Jo,

I've been wondering about this for a while. How do you make your characters believable and realistic, especially those that couldn't be further from your own self and experience? I expect by now it is very hard for you to just go out and watch people, unrecognised. Do you do research and talk to people who represent that sort of person or do you just make it up in your head, empathise and maybe ask a friend if it seems believable? How do you approach these characters?

[Lina]

A couple of questions:

1) Why did you decide to populate The Casual Vacancy with so many dysfunctional, unlikeable characters? The only one I even remotely cared about or rooted for was Krystal. It was disappointing that so many adults let her down, including the social worker in whom I had, for a while anyway, some hope.

2) Do you think it's realistic to believe that so many supposedly responsible adults could pass by a small child wandering alone on the road and do nothing about it? What a poor state our society is in!

[Lauren]

This book was obviously written so that people could connect to it and show others how hard life could be. When writing this book did you ever have doubts about the book?

[S]

What made you to write this book??Do you want to "change" your writting style???

[Laura]

Why did you write a book so bad?? (Not that the last Harry Potter was better).