The Elephant House

'The Elephant House' cafe, in Edinburgh, UK, is the nook where JK Rowling wrote the first part of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I was reading up on her life and was amazed with how her personal life impacted the creation of her characters.

Here are a few things I found out: Rowling lost her mother to multiple sclerosis while she was in the midst of writing the first book. This greatly influenced Harry's character: his parents where murdered by a famous Dark wizard while he was a baby and had to deal with the challenges of loss and fame while simply a teenager. Rowling also struggled with depression and suicide, creating the background of the Dementor characters: hooded, evil creatures that suck away the happiness and joy from anyone they surrounded. Her life experiences and circumstances have evidently formed the back bone of her work. It's also mentioned that her struggles with her faith have heavily influenced the 7th book - I'll look back on this once I've read it.

If I had another life, I would put all my heart into being an author. It would be fabulous to just sit and write, whether it be a children's book or an editorial. I don't want to shut the door on writing, but I know it's something that needs to be put on the back burner at the moment. So for now, I'm just thoroughly enjoying the works of others and getting lost inside the wonderful world of books.

Cheers!

D.