You are writing children's books, you need to be a ruthless killer.

[Chang Style Novice]

For the Harry Potter freaks (I'm not one, but I know many, and I'll bet someone here qualifies.)

http://us.imdb.com/PeopleNews/#2

[ZIM]

Rowling has also confirmed there will just be two more Harry novels after the Order Of The Phoenix - taking the total to seven.

Where to hide the bodies, then? This is going to be bloodbath, I'll tell you right now..

[shaolin kungfu]

Harry Potter makes me want to put a pistol to me eyeball and pull the trigger.

Rowling sold her soul to the devil, and I can't wait till he collects.

[MasterKiller]

Rowling is a chick, and she was a poor single mom on welfare before she sold the first book. She makes no claims about being a prolific artist, so don't expect her to be. She was just trying to feed her kids.

[BSH]

I am a fan. Not afraid to admit it.

Why all the anger for a poor single mother who made it and is now giving back.

[Chang Style Novice]

I've never read one of the books, never seen one of the movies. I think it's a little too bad that a self-admitted hack is the wealthiest author ever, but I'm too used to hacks outselling geniuses to get worked up about it, or to bear her any ill will.

But I thought it was a HILARIOUS quote!

[BSH]

Which was the HILARIOUS quote I missed. I must have misplaced my sense of humor.

[MasterKiller]

You are writing children's books, you need to be a ruthless killer.

[shaolin kungfu]

The books sucked more ass than david hasselfhoff, and the movies unleashed a horrible plaque against humanity. I don't care if she was " just trying to feed her kid". If she wanted to do that, she should have gotten a job at mcdonalds and not tried for years to write a book, while her kid and her lived on welfare.

That woman is satans bltch, and should be treated as such.

[Judge Pen]

MK,

In your professional opinion is she a hack or not?

[MasterKiller]

In your professional opinion is she a hack or not?

I've never read any of the books, or tried to. Generally, I find that most successful mainstream writers tend to suck @ss because they appeal to the widest market base---stupid people. But with children's books you have to have a different approach. Kids like things for completely different reasons than adults, and the huge popularity of these novels seems to be more than just good marketing. These books are like 700 pages. I guess anyone who can get 7 year-olds excited about reading 700-page books deserves some recognition.

[Shaolin-Do]

.
Ive never read one of those books. Or seen the movies. Hear they are cool on hallucinogens or lack of sleep.



































indeed.....

[Laughing Cow]

Watched a movie in the series, while nothing particularly new or ground breaking it seems to appeal to kids.

IMO, anything that rips them away from the TV, PC or game station is a good thing.

Most Writers started of as hacks, so what. Perfect example Terry Pratchet, Douglas Adams. and most SF writers.

Now many gotten so famous and popular that they are required to release mediocre books just to fill the demand.
ex.: Stephen King, etc.

I think there are very few people out there that ahd a goal of attending university so that they could become book authors.

Cheers.

[MasterKiller]

Most Writers started of as hacks, so what. Perfect example Terry Pratchet, Douglas Adams. and most SF writers.

Started implies they eventually became something else...

I think there are very few people out there that ahd a goal of attending university so that they could become book authors.

Half the people I went to school with went to college to become writers. Problem is, writing is a lot like kung fu....Lots of people want to know how to write, but not too many people want to learn how to write.

That, and every other single mom in the world thinks they can write because their teacher liked their short-stories in kindergarden.

[Chang Style Novice]

Well, I think Adams was better than a hack. Pratchett writes a hell of a lot, and never seems to come up with anything really lasting, so I'll say hack for him, but a very funny hack. Way better than Stephen King, who pretty much defines hackalicious hackmaster hack.

And yeah, LOTS of people go through liberal arts or fine arts degrees but precious few make a living at it, and even fewer ever create anything that will last through the ages. Is anyone who fails to produce works of genius a hack? No. The difference, IMO, is mainly intent. If you want to write a bestselling book, and write in such a way as to maximize your chances of bestsellerdom, you're a hack. If you write a bestselling book as a result of trying to write the best, most insightful book you can, you're not. Unless you're just shallow in which case you ARE a hack, but you had to work very hard to get to be a hack, and I admire that effort.