J.K. Rowling Speaks Out on Writing Real, Gritty Characters

Many readers of YABR will know about Goodreads but did you know that users had the opportunity to ask The Casual Vacancy author J.K. Rowling one question? The winning user asked Rowling about why she wrote a gritty reality in The Casual Vacancy instead of a fantasy like Harry Potter.

Some of you might not want to read her exhaustive answer so in summary Rowling writes that she felt her characters are all trapped by circumstances, whether forced upon them or created by themselves, and draws comparison to the fact that most adults feel like they are trapped and thus unable to change their lives once they are stuck in a situation. She goes into detail with a few characters so if you’ve read and managed to get all the way through The Casual Vacancy read the full question and answer below! (Beware of spoilers.)