Nickelodeon Magazine Interview Of Joanne Rowling:

(Nickelodeon Magazine in Yellow, and Joanne in Red)

Did you write stories when you were young?

Yes, the earliest was when I was six. It was about a rabbit called Rabbit who got the measles and was visited by his friends. That was the whole story.

How did you come up with the idea for the first Harry Potter book?

The idea came to me while I was on the train. I dived into my bag for paper and a pen. I had the paper, but I didn't have the pen. So I just sat there for four hours and thought of lots of stuff that actually ended up being in the book. My brain just went crazy. The moment I got home, I wrote furiously, sheets and sheets.

Did you invent the spells that the wizards cast in your books?

Some of them are based on what people once believed, but I made up most of them.

Do you believe in witchcraft?

Not really. I know quite a lot about it, but I don't believe it works.

How did you come up with all the unusual names in your books?

I collect odd names. I look at maps and names of saints. Hedwig, the mail-carrying owl in the book, is a German saint. I also invent a lot of names. Guidditch [a basketball-like soprt thats played in midair] is an invented name.

How did you create Quidditch?

I love basketball, and I always wanted to see a game with four balls in play because it would be really fun to watch. The book I'm writing at the moment is called The Quidditch World Cup.

You used to teach French to teenagers. Did you base any of your characters on kids you taught?

No. All the characters are based on people I remember from childhood. Ron [one of Harry's best friends] is actually based on one of my oldest friends. I was very nervous about giving him the finished book. I thought that if he didn't like the character, it would be terrible. When he read the book, he said "Oh, he's all right. He's quite cool." So that was lucky.

Is the brainy girl Hermione based on you?

She's a caricature of me... a real exaggeration... because I was never that clever, and Hermione is a borderline genius. I don't think I was quite that annoying, but when I was eleven I was very insecure. I covered up for it by studying hard and getting good grades. By twelve I loosened up. Hermione is going to loosen up, too.

Did you ever have an imaginary friend?

I had loads. In fact, when I was a kid, I pretty much lived in a fantasy world.

What was your favorite subject in school?

English, most definitely. My worst subject was chemistry, which is why Professor Snape [a mean teacher] teaches Potions. I hated chemistry.

If you had magic powers like Harry Potter, how would you use them?

I would make myself tidier because I'm very disorganized, and I would shrink people who annoy me and put them under a teacup for a bit to keep them quiet.

Do you have to sit in a special place to write?

No, I can write anywhere. I made up the names of the characters on a sick bag while I was on an airplane. I told this to a group of kids and a boy said, "Ah, no, that's disgusting." And I said, "Well, I hadn't used the sick bag."

Can you do any magic tricks?

No. I'm completely clumsy. I can't even do card tricks.