I was never interested in reading the "Harry Potter" books.
But my mom was obsessed. So when I was 11-years-old, I found my Hogwarts letter with a copy of "The Sorcerer's Stone" waiting for me by the front door, presumably delivered by owl. Of course, I had no idea what was going on, so I didn't fully appreciate this until later.
I decided to give the book a try and soon found myself unable to put it down. My life became "Harry Potter." My favorite is always Ginny. Snape deserves no sympathy. My friends and I were that group with matching T-shirts for the seventh and eighth movies' opening days.
After finishing the series a few years after discovering my Hogwarts letter, my mom enthusiastically informed me that the story didn't really end with the last page of the book. She explained how I could research everything the author added after the fact.
At first I was excited that you, good ol' J.K., decided to give your fans extended information. I ate it up. Every bit of it like it was a feast in the Great Hall.
But now, I'm so tired.
What are you doing?
If you wanted more representation in your story, you had every opportunity to write it in. Instead, you backpedaled and defined Dumbledore's sexuality outside of the book. You backpedaled and said main characters could have been people of color. You backpedaled when you could have just written a more diverse book.
Sure, you had wizards, witches, and monsters. But that doesn't account for total representation. This representation seems like it's important to you, since you Tweet constantly about moral and societal issues. You seem to care about everyone. But you seem so desperate to prove it that you reshape the story you've already written to fit in the current social climate.
Why didn't you just write what you wanted to in the first place?
Is this diverse story the kind of book you wanted to write in the fist place? Or were you playing it safe?
Did you plan all these reveals as you were writing? Or are you scrambling to make it look like you wrote something with more substance?
When you backpedal and add or change aspects of your story, it makes me question your credibility as a writer.
When you apologize for killing off characters, it makes me question your decision-making in your craft. It makes me question your ability to craft a successful plot. You are one of the most successful authors of this age, and here I am questioning you.
You need to own your story. You wrote it. It's yours, and it is good.
Sure, every writer changes their mind now and then, but in your case, it's time to stop. If you want to add more to your story, write more books. Don't change what you already have. Don't make your fans go on Twitter scavenger hunts to fully understand your art.
Let us enjoy your story.
