The first book about the little wizard with glasses - whose birthday, as the book claims, also falls on July 31 - was released June 30, 1997, by the British publisher Bloomsbury, and since then, the world of literature has changed irreversibly. It is well known that Several publishers initially rejected Joan Rowling's manuscript, and Bloomsbury editor Barry Cunningham advised the aspiring writer to focus on finding work, as it was impossible to make money from children's books. Rowling ignored the prudent advice and did not fail: it was a worldwide success with over 450 million copies of books sold, translations of the Harry Potter series into 77 languages. The film adaptations of the books are becoming the most profitable in the history of cinema.

In the 18 years since that June day, there have been no shortage of "hindsight" explanations as to why a seemingly children's tale has suddenly become incredibly popular with readers of different ages, different nationalities, different professions, and different literary predilections. Equally, there were attempts to follow it. The organizers of some open contests for children's writers have to stipulate separately that books about little wizards, witches, and magic schools will not be considered.

However, we must admit that few of Rowling's followers manage to at least partially replicate the success of "Harry Potter's mother. Why? Because carried away by the magical entourage, the authors do not bother to analyze what strict principles are built on the entire multi-volume fairy tale saga.

On the eve of the anniversary of Joan Rowling, Paper Help decided to make up for this deficiency. And to give some advice to those who set out to replicate her success. Because, of course, lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place - unless that "place" is a specially constructed lightning rod.

1. Advice one: take the outsider hero -that's the kind of hero that gets the reader's attention

This trait of this fantasy is most talked about by those who try to "get to the bottom" of the reasons for its worldwide success. Books and movies about outsiders (and Harry is a typical outsider) are always successful, especially if they have a twisted and rapidly developing plot.

So it is here: we begin to sympathize with Harry from the very first pages. An orphan raised in a family that hasn't given him an ounce of love. He has no friends. His cousin Dudley terrorizes him. But one day, everything changes. Harry has, if not family (it is impossible to bring back the dead even with the help of magic), then friends who love him "for nothing," who understand him and are ready to stand by his side when danger threatens.

Remarkably, Harry is a "stranger," an "other" in both the non-wizarding (Muggle) and magical worlds. "The Boy Who Survived" is forced to bear the burden of fame, but this is not the only thing that sets him apart from the rest. Growing up in a non-wizarding environment gave him an outsider's view of the magical world. Harry essentially combines the two worlds, which allows him to think outside the box. To act differently and not be afraid of judgment. And this trait, no doubt, cannot help but attract a modern person living in a world where the word "ideology" has a negative connotation. The ability to think independently and live beyond the imposed standard is respected.

Let us also note that Harry is not a superhero and wins not by his superpowers. A superhero cannot be sympathized with - he can only be admired. Harry is an ordinary teenager who has gone through many trials and tests of everyday life, not fantastic: the loss of his parents, loneliness, the death of loved ones, ridiculed by others.

Problems and tests of the little magician - a completely real, with which, one way or another, every one of us is faced.

Now let's move smoothly to tip number two concerning the plot. We have already mentioned it.

2. Tip number two - come up with a twisted and fast-paced plot that won't bore the reader

There is no "adventure for adventure's sake" in Rowling's world. Harry Potter doesn't seek treasure just because he's interested, doesn't chase enemies just because he wants to punish them, and doesn't defeat fairy tale monsters just because he wants to prove his strength. On the contrary, he would be happy to live with a happy family (remember his dream reflected in the mirror of Einalege), but fate willed him to do something else entirely.

Not only that: a lot of researchers of Rowling's works speak about the detective component of her books as a constant basis of her plot.

Each of the Harry Potter novels is built on the detective model: the heroes face mysteries, suspect a character, make versions, which are invariably disproved in the finale. In each book, we are always led to a fundamental idea for Rowling: "all is not what it seems. Human consciousness is distorted by prejudices, affects, stereotypes, and therefore we cannot see people as they are.

In general, the theme of prejudice and its devastating effect on human life is one of the key themes for Rowling. Each of the Harry Potter series books debunks a few preconceptions in the magical or non-magical world. In The Philosopher's Stone, this theme is vividly expressed, on the one hand, by the Dursleys, who feel horror and hatred for wizards (because these people live "differently"), and, on the other, by Draco Malfoy, who despises Muggles. In The Chamber of Secrets, the first disturbing theme is that of "dirty girls" and "half-breeds," who are treated by much of the magical community as second-rate people, even if they are brilliant and talented Hermione Granger. In "Prisoner of Azkaban," the entire magical world is in a panic over the escape of a criminal, and it never occurs to anyone that this man might have been slandered. More precisely, they don't even see him as a person, just as they don't see werewolves like Professor Lupin, whose "werewolfism" is a severe and painful disease that condemned him to loneliness, hunger, and near-poverty. Harry Potter himself later becomes a victim of prejudice.

With an unpredictable plot built on riddles, Rowling manages to fool the reader repeatedly, showing how predictable people are in their judgments. And only those in whom love, compassion, and understanding can overpower prejudice have a chance to win. Harry goes for throughout the seven books--love and mercy. The ability to pity and accept even the hated, universally disliked, disgusting Professor Snape.

3. Tip three - bring the fictional world closer to the real one

The charm of "Harry Potter" is also based on the fact that this book - as paradoxical as it may sound - is as close to reality as possible. "Harry Potter is essentially a mirror of our world, with all its problems: multiculturalism, racism, political propaganda and manipulation, arbitrary media, interracial conflicts, "translation difficulties," inequality between rich and poor, bribes, unscrupulous officials and courts... etc., etc. Rowling does not restrain herself in sarcasm. Think of Rita Skeeter, a highly parodic image of a journalist who loves sensationalism and is willing to twist the words of her interlocutor at will to write a scandalous article. Or Mr. Fudge, the head of the Ministry, trembling for his chair, ready to sweep imaginary competitors from the face of the earth and not seeing the real danger hanging over the magical community. Or Harry's aunt and uncle are stiff, selfish, and limited. In the course of the action, Rowling mocks the quality of education, medical care, the logic of legal acts, the conduct of investigations, the supposed "objectivity" and "truthfulness" of the media. Though they live at Hogwarts, her characters face the same problems that we readers do.

The specifics of the wizarding world are discussed below.

4. Tip four - think carefully about your magical universe

Together with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, we learn how this or that spell works, how certain magical sweets are called, how diseases are cured, how sports competitions are held, how transportation is organized, how adult wizards work, how the Ministry of Magic functions... the list goes on. Rowling's world is not chaotic: it is based on clear laws, similar to the laws of physics, and it is fascinating. The abundance of structured information about the fictional world gives the reader a powerful effect of presence, the effect of comprehending reality. But this information is presented in dosage and therefore does not bore the reader. With each new school year of Harry Potter, we learn what we are supposed to know and no more. Rowling manages not to go overboard with the number of facts about the magical universe. Otherwise, the reader might wonder why they need to know how the magic pens function in another exam for five-year students at some nonexistent wizarding school.

The thoughtfulness of the universe is matched by the thoughtfulness of the characters who inhabit it. The storylines of all the characters intersect sooner or later, each line is brought to a conclusion, and the writer abandons no character mentioned in passing. By the way, Rowling has thought through the past and the future. In numerous broadcasts and interviews, she has repeatedly mentioned what will happen in the future to both the primary and secondary characters. And such forethought is impressive.

5. Tip five - do not neglect the achievements of native fiction

Only an utterly unsophisticated reader might think that Rowling came with her Harry Potter out of nowhere. Philologists easily find in Rowling's books both references to the classics of English literature and folklore motifs, Christian allegories, and medieval symbolism. American researcher John Granger has devoted a separate book to the "origins" of the Harry novels, entitled Harry Potter's Bookshelf: The Great Books behind the Hogwarts Adventures. He analyzes the reflection of different literary traditions in Rowling's works. And it proves once again that no outstanding work arises from nothing.

The Harry Potter cycle is not even the first cycle on such a subject. We can think of Jill Murphy's "The Wickedest Witch" book series, which describes the main character Mildred Hubble's studies at the school of witchcraft. The adventures of the good-for-nothing Mildred Hubble, unable to perform even one spell correctly, managing to get into all sorts of trouble, appealed to children wildly since one could guess the familiar school routine behind the magical realities. The first book of the series was published in 1974 and immediately attracted reader interest (including, apparently, a nine-year-old girl from near Bristol named Joan).

With her novel The Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula Le Guin, which tells the story of the young wizard Ged's studies at the school of wizards on the island of Rokk, is also cited as Rowling's immediate predecessor.

6. Tip six - think about the moral idea that will underlie your story

In Harry Potter's world, a serious war is waged in which he loses almost all of his loved ones, but--and this the writer strongly asserts--it is not the power of magic, the power of weapons, or the cunning of strategic design that wins, but love that allows him to give his life "for his friend. In other words, Harry Potter is a book about eternal values, love, and sacrifice. In his other book, How Harry Bewitched Us All, John Granger, whom we have just mentioned, discusses at length the Christian symbolism in Harry Potter as an integral part of English literature, in the tradition of which Rowling creates his work. Granger writes: "The skill with which this profound spiritual content is embodied is also amazing. Christian imagery, symbols, themes, and meanings are included in all the Harry Potter books, and this certainly resonates particularly well with Christian readers. However, the traditional elements taken from the faith and "titans" of English literature are used so delicately that their universal and Christian spiritual content, unharmed by any Christian shell, reaches people who are not Christians, even those who have been taught with an aversion to all things Christian. It is what drives Potteromania. Simply put, the GP satisfies the human need for a religious, mystical, or spiritual experience on the level of imagination. Rowling meets this need like no other living author as a postmodern writer.

Rowling manages not to scare away the reader with morality. At the same time, she does not avoid complex themes - death, cruelty, violence. Harry very often finds himself in situations that dispose him to dialogue about death. And this takes the series far beyond "children's reading": the writer is not afraid of serious questioning, the moral ideas are not of a bewitchingly naive nature. "These books answer major spiritual questions, and the importance of the latter is particularly keenly felt by a generation far removed from a time when religious life was traditional. In an age of skepticism, of disbelief in the very existence of the transcendent, our ability to discern anything beyond matter and energy has almost atrophied for lack of exercise, and our conscious mind tends to deny it. And this vacuum is invaded by stories about the young wizard and his battle with Voldemort outward and inward. Using the traditional symbolism of faith and English literature, Rowling trains the atrophied spiritual sense of her readers and engages their capacity to love and understand the world by giving it a transcendent dimension" (John Granger, How Harry Bewitched Us All).

7. Tip Seven - Be Optimistic

But despite the transcendence revealed by the American professor, Harry Potter is a very uplifting and positive book. It affirms: no matter how intense the enemy is, you can stand up to it even if the whole world is against you. The fundamental values in this finite, mortal world are love, friendship, loved ones. Family, friends. Trite? Yes. But this banality has proven to be extremely necessary for the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. What does Harry Potter aspire to? Magical power? No. Domination? No. Magical treasure? No. His ideal is the quiet family life of love deprived him of. And, shoulder to shoulder with his friends, he overcomes every challenge. Even his death.