I don't necessarily mean writing before the series got off the ground, but rather that she had bits and pieces of scenes in her mind when she sat down to write the books.
Yes! Exactly. As you mention below, Teleportation is a staple in sci-fi and fantasy books. So there's a scene where a lowlife belonging to the Good Guys vanishes off a broom in mid-flight, causing the death of a previous generation's hero. As far as we know, wizards don't sit side-saddle on brooms (even though it might make sense since they all wear robes). How would this lowlife Disapparate by turning around his own axis if he's straddling a flying broom? If there is yet no explanation developed for how Apparation works, then he just vanishes and people who know, understand that he Disapparated.
Before HBP, IIRC, we weren't shown wizards turning before they disappear with a pop. We aren't shown them finishing a turn when they appear. If several scenes, not whole chapters but just snippets, were written as the series was begun because they sounded interesting, then these mechanics were not thought out yet when the scene was written. Six books later, a method for Apparation is developed which involves turning around one's own axis. The previously written scenes were not retrofitted at that point to reflect the newly devised method. It may even have slipped the author's mind that there might be something to retrofit such as turning on one's axis while straddling a thin piece of wood.
That's all I meant by thinking that some scenes were written beforehand. The basics, such as wizards vanishing into thin air, are there, but the development of the magic involved is lacking. I also agree that she had to find ways to fit the characters to the scenes she fell in love with, and the forcing shows. By doing that, both scenes and characters are diminished, IMO.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2008-08-31 12:53 am (UTC)Yes! Exactly. As you mention below, Teleportation is a staple in sci-fi and fantasy books. So there's a scene where a lowlife belonging to the Good Guys vanishes off a broom in mid-flight, causing the death of a previous generation's hero. As far as we know, wizards don't sit side-saddle on brooms (even though it might make sense since they all wear robes). How would this lowlife Disapparate by turning around his own axis if he's straddling a flying broom? If there is yet no explanation developed for how Apparation works, then he just vanishes and people who know, understand that he Disapparated.
Before HBP, IIRC, we weren't shown wizards turning before they disappear with a pop. We aren't shown them finishing a turn when they appear. If several scenes, not whole chapters but just snippets, were written as the series was begun because they sounded interesting, then these mechanics were not thought out yet when the scene was written. Six books later, a method for Apparation is developed which involves turning around one's own axis. The previously written scenes were not retrofitted at that point to reflect the newly devised method. It may even have slipped the author's mind that there might be something to retrofit such as turning on one's axis while straddling a thin piece of wood.
That's all I meant by thinking that some scenes were written beforehand. The basics, such as wizards vanishing into thin air, are there, but the development of the magic involved is lacking. I also agree that she had to find ways to fit the characters to the scenes she fell in love with, and the forcing shows. By doing that, both scenes and characters are diminished, IMO.