Last year, a dramatised version of J.K. Rowling’s life appeared in a TV film. It was an unauthorised biography that tried to tell the story of the famous author and her life before Harry Potter.

I forgot all about watching it and only saw it recently and I’ve got to admit, it wasn’t the best of things I’ve seen. I think this was simply because the author herself refused to have any part in the show and I don’t blame her. However, being a staunch Potter fan, somehow I couldn’t tear my eyes from the screen. I knew a lot of it had been exaggerated and some maybe even made up, to make the story as engaging as possible.

It was engaging.

This is a personal opinion, but I loved finding out about the woman who thought up Harry Potter and Hogwarts. We share in her imagination, but she was the creator. I think what kept me watching was not a nosy interest in J.K. Rowling’s life (which, incidentally, she likes to keep very private) but the little details thrown in there. At the beginning, where she was shown as small child, playing at being witches. The way she created stories so easily. Sitting in a cafe and imagining chess pieces move. Seeing platforms nine and ten at King’s Cross.

It’s the little things that can make a story. Writers tend to take inspiration from things around them, even if they change and adapt those things, using their imaginations. It was rather nice, watching that.

I suppose I’m writing this because I do feel like there is a magic behind her story. Perseverance and dedication make a writer, as well as letting the imagination run wild. Also, the way she was writing for pleasure – they always make the best books.

(If you would like to see the show, it is called Magic Beyond Words: The J.K. Rowling Story.)