JK Rowling
Did you know that Rowling plays minesweeper? The original
quote from her site
appeared May 15, 2004.
"In the bad old days, when I wanted a
few minutes' break while writing, I used to light
up a cigarette. I gave up smoking in the year 2000 and now chew a lot of gum
instead
(hence the state of my desk). However, chewing a bit of gum does not give you an
excuse for a nice little brain-resting break, so instead I like to escape the
complexities
of the latest plot by playing a quick game of Minesweeper. Since giving up
smoking I
must boastfully inform you that I have become rather good and that my current
best time
for expert level is 101 seconds."
A few months later, early December 2004, there was an update:
"Just thought you might like to know
that my personal best for Expert Level Minesweeper
is now ninety nine seconds. This goes to show how much time I have been spending
at
this computer, typing 'The Half-Blood Prince'. To those who suggest that I might
get on
even faster if I stopped taking Minesweeper breaks, I shall turn a deaf ear.
It's either
Minesweeper or smoking, I can't write if I have to give up both."
This has led to some remarkably interesting newspaper
articles.
2004, June 23: The Scotsman reports Rowling has 101 seconds on expert.
2004, June 2?: The Daily Record claims Rowling is 6s from the World Top
100.
2004, June 23: ContactMusic.com claims Rowling is 6s from the World Top 100.
2004, June 24: The Scotsman claims Rowling is seconds from the World Top
100.
Rowling is not one of the best players in the world. To be
ranked, your three scores
must total 99 seconds. The articles confuse this with finishing expert. Sorry,
Rowling.
For your interest, the articles are quoted below.
1. The Scotsman, June 23/04:
Rowling's escape from sticky plots
HARRY Potter
author JK Rowling has revealed she became addicted to chewing gum
and playing computer games when she gave up smoking.
The Edinburgh author said she now plays the popular Minesweeper game, which is
installed on most personal computers, to take a break from writing since she
gave up
smoking four years ago.
Before discovering the joys of the game Ms Rowling would often light up when she
wanted
to give her brain a rest. But the author has found she has something of a talent
for
Minesweeper and claims she is now adept at the expert level.
On her personal website Ms Rowling, who is currently hard at work writing the
sixth Harry
Potter novel, says she no longer reaches for the fag packet.
She said: "In the bad old days when I wanted a few minutes’ break from writing I
used to
light up a cigarette.
"I gave up smoking in the year 2000 and now chew a lot of gum instead.
"However, chewing a bit of gum does not give you an excuse for a nice little
brain-resting
break, so instead I like to escape the complexities of the latest plot by
playing a quick
game of Minesweeper.
"Since giving up smoking I must boastfully inform you that I have become rather
good and
that my current best time for expert level is 101 seconds."
2. The Daily Record, June 2?/04:
HARRY
Potter creator JK Rowling is just six seconds away from joining another world
elite.
The 38-year-old millionaire has revealed she's a wizard at the computer game
Minesweeper.
When she gets stuck writing Harry's latest adventure, JK takes a break and goes
in search of
'mines' on her
computer.
To gain entrance into the globe's top 100, she must complete the three levels in
less than 95
seconds.
But despite her £430million personal fortune, she can't buy the success and
currently her best
time is 101 seconds.
Rowling, who has a luxury home in Edinburgh, a country estate in Perthshire and
a £4.5million
pad in London, took to computer games and chewing gum after ditching cigarettes.
Minesweeper is a worldwide craze and addicts have posted hundreds of websites
devoted to
the game.
Rowling makes her
revelation on her new website.
She writes: 'In the bad old days, when I wanted a few minutes break while
writing, I used to light
up a cigarette. I gave up smoking in the year 2000 and now chew a lot of gum
instead (hence the
state of my desk).
'But chewing gum does not give you an excuse for a nice little brain-resting
break.
'So instead, I like to escape the complexities of the latest plot by playing a
game of Minesweeper.
'Since giving up smoking, I must boastfully inform you that I have become rather
good and that my
current best time for expert level is 101 seconds.'
However, Rowling refuses to give any hints about the names or the plots of the
next Harry Potter
books she's working on.
3. ContactMusic.com, June 23/04:
Harry Potter author
JK Rowling likes to relax following a hard day's writing by
playing computer
game minesweeper - and she's so accomplished at it
she's seconds away from being in the game's top
100 world players.
The 38-year-old needs to complete the first three levels in under 95 seconds to
become a member of the
global
gaming
elite.
But her current best
time is 101 seconds, which is six seconds too long for the champion Minesweeper
title she so craves.
Rowling
says, "I now like to escape the complexities of the latest Harry Potter plot by
playing a quick
game of Minesweeper."
4. The Scotsman, June 24/04:
JK Rowling has rejected pleas from fans
in the United States to put an American character into her Harry
Potter stories.
The multi-millionaire author - said to have amassed a £430 million fortune -
said her stories were set in a
British school and she saw "no logical reason to insert foreigners". In an entry
on her new website,
www.jkrowling.com
which she set up to answer fans’ questions and correct false rumours about her
or
the Harry Potter tales, Rowling, 38, stated that if there was anyone who wanted
stories about American
wizards they were "free to write their own book".
The author also revealed that she stopped smoking by chewing gum and playing a
computer game instead.
She quit cigarettes four years ago and has now become so good at the Minesweeper
game that she is close
to being one of the world’s top 100 players on the internet.
In response to a question asking if she will put Americans or characters of
other nationalities into the books,
Rowling said: "I’m afraid the answer to this question is ‘no’, although you have
glimpsed Americans and
other nationalities at the Quidditch World Cup.
"The reason is obvious: I’m writing about Britain and a British school, and
there is no logical reason to
insert foreigners for the sake of it, because I’m sure they would feel
gratuitous.
Zin Craig, an American living in Edinburgh, congratulated Rowling for her
decision not to put an American
character in the book. "Good for her. I totally agree with her. I commend her
for not being in pressurised by
capitalism and dollars," she said.
Damien Moore
Mar 27/06