SnitchSeeker.com - J.K. Rowling confesses more Comoran Strike books planned than Harry Potter saga, more

A few highlights from J.K. Rowling's chat at the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival Friday evening, where she discussed her Comoran Strike series (including the first installments, The Cuckoo's Calling and The Silkworm), were released on Twitter from those lucky fans who got to attend.

Rowling mentioned that she actually has more Strike books in mind than her seven-part Harry Potter saga, and that she's nearly done with the third and already has a fourth book planned out.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The (very beautiful) stage is set for <a href="https://twitter.com/Robertgalbraith">@Robertgalbraith</a> - it shouts 'major event'. <a href="https://twitter.com/TheakstonsCrime">@TheakstonsCrime</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TOPCRIME2014?src=hash">#TOPCRIME2014</a> <a href="http://t.co/MNPafnvLaF">pic.twitter.com/MNPafnvLaF</a></p>— The Crime Vault (@TheCrimeVault) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheCrimeVault/statuses/490201874034069504">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>'The Harry Potter series is 6 whodunnits and 1 whytheydunnit in disguise' - why JK Rowling chose to write crime. Awesome! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TOPCRIME2014?src=hash">#TOPCRIME2014</a></p>— Vicki Watson (@vixadelic) <a href="https://twitter.com/vixadelic/statuses/490205299949977600">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Rowling explored disability through Strike as wanted to show the less shiny Paralympics side of disability, the everyday. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TOPCRIME2014?src=hash">#TOPCRIME2014</a></p>— Vicki Watson (@vixadelic) <a href="https://twitter.com/vixadelic/statuses/490208093142540288">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Apparently MORE than seven Robert Galbraith Cormorant Strike books to come! *everyone applauds* <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TOPCRIME2014?src=hash">#TOPCRIME2014</a></p>— Vicki Watson (@vixadelic) <a href="https://twitter.com/vixadelic/statuses/490208897073164288">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>JK Rowling tells <a href="https://twitter.com/valmcdermid">@valmcdermid</a> she's planning more Cormorant Strike books than there were Harry Potters <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TOPCRIME2014?src=hash">#TOPCRIME2014</a> <a href="http://t.co/SelAT36UNz">pic.twitter.com/SelAT36UNz</a></p>— Colin Paterson (@ColinGPaterson) <a href="https://twitter.com/ColinGPaterson/statuses/490209763486347264">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Rowling loves a colour coded spreadsheet to keep an eye on all the plot strands for her Cormoran Strike novels. Good girl. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TOPCRIME2014?src=hash">#TOPCRIME2014</a></p>— Vicki Watson (@vixadelic) <a href="https://twitter.com/vixadelic/statuses/490209900719788032">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>JK Rowling thinks Robin Ellacott is the most loveable character she's ever written, including everyone in Harry Potter! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TOPCRIME2014?src=hash">#TOPCRIME2014</a></p>— Vicki Watson (@vixadelic) <a href="https://twitter.com/vixadelic/statuses/490212935890132992">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>JK Rowling is halfway through the third <a href="https://twitter.com/Robertgalbraith">@Robertgalbraith</a> novel and has the fourth planned out <a href="https://twitter.com/TheakstonsCrime">@TheakstonsCrime</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TOPCRIME2014?src=hash">#TOPCRIME2014</a></p>— The Crime Vault (@TheCrimeVault) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheCrimeVault/statuses/490218476800593920">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The third Comoran Strike <a href="https://twitter.com/Robertgalbraith">@Robertgalbraith</a> novel will be centred around the experience of returning soldiers <a href="https://twitter.com/TheakstonsCrime">@TheakstonsCrime</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TOPCRIME2014?src=hash">#TOPCRIME2014</a></p>— The Crime Vault (@TheCrimeVault) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheCrimeVault/statuses/490219129555914752">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Jo said if she hadn't been a writer she'd have liked to do psychology... Yet another reason to love her <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/psychbants?src=hash">#psychbants</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TOPCRIME2014?src=hash">#TOPCRIME2014</a></p>— Rach (@rachhiee_) <a href="https://twitter.com/rachhiee_/statuses/490219472704516096">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Very very excited to have got my book signed by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JKRowling?src=hash">#JKRowling</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/TheakstonsCrime">@TheakstonsCrime</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TOPCRIME2014?src=hash">#TOPCRIME2014</a> <a href="http://t.co/uW8mfnfecy">pic.twitter.com/uW8mfnfecy</a></p>— Nicola Johnston (@Nicola_Johnston) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nicola_Johnston/statuses/490226711670579200">July 18, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Quote:

"I love writing these books. One of the things I love about this genre is that - unlike Harry [the Harry Potter series] where there is an overarching story, here you are talking about discrete stories. So as long as your detective lives you can give him cases."

The third novel, which she is a third of the way through, will be "quite different" - "You find out quite a bit more about what happens to people after they leave the military," she said, adding that she had had "a lot of information" on the subject from people who prefer to remain anonymous.

Meanwhile she "loved" the character of Robin, she revealed. "I think Robin is the most entirely loveable character I've ever written. A good person but likeable - a smart woman, a kind and loyal person."

The author said it was a "no brainer" for her to write crime novels, describing the Harry Potter novels as "six whodunits and one whydunit" - and admitting her "dirty secret" - that she never reads fantasy.

On the subject of why she had chosen a pseudonymn and first published The Cuckoo's Calling with no clue as to her true identity, Rowling said: "I wanted to prove to myself I could get a book published on the merits of the book. A friend said, 'Why do you need that validation?' You probably have to be a writer to understand it... I wanted something that was just for me. While it lasted it was a lot of fun." She revealed that she was "jumping up and squeaking for joy" when McDermid's very favourable review of the book was published, and that she even wrote a thank-you letter to McDermid in the person of Robert Galbraith.