Teaching writing with Harry Potter: New book by Pittsboro author is guide

"Teaching Harry Potter to Creative Writers" a teacher's guide which uses the techniques of how J.K. Rowling hid her clues and developed her stories to help students become better writers

Posted 12:56 a.m. Nov 16, 2016 — Updated 12:56 a.m. Nov 16, 2016

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

All eyes - as far as Harry Potter fans are concerned - are on the weekend release of J.K. Rowling's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

To celebrate the new movie - and the world of Harry Potter - local author and Potter expert S.P. Sipal also is releasing her new book, written with Garner High School teacher Dalton Perkinson, called "Teaching Harry Potter to Creative Writers." The book analyzes Rowling's mysteries and writing techniques.

The two will give a seminar and sign books at 4 p.m., Friday, at Stones Education and Toys, 210 Hampton Woods Lane, Raleigh.

I wrote about Sipal earlier this year. The Pittsboro mom is best known for her analysis of the myths and secrets of the Harry Potter series through her blog at HarryPotterforWriters.com. She is an author, editor, and international speaker who has presented workshops on the Harry Potter phenomenon for a dozen years. She even got to speak at a fan and academic conference in London on the eve of the release of the last Harry Potter book.

Sipal teamed up with Perkinson to develop a teacher’s guide which uses the techniques of how Rowling hid her clues and developed her stories to help students become better writers, according to a press release. The two hope the book also will prepare readers and movie goers to sleuth all over again when Fantastic Beasts opens Friday.

This should be a fascinating discussion for Harry Potter fans - and those who teach them!

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