A New Interview

Yesterday, we got a new interview from The Cursed Trio of J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany. I know we are in the middle of analyzing the text, but I feel this has an important role in the overall analysis, since our insight into their collaboration has been limited to scant interviews and tweets. Many of the questions that fans have attempted to answer about how well they may have worked together, and to whom the credit (or blame) was due, were based on speculation. A lot of this I've covered and expanded upon, but there was always this lingering question in my mind about the inner workings of the writing process and this interview is enlightening.

We know that JKR has worked primarily on her own for all these years. The books were told from her creative mind and no one else's. The films gave her an opportunity to collaborate with others, but they were always based on her books. Cursed Child was the first time that JKR shared responsibility and worked in a team to alter course away from telling a prequel and toward a new target of developing the 8th story.

Although we've discussed how working in a committee of minds can unintentionally create an atrocity, I had not fully considered the impact of team dynamics on the development of the play. This interview revealed how important that truly was.

Team Challenge

One of the things I despised about school as a teenager was when the teacher would make us work in pairs, or teams of three. Somehow, I always wound up with people who were nothing like me, for a number of reasons. I always wished to be partnered up with my friends and felt like it was done intentionally to stop us from talking or being distracted from completing the assignment. Now, I understand as an adult how important team dynamics are in achieving a goal. For a truly modern example of this, you can look at the television show Project Runway. Particularly the episodes when the fashion designers are divided up into teams.

There, we observe how different voices, opinions, styles, and personal aspirations are meant to meld together in order to create something cohesive. And many times, almost without fail, the teams who are combative, who cry, bicker, challenge, and fight over minor details, are the ones who succeed. While the ones who work best together, the ones who seem to just agree on everything and find a perfect groove, wind up losing.

And, from a distance, that makes sense, right? It's sort of obvious. If you are forced to defend your work, or tear it up and start over, it puts you in the right mindset; one that reminds you that good things come with difficulty. Of course, when we are watching the show, engaged with these creative individuals, we would always prefer the latter. Who doesn't want a smooth work environment, where it seems like everyone is on the same wavelength, in-synch and positive - - that concept of functioning like a "well-oiled machine"? But in the real world, none of that matters. No one actually cares about how you achieved your result, they just want the end product to be successful.

Here, Have A Cookie

This was apparent to me in design school, where we learned the benefits of constantly challenging one another to deliver the finest project - - WHICH IS NOT EASY! Our natural instinct is to want someone to pat us on the back, say 'good job', and give us a cookie. And we want to extend this courtesy to others. But what is the goal? Is it to achieve the best possible outcome, or is it to simply finish a job? And that is where I think this interview really gives us a glimpse into their work life and why it could have perhaps been a negative environment for J.K. Rowling. She surrounded herself with people who weren't willing to stand up against her, or fight.

Struggle Equals Success

I've mentioned my wife before now. She has always supported my dream to be a novelist because she has a deep belief in my abilities as a storyteller. And while she is my biggest fan, she is also my staunchest critic. I cannot count the number of times when I handed her a completed chapter or discussed the concept of a new story where she didn't hear me out and say, "I like it, but..."

Often this is followed by a critique, or a strongly-worded series of disparaging statements. I'll be honest, there have been many times when we straight up fought, where she told me that ideas needed to be cut, or that I was missing a character who was desperately needed for the story to feel cohesive. We've debated for hours, rehashing and relitigating, but I will tell you this...no matter how frustrating it could be in that moment, where she has said, "I know all you want to hear from me is that I like it, and it's great, but...", I always return to her opinion first, because I am fully aware of the fact that the process of working through an idea requires a teammate who won't pull any punches. That creating something of value is meant to be difficult. And I am always pleased with the result. I would not be the writer I am today without her and the struggle of creation we went through. And, as someone who has witnessed the birth of two children with the same woman, I can attest that the best things in life come with passion, patience, time, and teeth-clenching struggle.

Pass The Blame

That is not what we get in this interview. Instead, we see the light-hearted interaction between three creative people who absolutely loved working together. Who have no regrets. Who are aware that, although J.K. Rowling's name on their product equals automatic success, they are unwilling to admit that there were mistakes pointed out to them by the Potterheads. Rather, they blame the disappointment on the fans... because fans will always find something wrong.

And I think I've already proven this sentiment incorrect in the WTF section, which is far from over. I can say that there are a LOT more issues that I have left to reveal, a few of which are staggeringly incorrect. Things that will make you say, "How in the world did they not see this, and how are they not currently racing to alter the script before Broadway?!"

The Unforeseen Verdict

This interview, which I'll be sharing next, reads like the moments after the reveal on Project Runway, when the teams are standing before the judges. When one team, before they discover they are the losing team, is beaming with identical smiles, going on and on about how well they worked together and how smooth the typically stressful few days had been. And then the bad news hits, and their faces droop because the verdict is so difficult to believe. How could anything be less than perfect if the creation of that thing was a breeze?

It seems like common sense, doesn't it? If there is no one there to challenge you, how will you ever better yourself? If there is no one there to splash cold water on you, then your state of heightened optimism, bordering on arrogance, perpetuates. And not only that, it translates to actions.

No, we don't need to research that. No, we don't need to question his knowledge of canon. No need to worry, the fans will get over it. No, that doesn't sound like pandering. Etcetera. Etcetera.

Make It Work

A go-to phrase by Tim Gunn, the mentor/host of Project Runway, has been inexorably linked to the show: "Make it work." It means, although you find yourself in a difficult situation, where you are uncomfortable and stressing out, without sleep or proper nourishment, you need to make this project work, regardless. And fans of Project Runway love this statement because it defines what they enjoy about the show. It's in the awe we have for what can be created under harsh conditions.

This brings us to the crux of their issue. The Cursed Trio never had to "make it work". If the story they wanted to tell was too big for the stage, well...they can just make it two plays! What's to stop us! They were comfortable. Always. They were in a position where they could do no wrong. J.K. Rowling has had too much time in the lap of luxury that she has forgotten what it means to truly struggle. To debate whether or not to quit that job, and to accept that she cannot afford childcare and that she has to wake up at four o'clock in the morning in order to get any writing done. Did Jo need to find two "yes men" in whom to entrust the 8th story of Harry Potter? No, she should have chosen a writing partner with whom she wouldn't enjoy working with, because they'd be constantly questioning her ideas and push her back to that time when she had to fight for what she wanted in life.

Success Without Progress

There are not many cases in history when guaranteed success on a grand scale is so easily handed to something or someone. In the partial broadcast of the interview, the three of them are nervous and self-deprecating in that perfectly British sort of way, but apparently, there was never a need. Even writing a play riddled with mistakes, that is nearly universally scorned by the fanbase, still led to it becoming an international blockbuster.

JKR has made it clear that she had rejected ideas for taking Harry to the stage many times, even rejecting the likes of Michael Jackson, when what I think she wanted most of all was to feel comfortable. She wanted something that would make her feel good, to be uncomplicated and unproblematic. But this shouldn't have been about her. It was about Harry. About finishing his story for good. About advancing Harry Potter toward that final bow.

But in the creation of Cursed Child, JKR forgot a simple rule: Without struggle, there can be no progress.