Harry Potter: Characters

Under some literary theories, characters, above all else, are the most important elements in a story.

They make for darn good marketing, too.

As I continue to read through Harry Potter critiques, I find increasingly more reviewers who praise the novels for their characters. With Ron, Hermoine, and of course Harry, J.K. Rowling's world of wizardry has captivated both the young and the young at heart - as a marketer, you can't ask for a better target audience.

"The Real Magic of Harry Potter", an article published in Time Magazine, gives the following critique of Rowling:

"She addresses children as though they know as much as or more than she does about the things that matter. Kids like the characters she has created, Harry above all, not because he is fantastic but because he is familiar. Rowling, they say, gets everything right, writes as though she knows what it is to be 13 years old and anxious or shocked at discovering what you can actually do if you try. Maybe she finds her way straight into the hearts of children because she never left in the first place."

On Scholastic's website, one young reviewer wrote of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, "I think this is the beginning of a beginning of a beautiful friendship." Another child said, "i thought it was aaaaaaasome."

If you can appeal to children through your characters, then you can also, in all likelihood, capture the attention of at least a few adults.