Play to your strengths. "I haven't got any," said Harry, before he could stop himself. "Excuse me," growled Moody, "you've got strengths if I say you've got them. Think now. What are you best at?

Although people rarely died playing Quid-ditch, referees had been known to vanish and turn up months later in the Sahara Desert.

If you are holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time.

I mean, you could claim that anything's real if the only basis for believing in it is that nobody's proved it doesn't exist!

In a novel you have to resist the urge to tell everything.

Always the innocent are the first victims. So it has been for ages past, so it is now.

Be ruthless about protecting writing days, do not cave in to endless requests to have essential and long overdue meetings on those days.

Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers.

Never be ashamed There's some who will hold it against you, but they are not worth bothering with.

A good first impression can work wonders.