Copyright © 2001 by Crosswicks, Ltd.
Foreword copyright © 2018 by Penguin Random House LLC
Reader’s Guide copyright © 2018 by Penguin Random House LLC
Chronology of Events and Publications copyright © 1998, 2001, 2018 by Carole F. Chase
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Convergent Books, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.
convergentbooks.com
CONVERGENT BOOKS is a registered trademark and its C colophon is a trademark of Penguin Random House LLC.
Originally published in hardcover and in slightly different form in the United States by Shaw Books, an imprint of WaterBrook, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, in 2001.
All excerpts from L’Engle’s books are used by permission of the publisher. Excerpts from audiotapes are used by permission. See Appendix I.
Carole F. Chase gratefully acknowledges the assistance of Charlotte Jones in updating and revising the chronology through 2001. Updates from 2001 through 2018 were added by Sarah Arthur.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 9781524759308
Ebook ISBN 9781524759315
Cover design by Jessie Sayward Bright
v5.3.2
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Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Foreword by Sarah Arthur
Introduction
Section I: Serving the Gift: Artists and Their Art
Giving Birth
An Incarnational Event
True Art
Art Names Us
Art Reflects Eternity
Artists Must Abandon Control
The Danger of Artists
The Arts Endure
No Work Is Too Small
Prepare for Sacrifice
Again and Again
Art Is a Gift of the Spirit
The Gift of Wholeness
Struggling Toward Meaning
We Are Required to Serve the Gift
Get Out of the Way
The Healing Power of Suffering
Wholeness Through Wounds
Free to Fail
Mary’s “Yes!”
Our Choices Help to Shape Our Stories
The Danger of Comparison
The Vulnerability of the Artist
Face the Direction of the Great Ones
Fascinating Questions
Being a Writer Means Writing
Artists Must Live by Trust
Great Literature
Believing with Childlike Wonder
Vocation Misunderstood
A Work of Art Is Work
Writing Is Collaborative
Section II: Co-Creators with God: Inspiration and the Creative Process
Creation Is God’s Province
God’s Artistry
God’s Time
Two Aspects of Power
The Creative Impulse
A Fruitful Vacation
“What If?”
My Books Know More Than I Do
Gifts from the Imagination
Death and Rebirth
The Act of Creating
Creativity Sets Us Free
Understanding as a Child
The Union of Mind and Heart
The Requirement of Faith
The Pearl of Great Price
From Chaos to Pattern
Walking in the Light
“Divine Madness”
Creativity Is Discovery
Take Breaks
The Art of Listening
Explanations Tangle Us
Section III: My Books Wrote Me: Elements of a Writer’s Life
Solitude Births a Storyteller
Bad Teachers
Childhood Journaling
Writing as Calling
Moving Outside of Ourselves
Typewriters
Searching for Answers
A Story Is Born
A Shaky Start
God’s Timing for a Wrinkle in Time
Science Fantasy
Detachment and Involvement
Considering Immortality
The Limits of Experience
Write It Down
Two Vocations
Women Writers Face Special Demands
Writers Must Eat, Too
Juggling Time
On Setting Goals
Honest Journals
Story Fodder
Put the Subconscious Mind to Work
Our Stories Change with Us
The Writer’s Life
Who We Are
Writing Stories Takes Courage
A Writer’s Responsibility
Tribute from an Astronaut
Justifying the Writing Life
Concentration and Burned Vegetables
Discouraging Moments
Writers Want to Be Published
Keeping Perspective
The Pain of Rejection
The Discovery of Vocation
Pain Fosters Stories
Private Journals
Writer’s Block and Bach
Criticism Stings
The Paradox of Success
A Wider Definition of Creativity
Answering Letters
Writing as Social Commentary
Publishing Homes
A Writer’s Vacation
Labels Limit
Making the Censors’ List
The Responsibility of the Gift
Section IV: Faith Foundations: Writing from Truth
All of Life Is Story
To Be Creative Is to Die to Self
The Art of Prayer
The Independence of the Gift-Giver
Good Art
Cosmos in Chaos
Contemplative Prayer
Let Go and Listen
The Power of Story
Nothing but the Whole Bible
Read the Bible as Story
Statement of Faith
The Great Myths Last
Biblical Truth
Bible Stories Inform Our Stories
Freedom to Grow
Finding Answers
God’s Guidance
Complete Dependence
The Artist’s Vocation
Story Is Revelatory
We Write Out of Our Faith
Circle of Blessing
My Books Write Me
Sources of Theological Insight
Chosen Theologians
The Power of God in Weakness
Theology in the Fantasies
The Theological Under Level of Story
Flickering Lights
Reflecting the Light
The Foundation of Our Stories
Section V: An Accepted Wonder: The Wisdom of Children
Children Love Story
Concentration
A Rich Vocabulary
The Capacities of Children
Creativity in Children
Children Are Better Believers
The Wonder of a Child’s Imagination
Honor the Intuition of Children
The Child Within Recognizes Truth
Nurture Vision and Imagination
Preparation for the Real World
Buried Treasure
The Unique Perspective of Our Child Selves
Human Characters
The Openness of Children
No Theory Is Too Hard for a Child
The Techniques of Fiction
Special Assignment
Writers Write for Themselves
No Subject in Itself Is Taboo
Be Honest with Children
Censorship
Children Deserve a Writer’s Best
Section VI: Finger Exercises: A Writer’s Technique and Style
Prepare for Inspiration
Eyes to See
Time to Write
Three Recommendations
Use It or Lose It
Write from Experience
Detachment
Objectivity Is Impossible
Don’t Think. Write.
Change Genres
Birthing a Title
Protecting Privacy
Writing Practices
Writing Is Writing
Dante’s Four Levels of Understanding
Three Narrator Roles
The First Sentence Whispers of the Resolution
Keep the Story Moving
Experiment in Point of View
A Sentence from the Psalms
Telling Mythic Stories
Writing Fantasy
Believable Stories
The Risk of Life
Questions with Answers
Structure Provides Freedom
Experimenting with Form
The Seductions of This World
Stories Reveal Their Creators
Let the Story Lead
Listen to the Book
Our Stories Reflect Our World
Unlearning
Listen to Your Written Words
Setting Time Limits
Release, Release, Release
The Importance of Editors and Editing
Goals and Limits
The House of Fiction
The Best Teachers
Skills of the Trade
The Inspiration of Great Works
Books Worth Reading
Section VII: The Empty Page: Getting Started
Cooking Up Stories
Begin with Awe
A Writer’s Ideas
Planet Making
Serendipities
Approaches to the Writing Task
The Importance of Discipline
Write Every Day
The Rhythm of Writing
Where the Story Begins
Those First Few Sentences
The Right Start
Inspiration Comes as We Write
Plots Change
Risking Failure
Don’t Waste Paper
Book Research
Finding Satisfaction
Section VIII: A Life of Their Own: Creating Characters
Responsibility for Characters
We All Need Heroes
The Willful Character
Getting Attached
Independent Characters
Manipulating Characters
Protagonists Are Choice Makers
Protagonists Are Icons
Human Complexity
Dis-Covering Characters
Characters Are Based in Reality
Our Characters Are Woven from Ourselves
Keeping Track of Characters
Mysterious Origins
Mysterious Departures
Finely Tuned Receivers
Our Characters Create Us
Section IX: Paints of the Writer’s Palette: Words and Symbols
Words and Silence
A Love Affair with Words
Ousia, Ananda, and Namasté
The Value of Words
Finding the Real Meaning
Words Can Hurt or Bless
Language Defines Us
We Think Because We Have Words
Dangerous Losses
Avoid Limiting Vocabulary
Word Meanings Then and Now
True Virtue
The Misuse of Words
Using Language Carefully
Translate with Care
The Destruction of Language
Writers Are Dangerous
Word Play
Language and Theology Change
Transforming Language
Avoid Making Idols of Words
Defining Icons
An Icon’s Symbolism
The Language of Poets
Windows to God
Icons Bear Reality
The Wonder of Stars
Section X: This I Know: Telling Our Story
The Perfect Vehicle of Truth
Madeleine L'Engle Herself Page 1
