'Write the book that wants to be written'

 

“A book comes and says, 'Write me.' My job is to try to serve it to the best of my ability, which is never good enough, but all I can do is listen to it, do what it tells me and collaborate.” – Madeleine L’Engle

A native of New York City, L’Engle was born this date in 1918 and wrote the Newbery Medal-winning A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels: A Wind in the Door, the National Book Award-winning A Swiftly Tilting Planet, Many Waters, and An Acceptable Time. 

She was a writer whose works reflected both her Christian faith and her strong interest in modern science – not a “usual” combination, but one that she had no issue with combining.  "Science and religion are not at odds with each other," she said.  "They can be and should be complimentary."

Although she wrote her first story at age 5, she didn’t write A Wrinkle In Time – her first novel – until age 42.  The book was voted by  Library Journal readers as the Number 2 children’s 

book of all time (behind Charlotte’s Web).   Rejected more than 30 times before its acceptance Wrinkle opened the writing floodgates for her and ultimately she authored dozens of books for children and adults.  She died in 2007. 

 

  “You have to write the book that wants to be written,” she said. “And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you simply write it for children.”