In Memoriam

Madeleine L'Engle passed away Thursday. She was 88 years old. I confess I have only read one of her books, A Wrinkle in Time, published in 1962. Yet it has left good impressions on me. When I married I found the trilogy in my wife's collection and I've thought of reading Wrinkle again along with its sequels. I've not gotten to it yet, but now being reminded of such a great writer, I may have to take the time to remember my childhood.


I read online today that Wrinkle was rejected repeatedly before finding a publisher. That may sound astonishing for a book that has done so well, but as a writer, I know it's actually quite common. Most writers have such a story. As Jim Butcher says, the trick to getting published is to outlast your competition. Even JK Rowling was rejected by just about every publisher in England. But persistence pays off. So much more so for L'Engle. She has written over 60 books, most featuring children as the main characters. But she did not like to be called a children's author.

And I understand her completely. The book I have written would probably be classed as a children's or YA story, but I didn't write it that way. I just tried to tell the best story I could with the characters that I created and fell in love with. I didn't target an audience. I think you'll disappoint that audience if you do. As L'Engle said: "In my dreams, I never have an age. I never write for any age group in mind. ... When you underestimate your audience, you're cutting yourself off from your best work."

So, lesson learned from L'Engle? Just write. Write what you like and don't underestimate your audience.