Sharon Creech's Blog, page 16

Endings

(see last post for the 'before' pic)
After all the messafter all the rippingand shreddingand wonderingand worryand planningand more ripping and shredding
ta da!
The ending:so smoothso seamlessso satisfyingand pleasing
you have to sit backand marvel.
Well:ideally.
xx

Middles

Sometimes you have to rip outbig chunksof the story
in order tofixlumpy, bumpy bits.
(Meanwhile, this is what our driveway looks like today.)

Beginnings

Until you turn on the faucetthe bowl is empty
Until you read the first linethe story is empty
Here is a first line I like:
On a continent of many songs, in a country shaped like the arm of a tall guitarrista, the rain drummed down on the town of Temuco.
--from The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan
Do you have a favorite first line?

The Great Unexpected

Some people fear the unexpected
but
sometimes
the unexpected
can be
great.
For some time, I've been wondering if we adults are passing along too many of our own post-911 fears to children, making them too wary of the unexpected, diminishing much of the joy in childhood.
That was one of the seeds for this book . . . 

Trees

Trees appear in most of my booksfrom the 'singing tree' in Walk Two Moonsto the blackbird treesin The Great Unexpected
My characters, like me,climb themhide in themhug themkiss themswing from themleap from themandon one occasion(do you know which book?)chop one down(sorry)
Ilovetrees
Tall onesshort onesskinny onesfat onesyoung and oldgreen and yellowflowery and plain
Love those trees!

From every writing corner or roomI've ever worked inat least one treehas stood outside my window.
Last week in MaineI entered the most beautiful gallery showing:Joyce Tenneson'sTrees and the Alchemy of Light
Mixed media pieces:photographs transformed with gold leaf

About thirty in allat the Dowling-Walsh Gallery*in Rockland, Maine
*Although the show has ended, some pieces remain in the gallery;you can also learn more about Joyce Tenneson here 

Camden Harbor

Camden Harbor, Maine
Who owns these boats?Who travels on them?Families, friends?Where do they go?How did they learn to sail?
Each boat has so many storiesand if you are curious about themyou might be a writer.
Mm?

Maine Refills

Sometimes you need to tilt your head backand breathe in clean airand seeblue skyand touchclear water.
I'm in Mainebeamingall of thistoall of you.
xx

My Father's Garden

We're coming to the endof the peas and beans:they ripened earlyin a grand fanfareso perfectly perfectcrisp and sweet.
My father liked to garden:our yard was lush with peonies and rosescorn, tomatoes, beans, peas and cucumbers.
He liked to lean down and smell a yellow roseon his way to weed the rowsHe liked to lift a tomato to his noseand smell its warm ripeness.
My small garden honors himjust as the homemade pasta sauceI ladle into my mother's bowl honors her.
Is there something you make or dothat owes its origins to your parents?
xx

Creech Week

We're winding down fromCreech Weekhere at the lake
an annual 'normal chaos' gatheringof family
smaller in number of people this yearbut more dog guests.
We laughed a very lot.
xx

Names (and Fan Mail, continued)

Amid this latest batch of mail arehandmade postcards:on one side a scene from one of my booksand on the back a note to me.
Love these glimpses into the head of a readerto see what he or she sees.
In this mail pileare hundreds of signatures:the expected Sarahs and Mikes and Davidsand Kates and Johns and Jills and Abbys
With spelling variations:Natalie, Natalee, NataleyRachel, Rachael, Raychil,Kaitlin, Kaitlyn, Caitlin, Katelyn
And these more rare, but beautiful names: Alaina, Alondra, Amiya, Angelica, Abraham, Ameer, Ariel, Aristan, Arda, Alaura, Alouette, Ariana, Aejah,Brooklyn, Chaun, Camden, Cole, Caleb, Delia, Della, Delaney, Devron, Emmanuel, Eunice, Eva, Estefania, Gabriella, Gianni, Hadia, Haley, Hunter, Isela, Izzy,Jade, Jayden, Jazzmyn, Jerred, Jesse, Joman, Jevarius,  Kara, Kadamma, Kazuma, Kaleb, Karlee, Kei, Keani, Khyrea, Kira, Kori,Leighton, Lariah, Lily, Mei, Maximillian, Marika, Mallory, Morgan, Mackenzie, Macalistair,Nellie, Nile, Nora, Oshen, Olivia, Paris, Peyton, Paige,Rainey, Roya, Radhika, Rose, Reeve, Rahul, Rocene,Sydney, Sofia, Sierra, Sami, Shayna, Shareka, Serena, Sidalie, Trinity, Tristan, Tatem, TateUziel, Vega, Veronica, Whitney, Xavier, Yzsabella,and Zizy.
I've long been intrigued by the ways in whichwe are shaped byor perceived byour namesandcannot move forward with the writing of a storywithout names.
I've already chosen two from the abovefor a future book.Those names will not only shapethe characterbut also suggestthe plot.
So if you're ever stuckin beginning a storytry choosing two random namesand let them(the characters with those names)go at it.
xx