The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech Page B
Authors: Sharon Creech
adulterino . . . you remember what it was like to be my age, right?>
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Extraremarkable adjective : an extraordinary event. Used to describe any person, place, or thing that is beyond the typical.
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Mashmish noun : a muddled mess. Refers to anyone or anything that is unappealing, messy, or a failed mix of many things.
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Suprisement noun : an unexpected event. Can be good or bad, depending on the situation.
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Incredilish adjective : incredible, amazing. An event, person, place, or thing that is above and beyond âexcitingâ or âwonderful.â
A Q&A Session with Sharon Creech
What sparked your imagination for THE UNFINISHED ANGEL ?
Iâd been trying to write a book about an angel ever since 2003, when my then two-year-old granddaughter told her first story: âOnce upon a time in Spain there was an angel, and the angel was me. The end.â I loved that and wanted to know more about that angel, but I couldnât âcatchâ the voice or the story until nearly five years later when I went to Switzerland for the year with my husband. We were staying on the campus of the TASIS school in Montagnola (also the setting for BLOOMABILITY ), and one of the most prominent features of the campus is a tall, old stone tower attached to a villa. As soon as I saw that tower, I knew it was where the angel would live.
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View from the angelâs tower
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The angelâs tower
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The âchicken shadâ where the orphans are first found
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You have written both novels and picture books. How does the writing process differ for each genre?
A picture book feels more like a poem, in which one clear image is rendered in the fewest, purest words. It is not easy to write a memorable picture book. The images that come to me are more often suited to the larger canvas of the novel, where there is more room for parallels and contrasts and complications. I like to roam.
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What challenges do you face in your writing process? How do you overcome them?
The challenges change and evolve. Right now, the biggest challenge is being able to clear the decks and make time for the extended work a novel requires. I like to be immersed in the story and to be free of obligationsâno company, no events, no travel, no cooking, no cleaning! My head needs to fill up with the book, and when it does, there is little room for anything else. Fortunately, my friends and family know there are times when I need to be in the world of the book, and they let me go there.
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How did your experiences as a high school teacher impact your writing career?
I learned more about story and about people during those teaching years than I did in all my previous years of formal education. I saw what interested readers and what did not, and I learned how alike we all areâwhether from Japan or Germany or Spain or America or China or Russiaâand also how unique each individual truly is.
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How do you decide on themes for your books?
When I was in school I hated that word âthemeââI didnât understand it. My impression of the theme of a given book was never what the teacher said it was, nor would it fit into a compact phrase. If the writer did not say, âThis is my theme,â then how could there be one ârightâ theme?
I never think about theme. To me, books are about people and places, and a story is the following of a group of people in a particular time and place. Iâm not able to say
Â
Extraremarkable adjective : an extraordinary event. Used to describe any person, place, or thing that is beyond the typical.
Â
Mashmish noun : a muddled mess. Refers to anyone or anything that is unappealing, messy, or a failed mix of many things.
Â
Suprisement noun : an unexpected event. Can be good or bad, depending on the situation.
Â
Incredilish adjective : incredible, amazing. An event, person, place, or thing that is above and beyond âexcitingâ or âwonderful.â
A Q&A Session with Sharon Creech
What sparked your imagination for THE UNFINISHED ANGEL ?
Iâd been trying to write a book about an angel ever since 2003, when my then two-year-old granddaughter told her first story: âOnce upon a time in Spain there was an angel, and the angel was me. The end.â I loved that and wanted to know more about that angel, but I couldnât âcatchâ the voice or the story until nearly five years later when I went to Switzerland for the year with my husband. We were staying on the campus of the TASIS school in Montagnola (also the setting for BLOOMABILITY ), and one of the most prominent features of the campus is a tall, old stone tower attached to a villa. As soon as I saw that tower, I knew it was where the angel would live.
Â
View from the angelâs tower
Â
The angelâs tower
Â
The âchicken shadâ where the orphans are first found
Â
You have written both novels and picture books. How does the writing process differ for each genre?
A picture book feels more like a poem, in which one clear image is rendered in the fewest, purest words. It is not easy to write a memorable picture book. The images that come to me are more often suited to the larger canvas of the novel, where there is more room for parallels and contrasts and complications. I like to roam.
Â
What challenges do you face in your writing process? How do you overcome them?
The challenges change and evolve. Right now, the biggest challenge is being able to clear the decks and make time for the extended work a novel requires. I like to be immersed in the story and to be free of obligationsâno company, no events, no travel, no cooking, no cleaning! My head needs to fill up with the book, and when it does, there is little room for anything else. Fortunately, my friends and family know there are times when I need to be in the world of the book, and they let me go there.
Â
How did your experiences as a high school teacher impact your writing career?
I learned more about story and about people during those teaching years than I did in all my previous years of formal education. I saw what interested readers and what did not, and I learned how alike we all areâwhether from Japan or Germany or Spain or America or China or Russiaâand also how unique each individual truly is.
Â
How do you decide on themes for your books?
When I was in school I hated that word âthemeââI didnât understand it. My impression of the theme of a given book was never what the teacher said it was, nor would it fit into a compact phrase. If the writer did not say, âThis is my theme,â then how could there be one ârightâ theme?
I never think about theme. To me, books are about people and places, and a story is the following of a group of people in a particular time and place. Iâm not able to say
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