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Page 3
CC: It's different with different books. The voice of Walker in Stotan! came before any plot, but the plot in Running Loose came before the character. It's easier when the plot comes first, but the story can't be told without having the main character's voice down pat, withthe other characters' voices soon to
come. I would say more often than not, I have the character's voice first. I had the plot of Sarah Byrnes before the characters, but couldn't write a word until I had Eric's voice down.
CC: Probably that if I wrote a page a day I'd have 365 pages at the end of a year. Sitting down to write a book can be daunting but if you think of it as a daily thing rather than looking too far down the road, it seems more do-able. Another good piece of advice came from John Irving on PBS when I heard him say, "I'm not much of a writer, but I'm a hell of a re-writer". He was saying don't worry so much about what you put down initially. The real creativity comes in going back and working over the material so it does what you want it to do. 5. SR: Knowing that Harper Lee's book, "To Kill A Mockingbird", had a profound effect on you as a reader and as a person, have you ever wondered why this was her only book? I realize this is a purely subjective question, but I am curious as to what you think. CC: I have wondered. There are all kinds of theories. I know if I'd written that book, I'd be hard pressed to better it. Maybe she just had one story, or maybe all her best stuff came together in the first book. I always felt that happened to Joseph Heller. I'd have hated to follow up Catch 22. I think some people are more naturally talented and they break into the business fully bloomed. That was not my case. 6. SR: Is writing a book a painful of pleasurable experience for you? Why? Both. It's painful in that it's hard to get started, and it's tough when I get in the middle of a story and can't find it's direction. The best feeling in the world is being hot in the middle of a story, though; so hot the story
The copyright of the article Meet Chris Crutcher: Super Author and Adolescent Advocate - Page 3 in Writing for Children is owned by Sue Reichard. Permission to republish Meet Chris Crutcher: Super Author and Adolescent Advocate - Page 3 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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