This book changed me and the way I think about reading, writing, and my relationship with the Divine. It's essentially a book of short quotes by L'Engle that discuss life lessons she's learned from her career as a writer and artist. I'll probably end up reading this once a year.

I loved this collection of Ms. L'Engle's speeches about writing and creativity. It's a perfect gift for writers, students, and teachers, as well as anyone who is a fan of Ms. L'Engle's work. Highly recommend.

Gems!

I liked it okay, but I didn't realize quite how short the selections were going to be (most were a page, occasionally two pages). It was kind of frustrating, because I'd feel like the excerpts ended just as an interesting point was about to be made.

Great insight into a great writing mind.

There is a little too much repetition in some of the entries, but overall this is a wonderful collection of wisdom from a wonderful writer.

Beautiful and thought-provoking...you could read just a page each day for a little inspiration before writing

Madeleine L'Engle has worldwide recognition as the author of A Wrinkle in Time. I've had some of her other fiction and non-fiction recommended to me, but I've been amiss in exploring more, even as some of those titles wait patiently on my bookshelves.

Madeleine L'Engle Herself: Reflections on a Writing Life is filled with hundreds of L'Engle's quotations grouped into ten different categories; she delves into "Creating Characters," "Inspiration and the Creative Process," "Elements of a Writer's Life," "Writing from Truth," and "The Wisdom of Children," for starters.

I entered unsure if I'd like this format compared to her essays and longer works. However, I'm not at all ashamed to admit that I highlighted this book extensively; Carole Chase compiled the quotations, pulling from speeches and writing workshops, in addition to L'Engle's published works. She found all the pertinent bits and put them together into one volume I marked up time and again.

L'Engle writes in a way that seems effortless and so much of it resonated with me, even in brief snippets. There are some overlaps and themes that emerge, but not enough to be a detraction. It's a beautiful work, one whose insight and connections surprised me. And, if you're like me, with young people offering frequent interruptions or perhaps if you yourself also suffer from periodic bouts of insomnia, I can confirm that this is the perfect sort of title to pick up, make progress on, and then set aside until your next opportunity.

A welcome addition was the Reader's Guide. While you would expect to find the discussion questions, the aspect I appreciated most was the inclusion of the writing prompts. The intentionally structured prompts are geared towards composing fiction, non-fiction, and poetry to allow individuals to focus on their specialty or stretch themselves, as they see fit.

The best compliment I can pay is that while this text was an enjoyable read in and of itself, it's creating a deeper longing in me to engage with L'Engle's other titles. It would be a suitable gift for the writer in your life needing encouragement or inspiration, or anyone who admires L'Engle's work.

(I received a digital ARC from Convergent Books and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

I loved it and gave it away. I may need to get it again.

As a published author and a longtime admirer of Madeleine L’Engle, this was an extraordinary read. It is well organized into several sections and each page has a paragraph of her wisdom on a particular topic related to the section. I particularly liked the sections on creating characters as well as where to begin when writing a story. This book is a wealth of wisdom, in digestible bits, from one of our most creative, grounded, spiritually-focused authors.

With gratitude to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved her ideas about and thoughts on writing. This is a book I will probably purchase.

This woman is simply inspiring when it comes to writing and storytelling.

This book has bite-sized clips of her writings, and probably quotes from things she said in writing seminars and conferences and classes.

Madeleine L'Engle is the type of writer that makes you compelled to sit and write, not just wallow in the details and procrastinations of pre-writing.