Article October 1, 2001 Issue

Speaking with children's writer Andrew Clements

with contributions from Andrew Clements

Andrew Clements, a former school teacher and editor, is the author of more than 50 children's books. His first major book success was the novel Frindle, the tale of a mischievous fifth grader who creates a new word for pen (frindle). It won Children's Choice awards in more than 20 states. In a Sentinel Radio interview, excerpted here, he discussed how he thinks and prays about the creative process. Mr. Clements lives in Westborough, Massachusetts, with his wife and family.

What would you say to a writer—or to anyone who has to come up with fresh ideas—and the ideas just aren't coming?

I'd talk about the nature of intelligence, the nature of creativity, the nature of man. Man—and that's a term that includes men and women—is actually an inexhaustible idea. Man has the ability to tap into all that truly exists. Creativity is just a function of reflecting the endless creativity of God. That's a wonderful thing to be able to reach for, grasp, and rely upon.

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