Christine Brodien-Jones is the author of “The Glass Puzzle.” The following is a complete transcript of her interview with Cracking the Cover.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Yes, always! Writing has been a life-long passion, ever since I wrote about a dragon at age seven. I grew up reading time-travel novels, fairy tales and comic books and I wrote stories for fun—often scary ones. In fourth grade my class put on my play “The House by the Edge of the Woods” and later I wrote for school newspapers. At Emerson College in Boston I studied under Dr. James Randall, head of the Creative Writing Department. He was the first of several wonderful mentors.
Why do you write for young people?
I write for middle-grade readers because I remember so vividly when I was that age—climbing trees, reading under the covers with a flashlight, getting teased at school. I remember, too, the excitement of reading books, the way they transported me to far-off worlds. So I write the kinds of books I loved reading at that age.
Where do your ideas come from? Specifically your idea for “The Glass Puzzle“?
Ideas fly into my head from everywhere, sparked by poetry, books, films, travel, dreams, people met by chance, stray thoughts, newspaper articles, overheard conversations, eccentric characters, strange weather, dusty old books, myths, legends, landscapes, artwork. I love dreaming stuff up.