Harper Collins Children's

MEMBER SIGN-IN | SIGN ME UP

PRINT THIS PAGE

EMAIL THIS PAGE

Ella Enchanted began in a marvelous writing course at New York City's The New School. I had to write something and couldn't think of a plot, so I decided to write a Cinderella story because it already had a plot! Then, when I thought about Cinderella's character, I realized that she was too much of a goody-two-shoes for me, and I would hate her before I finished ten pages. That's when I came up with the curse: She's only good because she has to be, and she's in constant rebellion.

As a child I loved fairy tales because the story, the what-comes-next, is paramount. As an adult I'm fascinated by their logic and illogic. Ella's magic book gave me the chance to answer a question that always plagued me about The Shoemaker and the Elves: Why did the elves abandon the shoemaker? I came up with one answer, but many are possible — and I think the real solution goes to the heart of gratitude and recognition, an example of the depth in fairy tales.

	Purchase Ella Enchanted

	Ella Enchanted Reading Guide