PRESS KIT
Short bio:
Pat McCaw writes books for children. She earned her MFA in Creative writing for children from Hamline University, and a Medical Degree from the University of Iowa.
Children are her passion, and she believes books can be therapeutic. Books provide an escape into the pages. Children can use imaginary stories to cope with anxiety, grief, first day of school jitters, and many other worries. Pat writes across all age groups! She writes middle grade and young adult novels, picture books, and adult novels. She would love to talk about the craft of writing or sit on the floor and read books to a room of children.
About { me }.
Welcome to my webpage! My journey to writing includes twists and turns but ends on a beautiful path.
Writing took backstage to science early in my career. I attended the University of Iowa and earned my medical degree. But the dream to write books wouldn’t stay quiet for long.
After 15+ years of practicing family medicine, I re-discovered my love of writing. During a chilly November in Iowa, I participated in NaNoWriMo and cranked out a middle grade fantasy novel in two weeks. I loved it!
I gradually modified my personal world to find a balance between practicing medicine and writing.Realizing my writing-skills needed refreshed, I went back to school (while still practicing medicine). I earned my Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University. An accomplishment that changed my life.
It’s never too late to start again.
I live in rural Iowa with my husband and two daughters. I enjoy fishing, kayaking, mushroom hunting, and my pets. Exploring nature is my happy place.
I am represented by Michelle Hauck at Storm Literary Agency.
{ I believe } picture books can be therapeutic.
Children struggle with stress, anxiety, identity issues, grief, and fear just like adults. As a physician, I see children present to the office with tummy aches, headaches, and illness when emotional turmoil festers inside. Picture books can help children to recognize their feelings and identify with a character with similar struggles. This helps kids to cope and persevere. Here’s a list of picture books that can help many different conditions (anxiety, grief, autism, etc.).
At Hamline University, I wrote: It’s a Scary World Out There: Crafting Picture Books to Help Anxiety and Fear (click here to read this extended critical essay). In this essay I provide examples of picture books that allow children to access their feeling through the eyes of a scared squirrel or a lost bear. When a child sees their stress mirrored on the page, it also shows them that they can cope and survive just like their favorite characters.
Stay tuned – there’s more to come!
About { me }.
Welcome to my webpage! My journey to writing includes twists and turns but ends on a beautiful path.
Writing took backstage to science early in my career. I attended the University of Iowa and earned my medical degree. But the dream to write books wouldn’t stay quiet for long.
After 15+ years of practicing family medicine, I re-discovered my love of writing. During a chilly November in Iowa, I participated in NaNoWriMo and cranked out a middle grade fantasy novel in two weeks. I loved it!
I gradually modified my personal world to find a balance between practicing medicine and writing.Realizing my writing-skills needed refreshed, I went back to school (while still practicing medicine). I earned my Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University. An accomplishment that changed my life.
It’s never too late to start again.
I live in rural Iowa with my husband and two daughters. I enjoy fishing, kayaking, mushroom hunting, and my pets. Exploring nature is my happy place.
I am represented by Michelle Hauck at Storm Literary Agency.
{ I believe } picture books can be therapeutic.
Children struggle with stress, anxiety, identity issues, grief, and fear just like adults. As a physician, I see children present to the office with tummy aches, headaches, and illness when emotional turmoil festers inside. Picture books can help children to recognize their feelings and identify with a character with similar struggles. This helps kids to cope and persevere. Here’s a list of picture books that can help many different conditions (anxiety, grief, autism, etc.).
At Hamline University, I wrote: It’s a Scary World Out There: Crafting Picture Books to Help Anxiety and Fear (click here to read this extended critical essay). In this essay I provide examples of picture books that allow children to access their feeling through the eyes of a scared squirrel or a lost bear. When a child sees their stress mirrored on the page, it also shows them that they can cope and survive just like their favorite characters.
Stay tuned – there’s more to come!
PRESS KIT
Short bio:
Pat McCaw writes books for children. She earned her MFA in Creative writing for children from Hamline University, and a Medical Degree from the University of Iowa.
Children are her passion, and she believes books can be therapeutic. Books provide an escape into the pages. Children can use imaginary stories to cope with anxiety, grief, first day of school jitters, and many other worries. Pat writes across all age groups! She writes middle grade and young adult novels, picture books, and adult novels. She would love to talk about the craft of writing or sit on the floor and read books to a room of children.