by Pat McCaw | Nov 1, 2017 | Pat's Chat
Anyone can write a book. I firmly believe this. That doesn’t mean that it will be a grand novel or best-seller right out of the gate, but a novel crafted by your own hard work is a huge accomplishment. November 1st launches National Novel Writing Month –...
by Pat McCaw | Oct 17, 2017 | Pat's Chat, Writing tips
It was another fantastic SCBWI-Iowa conference in Cedar Rapids this past weekend and my fingers can’t keep up with the ideas that are spewing from my brain! So many great talks and helpful advice, and I will share the topics of FIRST PAGES and the valuable...
by Pat McCaw | Oct 10, 2017 | Pat's Chat, Uncategorized
Heart thumping into my ears. A fullness in my throat – is someone choking me? The sweat pools and my deodorant surely can’t keep up with this river of emotion. Do I swear, cry, scream, or run away to the countryside? I just want to put on my flannel pants and curl up...
by Pat McCaw | Oct 4, 2017 | book review, Pat's Chat
I am typically not a fan of contemporary, realistic fiction because I prefer to read about fantastic worlds for an escape from my own, but author E. Lockhart always delivers. Two YA novels I recommend because they sucked me in with the suspense, the unknown, and...
by Pat McCaw | Sep 24, 2017 | Pat's Chat, Uncategorized
Writing assignment: “Choose a painting, and then make up a story about the scene taking place in it.” It was your average morning. Chester complained that his eggs were too runny, the bacon was not crispy enough, and that the lack of rain causing the corn crop...
by Pat McCaw | Sep 17, 2017 | Pat's Chat, picture books
Writing a picture book is NOT easy. It’s complicated, challenging, and requires the precise combination of words to tell a story with a story arc containing conflict with a resolution in exactly 32 pages. Sounds easy, right? Everyone seems to think so....
