by Pat McCaw | Feb 6, 2020 | book review, environment, Pat's Chat, Uncategorized, Writing tips
When a child reads a novel, they want to be entertained and swept away into familiar worlds or magical places. I used to be a kid … long, long ago. As a fourth grader, I craved mystery and detective stories. I voraciously read Nancy Drew mysteries and Stephen...
by Pat McCaw | Nov 3, 2019 | Pat's Chat, picture books, Uncategorized, Writing tips
Writing a picture book is hard. Very hard. The sweet books you read to your children are poured over by their author with scrutiny for every word on the page. When I’m told, “I’ve always wanted to write a picture book – I have so many ideas!” That is fantastic! But...
by Pat McCaw | Aug 30, 2019 | parenting, Pat's Chat, Time management, Writing tips
Soooooo, I haven’t posted for a while! My bad. The summer swallowed me up and writing got pushed aside. When it comes to priorities, family wins every time. My teenage daughters hung out all summer, and they still don’t mind spending time with their...
by Pat McCaw | May 18, 2019 | Pat's Chat, Uncategorized, Writing tips
Lessons from Highlights. Sometimes it takes a journey to find the heart of your story. After a week at the Highlights Foundation Workshop on Writing the Unreal, I am energized and ready to create. Amazing mentors and new friends with similar aspirations...
by Pat McCaw | Jan 24, 2019 | book review, multiple pov, Pat's Chat, Writing tips
I discovered two new favorite Young Adult (YA) novels – SADIE, by Courtney Summers, and SAWKILL GIRLS, by Claire Legrand. Each book held my attention and kept me reading to find answers and solve the mysteries buried in the pages. These novels share a common format...
by Pat McCaw | Sep 15, 2018 | Pat's Chat, Writing tips
Dialogue fills our world as we chat with family and friends. Often we recognize excitement, sorrow, or frustration in the spoken words or the tone of a voice. Dialogue plays an essential role in giving depth to writing. “Yo, dude, snag me a Butterbeer while...
