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Meet Pat McCarthy, Children's Author and ICL Writing Instructor

© Sue Reichard

Pat McCarthy's versatility as a writer is reflected in the many different types of writing she has published. Her work for children includes nature, biography, and how-to articles, short stories, and puzzles. It has appeared in many children's magazines, including Cricket, Highlights for Children, Children's Digest, and Pockets. Her photographs have accompanied many of her articles. Pat has written five biographies for Enslow.

Pat's first book, Daniel Boone: Frontier Legend, was published by Enslow Publishers in January, 2000. It is a young adult biography in the Enslow series, Historical American Biographies. Her biography of Thomas Paine was published late in 2000. She has also written biographies of Abigail Adams, Henry Ford and most recently a biography of Henry David Thoreau. Pat also has written five historical books that will be published in the future. Ms. McCarthy is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and attends SCBWI conferences.

1.SR: How did you go from the classroom to writing?

PM: I waited till I had thirty years in so I could retire. I was only 49,because I had started teaching when I was 19 and they were desperate for teachers. I had two years of college and finished up in summer school and night classes. Three years before I retired, I decided I wanted to write and do photography when I retired, so I started going to workshops and taking classes. Went to Chautauqua four years in a row.

2.SR: When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

PM: When I was about eight.

3.SR: What drew you to write biographies?

PM: I wanted to write one about Annie Oakley, who was born and died in the county where I live. I still haven't sold it, but when I sent my query to Enslow, the editor wrote back and told me they had just assigned an Annie book, but said to call if I was interested in other topics. I did, and the rest is history.

4.SR: How did you break into the writing market?

PM: I just started sending out stories and articles, to both children's magazines and magazines for adults. As soon as I started submitting consistently, I started selling.

5.SR: What would you like your readers to know about your books? They are true biographies, with no fictionalization. They don't have any made-up conversation. Every quote is documented, as is everything that tells how the person felt or what he/she thought. Also anything I didn't find in at least three sources.

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