Name: Pat Goldys
Author
Genre: Children's Books Publishing type: Self
Latest book: If Grandma Were President
I wonder how many of us started writing or decided it was time to pursue getting our work published in the midst of the pandemic. I have been writing for a long time, but it wasn’t until this past year I decided to move forward with writing and accomplishing the dream of holding my own book in my hand.
I interviewed Pat Goldys who wrote an astonishing 15 books during the pandemic. She was an educator for 39+ years as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal, but she started her writing career at 64 years old. Even after 15 books, she still has many more ideas for future children’s books.
Read our interview below as we discuss writing books during the pandemic.
JFG: What got you started writing during the pandemic?
Pat: I have always wanted to write books. I thought I would write educational books about teaching strategies because I was a teacher and principal for many years.
But when the pandemic came, grandparents were told to stay at home. I couldn’t see my granddaughter, Mila! So sad and scary. I started telling Mila stories that started to blossom in my mind. The stories were written on my phone. Then these stories were made into children’s books once I found some great illustrators. It was such a joyful and invigorating process and I was productive and fulfilled.
The quarantine brought boredom and writing books brought enjoyment.
JFG: Had you ever written a book prior?
Pat: I wrote all the time, journaling, letters, and poems for special occasions. When I was a principal, the teachers and I would collaborate on learning manuals, presentations, and even wrote a chapter book about restorative practices that never got published.
JFG: What were some of the inspirations to your stories?
Pat: The quarantine, stay at home, and isolation actually gave me the time to write and write and write. My creative juices were flowing and I dove right in the deep end and learned the process of authoring a children’s book! To date, I wrote 15 books.
Mila, my granddaughter, inspired me to write about things she liked such as mermaids, fairies, birthday parties, and playing with grandma. I decided to have Grandma as a character in as many books as I could.
I expressed my ideas about current issues in my books as they were happening—the quarantine, racial unrest, jobs needed, first female vice president, community, and unity—in kid-friendly, relatable stories.
I wanted to develop stories about places where kids could visit during the quarantine so I wrote Zootiful Art, Park Prints and BFF Forever, Best Farm Friends to encourage outside adventures as a family.
I love storytelling and chose some real experiences to help children learn some valuable life lessons.
My son and I saved a dying baby dolphin which became Goldy: A Dolphin Rescue.
My friend had 3 sons like me and the middle son has Down Syndrome. The Three Brothers’ Discovery is about the normalcy of their lives, as well as the special strengths the middle son brought to the family.
I co-authored a book with a high school friend about a Signing Grandma, which incorporated sign language in the story for kids and parents to learn. We decided this will now be a series of signing stories.
I welcome and look for inspiration all around me, hoping to find meaningful topics that kids would be interested in reading.
JFG: How has the pandemic changed the way you get your books out into the world?
Pat: My goal was to read my books in schools, libraries, and book stores. Well, that couldn’t happen. So, I went in another direction and did virtual readings, Facebook lives, reading on a tractor outside on a farm, and taping video book writing lessons for teachers to use in their remote teaching.
I went to farmers’ markets, artisan fairs, and small boutiques to expose the world to my books. It was tough and still is tough marketing the books. Social media helps but it is a challenge building an emailing list of interested readers. I continue to learn about the book writing and publishing process through webinars, online sessions, and how-to books, as well as joining groups on social media that bond writers together to learn from each other, author to author.
JFG: Now that things are slowly going back to normal, will you continue writing?
Pat: I will never stop writing. It is in my heart and soul. It is now a part of who I am.
Find Pat on social media:
Instagram: @authorpatgoldys
Facebook: @authorpatgoldys
Twitter: @authorpatgoldys
Buy her books on Amazon.
