The Kids at St. Pat's

Andy, my niece, wasn't the only middle-grade student to help with my manuscript. Way back at the time I was writing the very first draft, I workshopped my chapters with the middle-grade kids at St. Patrick School in Parnell, Michigan.

Some of you might wonder where Parnell, Michigan is. It's the intersection of Parnell Avenue and Five Mile Road in Kent County, Michigan consisting of St. Patrick Church and its magnificent steeple, St. Patrick School, the St. Patrick cemetery, and a little convenience store. Back in its prime when it was being settled by many Irish families, it was considerably more lively even boasting of its own post office. The church is the oldest one in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Check out this link for more information: http://www.migenweb.net/kent/churches/catholic/stpatsparnell/history.html.

When I workshopped the chapters of my draft there, we met on Friday afternoons. I'd read my chapters aloud and then would ask questions about particular scenes that were giving me trouble. The students would ask their own questions and would bluntly provide their comments. All of it was extremely helpful. I had a great time, probably an even better time than the kids did. I would leave full of ideas, feeling re-energized for writing the next chapter.

What's cool about these kids who are now in college is that I still hear about them. Some of them are fans of my book on Facebook. Their families still live in the area. I hope that they are happy and well.