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Pat Alvarado writes engaging stories for children.
As a skilled children's author, she offers adventures that spark imagination.
Consider one of her books for a reading experience your kids won’t forget.
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PLANS
I cannot write this morning. I have no time for frivolous things. My list is way too long! I must Wash the dishes, Buy the paint, Get the groceries, Sort the laundry, Set the table, And wash the windowpane. I must Dust the furniture, Sweep the floor, Clean the attic, Clear the table, And check the sky for rain. Who has time for trivial things? I cannot write this morning. I'll put it on tomorrow's list. Today's is way too long! PVA 2026 January 02
pvapty
Jan 21 min read
13 Rules for the Would-Be Writer
Write at least 30 minutes every day, no matter what! Keep a flashlight, pen(cil) and paper by your bedside for nighttime ideas. Don't be afraid to revise your work. Nothing is sacred. Keep a log of your writing time on a sheet of paper to show how much you work. Keep a folder for each story. Save multiple versions of the same story. Study the market for the kind of writing that publishers want. Follow their guidelines. Enter contests. They're fun and challenging. Keep track o
pvapty
Dec 27, 20251 min read
The List
On my desk, I keep a daily list of things to do. At the top of a half-sheet of 8.5 x 11-inch paper, I write TTD, which means "things to do". It's a half-sheet because I don't want to waste paper, and of course, the paper has been used on the other side, a result of 12 years of Catholic school training. The nuns would be proud. The list keeps me focused and helps me to remember some essential and some non-essential things I should accomplish. Once I complete a task, I strike t
pvapty
Oct 22, 20251 min read
The Cost
The sun shone brightly with a heat markedly focused on the shore below. Bathers gathered near the edge of the dry sand and lathered...
pvapty
Sep 15, 20251 min read
Making Sense
Several years ago, I came across a quote from Uncle Frank Davis, a Pawnee Native American wise man. I quote him here: Life is like a...
pvapty
Aug 16, 20251 min read
Monkey See, Monkey Do!
Many people ask me why I write for children and not for adults. I used to say it was because I never grew up. But over the years, I've...
pvapty
Jul 21, 20252 min read
Talking to Myself
That is what writing is to me. I look at the world from inside my head, observe what's going on around me, near and far, and I write it...
pvapty
May 13, 20251 min read


Growing Pains
Hair has always been my nemesis. No matter the style, mine failed to resemble the gal on the back cover of Seventeen . I wanted a...
pvapty
Apr 10, 20252 min read
Etymology
Once I learned how to read and could understand plots and motivations in literature, I became interested in the study of the origin of...
pvapty
Mar 6, 20251 min read
Puzzled!
This thought just entered my head: We are part of a giant puzzle. Every one of us is a piece, and each has a spot that we can fill if we...
pvapty
Feb 8, 20251 min read
Remembering Elvis
I was ten. Music and song was always a part of our lives, from Daddy's limited repertoire, the few long-plays on the Victrola, radio and...
pvapty
Jan 8, 20251 min read


Chicken Little, a Nugget of Wisdom!
One of my favorite characters from my childhood is Chicken Little. For you Brits, it's Henny Penny. What a bird! If you are unfamiliar...
pvapty
Nov 19, 20241 min read
Distractions
Hmm, how many freckles do I have? The one on my arm looks pretty good. Ooh, that ink blot on the carpet has turned green. Looks like this...
pvapty
Oct 16, 20241 min read
Walk a Smile in My Shoes
Well, today my feet have stopped talking to me, and I think this time FOREVER! Yesterday, I overheard the following conversation from my...
pvapty
Oct 4, 20241 min read
My Favorite Spot
It's 5:30 p.m. - the sun hangs low in the sky. Breezes gently waft across the lawn. The dogs rest - one in the grass with forepaws...
pvapty
Sep 17, 20241 min read
IMPERFECT = I'm Perfect
Okay, so I'm not perfect! But perfection has always been part of my life. I like things neat and orderly, uncluttered. I like things to...
pvapty
Sep 6, 20241 min read
Cursed by a cursor
That little blinking line follows me everywhere I type. It won't let me rest! As soon as I get to the end of a sentence, there it is...
pvapty
Aug 9, 20241 min read
Color Choices
I CAN still remember Miss Claire Babin’s face way back when I was six and in the first grade. She was one of those important people in my...
pvapty
Jul 24, 20242 min read
Finding a Path
I have always wondered if I had a mission. I realize now, literally after years, that collecting experiences is probably what I was...
pvapty
Jun 13, 20242 min read


Dr. Mutt is Born
I was born in the year of the dog so there is a connection. Perhaps that is why I see eye-to-eye with canines. We think alike. We're...
pvapty
May 14, 20242 min read

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