Get to know Cat…

Cat Patrick’s first novel, Forgotten, sold in more than 20 countries; won first prize at the Worcestershire Teen Book Awards in the UK; and was an Indie Next Pick. She wrote the VOYA-starred Revived, and also The Originals, which earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly and was dubbed “provocative” by Kirkus. Up next is Just Like Fate (August 2013), which she wrote with Suzanne Young (A Need So Beautiful, The Program). For more info, check out her website!

Let the conversation begin!

Do you have a specific writing style?

Does mentally vomiting onto the page count as a writing style? 

What do you think you do best in your writing? Bragging is encouraged.

I hope that I do two things well: write relationships and write real. Otherwise, I’m done. (Just kidding.) 

What books have most influenced your life?

Fahrenheit 451 made me feel like writing “strange” was not just okay, but welcomed. I loved and still love that book. 

Name one entity that supported your writing journey outside of family members.

My creative writing teacher my senior year in high school reminded me how much writing was a part of me.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Oh sure…that’s why I probably won’t read it again.

What initially inspired you to pursue a career in writing?

I wrote from the age of seven or eight so I don’t think it was a conscious choice…it was just something I did.

If I gave you a brick, what would you do with it?

Stand on it. I’m average height but I’d like to be taller. 

What do you do when you see a spider in your house?

Really? I freak out a little, then kill it. Does that make me a bad person? 

Do you believe in UFOs?

Totally. I’ve been abducted several times. 

What is one quality that you really appreciate in a person?

The ability to make me laugh. 

What is the most distinguishing landmark in your city?

In my small town of Snoqualmie: the falls. In the metro area of Seattle: Space Needle. In my hometown of Cheyenne, Wyoming: the gleaming dome of the capitol building. 

What is your earliest childhood memory?

Staring at myself in the mirror when I had chicken pox, thinking, “I’m spotted!” 

What is your favorite board game?

Catch Phrase. 

What food item would you remove from the market altogether?

None. I don’t like some foods, but someone likes those foods, so I wouldn’t deny them. 

Would you rather be trapped in an elevator or stuck in traffic?

Elevator! I don’t like small spaces but perhaps I’d meet an interesting person: At least you can talk to other humans in an elevator. 

What inspired you to write your first book?

Temporary, post-baby, mama-brain induced stupidity.