Patrick Sangimino: Transitioning from journalism to fiction writing

Patrick Sangimino workd as a

Journalist-turned-author Patrick Sangimino

journalist for more than 40 years, writing for largenewspapers throughout California and the Midwest. He worked during the print journalism golden age and saw it slowly shift into the digital age. From beat reporter to award-winning columnist, Patrick wrote about some of the biggest sporting stories of all time, including eight seasons of the National Football League, World Series games, and local legends who made athletic history.

A self-described ink-in-the-veins writer, Patrick was not merely a journalist, he was a weaver of tales. His craft was motivated by a native curiosity, relentless doggedness in pursuit of fact, and the deeply human understanding that accompanied membership in the communities he served. His columns were read devotionally, acclaimed for their humor, pathos, and biting acuity.

Having retired in 2024, Patrick devoted himself to fiction. But whereas his columns were anchored firmly in the real world, so too is his fiction. Dogs Chase Cars is his first novel, but it feels like the accumulation of a lifetime of experience unvarnished, perceptive, sometimes self-aware, always uncompromisingly truthful. Patrick now spends his retirement doing what he’s always done best writing. Whether looking back or making up stories for the future, his pen still pursues meaning, memory, and perhaps a little bit of mischief. Patrick explores finding his voice as a journalist, using the gift of rhythm of writing, transitioning from journalism to fiction writing, and his views on generative AI.

Transitioning from journalism to fiction writing

OCW: What life experiences have shaped your writing style?

PS: As a print journalist for more than 40 years, my writing style improved and evolved with time. I think it took about 10 years of writing each day before I discovered my writing voice. Once discovered, it unlocked a lot of other gifts like the rhythm of writing, word usage, and the confidence to take chances in the written form. I don’t know that my writing style evolved from any one life experience as much as it did from my career choice and my passion for the written word.

A love of Steinbeck and Tom Wolfe

The cover of Dogs Chase Cars by Parick Sangminio

OCW: Which authors and/or types of books do you like to read?

PS: The best literature course I took in college was about the works of John Steinbeck. The course was taught by a Steinbeck historian who came to San Jose State University from Ohio University and was so passionate about his work, he drove Route 66—the trek made famous by the Joads in The Grapes of Wrath—on his journey to the Bay Area. Classes were sometimes held on Cannery Row in Monterey, where Steinbeck wrote Cannery Row and Tortilla Flat. I loved the way Steinbeck wrote about the plight of the American worker. I still love East of Eden, but my tastes in literature have evolved. My two favorite novels are The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe and The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn. My guilty pleasure is anything by John Grisham, especially his non-courtroom takes like Playing for Pizza, Calico Joe, Skipping Christmas, and Bleachers.

OCW: If you’ve been published, how did you find your first publisher?

PS: After months of searching for an agent, I chose to go through the self-publishing route. In a perfect world, an agent would have read my work and fallen in love with my book, but it didn’t happen. It’s a tough business, I’ve been told and learned. It bothers me that these agents are the gatekeepers to the publishing houses—the men and women who get to choose between what gets published and what goes stale in a writer’s desk drawer.

While the self-publishing route has its share of foibles, too, seeing my byline for the very first time on a book I authored was a surreal experience, something I will never forget. Seeing my mother react to a book with my name on it is something that made the expense worth the cost. Still, I’m hopeful there is an agent who saw the error of his or her way the first time around and won’t pass on me again. Hey, a guy can dream.

OCW: Do you see generative AI as a benefit or a threat to writers?

PS: Sadly, I see no benefit from something that will eventually render creativity nothing more than a waste of time. The artists—be their mediums paint and canvas, clay, or the written word—pour their collective heart and soul into their masterpieces, sometimes taking years to complete them. It sickens me that an AI-generated book can be written in mere minutes. The same can be said for paintings. Mere minutes. Where’s the art in that?

Get the writing on the page, edit later

OCW: Do you edit as you write, or write and edit later?

PS: When I am in writing mode, my book consumes me. I write for two hours in the morning and when I’m not writing, I find myself thinking about how to proceed, where my character might go next. I generally go for a walk or to the treadmill and upon returning, I edit the work I wrote that morning, often rewriting sections to make them tighter and more descriptive. It’s a process that works for me.