Lina Patton – The Lake Club

A spirited read about the sort of people who spend summer days sitting poolside and playing golf, versus ambitious young adults starting their lives and wanting to right all the wrongs they know of even as they make their own mistakes. Competing goals among a troika of main characters, mysteries, wrongs to be set right—all within a tight-knit community in the land of 10,000 lakes.

Lina Patton is a writer, illustrator, and teacher. She is a native of Maine who spent her teen years in Minnesota. She earned her BA from Elon University and her MFA from George Mason University. Her writing has appeared in Elle, The Cut, Narrative, and Driftwood Press, among other publications. She and her husband lived abroad for seven years and currently live in Washington, DC. The Lake Club is her first novel.

Hosted by William Miller

• Lina Patton discusses how her debut novel The Lake Club evolved from a single character's perspective into a layered story about class, power, ambition, and belonging.
• The conversation explores the realities behind wealth and privilege in exclusive communities and how fiction can reveal hidden social dynamics.
• Patton explains how mystery, romance, and character-driven storytelling work together to create narrative tension.
• A fascinating discussion on writing craft, including lessons learned from acclaimed author and teacher Alan Cheuse at George Mason University.
• The episode examines how character motivation drives plot and why understanding what characters truly want is essential to compelling fiction.
• Patton shares how real-life experiences in Minnesota country clubs, advertising, and international living informed the novel's setting and characters.
• Insights into the difference between literary and commercial fiction—and why great storytelling can successfully blend both.

"Writing is an act of empathy. Reading is an act of empathy."

"When you're young, you think if you just put the puzzle pieces into place, you'll become the version of yourself you want to be." - Lina Patton

Find out more about Lina and purchase your own copy of The Lake Club on her website.

#LinaPatton

#TheLakeClub

#AuthorInterview

#BookPodcast

#LiteraryFiction

---

This entire episode is also available for viewing on our YouTube channel.

---

Recorded & Produced by Jon D PodCom

Be sure to check out our website for more information about our hosts, guests, and ways you can support the show: UpstartCrow.org

Follow us on Facebook here.

Thank you for listening to Upstart Crow, a part of Watershed Lit Radio.

© 2026 Upstart Crow Podcast – All Rights Reserved