18/04/2019 14 Lessons from James Patterson’s Masterclass – The Writing Cooperative

14 Lessons from James Patterson’s

Masterclass
Diana Wink Follow
Jul 12, 2017 · 9 min read

James Patterson’s palms are sweating.

It’s the Edgar award ceremony of 1977, the most prestigious awards in
the genre.

The winner of the ‘best first mystery’ is about to be announced.

Patterson knows who is going to win. But up until his name resounds,
he cannot believe it.

He walks up the stage with hesitant steps, and as he finally holds the
award for a book that has been prior rejected by 31 publishers, he says:
“I guess I’m a writer now.”

James Patterson is an author whose books have sold more than 300
million copies. The first author to sell 1 million e-books, write 114 New

https://writingcooperative.com/14-lessons-from-james-pattersons-masterclass-48f9b11344e1 1/11
18/04/2019 14 Lessons from James Patterson’s Masterclass – The Writing Cooperative

York Times bestselling novels and hold The New York Times record for
most #1 New York Times bestsellers by a single author, a total of 67,
which is also a Guinness World Record.

But he also had to face rejection and insecurity.

I took James Patterson’s Masterclass and summed it up to 14 valuable

lessons authors can learn from his knowledge of the craft and his
method of writing.

In the videos, James came across as a grounded person.

Straightforward, warm. Family always comes first for him, the
relationships at home have priority. The positive change has to start
with your house, he argues. His proudest accomplishment yet is his son.

“I find things that I like, and I do them.” — James

Patterson

There is one thing he knows: How to write a bestseller.

1. There are no new ideas

Essentially, completely new story writing ideas are rare or non-existent.

What we perceive as new ideas are new connections between different

ideas that we have at some point seen or heard.

This means that instead, our mind combines knowledge that nobody
had combined before.

Take the film “Alien”. You know how it was pitched? As “Jaws in space”.

This means, the author had a certain love for “Jaws” or monster movies
in general and some knowledge of spaceships and decided: why not
combine it?

This is why Patterson argues: you need to increase your knowledge. If

you have never seen certain movies, documentaries, read books on
different ideas. Use travelling as a writer to places and learned of their
history — how will you be able to combine lots of interesting topics into
a new one?

Creativity originates when we learn about lots and lots of new things.
We need to “have a big universe of stimulation”.

https://writingcooperative.com/14-lessons-from-james-pattersons-masterclass-48f9b11344e1 2/11
18/04/2019 14 Lessons from James Patterson’s Masterclass – The Writing Cooperative

The more you know, the more you are likely to combine things into new
ideas that are striking.

Story writing ideas: 5 hacks to beat the blank

page forever - Story Artist

The lies we tell ourselves every day are deep-

seated. Thank you, society. Myths and…
storyartist.me

2. Everything needs to be in the outline

Before James Patterson sets out to write the first draft, he writes a very
detailed and plotted outline.

Everything has to be in it: the character arcs, the villain, the set-ups and
payoffs. He writes and rewrites his outline until he is happy with it.

Only then does he begin to write the actual book. In fact, Patterson
considers the outline to be the book already. He aims for people to read
it and say: What a terrific story! It should have tons of promise. The
reader should go: I can’t wait to read the scenes! And you, the writer,
will go: I can’t wait to write these chapters!

This makes the first draft a whole less daunting. You only face the blank
page once — before outlining. Which is not very scary.

So for James Patterson, the outline is what makes the book. On the
other hand, he states that during the course of the first draft and
editing, it never stays the same with his books. Still, you should be able
to read the outline and go: I get this book!

3. Freight train through the first draft

The next step for Patterson: sprint through the first draft.

Allow yourself to write badly, do not review or rewrite. As hard as it

may be: Shut down the inner critic.

Also, give yourself permission to write TBD (to be done) on those

scenes that frustrate you and you just can’t seem to get through. Skip
them! Don’t torture yourself.

https://writingcooperative.com/14-lessons-from-james-pattersons-masterclass-48f9b11344e1 3/11
18/04/2019 14 Lessons from James Patterson’s Masterclass – The Writing Cooperative

With some scenes, Patterson has TBD on them for several drafts until
he finally gets them and is ready to write them out.

4. Just tell the damn story

Such a simple and powerful weapon: Just tell the damn story.

Don’t think about the sentences. Actually, don’t even write sentences.
Write a story.

Writers often tend to get obsessed with language, pace, style. But the
story puts all of it in perspective. Tell your story, and the rest will follow
suit if you do it right.

Keep writing as though it was a movie in your head. Scene after scene
after scene.

5. Try to write every chapter as if it was

the first
The first chapters always get a lot of attention. Which is not wrong,
because they decide whether the readers abandon our book.

But James Patterson urges to write every chapter as if it was the first
one.

Give every chapter value. Put a lot of attention into it. Make it count.

Don’t write a chapter that doesn’t propel the story. Everything you
write has to move the story forward. Delete everything that readers
would skip.

James Patterson encourages writers to not just set out to write a good
story but set out to write a number 1 story.

Another interesting hack: If you’re smart, make the reader a woman.

Women buy 70% of Patterson’s books.

6. Put notes to yourself all the time

Patterson always writes notes to himself.

Not just negative notes and critique. He writes helpful notes, those that
encourage and motivate, things he liked about his writing, scenes that
he nailed.

https://writingcooperative.com/14-lessons-from-james-pattersons-masterclass-48f9b11344e1 4/11
18/04/2019 14 Lessons from James Patterson’s Masterclass – The Writing Cooperative

But also those moments that need to be done in particular scenes,

things that need to be changed and rewritten, added or deleted.

7. Learn to concentrate
Focus.

You need to learn how to focus in every situation, on every occasion.

This way, you will be a productive writer. You can use your focus skills
to write in every situation, and use the time given to you: in airplanes,
trains, busy cafés.

You need to be able to concentrate on your writing. In a world where

distraction is waiting on every corner, this is a skill we need to practice.

Concentration is essential in order to get into your story. You cannot

write and watch a movie at the same time. Instead, you need to get into
the scene, be aware of the character, and get into the flow of writing.

8. Write complex characters

When you write characters, you need to evoke feelings. Make the
readers feel. You need to get the emotional part of the character right,
make the readers like them, love them, and this will get you over the
bumps in the specific story details that sometimes might be inaccurate.

Put yourself into the situation. You need to BE in that scene:

How do your characters see the world? You need to capture the
complexity of the moments, their thoughts, their doubts.

Never make your characters flat or predictable. Show other sides of

them. Make them round. A boxer might be ruthless when in the ring,
but how is he when his daughter hugs him good night?

For the readers to never forget your characters, you need to create an
intimate relationship. Make them know your characters, from the
inside out.

Villains need to be clever and surprising. If the reader goes: “I didn’t see
that coming.”, then it’s a good thing.

https://writingcooperative.com/14-lessons-from-james-pattersons-masterclass-48f9b11344e1 5/11
18/04/2019 14 Lessons from James Patterson’s Masterclass – The Writing Cooperative

9. Everything you write should me moving

the story and the sense of the character
forward
Whatever your write in your story, dialogue, descriptions, action, it
needs to move your story forward.

Every chapter should move the characterization and the story towards
the climax, because your writing is about story. If it isn’t, cut it out.

10. Have a movie projector in your head

YYou need to see, smell and be in the scene. Like a movie projector that
you turn on every time you write. See it in front of your inner eye.

This is where the POV also comes in handy. Think about which POV
would make the scene most interesting? What’s the best POV? What
will make it come alive the best?

Use the senses to make the scene vibrant. Use sound. Also, always
know what you want to happen emotionally in your scene or chapter.

11. Know your genre and what’s out there

to avoid it
Writers should be readers.

Especially if you write genre, you need to know it. Not to imitate
though. But to avoid it. To avoid writing something that’s already out
there. To avoid repeating the mistakes others have made.

Instead, introduce something fresh and new, something that has not
been written yet.

12. Give away your secret in pieces

Set up your story with questions that the reader MUST have answered.
He just has to know.

But never make the outcome predictable! If your reader can predict it,
he will feel disappointed, mocked.
Write in twists. Always stay open and try out things in your outline,
things you wouldn’t have thought of in the beginning.

https://writingcooperative.com/14-lessons-from-james-pattersons-masterclass-48f9b11344e1 6/11
18/04/2019 14 Lessons from James Patterson’s Masterclass – The Writing Cooperative

Keep thinking the unthinkable. Think about it, maybe don’t write it just
now. But then once in a while, allow it.

Give the notion: Don’t assume anyone is safe. Everyone can be the
target.

13. It’s a cat & mouse game

The ending has to be properly set up. Hints need to be placed
everywhere. It should be an “aha” moment. But never give away hints
that make the readers see the ending coming. Mislead them.
Be really aware of what you’re doing and how it affects the reader.

This is a cat & mouse game: Imagine sitting opposite your reader and
not wanting them to get up before the ending. You have to be a better
player than they are. You have to outwit them.

For the ending: Write down everything that could possibly happen.
Then pick the most outrageous one of them that makes sense. The most
outrageous one will be the best.

14. Everything communicates

After your first draft, you should delete everything that is not on point.
Even if you like it. Especially your dialogue will need an edit.

Break the edit down into parts and try to conquer one part at a time.
Otherwise, it’s too overwhelming.

https://writingcooperative.com/14-lessons-from-james-pattersons-masterclass-48f9b11344e1 7/11
18/04/2019 14 Lessons from James Patterson’s Masterclass – The Writing Cooperative

While editing, don’t allow yourself to think that you’re making mistakes
because you have to keep fixing things. That’s how it works. And it’s
good that you polish your writing.

Everything you write communicates to the reader.

Descriptions. Words. They will make a mental note and wait for a
payoff. They’ll think that you included it for a reason.

You are the god of your universe, and the reader tries to make sense of
that universe — so you better give it meaning.

You and the reader

I love this picture of me and the reader sitting in a room, playing the cat
& mouse game. Of me trying to outwit him, to hook him, mislead and
wow him.

It puts novel writing into a whole new perspective: with the reader in
mind. This notion forces me to also think about my ideal reader. For
some, it may be a child, for others a woman, a teenager, or a mystery
fan.

With James Patterson, novel writing suddenly becomes more than just
self-expression. In fact, it seems that he always has the reader in mind
when writing. Might this be the secret to writing bestsellers?

In our distraction-filled world, it’s a challenge to hold the reader’s

attention for several hundred pages. And whilst there are things we
cannot control — a call, children coming home, water boiling — the
challenge is to make our novels flow in a distraction-free way (no
logical gaps, confusions, misconceptions), always pushing those
questions that the reader just must have answered.

Do you want to write a page turner and take your writing to the next
level? Learn how to train your “inner movie projector” every time you
watch movies or TV.

https://writingcooperative.com/14-lessons-from-james-pattersons-masterclass-48f9b11344e1 8/11
18/04/2019 14 Lessons from James Patterson’s Masterclass – The Writing Cooperative

http://storyartist.me/projector/

PS. You can take Patterson’s class here. What I would mostly
recommend though is reading through several of his novels first,
starting with Honeymoon.

. . .

ProWritingAid is a powerful suite of over 20 di erent writing and editing

tools. Copy your draft into their online editor and check grammar,
sentence ow, overused words, and more. Try it for free!

O cial Sponsor of The Writing Cooperative

https://writingcooperative.com/14-lessons-from-james-pattersons-masterclass-48f9b11344e1 9/11
18/04/2019 14 Lessons from James Patterson’s Masterclass – The Writing Cooperative

https://writingcooperative.com/14-lessons-from-james-pattersons-masterclass-48f9b11344e1 10/11
18/04/2019 14 Lessons from James Patterson’s Masterclass – The Writing Cooperative

https://writingcooperative.com/14-lessons-from-james-pattersons-masterclass-48f9b11344e1 11/11