James Patterson on writing: Plotting, research, and first drafts | Big Think

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Күн бұрын

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@ChessMasteryOfficial
@ChessMasteryOfficial 6 жыл бұрын
*It is never too late to be what you might have been.*
@dirtyjew1974
@dirtyjew1974 6 жыл бұрын
I needed to hear that. Happy to see your comment.
@epbrown01
@epbrown01 6 жыл бұрын
It can be so hard to let go of research. I once spent a week researching the area a character starts out in - the weather, the types of architecture, the history, types of businesses. I must have written about 20 pages of notes on what his house was like. Then I moved him somewhere else.
@weakamna
@weakamna 6 жыл бұрын
A thing to consider with this is how much of the "nature" of what you researched was thrown away? A lot of what you write defines the character indirectly. That is a consideration as well, sometimes I notice only after extensive research that the current setting/character/theme is not working out the way I want to, and have to change it. I think my main point is that when you find yourself getting stuck in research, try to understand why, cause there might be a good reason behind it, but your extending your research-time too much by meandering instead of focusing on the specific problem/reason you do reasearch
@epbrown01
@epbrown01 6 жыл бұрын
Well, that was 30 years ago, so experience has taught me to avoid those reseaarch rabbit holes. I call it the Heresford Effect, after the scene in "Ronin." (You don't need to know the color of the boathouse at Heresford if your audience doesn't know either). I think Patterson's comment on grammar, spelling, and other fundamentals is good advice. Reading self-published novels on Amazon, you encounter many writers with good ideas and stories who let them down with poor fundamentals.
@aaronying4989
@aaronying4989 Жыл бұрын
Yea sometimes the research can take over!! I know I felt this. I got sort of overwhelmed and too focused by it. But then realized I had to move on with the story. And story is more important.
@jacemachine
@jacemachine 6 жыл бұрын
Amazing. I have worked in a Bookstore for over 5 years, and the only books James Patterson published are ones that other authors pay him to put his name on them. Go to any James Patterson section of a bookstore. The majority of James patterson titles are not written by James Patterson. Old James is not a prolific author anymore. At least Stephen King still writes his own books all by himself. I'll leave this section from Wikipedia right here: "Patterson has been criticized for co-authoring many of his books and for being more of a brand that focuses on making money than an artist who focuses on his craft." Easy to confirm with a walk into your local bookstore. I USED to love his Alex Cross novels.
@epbrown01
@epbrown01 6 жыл бұрын
@Xattack21: The best literature has *always* been collaborative. Read the dedication or author's notes sometime.
@apani4015
@apani4015 4 жыл бұрын
You had me until "... from Wikipedia" - the most stuffed full of self-cited garbage-pedia 🤪
@StateofFerg
@StateofFerg 6 жыл бұрын
I've gotten to the outline point for many books. I've only gotten to a first draft for one.
@khristoferyan
@khristoferyan 6 жыл бұрын
Well don't stop, keep going.
@zendavis3501
@zendavis3501 6 жыл бұрын
All you have to do is study David Foster Wallace, The author of Infinite Jest. Also study Ernest Hemingway and his good friend F. Scott Fitzgerald.
@Alexi7666
@Alexi7666 6 жыл бұрын
Throw is Steinbeck, too.
@tajikprofessor5102
@tajikprofessor5102 6 жыл бұрын
Thank you!
@HealingNatureMeditation
@HealingNatureMeditation 6 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much!🙏💜🙏🕉
@zackmitchell2138
@zackmitchell2138 4 жыл бұрын
There’s a reason he’s constantly talking about the outlines of his books- because that’s all he writes for them! He doesn’t actually write any of his books aside from Alex Cross- he writes the outlines for them and he then proceeds to send them to other authors who turn out drafts under his “editorial supervision”. In other words, he doesn’t actually write the books himself. That’s why he cranks out 30 books a year. I don’t care how talented you are or how hard working you are- you cannot write 30 books a year all by yourself. James Patterson isn’t an author; he’s a brand name.
@paulflaks8826
@paulflaks8826 2 жыл бұрын
A brand name worth $750 mil
@johngoogle8635
@johngoogle8635 2 жыл бұрын
i'm hearing you, his job is to develop the brand, so he's the "book manager" really, its the future of writing i think, he's not the only one to do this, clancy, cussler, wilbur smith even, especially now they are dead their brand lives on, and new writers get to write "their style" and sales are helped by the brand name attached
@DavidTinxLall1978
@DavidTinxLall1978 6 жыл бұрын
🖋 Fantastic 😀
@TopTenTenets
@TopTenTenets 6 жыл бұрын
Pretty Informative Video! Thx a lot
@TheSeventhStoic
@TheSeventhStoic 6 жыл бұрын
I have a bad habit of taking writing advice from writers who I think are terrible.
@CosmicTurbo949
@CosmicTurbo949 6 жыл бұрын
I don't know whether it's true or not, but I heard a long time ago that Patterson uses ghost writers.
@javierlopez8723
@javierlopez8723 6 жыл бұрын
Probably
@adamfrederick9643
@adamfrederick9643 6 жыл бұрын
"I admire his success but he can't write for shit." Stephen King on James Patterson
@epbrown01
@epbrown01 6 жыл бұрын
I'm not a fan of Patterson's writing, but I agree with him about outlining. And Stephen King - great characters, decent writing, but King's best work is his shorter stuff because the lack of structure turns it into a rambling mess after about 400 pages. (Yeah, I'm still bitter about my slog thru "The Stand.") That guy should do outlines.
@basicinsight7214
@basicinsight7214 6 жыл бұрын
James might not be a good writer but he knows how to be one.
@Schmidtelpunkt
@Schmidtelpunkt 6 жыл бұрын
@@epbrown01 Indeed... sometimes King has those great ideas and he just does not manage to bring them home. After watching IT I reread the book and realized how much the movie did improve on some parts, mainly those where King just threw in another monster, while the movie tried to stick to a central idea of fear.
@Alexi7666
@Alexi7666 6 жыл бұрын
Love that Stephen King. A true genius, though he needs awful long-winded and self-absorbed at times. Patterson could only hope to sit at Stephen King's feet some day learn from a real pro.
@toddwheatley-dr-know3964
@toddwheatley-dr-know3964 5 жыл бұрын
Effective communication is an essential skill for success. Therefore a link to this video and keywords have been added to the DR-KNOW website by IQ-2k Information Services
@soyoltoi
@soyoltoi 6 жыл бұрын
0:53
@andrewwilcock5056
@andrewwilcock5056 6 жыл бұрын
No author could humanly turn out the number of manuscripts this man does? Well, he doesn't! Anyone in the biz knows he gets other authors work tweaks the manuscript then slaps his name on it. I'd love to know how long it takes him to write and edit a 95,000 word novel. His comments stand about research etc,. But the rest, sorry, he has a team working for him and just ploughs it out to make money.
@Schmidtelpunkt
@Schmidtelpunkt 6 жыл бұрын
And most likely each of them still gets paid more than when slapping their own name on the book.
@Alexi7666
@Alexi7666 6 жыл бұрын
Patterson's dialogue is stilted. His characters all from the same mold. I've tried reading his tripe( I flipped my way through "Target" in one day). There's just no fresh info in his work. Just grandiose plots that he has no idea how to flesh out.
@LeonidasGGG
@LeonidasGGG 6 жыл бұрын
If it was that easy, everyone would do it.
@dirtyjew1974
@dirtyjew1974 6 жыл бұрын
Maybe its just that easy for him.
@EJ-bn3tc
@EJ-bn3tc 6 жыл бұрын
Patterson is one of the most disingenuous writers ever. He doesn’t even write most of this stuff and what he does write is SHIT. The first book of his series is passable, but as you read more it’s obvious he had no plan of what’s happening, usually cause he’s not even writing it.
@a.demifemiflapo5795
@a.demifemiflapo5795 2 жыл бұрын
I'm sure there was a book by James Patterson with Bill Clinton. I wonder who the author is here 😂😂😂
@ludens6404
@ludens6404 6 жыл бұрын
Terrible advice from a terrible writer. His stuff isn't worth the paper its printed on
@Alexi7666
@Alexi7666 6 жыл бұрын
Thank you! I agree.
@ArthropodSpidey
@ArthropodSpidey 2 жыл бұрын
He doesn't even write his own books. what a hack.
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