The James Patterson Method

I can understand why James Patterson has a stable of writers writing his novels. He’s an idea guy and freely admits that he’s not the best stylist when it comes to putting words down on paper. Sixty Minutes did a story about him years back and asked him what he was working on. Patterson proceeded to open a file cabinet and pull out a drawer, showing the interviewer thirty to forty ideas he had come up with.

What do you think of this method? I have mixed feelings on account that Patterson is such a generous and giving author. Some may think that Patterson having a stable of authors pumping out his novels is abhorrent, and in some ways I agree. Yet on the other hand, look at the careers he’s nurtured and grown. I’m sure the authors working with Patterson are happy, both financially and professionally, after aligning themselves with him. Everyone is doing well and making money. And the readers are still lapping up his books and making Patterson one of the richest and most celebrated authors in the world.

On the other hand . . . It feels like a factory, pumping out formulaic novel after formulaic novel. It’s similar to the movie industry putting out sequels and those stupid superhero movies. Honestly, I can’t read a Patterson novel. They seem like fluff to me. It is a literary sweatshop run by a wealthy overlord.

And yet I too have many ideas that I’d love to get out in the world. But how can I possibly do this in one lifetime. I, too, feel that my ability to generate ideas sometimes outweighs my skills as a writer. Currently, I’m plodding along with my newest book while the ideas keep coming to me. What if I could hire some talented writers to take my ideas and run with them? Would I do it, especially if I knew that this would make me a lot of money? Sadly, I think I would. As it stands, most of these brilliant plots I’ve devised will never make it out into the world because of time constraints.

Also, it would be fun to branch off and write about different topics. A literary novel, maybe. I definitely would write more horror and sci-fi stories. Often in this business, writers get pigeonholed into a certain genre and find it hard to break out. Their fans expect it. The publishers expects it. Their literary agent works in a specific genre.

I’ve always been an idea guy. They come to me all the time. Sometimes it starts with a character I’ve thought about. Other times an interesting idea comes to mind that no one has explored. Or a clever ending. I recently discovered a bizarre and fascinating medical case that is little known, but would be an intriguing physical trait for one of my characters. If I see two people arguing on the street, I concoct dialogue in my head to set the scene. While driving, I provide names to the pedestrians walking along the sidewalk. Everything in life is a narrative, every interaction a potential storyline. A train coming out of a tunnel. A woman walking a dog and looking upset. Two people in front of me at a baseball game and taking about their marriages. As a writer, I see life that way. I see stories in everything and everybody, which is why my head is full of plot ideas.

Yes, the next step is AI writing novels, but that’s a subject for another day. I’m just interested where you guys stand on this. Are you an idea guy or a word stylist? Or maybe you‘re a combination of the two. In this regard, I think every writer is on the spectrum somewhere. Maybe for me it’s because the ideas come easy without the slog of having to sit down and put these ideas into paper with my words. Then creating sentences. Paragraphs then become chapters. Writing is hard. Very hard, my dudes. Editing is hard too. But let them ideas keep coming.

In any case, my new novel, THE ANCHORMAN’S WIFE, is on sale this week for .99 cents. Where can you get a deal that good? For one third the price of your coffee, you’ll be able to spend a few days with some backbiting and evil characters. https://www.amazon.com/Anchormans-Wife-Novel-Joseph-Souza-ebook/dp/B0CFX6C1VP?ref_=ast_author_mpb

Happy New Year and enjoy your reading and writing!