One of the most prolific novelists of all time: James Patterson
Over the past 45 years, Patterson has written more than 200 novels, with more than 114 of them becoming New York Times bestsellers.
This is his process for writing (and publishing) a book per MONTH
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1/ Start with the outline
Patterson's proven technique for writing serial fiction is simple:
Tell the whole story in an outline.
Then, after he knows all the most important moments that move the story forward, he fills it in with description.
Wabam. Another novel complete.
2/ Do not rewrite
When it comes to the first draft, rewriting is pointless.
Instead, he encourages writers to "freight train" their way through to the end.
Don't worry about sentences, spelling, grammar, etc.
Your #1 focus is figuring out *what's happening* in the story.
3/ Put action above description
Patterson says quite openly he doesn't consider himself to be a very good technical writer.
In fact, his novels tend to lack description, clever language, etc.
Instead, he optimizes for pace.
On every page, something NEW has to happen.
4/ Optimize for female readers
Fun fact: 70% of Patterson's readers/customers are women (he writes mysteries).
In fact, the majority of people who buy books lean female.
Not a prerequisite, but certainly an interesting thing to keep in mind when considering your audience.
5/ Once you've mastered your style, turn yourself into a publishing company
Patterson's library is so massive, publishers refer to him as Patterson Inc.
Today, he works with dozens of co-writers who take his story outlines and help flesh them out.
But he sets the course.
TL;DR: James Patterson Masterclass on novel writing
• Start with the outline
• Do not rewrite
• Put action above description
• Optimize for female readers
• Once you've mastered your style, turn yourself into a publishing company
To date, Patterson has sold more than 300 million copies, and was the first person to sell 1 million e-books.
His net worth is ~$800 million.
Who said writing wasn't lucrative?
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My first book was a memoir about my teenage years undiagnosed with Celiac Disease, spending all day, every day sick, and becoming one of the highest-ranked World of Warcraft players in North America.