James Patterson's Writing Process
James Patterson — Outline First, Write Second
Patterson is one of the most prolific authors in publishing history, but his productivity begins before the actual prose is written. He is an obsessive outliner. Before beginning a novel, Patterson may develop an outline of 50–80 pages, breaking the story into individual chapters and scenes. He wants to know what happens, where the suspense builds, and where the reader will be compelled to turn the page.
His novels are famous for very short chapters, sometimes only two or three pages. Patterson has explained that he thinks constantly about pacing and doesn't want readers to reach a convenient place where they feel comfortable putting the book down. Each chapter should create a reason to read the next one.
Another major difference is collaboration. Patterson frequently works with co-authors. Typically, he develops the concept and extensive outline and then works back and forth with the collaborating writer as the manuscript develops. Consequently, his astonishing publication rate shouldn't be interpreted as Patterson personally sitting down and drafting dozens of complete novels every year.
His basic philosophy could almost be summarized as:
Develop the idea → construct the entire story → create a detailed chapter-by-chapter outline → draft → continually revise for pace and suspense.
For an aspiring author, Patterson's process makes an excellent point: a great deal of "writing" can take place before Chapter One is ever written. Solving structural problems in an outline can prevent months of rewriting later.
Comments