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JAMES PATTERSON VIDEO LESSON 22 Closing MASTERCLASS.COM

Video lesson 22: Closing

 

This is James Patterson’s last video lesson- lesson 22.  I will give you a smidgeon of his closing talk. This video is only a mere three minutes and seventeen seconds. It is well worth the pep talk. I listened to it at least three times, so far.

Lesson 22 -Closing

I love this part:

“People get into –this is the way it’s been, here’s the rules of writing,- here’s the rules of literature, here’s the rules – who said? Really! God does not come down and lay down the twenty-commandments of writing a story- and just because it‘s been done in a certain way forever –does not necessarily mean it’s right.

“And- also means- don’t walk away from what’s been done. But, also you don’t have to follow blindly. Things change we do new shit.” ~ James Patterson Lesson 22

My take on this has to do with my journey.  My search for the correct way to say something, the correct way to express an emotion or the theme or just to get into the head of my characters using a slightly different twist.

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Now, that is all fine and good, to get a point across or teach something in a new way. I may need to see it from different perspectives. Some of those perspectives have had me crossing my eyes and confused me for weeks, even years. Until I read it from a different point of view, eventually I can see their point.

“I am peculiar, obviously. And that peculiarity has had its rewards. So I share things with you and you have to pick what’s going to be relevant to you.”~ James Patterson 

If I take  ‘just one thing’ from James Patterson’s Masterclass (James Patterson Teaches Writing @masterclass.com) it would be this:  ‘just write’- (lesson 7: “get that outline out!”) And yes! Others have used that very phrase.  Except, they weren’t James Patterson.

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James Patterson’s  video lessons were made to inspire you to write. So get inspired and write a best seller, or just something for your family or just for you. You can’t please everyone, so might as well please yourself. Oh, does that last sentence sound like a double entendre?

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Mr. Patterson’s Masterclass.com gives you an added benefit of postings, comments, contests, and even a FaceBook page to help you keep up with the goings on with all the Patterson fans.

This Masterclass.com doesn’t end here. I have been going back to the lessons; listening again and again to the videos, grabbing a bit of James Patterson’s advice that I can.

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I will use his lessons to smash through writer’s block.

{{HEAVY SIGH}}

I may need to keep Patterson’s Masterclass.com videos playing on a loop.

“Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better.” ~Emile Coué

My cat is trying to use hypnosis to get me to write daily.

FaceBook:  https://www.facebook.com/JamesPatterson/

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/JP_Books

Or here on BookShots

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James Patterson video lesson 21 Personal Story Masterclass.com

James Patterson starts this video with this:

“I don’t think I ever had aspirations in terms of, One begin writer or Secondly- what would happen with it. It just seemed to me, to be- overstepping to do that. I came from a background, that was- people just didn’t make it out of my hometown. I was never a stylist as a writer and I am still not. So I don’t I don’t think I ever expected that things would happen, and I still don’t, I mean, I don’t think about it. I don’t think about selling a lot of books or supposedly I am the best-selling author in the world, I love that. But I don’t think about it.”

Picture by: Daniel Case

Where it all started

 

James Patterson grew up in  Newberg, New York, a tough little river town, 60 miles north of New York City. A mix of City kids, farm kids, and kids from the air force base, that have been all around the world. “A nice mix of different kind of ways of looking at stuff.” ~James Patterson

His father was brought up in the Newberg poor house was called the Pogey.   His mother was a charwoman – she cleaned up the bathrooms for the poor people. His father went to Hamilton College, “a very good college.”  His mother was a schoolteacher for 50 years.

He went to catholic schools. In high school, if he didn’t have his homework done he got hit in his face. (And yes, that did happen) College and Advertising were nothing to how difficult high school was. James shrugged  and said,  “big deal, nobody is hitting you”

His grandmother was a very strong woman who would tell him what he couldn’t do and then add, “But there are a lot of things you can do… you could do a lot of things” She built up his confidence.

Why James Chose Writing

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He started scribbling at nineteen- he loved writing stories. He liked fast past stories.

The Thomas Berryman Number first book: he said, that book doesn’t have a good pace.

The Thomas Berryman won: Edgar Award for Best First Novel by an American Author, Edgar Award for Best First Mystery.

The height Of Success

One of the exciting things is seeing your books in a bookstore.

Family

James tells us that family comes first. Do the right thing as much as you can. The only time his father hugged him was on his deathbed. He hugs his own son every chance he can.

Balance

James, tells us he finds things he likes and does them. He loves to write. He loves his wife and son he likes to be with very good friends. He loves what he doing.

James Patterson said,  “he try’s not to do boring things.”

This classes contest is open now until March 1, 2017.  If you are interested- click on the link in the top left sidebar the one with James Patterson’s picture on it. 

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Lesson 19 MARKETING THE PATTERSON WAY James Patterson’s Masterclass.com

James Patterson Masterclass.Com Lesson 19

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“Bizarrely, there is a Harvard case study on me. And, I think one of the things that the professors found interesting ‘IS’ that they can write about me. The way they write about Coca-Cola as a brand. I don’t partially think of myself as a brand but they at least found that angle interesting” ~ James Patterson

This lesson is on marketing and selling your book, your words with words. I am hearing ‘hook’ here. Not the first page, that first sentence ‘Hook’. But the hook that is on the back cover or on the inside flap. Something that entices your buyer, to buy your novel. The tagline.

This is from an article on GalleyCat,  “Now they teach author branding in schools” the Harvard case study on James Patterson as a brand.

“I’d never actually heard a product speak,” he recalls. “It was like listening to a can of Coca-Cola explain how it would like to be marketed.” That initial encounter inspired Deighton to write “Marketing James Patterson,” a case that uses the lens of a take-charge author, the publishing industry, and the business of book clubs to analyze the success of various modes of marketing.

“I see his success as a sublime integration of operations and marketing,” says Deighton, who taught the case to MBAs for the first time last fall in the elective course Consumer Marketing. “Patterson understands that if you want shelf space you need to publish a lot of books; that you need a production system with more than one author; and that you need to mind the brand.” ~ Harvard Business School Professor John Deighton

Brand Yourself

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“A brand is a relationship between a product, or in this case ‘me,’ and the customers- just a relationship. “~ James Patterson

Hmmm, what? When you brand yourself. Not with a hot iron, but as a writer of a certain genre. You want to make a statement, meet expectations with your tag lines.

The Kardashians have branded themselves. So has Oprah. In my opinion, anyone who uses their own name uses it as their brand.

James Patterson’s tells us his reader’s ‘expectations’ are that when you pick up one of his books, the pages will almost turn themselves.

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His novels are written as if he were telling a story, not a lot of colorful descriptions just movement of the character from start to the finish. So, let us imagine, if a reader of Mr. Patterson’s picked up one of his books and found instead, something that sounded like Faulkner, well, they would be disappointed. Similar if that reader wanted to read Faulkner and found a James Patterson novel. That tagline will give us an expectation of what we can expect inside the novel.

Taglines are to get the readers/buyers attention. They pull you into the story before you even crack open the binder or click on your e-reader.

Make your reader interested, then anxious to start reading, Delighted to have bought your novel. Taglines are the prelude to reading. A promise of things to come, possibly along with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, a comfy robe, a reading light, and that feeling that you were welcomed into the novel as you read those first sentences. This is where you fall into the story as you listen to James Patterson talking.

When you brand yourself. You can put that brand on the radio, in print, or on television promoting you and your book

“In terms of print, it’s the same thing. Here’s this space, in the newspaper, or this space or whatever the space is. That, I’m going to notice it and I am going to be motivated by it. It’s kind of that simple. There is an awful lot of stuff that shows up in the newspaper as your flipping gotta be where you notice it…what’s going to get my attention or sort of put it on my wavelength where I’m going, that sounds kind of cool I like mystery or whatever and this sounds like a really good one.”~ James Patterson

Use social Media

To get your readers to buy your novel you need to grab their attention. And you do that with your tag line. That tagline needs to be compelling.

Here are some James Patterson’s taglines you can find the books they belong to on his website HERE.

  1. Cross Kill: Along Came a Spider killer Gary Soneji has been dead for over ten years. Alex Cross watched him die. But today, Cross saw him gun down his partner. Is Soneji alive?
  1. Alex Cross, Run: Detective Alex Cross arrests renowned plastic surgeon Elijah Creem for sleeping with teenage girls. Now, his life ruined, Creem is out of jail, and he’s made sure that no one will recognize him—by giving himself a new face.
  1. Cat & Mouse: A killer named Mr. Smith begins his murder spree in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and then starts terrorizing Europe. Bodies are found “gutted.” At the same time Gary Soneji taunts Cross with murders in train stations.
  1. Kiss the Girls: Alex Cross matches wits with Casanova and The Gentlemen Caller. This time it is personal. Naomi Cross, twenty-two-year-old daughter of Cross’s deceased brother Aaron, is reported missing. She is a law student at Duke University. Cross goes to North Carolina, fearing the worst.

Most important about marketing, is the passion, that excitement gets communicated to the buyer. With one or two sentences, those taglines will get a bookstore to stock your book, and reviewers to blog about it, which will get the buyer to pick it up and buy it.

How to make a tagline? Start with a feeling. If you are writing a horror novel, you will want your reader to be frightened. What image do you want to convey. Comedy, make them laugh. Romance, well they want to feel the love. I hope your getting the idea.

Great advertising taglines:

  • JUST DO IT – Nike
  • Help I’ve fallen and I can’t get up…
  • Got Milk California Milk Processor Board,

Taglines should describe the genera of the story you are writing. The purpose of your book. The theme. A tagline should make us feel. A tagline should help readers find your book using keywords

  • In 1979, we discovered in space no one can hear you scream. In 1992, we will discover, on Earth, EVERYONE can hear you scream. ~Alien3
  • Don’t go in the water.~ Jaws

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This video lesson also has an assignment, a PDF Masterclass workbook, and a comments section.

For fun, I found a link for a tagline generator:

 

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Lesson 18 Book Titles and Covers James Patterson’s MasterClass.com

Lesson 18 BOOK TITLES AND COVERS

James Patterson’s  MASTERCLASS.COM

Lesson 18 Book Titles and Covers

“No book has ever been bought, that wasn’t picked up! Okay! And, to some extent, what makes you pick it up is the cover. It needs to immediately tell people that that’s the genre that they love! Oh, I love mystery! Oh, I love a Noir mystery! It looks like a Noir mystery. But then it needs to look like a unique Noir mystery…..” ~James Patterson

Whoa, hold on here….I need to know, what is a Noir Mystery? Well, according to Wikipedia: “It is ‘closely related to a hardboiled genre with a distinction that the protagonist is not a detective, but instead either a victim, a suspect or a perpetrator.

Do I hear someone asking, ‘How many types of Mystery Genres are there?   Well, what I found on my skip-and-jump around the net was that there are so many that that bucket is overflowing. (see below        I listed some of them)

Back  to James Patterson

Favorite Titles and Covers

He used nursery rhyme titles. Mr. Patterson is holding his book ‘Along Came A Spider’ .  On the back cover, he has quotes from known authors. If your reader likes those authors they may buy the book.

His novel, ‘Zoo’  has a photo taken of Paris. We see the  Eiffel tower in the background.  Along with the title, it states “Something Bad Is Happening Over There’ which gives you the idea this is a mystery.

Bet you are asking, what’s your point?  In order to sell ‘your’ book, ‘your novel’ needs to be seen.  Just tossing it at your reader won’t get their attention. Well, maybe for a second while  they duck. But, you want them to hold your book and read it.  This lesson is how to get the attention of your reader or potential reader, so they buy your book. It is filled with good advice.

Now, I  need to go back to Masterclass.com and listen to the short question and answer videos. This is where you can ask James Patterson a question and he will respond by posting a video.

Q & A
Q & A

Happy reading. And writing.

Here is a partial list of Mystery Genres that I searched out:

  1. Noir
  2. Cozy
  3. Amateur Sleuth
  4. Professional Sleuth
  5. Police Procedural
  6. Legal/Medical
  7. Suspense
  8. Romantic Suspense
  9. Historical
  10. Mixed Genre
  11. Private Eye –woman or men
  12. Crime
  13. Caper
  14. Bumbling Detective
  15. Child in Peril
  16. Woman in Peril
  17. Culinary
  18. Doctor Detective
  19. Furry Sleuth
  20. Handicapped
  21. Historical
  22. Inverted or Howdunit
  23. Whodunit
  24. Locked room or Puzzle
  25. Supernatural
  26. Third World
  27. Series

If you plan on writing mysteries I found this great, free book on poisons. The encyclopedia of poisons and antidotes ~  {{GRIN}]

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Lesson 17 James Patterson Masterclass.com Getting Published

James Patterson Masterclass Lesson 17 Getting Published

James Patterson's Masterclass.com Lesson 17
James Patterson’s Masterclass.com Lesson 17

James Patterson starts this lesson saying,

“I’ve been through the -pain of trying to get an agent. Trying to get a publisher. Trying to get a good editor. So I know what you’re going through. And the best thing I can tell you, it’s one word- it’s persistence. Just be prepared and don’t take it personally. My first book turned down my 31 publishers. You’re going to get a lot of rejection here, and a lot of it may have nothing to do with your book.”

 

Okay, Okay! Hold the presses! Here James said, ’31 publishers’ I found a YouTube video where he said, ‘37’.   Is this a big deal? No…not really, I just thought I would mention it.  🙂

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgeuc6AZObw[/embedyt]

 

James Patterson tells us, you need to get your book noticed by an agent or publisher first. And that starts with the query letter. Here are a few sites to check out on how to write a query letter. I found these through a Google search.

Agentquery.com has a very simple easy to read an explanation of a query letter.

PoeWar.com check out the very end of their article, a nice, neat list of what not to put in a query letter.

WritersDigest.com has an example of a qouery letter showing eight steps in its creation.

Back to James Patterson at Masterclass.com 🙂

James Patterson’s  first novel was the ‘Thomas Berryman Novel’. James tells us how he kept sending  out query letters, and for the most part, no one responded.  He didn’t even get an obligatory letter saying, ‘Thank You, No Thank You’. Now you know, it isn’t just you.

Well, maybe it is, but not here.

Finally, James tells us that the publisher asked for editing changes. So he had to get an editor. James Patterson talks about finding an agent. A publisher. He tells us to network. Talk to other writers, and hope they will toss you a bone or a publisher that-may-just-might-want-to read your book.

The peak of this lesson, For Me! Was when Mr. Patterson said to “Enjoy the victories.” Even the small ones where your spouse tells you your writing is fantastic. The point is,  take those compliments and eat them up. Writing is hard work!

I love this quote. I want it on a coffee mug 🙂

Cup of joy
Cup of joy

“Take the cup of joy! Enjoy it!”~ James Patterson

 

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Lesson 16 James Patterson’s Masterclass.com Working With A Co-Author

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James Patterson's Masterclass lesson 16
James Patterson’s Masterclass lesson 16

This video lesson starts with James Patterson talking about Co-authoring:

“Some people, they’re not comfortable with this idea of a co-author or collaborating. And they think it’s a much bigger deal than it is. So here is what I have to say to those people.

  • Lennon and McCartney,
  • Simon and Garfunkel,
  • Stephen King and Peter Straub,
  • Rodgers and Hammerstein,
  • Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child,
  • Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld,
  • Gilbert and Sullivan,
  • Woodward and Bernstein,
  • Joel and Ethan Coen,
  • Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

What’s great about working with co writers is that you got two talents. Collaboration is a good thing. I know we have this thing about the American- we go out and do everything ourselves.- And that’s okay. But collaboration is really good. Combining strength is really good.”

As you can guess, this week’s video lesson is about Co-authoring. I can bet that most everyone reading knows that James Patterson uses co-authors.

Which in my mind means he works well with others.

In this video, we hear from two of Mr. Patterson’s co-writers.  Well, I can hear it. If you want to, click the link (the one with James Patterson’s face on it)  at the top to the left and check out the classes.

You will hear what James Patterson looks for in a co-writer. One hint: They have to be able to write in the character’s voice. This is only common sense. If you are writing your own series, you will need to keep the voice consistent.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8xiXACZLM8[/embedyt]

When James Patterson is collaborating with his co-writers on his books, “he knows where he is going.  He knows what he wants.  And, he knows it  when he sees it.”

I am given a PDF with this weeks lesson. I can check out the video question and answer section. And, yes!  I can ask Mr. Patterson a question through this class.

When looking for a co- writer talk to them.  Make sure you are both on the same page.

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Lesson 15 Editing James Patterson’s Masterclass

lesson 15 editing
lesson 15 editing

What I loved about this lesson, was listening to James Patterson talk about how he edits and why- and the reasoning behind it.

James Patterson starts this lesson with talking about editing.~“For me and for a lot of writers. And I think for most of you. Editing, polishing and I’m talking about what you’re doing yourself,- not when your book gets to a publishing house. It’s the whole ball of wax. Its not writing, it’s rewriting and it’s rewriting, and it’s rewriting.  I like to do many drafts. I’ve done as many as nine or ten drafts. But, I do the drafts very quickly. I don’t get constipated! I don’t get worried! I just keep going. Let’s do it again! Let’s do it again! Let’s do it again!”

What I got from this lesson was ‘that your story needs to move forward’, editing your words will help cut the fat and making the story clear and on point. Read your words forwards and backward. Read as enjoyment  does something trip you up?

Before you start to edit, walk away from your writing. Take a short break.  Eat something. Clean  something. When you come back you will see your work fresh.

What I know about editing;

  • You need to look for style formatting errors  such as  spacing
  • Dates
  • Capitalization,
  • and make sure your characters have the correct names.
  • Check your POV.
  • The spelling of words such as they’re, there, or their.
  • Conjugations such as ‘should of’, ‘would of,’ instead of ‘could have’, ‘should have’.

When editing, you need to be careful that your story isn’t taken off track. If you’re in the middle of a romantic scene, you don’t want your character to start watching a cat video on YouTube. Unless you’re proving a point against your characters getting together.

Read your writing out loud, straight through before starting to edit. Are you conveying anger, comedy, or sadness correctly? If not rewrite.

“Consider not polishing the book until you’ve written at least one draft.” ~ said James Patterson

When it comes to your dialogue, edit it until it moves the story forward and it conveys what you need to, in the least amount of words. All types of writing will benefit from editing.

Just remember -don’t start editing until you  have  a complete first draft.  Editing  sentences as you write them  will prevent your story, essay, poems, articles from  evolving into a reality.

Procrastination will stop you in the form of early editing.  This is important to reemphasize. Don’t edit until that first draft is fully written. 

Rag doll
Here Kitty-Kitty just look at thos baby blues- Now go back and edit.

Here are a couple of links to Proofreading and or editing  Information.

writing center.unc.edu

Learning English with Michelle.

 

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Lesson 14 Ending The Book James Patterson’s Masterclass


This post should have been live on Friday.  I had a doctor’s  appointment and I faded out. Here it is a little late, but I will still call it Friday’s post even though the dates don’t match up..{Grin}

Lesson 14  Ending  The Book James Patterson’s Masterclass

Lesson 14 James Patterson's masterclass
Lesson 14 James Patterson’s masterclass

James Patterson’s opening lines:

“Your ending is ‘usually’ important. Because, and this is true in movies, and it’s true in books. Because that’s- they walk out of the theater clapping and cheering and feeling great, and spreading the word, about the movie, or out of their apartments, or whatever in terms of the book. And a lot has to do what you did at the ending. How you pulled it all together. The surprise at the end. The surprise that fits, that’s appropriate. So you really have to make sure that it is satisfying. Or you gonna disappoint people. And you won’t get that good word of mouth. You might not get published because there’s no ending.”

Good endings, well-written endings are what we strive for. Getting to those last few chapters. You clawed and scratched to find the perfect ending. And here is James Patterson telling you it isn’t as easy as saying, they all lived happily ever after- except it can be if you are writing that type of story.  Could be a Fairytale, romance, or children’s book or a combination of genres.

When you are writing, write for the reader of your genre. Write for the best mystery reader, or the best reader of thrillers. James Patterson said:

“If you satisfy that person you will satisfy everyone else.”

What I got from this lesson was to write towards the ending you created in your plotline. Then, change it as you need to. Make your ending fit your story. Make it a great ending. The best you can write. Most of all make it the ending you want to write.

Remember, there are a lot of ways a person can walk into a house. And only you can do it ‘your’ way. Backwards, forward, sideways, through the window. {Smile}

What endings did you like? Why did you like them? Did they connect to the rest of the story? Did they feel right? Did you want the ending to be different? Why? Why was it good? Why was it bad?

I read a children’s book by Wendy Mass. The book was called ‘Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life’.     The ending in that book felt right. It ended in a way that left the reader, well me, feeling good with the ending. If you read it, examine the story. See how the author took you from that first sentence, which for me started with the Preface.

“ My sweat smells like peanut butter.” To the last line, “The people on the train with me don’t know it, but in my head I’m dancing.”

This is an easy book to read and shows how the story progresses with an interesting set of pace, a bit of excitement and suspense. Stirring it  all up with a great ending. 

Examine how some of your favorite authors end their stories. Did you see it coming? If yes, how and where?

Back  to James Patterson’s Masterclass. He makes some great points if you want to hear them all click on the link at the top-left-sidebar.

 

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Video lesson 13 Writing Suspense James Patterson’s MasterClass

Friday’s, Writing with James Patterson MasterClass

 

Lesson 13 writing suspense
Lesson 13 writing suspense

Video lesson thirteen 13 Writing Suspense. James Patterson starts out this video lesson with a bang. He talks quickly, enthusiastically, what I saw from James Patterson is the energy that you ‘need’ to see in your writing.

Here is a part of Mr. Patterson’s opening lines for lesson 13:

“Obviously, with mystery and suspense, it’s all about suspense. It’s constant non-ending fireworks. Its an adventure that starts and, –it’s gonna hold you at the edge of your seat right to the end, it starts big and gets even bigger….”

And even more…

Got to be genuine. If it feels like, to somebody throwing in devices, if you feel the manipulation, you lose them there too. If the readers going, ‘this is just crap.   This is just the usual somebodies, you know, trying to manipulate me.’

I love this line: “People kind ah want to be manipulated, but they want it done well.”

Know Your Genre

Read the books you want to write. You will learn how to write them, and you won’t write the same book. Write your own story. 

“Be aware of what’s out there. Not to imitate it but to avoid it.”~ James Patterson

The Da Vinci Code the complexity in the story is in the puzzle. It felt fresh to people.

The Da Vinci Code is a mystery-detective novel by Dan Brown.

Now, the secret to suspense is…

Ooops! Sorry, I will not tell you what James Patterson revealed in his video. I will give you a hint. It is common sense. If I reveal it to you, you will lose out on hearing it being told by James Patterson.

James Patterson does get around to answering that question. He pumps up the energy in this class with intense energy.

If you listen, really listen, you will hear all the good advice being given. But you have to listen. Remember when you sat in school  staring out the windows and not listening…well, don’t do that here. You will miss a great lecture. So a little advice, listen to these videos. Listen over and over so you can hear when that  advice is given.

Click on the link to James Patterson’s MasterClass you will find it on the top left-side. Just look, for Mr. Patterson’s picture.

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Lesson 12 Building a chapter James Patterson’s Masterclass

Lesson 12- Building A Chapter

Lesson 12 Building A Chapter
Lesson 12 Building A Chapter

Friday with James Patterson’s MasterClass

James Patterson starts this lesson saying:

“Mike Connelly said, What Jim does, is, every single chapter moves the characterization and the action forward. -Every chapter. And turns on the movie projector in our heads.”

Then James continued.

“That movie projector in our heads means, that I can see the scene. I can hear the scene. I can smell the scene. I taste the scene. Something about it, I was getting enough information that sets me in that scene. So I can be there ‘with’ that character. And that’s really, really useful.”

He tells us to hear, smell, and see the scene- be there with the character. My take on this is –get in close– and personal. Chapters can be one scene or a few scenes. It all depends on what you have in mind for your story, your novel.

Choose a View Point

James Patterson likes to write in 1st person and 3rd person limited

Then he tells us, ‘It is your creation you can do whatever you want to do if it works.’ There are no rules that’s says you can’t use 1st and 3rd in the same story.

He likes to follow the villains and some secondary characters – you can switch off and write from a different character’s point of view. Who makes it more interesting? Which point of view feels right? The victim? The Detective, or the Killer? What is the best point of view you need to make the chapter come alive?

Other points of view emotionally how do you want your reader to feel? What is going to make it sad, happy, scary or sexy – then write in that point of view or rewrite it?

In ‘1st To Die’ all the main character are introduced in that first chapter. 1st to Die (Women’s Murder Club #1) by James Patterson

Starts with a murder of a couple, in a hotel, while on their honeymoon. We are introduced to Lindsay Boxer who is a police officer. The medical examiner, Claire Washburn. We meet Jill Bernhardt an assistant D.A. We see their connection. In this first chapter, we met three key characters. Then we meet a young reporter, Cindy Thomas, the fourth member, and she doesn’t belong there. She lies her way in. By the end of the book they are a unit – James Patterson says, “good shit”

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7EguQQbSmA[/embedyt]

This lesson has a PDF, a comments section, and an assignment.