Preview
Hi, I’m Stephen King.
Well, actually I’m not Stephen King, but the purpose of my saying that is that’s the first line in our story.
And first lines are hugely important.
And what I do in those four words is I’m letting you know that this is going to be irreverent, and fun, and it’s going to be a little jokey at times, and I know who writers like Stephen King are.
I hope that people who take this course or listen to me will pick up a lot of tricks of the trade.
And I think it’s a couple levels.
I think one are people that want to write books or think they want to write books, and it can help them to make that decision about whether they’re actually good at investing time or not.
And I’ll give them a lot of tips in terms of how to invest that time well.
I’m very, very efficient, and I’ll take a lot of the time wasting things out of the process if you’ll listen.
But also people who like to read books– like to read mystery, suspense, even kids books– I think they’ll find it very, very interesting.
I think it’ll be very cool.
I don’t think they’ll read books the same way again after listening to this.
One I’m going to try to do what the class is go right from the beginning– from the raw ideas for books, character, how to build a character, how to create a scene.
We’ll deal with how to make a chapter work.
We’ll deal with outlines.
Outlines are huge.
We might do a couple of chapters on outlines.
We’ll talk about marketing it at some point, which is more of a curiosity, I think, for most of you.
Because you shouldn’t worry too much about marketing.
I think a lot of people who watch this, it’s going to turn them on.
It can be very stimulating.
And I think along the way, I had a couple of people.
I had a professor at Vanderbilt, and he did get me excited about one, just the process of writing the book and two, my own talent.
And just a lot of things that he said clicked with me.
And so when I left his class, I had to write a book.
By the way, that book didn’t get published, but it was part of the process.
Because I’ve been there.
Starting out, you just you don’t know if you’re any good.
You don’t know if you’re ever going to get published.
It’s a very difficult– it’s a daunting thing to sit down and start a book.
Because at the end of the trail can be embarrassment, or heartbreak, or all sorts of things.
So we’re going to get over that– no heartbreak, no embarrassment.
We’re going to have the tools to do this, and I think that’s very exciting.
And it’s exciting to me to stimulate people to go out there and write not just great mysteries but whatever kind of book you want to write.
Set out to write a best-selling book
James Patterson, the author of 19 consecutive No. 1 New York Times bestsellers, reveals his tricks of the trade. In his first online writing class, he guides you from the start to the finish of your book.
LESSON PLAN
01. Introduction
Your instructor, James Patterson—currently the best-selling author in the world—lets you know what he has planned for your class and what you’ll need to learn to start writing your own best-sellers.
02. Passion + Habit
Getting into the proper mindset is an essential first step to writing a best-seller. This lesson explores James’s secrets for staying focused, productive, and motivated.
03. Raw Ideas
How do you recognize a great idea? How do you figure out if it’s worthy of your effort? James spells out the techniques he uses to generate his ideas and then separate the good ones from the less compelling ones.
04. Plot
With the right plot, your reader won’t be able to stop turning the pages. In this lesson, James measures out his unique approach to developing plot lines that keep readers wanting more.
05. Research
For James, conducting in-depth research not only makes his writing better, it also boosts his credibility with his readers. Find out when and how James conducts his research and how he incorporates it into his writing in a thoughtful way.
06. Outlines: Part 1
James’ secret weapon is a comprehensive outline. Learn how he sets himself up for a fast and successful first draft. No matter what, don’t skip this lesson!
07. Outlines: Part 2
James has never shown the outline for his best-seller Honeymoon to anyone (not even his publisher) until now. Follow along with the outline provided in your Class Workbook as James further explains his process.
08. Writer’s Block
Even when you’ve written as many books as James has (76 best sellers and counting), there’s still nothing scarier than staring at the blank page. Here’s how to conquer those fears.
09. Creating Characters
From Alex Cross to Michael Bennett, James has mastered the art of creating complex and memorable characters. Hero to villain, learn how to make your character stay with your reader well beyond the last page.
10. First Lines
Grab your reader’s attention quickly and make them hold on for dear life. James shares his tips for getting your reader hooked from the very first line.
11. Writing Dialogue
Dialogue should always push the story forward. Listen to James explain a few common dialogue pitfalls and easy ways to avoid them.
12. Building A Chapter
James is well known for his numerous short and snappy chapters. Learn how he propels the reader through the book with an outline as his roadmap.
13. Writing Suspense
The secret to suspense is…
14. Ending The Book
We’ve all read great books with terrible endings. Of the infinite possible endings, learn how James chooses the right one.
15. Editing
James is liberal with a red pen; his editing is key to keeping the reader engaged. Learn how to trim the fat with our interactive editing assignment.
16. Working With A Co-Author
When does James decide to use a co-author and is it a true collaboration? In this lesson, we meet two of his most trusted co-authors who share their process for making a collaboration truly successful.
17. Getting Published
Author of 76 best-sellers and holder of the Guinness World Record for the first person to sell over 1 million eBooks, James knows a thing or two about getting published. In this lesson he shares what he’s learned.
18. Book Titles And Covers
Readers do judge books by their covers. What should they think about yours?
19. Marketing The Patterson Way
Before publishing his first book, James was an executive at a top ad agency in New York. Find out what James learned from his time in advertising and how he used it to change the book marketing game.
20. Hollywood
What happens when Hollywood takes an interest in your story? Sit back and listen as James shares the best and worst moments from his time on the set.
21. Personal Story
Every master begins as a student. James shares his long, winding path to becoming the world’s best-selling author.
22. Closing
You’ve been given the tools to help write your next book. Now what?
Sales Page:_https://www.masterclass.com/classes/james-patterson-teaches-writing
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