Masterclass Notes: James Patterson — Part 3 — Plotting
4 min readAug 22, 2022
- Story is about revealing character and causality (i.e., when one event leads to the next, which leads to the next and so on and so forth until the inevitable end).
- “Try to write every chapter as if it’s the first chapter of the book — try to write every chapter as if it’s that important.”
- “Write a story, not…pretty sentences. Write a story.”
- “Don’t write a single chapter that isn’t going to advance the story. “
- “Try to write for a single reader who’s sitting across from you and you don’t want them to get up until you’re finished.” ← BOOM. Key. That’s why your stories might end up better when you’re telling them versus when you’re writing them. You’re focused on keeping the other person interested. Writing is solitary. When you’re writing, write for yourself. Write what keeps you interested. I find the only time I start heading down the wrong path is when I start thinking about what others would think of the story. When I start trying to satisfy everyone, I end up muddying up the story. When I write for myself, it all makes sense. It’s fluid and pristine.
- Condense your plot. Have one main string, one question that runs through your entire novel and compels your reader to keep reading until the end to find out what happens.
