James Patterson came out of advertising before he sold hundreds of millions of books, and his advice carries that plain, commercial streak. He tells writers to chase the story above everything and to outline hard before they draft. The rules are simple; living by them is the hard part.
Story Before Sentences
Patterson's central rule is to get the whole story down before you fuss over the writing. Polish too early, he warns, and you fall in love with chapters and sentences that feel good but don't belong, which makes them painful to cut later. Draft the shape first. Refine it after, when you can see what the book actually needs.
I always find it best to get the story down first, and then you can polish forever if you want to.
James Patterson, The Daily Beast, 'How I Write'
He's blunt about writers who reverse the order. Too many of them, he says, fall for their own sentences and defend pretty writing that slows the book down. Patterson would rather keep the reader turning pages.
Outline, Then Keep Chapters Short
The other half of his method is structure. Patterson outlines exhaustively before he drafts, mapping the plot so he knows where every chapter is going. Then he writes short chapters, often just a few pages, each ending on a hook that pulls the reader into the next one. Those short chapters are a big reason his books feel fast, and he traces the habit back to writers he admired early on.
Beat Writer's Block by Design
Patterson says he never gets blocked, and it comes down to setup. He keeps about a dozen projects going at once, so a stall on one book just means moving to another. His advice to aspiring writers is practical: build a system that keeps you producing, and you won't sit around waiting for inspiration to arrive.
For the habits underneath the advice, see the full James Patterson writing routine.
What You Can Steal
- Get the story down first. Draft the whole thing before you polish a single line.
- Cut what you love. Lose the sentences that slow the book, however good they sound.
- Outline before you draft. Know where the plot is going before you write it.
- Keep chapters short and hooked. End each one on a reason to keep reading.