I have now finished the first week of the James Patterson Writing Masterclass, following the suggested timetable in the course notes. I have completed the first six video lessons and I'm working on the associated assignments. I am finding the course quite enjoyable and even inspiring. Though the information passed on by Mr. Patterson in the video tutorials is nothing new, he delivers it in a relaxed, conversational way that makes the lessons seem intimate.
 
The topics covered so far are;

1. Introduction to the class
2. Passion - Habit
3. Raw Ideas
4. Plot
5. Research
6. Outline

 
Passion - Habit dealt with the notion that you really need to be passionate about writing in general and in your current project in particular. If you are not passionate about your story, how do you expect readers to be. So, keep the passion alive, love what you do, believe in yourself and learn to endure rejection. Makes sense to me. The habit part dealt with stressing the need to write every day, to make writing a habit, a part of your daily schedule. How can you call yourself a writer, if you don't write?
 
Raw Ideas. This one was interesting. Mr. Patterson says that it is really rare to find a new and fresh idea, but finding ways to put several ideas together in a new and fresh way can create a unique story. He writes his ideas down and keeps them in an ideas folder. There is nothing new in this information but it is still good solid advice. The other thing he stressed in this lesson was to "read widely and learn about lots of things." You can't come up with ideas about things you don't know and you never know what piece of obscure knowledge might spark that brilliant idea for a book.
 
Plot. This lesson wasn't so much about how to plot a novel in a nuts-and-bolts way. It was more about the necessity of raising the stakes in your story and about creating a worthy villain for your hero to face. The challenges to your hero both internally and externally need to be challenging and interesting. One thing he said resonated with me. "Condense your plot, concentrate on causality. The king dies - then the queen dies is a story. The king dies and the queen dies of grief, is a plot." I thought that was an interesting way to put it.
 
Research. This lesson stress the need to git it right. Know the details, know the locations, know your vocations because if you get it wrong, there are readers out there who do know and you will lose them forever. If you are conducting interviews as part of your research, make sure the interviewee is verbal. Finding a talker who is passionate about their field is like striking gold. Another point was not to be a know-it-all. Some writers decide that if they have done all this research, by god the reader is going to know about. They drop huge - pointless to the story - info dumps so the reader can see how clever they are. Mr. Patterson also stressed that there are no excuses. With the internet, there has never been an easier time to do your research.
 
Outlines. This lesson has been split into two parts. It is the lesson I have been the most excited to get to because outlining is one of my weakest skills as a writer. I took pages of notes on this session. It was set out in a practical way, working through the process he uses to outline his books. Starting with jotting down everything he can think of that happens in the story, just one or two lines for each thing. Sorting through, discarding some ideas and adding more, then ordering them. He then takes the time to expand on each idea with just enough detail to know what happens in that scene. Mr. Patterson says that sometimes he might spend up to three months getting the outline right. He believes this is one of the most important aspects of writing a novel and can save so much time and heartache in the long term. The best part of this lesson is the fact that he has included, in the workbook, the complete outline for one of his favourite books, Honeymoon. Reading through this outline has given me some invaluable insight into the process.
 
Stay tuned for week three.

Week One
 
Some time ago I saw a Youtube advert for a writing masterclass with James Patterson. I didn't skip the ad, in fact I clicked on the link and read up on the on-line video course. It actually looked pretty cool and dealt with several elements of writing I struggle with. Even though I thought hard about it, I didn't sign up.

• I had too much other stuff on.
• I wasn't in the right head-space to complete a course.
• Although not overly expensive, there was still a not insubstantial cost.
• There were a lot of negative people saying James hasn't actually written a book in over a decade, that he just puts his name on other writers works, taking the credit and most of the royalties.
• James is not one of my favourite authors.

 
Lately, I had been thinking about the masterclass again and looking at my reasons for not signing up. True, I still have a lot of stuff on. I'm working full time, I'm trying to finish the second book in my middle grade series, I have a number of artistic projects in the pipe-line, including producing a dozen illustrations for an upcoming biography. I have a family and a new grandchild on the way. Yes, work and some family matters have been quite stressful over the last two years and I don't foresee much of an improvement in the coming year on those fronts. The cost and the negativity toward Mr Patterson, these were all just excuses and if I want to treat my writing professionally, I need to be professional. I need to prioritise my writing career and stop treating it like a hobby.
 
Although not my favourite author, James Patterson is a major success. I have enjoyed reading his titles that I have read and he must be doing something right because his books usually make the New York Times Best Seller list.
 
Then last night I was on Youtube and the advert for the course appeared again. Omen? Coincidence? Simple good marketing? Who cares. I signed up and started the course today.
 
I am going to post weekly as I work through the class and share my experiences. So far, I have watched the introduction, the second video lesson on Passion and Habbit, and I have started the third video on Raw Ideas. Now, I am working on the assignments; writing for at least one hour every day and coming up with three raw book ideas.
 
Okay, back to work now, time to put those raw book ideas down on paper...
 
See you next week with a progress update.

    

The Rooftop by Toby Hammerschleg


Published by Jo Jo Publishing


‘The Rooftop’ is a surprising story. The novel is set at an inner city school in Sydney where four children from diverse backgrounds learn about themselves and each other through the unusual combination of Scripture and netball.

I really liked the simple appealing design of the book's cover. It highlighted the setting and introduced the readers to the main characters.  Upon reading the back cover blurb - which did the book little justice - I thought this story would hold very little interest for me. However, the author delves into issues of divorce, learning difficulties, and the topical subject of refugees facing the threat of deportation. This is done sensitively through the eyes of the four children. The character of Emma, the only one of the children not facing a personal dilemma, is used as an emotional foil to highlight the other children's problems.

Author Toby Hammerschlag has created a thoughtful book with a message for readers. The themes of friendship and freedom feature strongly throughout the story. The ending is quite unexpected and thought provoking but perhaps a little abrupt.

This is definitely an interesting and worthwhile book to read.

 

Reviewed by Jeffery E Doherty
CKT Book Reviewer

Author/ Illustrator: Toby Hammerschlag
Title: The Rooftop
Publisher: Jo Jo Publishing
ISBN: 9780994183873
Published: 2015
Age: 8-12

Messy Jellyfish by Ruth Galloway

Published by Koala Books

 

‘Messy Jellyfish’ is an odd couple tale. Best friends Jellyfish and Seahorse live in a rockpool. Jellyfish loves to sing and dance and make a mess! Seahorse wants things to be quiet and tidy. How can they get along?

When the cosiest corner of the rockpool becomes an unexpected party venue, the friendship between Seahorse and Jellyfish is tested. In this fishy story, these two friends learn how important it is to be kind and consider the feelings of others.

This book hosts a delightful collection of supporting characters. I particularly liked the Singing Shrimps and Silly Starfish. The illustrations are simple and bright, complimenting the text.

Author and illustrator Ruth Galloway has created a lovely picture book with a message for readers.

This is definitely a book I will read to my class at school.

 

Reviewed by Jeffery E Doherty
CKT Book Reviewer

Author/ Illustrator: Ruth Galloway
Title: Messy Jellyfish
Publisher: Koala Books
ISBN: 9781742761091
Published: 2015
Age: 3+

Nathan Bransford is the author ofHow to Write a Novel (October 2013), Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow (Dial, May 2011), Jacob Wonderbar for President of the Universe (Dial, April 2012) and Jacob Wonderbar and the Interstellar Time Warp(Dial, February 2013). He was formerly a literary agent with Curtis Brown Ltd. and the social media manager at CNET and is now the Director of Community and Social Media at Freelancers Union. He lives in Brooklyn.

Nathan has been sharing his wisdom and experience with writers through his blog since 2006. He has put together an index linking to some of his most useful posts for writers.

This is one excellent resource for anyone who is serious about writing.