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5.RESEARCHA S SIG NMENTS (CONT ’ D) Sample 1 By Jonathan V.Galvanized steel pipes ribbed its ceiling, between veinsof frayed cable and concrete columns that crumbledunder their yokes; stray clots of those veins hung,freighted with cobweb, like chandeliers. The dim cubicspace was a lung with end-stage emphysema. Forsixty-two years it breathed Ford and Mercedes,Mercury and Saturn, Ram and Jaguar. Sample 2 By Eric A.Four stories of split concrete and missing exit signs.Potholes made parking impossible. Only weeds wereleft to patch the cracks. Sample 3 By Shawn W.Sheets of rust-stained concrete provided undergroundrefuge shelter from the city’s swelter. The blinkingfluorescent lights diffused barely enough light for carsnavigating the garage’s narrow avenues. Winding downto the lowest level, a beam of headlights were obscuredfrom surveillance cameras above. Sample 4 By Andrew C.A parking garage is an open area enclosed by cementwalls, where people can park their cars while they runerrands. Lines painted on the ground and wallsindicate parking spaces, elevators, and flow of traffc.Typically, they’re used for drug deals. Sample 5 By Malia N.Bold colors and cold tile. Macho male’s handy tools andstacks of plastic storage containers. Empty circus carsand dusty classic motor vehicles. Sample 6 By Nancy V.The gigantic, underground, concrete structure wasdamp and dimly lit. There weren’t many cars parkedand the ones that were there had seen its better days. Itreeked of piss and homelessness; ironically, right underthe red “no trespassing” sign, a homeless man had setup his home of cardboard boxes and dirty blankets.JAMES PAT TERSON16

5.NOTESJAMES PAT TERSON17

6 7.OUTLINEPARTS ONEAND TWOTAK E IT FURTHER“Don’t think about thesentences, think about thestory. Write the storydown.”—James Patterson James explains the very basic needs for every outline, andsays a common mistake writers make is not creating anoutline. He guarantees that making this a routine part of yourwriting process will make for a better and quicker bookwriting experience. Review the Honeymoon outline. Begin referencing it for thislesson and elsewhere over the course of James’ class. As you begin to create your own outline, here are a few takeaways from Honeymoon to remember:SU B C H A PTER S What Your Outline Needs Focus on the Story Begin Sketching Your Outline Add More Suspense Edit, Edit, Edit Try a Character-Focused Approach Be Thorough Outline for Honeymoon Troubleshoot Your Outline Step Back and Start Writing Notice the rapid-fire pace in James’ outline. Each chapter is a scene, and each scene pushes the story forward. Rather than focusing on snazzy sentences, Jamesfocuses on the core of the scene which propels hisreader onto the next chapter. On page 24 of theHoneymoon outline, James skips the sordid detailsand simply identifies the key actions. “The suspensedoesn’t let up. O’Hara looks around outside the cabin.Her car is gone. Then the police arrive.”JAMES PAT TERSON18

6 7.OUTLINEPARTS ONEAND TWOA S SIG NMENTS Create a rough outline for a novel based on the story youstarted researching in lesson 05. You’ll need a five to tenchapter outline to practice the skills you’ll learn during theremainder of this class. If you’re having trouble getting started, James suggeststrying a character driven approach. What happens toyour main character in every chapter? During theediting and rewriting process you can go in and addsecondary characters, subplots, and more. Stuck on making your scene perfect? Get it the nexttime around. Write TBD and move on! As James does,you’ll be writing and rewriting this outline multipletimes.Refine your outline using what you learned in lessons 06 07. In every draft, James layers on more suspense, moredrama, and more twists. When he takes it too far he’llreign it back in, but he allows himself to be as creativeas possible during the first pass.After you’ve completed your rough outline (take your time!James spends up to four months writing and editing his),share the finished product with a friend who was interestedin your original raw idea. Have them provide honest feedbackand try to incorporate a few changes based on the review.JAMES PAT TERSON19

6 7.NOTESJAMES PAT TERSON20

8.WRITERS BLOCKTAK E IT FURTHER“Do not torture yourself.That’s how people getblocked.”—James Patterson James tells us his key to warding off writer’s block is to“freight train” through the first draft. Focus on getting thestory down. If you get stuck or feel blocked, write TBD on thatchapter and move on. James sometimes has TBD written ontwo or three chapters in a row. Don’t obsess about a singlechapter or press too hard. If you’re blocked on a scene,chapter, or even a single sentence, it’s ok to move on andcome back to it later. A 2012 study showed that moderate to low music noise levelscan increase productivity, but anything over 85 decibels candecrease your creativity. If you enjoy listening to classical orother lyric-free music but find it distracting while you write,try turning it down just a touch, and see how that increasesyour productivity. After learning about James’ daily routine, take a look at howother artists and creatives spend their time:SU B C H A PTER S Freight Train Through How James Writes Stay Focused Take a Break Take It Seriously Practice, Practice, Practice The book Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Curryoutlines the habits of nearly 200 creatives. BrainPickings details the routines of 15 great writers. Wonder where some of your favorite authors write? NewYork Times Magazine published photographs anddescriptions of where seven authors choose to spendtheir workday.JAMES PAT TERSON21

8.WRITERS BLOCKA S SIG NMENTS Set a timer for 30 minutes and write down the events of yourday. When you run out of time, note what distracted you(thoughts, noises, interruptions). Research ways that youcan selectively remove those distractions from your writingroutine. For example, does your computer distract you whileyou write? You can try going completely analog, like James. Heuses a pencil and yellow legal pad to write his novels. Try the same 30 minute challenge a day later, usingtechniques you researched to remove the distractions you discovered the day before. Repeat the process until you’ve foundyour ideal writing space.JAMES PAT TERSON22

8.NOTESJAMES PAT TERSON23

9.CREATINGCHARACTERSTAK E IT FURTHER“You want your readers tohave strong feelings aboutyour characters.”—James Patterson SU B C H A PTER S Who is Your Character? What Makes Your Character Tick? Make a Complex Hero Make a Complex Villain Make ImportantSecondary Characters Think about your favorite fictional characters, heroes, andvillains. (Need a refresher? Book Magazine lists the 100 BestCharacters in Fiction Since 1900). Make a list of your top fivefavorite characters and define five character traits for each.For example: Humbert Humbert (Lolita) — Distinguished,self-loathing, lustful, predatory, desperate Harry Potter (Harry Potter Series) — Orphan, modest,loyal to the end, brave, irritable Hannibal Lecter (Silence Of The Lambs) — Monstrous,brilliant forensic psychiatrist, serial killer, refinedgentleman, lack of conscience Willy Wonka (Charlie And The Chocolate Factory) —Dreamer Mischievous, mad scientist, eccentric,benevolent Jo March (Little Women) — Independent, tomboy-ish,blunt, opinionated, passionateCreate Reader Intimacy With your list of characters and their attributes, choose yourfavorite trait in each. Are there any similarities between thecharacters? Write a few sentences explaining what traits makeeach protagonist/villain so memorable.A S SIG NMENTS James explains: “With respect to characters, you want thingsthat really dig deep and say a lot very very quickly, to get usinterested in the person.” With that in mind, write a list of 20traits for a new character, then discard 17 traits. Do theremaining traits still make for a compelling character? On the next page are five lists received from students whohave taken this class. Watch James critique these lists in theOffice Hours video: CRITIQUE — CHARACTER ASSIGNMENTJAMES PAT TERSON24

9.CREATINGCHARACTERSA S SIG NMENTS (CONT ’ D)Allegra H.1. Tattooed2. Taciturn3. Female4. CIA reject5. Athletic6. Arrogant7. Cowboy boot wearing8. Well educated9. Brusque10. Independent11. Stubborn12. Lonely13. Lost14. Superstitious15. Hotheaded16. Transient17. Intrepid18. Alcoholic19. Determined20. TexanEric A .1. Failed stint in U.S. Army –communications technician2. Shortwave radio enthusiast3. Shops at IGA specicallyduring weekdays to avoidcrowds4. Wausau, WI native5. Green Bay Packers fan6. Raised Lutheran, leftchurch at 177. Formerly engaged, nowsingle8. Unable to pursue collegedegree due to nancial problems9. Employed at local paper millto make ends meet10. Collects cassette tapes andvinyl records11. Nearsighted12. Lactose intolerant13. Both parents deceased14. Only child15. Played cello in high schoolorchestra16. Lives in small mobile home17. Adept at shooting, despiteeyesight18. Cannot swim19. Nearly flunked out ofGerman classAlex M.1. Unemployed Tour Guidein Sedona2. Daughter of famed localMystic3. Reluctant Mind Reader4. Epileptic5. NRA Member6. Corruptible Paci st7. Conspiracy Theorist8. Envious9. Eidetic10. Polemical Graffiti Artist11. Volatile Teetotaler12. Exercise Addict13. Former Under 18 KnifeThrowing NationalChampion14. Happily widowed15. Barren16. Underappreciated17. Homeless18. Superficially Surly19. Demanding20. Self-destructive20. Does not own a televisionJAMES PAT TERSON25

9.CREATINGCHARACTERSA S SIG NMENTS (CONT ’ D)Alex M.1. To help her concentration while working on a difficultproblem, she listens to Philip Glass’s Eg y ptian-themedopera, Ak hnaten.2. She became interested in Eg y ptolog y after a dream sheexperienced in which she found herself “pleasantly confined in a dim, glittering tomb that smelled of my rrh andseashore.”3. Her “existential motto” is a quote from E.M. Forster, “Weare evolving, in ways that Science cannot measure, toends that theolog y dares not contemplate.”4. She refuses to eat dair y products and usually adds to thisrefusal a lecture on the dair y industr y.5. Si x days out of seven, she wears vibrant Hawaiiant-shirts.6. She lost her father, Benjamin D. Walter, in the last yearof the Vietnam War.7. She is the only child.8. Ever y day, she wakes up at 6:20am — her “special dawn.”And ever y night, she goes to bed at 10:20pm — her “special dusk.” This is her strict sleeping schedule.9. Her favorite book is Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke.10. She considers herself “shorter than average,” at 5 feetand 3 inches.Nancy V.1. Young2. Female3. Beautiful4. Smart5. Intelligent6. Arrogant7. Strong-willed8. Driven9. Poor10. Impulsive11. Strong12. Chinese13. Courageous14. Kind15. Elegant16. Petite17. Loyal18. Lost19. Outgoing20. Stubborn11. Her only child, her son Geb Walter, died by drowning inthe California Aqueduct.12. She hates the taste of wine.13. She was adopted by a German couple in 1972.14. She has a furtive and guilt y fascination with doomsdayprophecies.15. When she was t welve years old, she found a dead cat onher walk home from school. Over a period of weeks, shewould walk by the cat and notice its stages of decomposition. The dr y and dust y environment semi-mummifiedthe cat.16. Her hair is curly and black—like her mother’s hair17. She is single, and “not looking.”18. The only time that she was happy, she believes, was inOctober of 1987, when she got lost for t wo days in thedeserts of the Sinai Peninsula. She thinks it is slightlyunsettling that she felt happy under those extreme conditions.19. Her hands remind her of t wo jelly fish.20. She tried yoga for t wo weeks, then quit “on account of myself-awareness.”JAMES PAT TERSON26

9.NOTESJAMES PAT TERSON27

10.FIRST LINESTAK E IT FURTHER“I need to feel as involvedas I want the reader tofeel.”—James Patterson SU B C H A PTER SHere are some of James’s favorite first lines from his novels: “To the best of my understandably shaky recollection,the first time I died it went something like this.” —Private “I have some really bad secrets to share with someoneand it might as well be you — a stranger, a reader ofbooks, but most of all, a person who can’t hurt me.” —Confessions of a Murder Suspect “It’s way too early in the morning for dead people.” —You’ve Been Warned Favorite First Lines Keep Pulling the Reader In Get Your Reader Invested Involve the Reader Quickly “I know things I don’t want to know.” — Swimsuit Don’t Be Afraid to Rewrite “Early on the morning of December 21, 1992, I was thepicture of contentment on the sun porch of our houseon 5th street in Washington, D.C. The small, narrowroom was cluttered with mildewing winter coats, workbooks, and wounded children’s toys. I couldn’t havecared less. This was home.” —Along Came A Spider “Let’s see what she has in her medicine cabinet. Imean, as long as I’m here.”— MistressA S SIG NMENTS Write five first lines for the first chapter of your novel. On the next page are first lines we’ve received from fourstudents who have taken this class. Based on the JamesPatterson criteria, which lines hit the mark and which needmore work? Watch James critique these first lines in the OffceHours video: CRITIQUE — FIRST LINES ASSIGNMENTJAMES PAT TERSON28

10.VOICEOVERACTINGA S SIG NMENTS (cont .) Sample 1 By Jonathan V. It was a heavy weakness that morning. “Is that pleasure tape?” Larry’s foot puffed into a purple, glossy,pineapple-shaped mess. Her funeral was attended only by one. Why is the sun blue? Sample 2 By Andrew C. I wouldn’t say it was an earthquake. Danny could throw a ball farther than anyone inthe fourth grade, and twice as far anyone in thethird What could I do? When I walked into the kitchen my grandfatherwaswearing a petite skirt and drinking schnappsfrom his favorite coffee mug. Cool early morning air wafted up, as Brandt lit hiscigarette and studied green nine. Sample 3 By Eric A. I never expected to hear anything, but there wassomething alluring about the void. The last stations should have died with Yeltsin — operatorslistening then heard monotone Russian broadcasts fading into the dull thrum of radio silence.I slipped on some headphones to try to filter outthe noise. The voice surged and broke through theveil of static. It was screaming. Sample 4 By Nancy V. It started out as any other school day. Blair wasrunning late, but Nate wouldn’t get out of thebathroom. She was never sure if he was doing itjust to annoy her or if he’d really needed to bein the bathroom. She shouts, “Nate, if you don’topen the door this second, I am going to strangle you, then tell Mom I strangled you,” as shepounds on the bathroom door. Nate opens thedoor with a smirk on his face, “Geez, someonewoke up on the wrong side of the bed.”JAMES PAT TERSON29

10.NOTESJAMES PAT TERSON30

11.WRITINGDIALOGUETAK E IT FURTHER“Everything you writeshould be moving yourstory forward.”—James Patterson Heightening real dialogue ensures you won’t bore the readerwith chitchat they can hear anywhere. Here are a few tips tohelp you avoid ordinary dialogue: Pay attention to how people interact the next timeyou’re on the subway, in a cafe, or at a restaurant. Whatabout their conversation was interesting? What partsbored you? The next time you watch a favorite TV show or movie,turn on the closed-captioning and mute the volume.Read the dialogue between characters. Does it read aswell as it does when you’re listening to it? Find the script of a popular film and read the dialoguewithout watching the movie. Does the scene resonatewith you without the visual storytelling?SU B C H A PTER S Example of Great Dialogue Heighten Reality Reveal Your CharactersThrough Dialogue Do Exposition the Right Way Compress Time Move the Story ForwardA S SIG NMENTS Write dialogue (using no narration) between two charactersusing this prompt: A man comes home from work early and his wifeintercepts him in the living room. He doesn’t want totell her that he’s just been fired; she doesn’t want himto know her lover is in the bedroom.In the following pages, four MasterClass students show whatthey came up with using the above exercise. Use what you’velearned in this lesson and try your hand at editing thisdialogue. Listen to James critique these scenes in the OfficeHours video titled: CRITIQUE — DIALOGUE ASSIGNMENTJAMES PAT TERSON31

11.WRITINGDIALOGUEA S SIG NMENTS (cont .) Sample 1 By Sean C.“You’re sweating.”“Oh — I took a hot shower,” she said, retying theknot in the belt of her robe.“It’s ninety degrees outside.”“My sinuses have been bothering me. I thought thesteam would help.”“I need a drink,” he said.“Bad day at work?”“You could say that.”He turned towards the kitchen.“You want to drink here? Why don’t we go out?” Shesaid.“No—”“Are you okay? What happened?”“I’m fine. It’s just offce politics.”“I can see it in your face. Why don’t we go to Twigs?Get a nice dinner, a few drinks. You don’t really wantto sit here drinking beer, watching Sports Center doyou?”She placed her hands on his chest, eyes looking upinto his.“I’m not in the mood to go out in public,” he said.“We could go pick up a pizza.”“I don’t want to pay for a pizza. Why don’t we justhave some wine and the rest of your lasagna? I wantto get drunk and spend the night in bed,” he said,reaching under her robe.”JAMES PAT TERSON32

11.WRITINGDIALOGUEA S SIG NMENTS (cont .) Sample 2 By Allegra H.“William? Is that you? Christ, you scared me halfto death.”“When did my wife become so easily rattled?”“Well you know there’ve been all those burglarieslately, and what are you doing home so early anyway?”“Headache. Think I’ll go lie down.”“Oh sweetie, would the couch do? I was reorganizing the closet and my shoes are spread out all overthe bed.”“I’ll push them aside.”“It’s really a mess in there — I’d rather you notsee.”“Don’t tell me you’ve been shopping again.”“When did my husband become such a Grinch?”“It’s the headache.”“You poor thing.always working so hard.”“I think I’m going to take that nap now.”“Wait! Let me make you some lunch first.”“I’m not — what was that noise?”“What noise?”“In the bedroom. I heard—”“A burglar!”JAMES PAT TERSON33

11.WRITINGDIALOGUEA S SIG NMENTS (cont .) Sample 3 By Jonathan V.“You’re early.”“You’re observant. I wasn’t feeling well.”“My poor s

James Patterson was born in 1947 and raised in Newburgh, New York. He studied English at . James has sold more than 300 million books worldwide and is characterized by unadorned prose, thrilling fast-paced plots, and bite-sized chapters. JAMES PATTERSON ABOUT JAMES PATTERSON.