Perhaps I've not been paying attention, but it appears that the manner in which James Patterson writes his novel is an open secret. Apparently he comes up with the synopsis, teaches a group of writers his style, and then these writers write the book. One of his writers has now gone off on his own and the story about Peter de Jonge , his new novel Shadows Still Remain and his time with Patterson is in The New York Times.
Apparently Patterson books that are co-written in this manner do have reference to the fact that other writers were involved. One could say that the name James Patterson is like Mills and Boon, for example. It is a style of writing. It's no longer about him as an author. I suppose from that perspective it seems okay. But I think for the most part the general book buying public sees a James Patterson book and thinks, "I like that author" and buys the book. In that sense it seems wrong.
What do you think?
5 comments:
Is that true? Ooh, I don't know...I don't like the sound of that at all....
Well, the guy was an ad exec for many, many years, so if any one knows how to market a book its him (and it shows in his multimillion dollar sales, 50mil (profit) in 2007-2008). They way he now writes books is hardly new, brings to mind the great Renaissance art masters who did pretty much the same thing. Though I don't personally like the method, and could never fob my writing work off to someone else.
As long as it's out in the open, I guess his process is okay. I have never read one a Patterson book, but my husband has. I don't tend to choose the types of books that he writes. Many movies and TV shows end up written by more than one writer and we may never know that. In the end, look at the numbers. Amazing.
I've read a few of his books. In the end I guess if people love his books and he can't seem to keep up with demand then this might be a way to do it. At least it keeps people reading.
Once an ad executive, always an ad executive, that's all I can say. I am not a fan of Patterson at all. This crystallises my anti-fan status.
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