James Patterson Explains How He Writes All Those Books
Author James Patterson stands at a round pine table in a small second-floor office, where he mostly writes, in his home May 3, 2006, in Palm Beach, Fla. AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee hide caption
Best-selling writer James Patterson has written a lot of books, about 50, give or take. I've never read one but that doesn't mean I won't. Just haven't gotten around to it yet.
But tens of millions of people have read them, especially at the beach if my unscientific survey is any guide.
All Things Considered host Michele Norris has an author interview with Patterson today in which he explained how he writes so many books -- he's expected to churn out nine this year. He essentially does it by committee. So when you read a Patterson book, you're actually reading a Patterson & Co. book.
When people hear this, they give Patterson the distinct impression that they think his approach is somewhat odd. Not so, Patterson says. Think of his books the way you would think about TV shows.
Says Patterson:
"Because it's a little unusual in books, (people) get a little flaky about it. "If you think about it almost all television shows, some of which are quite good, are done by teams of writers. So it's not as unusual as people think it is."
Patterson tells Michele he also does a lot of first-hand research, especially when the location needing to be researched is someplace relaxing like Hawaii. On the other hand, if it's a South Bronx crack house, he sends a researcher who takes notes. Good move.