James Patterson Masterclass Review 2022 | Is It Worth Your Money?

This article on “James Patterson Masterclass Review” will provide you with the opportunity to read an in-depth evaluation of James Patterson’s Masterclass, including information on how the lessons are presented, who the course is best suited for, the cost, and what I liked about it, etc.

For the greater part of two decades, James Patterson has occupied the top spot on the list of best-selling thriller authors. As soon as I heard about the James Patterson MasterClass, I leaped at the opportunity.

You may be unsure if enrolling in the course is the right choice for you. Or maybe you’re looking for a Master Class All-Access Pass, and James Patterson is at the top of your list of possible instructors.

“In his first online writing course, [Patterson] walks you from the beginning to the end of your book.” By the end of this MasterClass, my personal objective is to have a fully fleshed-out novel outline.

To what extent is James Patterson’s writing MasterClass worthwhile? Is it possible for me to begin writing a novel if I study enough?

Unique insights into generating and developing effective ideas, building characters and narrative lines, writing a novel, and making it as a writer are provided through the James Patterson MasterClass. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from one of the greatest living writers.

If you’re here at our James Patterson Masterclass Review post, it’s because you’re curious about what the James Patterson MAasterClass can teach you about writing and if it’s the perfect MasterClass to take.

Who Is James Patterson?

James Patterson is an American author best known.

The 2015 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community is only one of several honors he has received. Between 2013 and 2016, he topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid authors.

He has sold over 325 million copies of his novels globally, several of which were number one bestsellers.

In this MasterClass, you’ll learn to write from a business-minded and commercially successful novelist. The MasterClass trailer is also worth checking out at masterclass.com if you haven’t already.

On top of that, you can find James Patterson on Twitter, where he has more than 140k followers, and he regularly shares interesting and thought-provoking anecdotes with his audience there.

What Is MasterClass?

MasterClass (Yankee Industries Inc.) was launched in 2015 as a free instructional resource for the internet community at large. MasterClass has raised the bar for online education in recent years with its collection of more than 80 video lessons featuring well-known experts in their professions.

Using MasterClass, you’ll be able to study under the tutelage of industry experts like Gordon Ramsay, Judd Apatow, and Margaret Atwood. If you’d like to learn from some of the game’s most accomplished players, this is your chance.

You can use any MasterClass for as long as you like for the low price of $90. The course and its extra resources are yours to keep as long as you own them. Access to the MasterClass forum is also included.

There’s also an all-access pass available. This is an annual $180 subscription that allows you access to all MasterClasses for the duration of the calendar year. There is no limit to what you may do when it comes to combining lessons and browsing other categories.

So in that sense MasterClass may not be for everyone. I’m writing this review in the hopes of weighing the advantages and disadvantages of MasterClass so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not it’s right for you.

Course Overview – James Patterson Masterclass Review

It takes 3 hours and 50 minutes to complete James Patterson’s MasterClass. Lessons can be anywhere from five to ten minutes long.

• Each portion of the course is divided into one of four major categories:
• Developing and Discovering New Concepts
• Composing a Sentence
• Being a Successful Writer
• Keeping the Fire Alive in Your Life

The Community Hub, a 66-page Workbook, and the Honeymoon PDF blueprint are all available in addition to the video lessons. James Patterson’s MasterClass has a lot to offer, so here’s what you should expect.

Identifying and Developing New Thoughts.
At the beginning of James’ MasterClass, he gives you a sample of what you may expect. In addition, he explains who the class is intended for and where he plans to take it.

The following are the lessons he imparts:

1. Plot

According to James, “character is shown via action.” These two elements have become intertwined in the novel’s narrative because of this.

When it comes to story development, James emphasizes drama and conflict, just like past MasterClasses I’d done (particularly David Mamet’s class on dramatic writing).

James shows you how to do the following things with special emphasis on this:

• To keep your readers engaged, condense your story.
• Increase the stakes by introducing tension into the situation.
• Acquaint yourself with a story’s major plot points
• Become familiar with the distinction between plot and story arcs

This piece was delivered in a crisp and condensed manner. Quickfire advice from James that is easy to grasp and implement.

He focuses on character development in order to pique the interest of the audience. Your “hero” will need good opponents, and you’ll need to decide which aspects of the story are most important to each character’s development.

Like many of his lessons, James teaches about marketability and how to write for your audience. We learn about his intended audience and the tricks he uses to keep the story interesting and engaging for the reader.

While most MasterClasses concentrate entirely on the craft of writing, James always manages to tie up any loose ends by making a connection to the people who will be purchasing your book once it is published. Using this method, you’ll be able to incorporate both theories and practice into your writing, and you’ll have a better understanding of your audience.

2. Raw Ideas

You’ll learn how to generate and refine ideas in this first session from James. You’ll be able to do the following by the end of the course:

• Story concepts can be found and developed.
• Determine the viability of a concept by putting it to the test.
• Make something new out of a variety of concepts.
• Learn to be receptive to new ideas and perspectives.
• Decide which concept will sell the most.

Even though he has a certain genre and formula for his writing, James does present examples of alternative approaches that have been successful for other authors.

For example, there are various methods for finding the right subject matter and making it interesting, but they all have some qualities in common.

It isn’t only about reading great works; it is about changing your behaviors so that you’re more open to new ideas. Learn how to pay closer attention to your surroundings, what questions to ask about your plot, and how to figure out what will work as a novel in this course.

When I first met James, I could tell that he had a history in advertising, and I could tell that he was very concerned about a book’s financial viability. This was a novel approach to writing that I hadn’t seen in any prior MasterClasses, and I think other students would agree was refreshing.

3. Outlines

I believe this is the most important part of James’ MasterClass: outlines. The lack of an outline can be a major problem in the writing process, according to James in this section of his book.

“The only time I face a blank page is when I’m outlining,” says James. Instead, he compliments the plan for helping him focus on the plot by breaking it down into small bits.

In addition, he teaches you the following:

• Determine the requirements for an outline
• Focus on the story by using outlines.
• Make writing a part of your daily routine.
• In your outline, create scenes that tell a story.
• Create a sense of urgency by advancing the plot.
• Plot twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats.
• When judging the quality of your story, James provides a list of questions you should be asking yourself.

4. Research

When it comes to James’ writing, research is an essential part of the process. According to him, research is both a means of finding inspiration and a means of improving your writing abilities.

To be honest, James’ suggestions on how to do interviews reminded me of a lot of journalists like Malcolm Gladwell. That balance between the artistic and the factual, which he sees as essential to an enjoyable reading experience, was evident in his writing style.

In this course, you will learn how to:

• Investigate a new area of interest.
• Observe the differences in reading habits between men and women
• Strike a balance between in-depth investigation and artistic freedom.
• To figure out what and how to research, use POV.

In addition, James provides instances from his novel, Along Came to a Spider, to support these goals. Many Alex Cross fans will recognize this as the first book in the series.

5. Creating Characters

This part focuses on the importance of characters in both driving the story and enriching the reader’s experience, as opposed to the previous chapter’s focus on the plot. “You have to develop that character that they won’t forget,” he says.

James shows you how to do the following in this lesson:

• Decide on a persona for your story.
• Incorporate characteristics that are both believable and relatable.
• Complexify your protagonists and antagonists.
• Identify the types of characters that work well in a certain situation.
• Recognize what makes a character appealing to the reader.

Examples of James’ favorite heroes and villains are those from his Private Series and the television show House. ” In order to be convincing, he believes that characters must have specific characteristics.

The first lines of a novel are critical to James because they set the tone for the rest of the book. These are also the first “hooks” you might give your reader to engage them in your story.

6. First Lines

It’s in this chapter that author James Lee Burke reveals some of the best phrases from his books and explains why they work. He emphasizes the need of grabbing the reader’s attention early on and keeping it throughout the book’s first few chapters.

7. Writing Dialogue

James focuses on the craft of creating compelling characters through the use of well-crafted language. How to use conversation to move the plot along is part of this, as is the creation of realism.

This chapter, like the majority of them, provides you with several concrete instances of writings that do an excellent job of constructing dialogue. Most of the excerpts come from his own books, combined with his own personal thoughts.

In addition to this, you’ll study the following:

• Use speech to reveal your personality.
• The explanation must be done correctly.
• Show the passage of time through speech.
• Write to advance the plot.

8. Building A Chapter

“A movie projector in our heads,” as fellow author Michael Connelly put it, is how James compares reading to a movie. As a result of this, a story must have a certain perspective, and this can either make or ruin the story itself.

In this section, Patterson outlines the various opinions that can be taken. He compares and contrasts the advantages and disadvantages of each option for different sorts of writing.

In spite of his evident predilection, he provides some useful information about POV selection.

As an example of excellent chapter writing, he cites a scene from the Women’s Murder Club. With the help of this guide, you’ll learn how to design a chapter from the ground up.

9. Writing Suspense

James demonstrates how to do the following in this section:

• Be familiar with your genre’s specifics.
• Keep your readers surprised and enthralled with your writing.
• Acquaint yourself with your responsibilities as a thriller author.
• Give yourself a treat while you’re writing.

This part of MasterClass is the most focused on a single genre. The thriller genre, according to James, has a set of characteristics that he believes are essential to its success. In addition, he explains what makes a thriller work and how to keep the reader engaged.

10. Ending The Book

In order to be a best-seller, James believes that a book’s finale must meet specific criteria. To put it another way, the reader must be rewarded in a way that exceeds their expectations.

At the end of this chapter, James explains how to set up a climax while maintaining mystery. As he explains, this is the ideal approach to surprise your readers with a good conclusion.

Writers must undertake what James calls “planting seeds” in order to build to the climax of their stories. You can use these examples of successful endings as a guide to improving your own writing.

11. Writer’s Block

Writer’s block is a typical annoyance for many authors, and in this chapter, James shares his thoughts on how to overcome it. “Freight train” is the analogy James uses in order to describe his method of overcoming these challenges.

His daily routine and tricks for hitting word counts are also explained in detail. You’ll learn how to stay on task, how to make the most of your downtime, and how to enhance your writing skills.

In terms of chapter length, this one is the shortest. At the same time, it was one of the most in-depth discussions we had in class. This, in my opinion, was the most universally-applicable material that would benefit a large number of writers.

What can you expect from this MasterClass?

As the course trailer opens, “Imagine taking a writing lesson from a master.”. Patterson goes on to say, “We’ll deal with outlines, how to generate a scene.” What’s the point of this? Getting started on a book is intimidating for me since I’ve already been there.

James Patterson will show you how to get started writing a book, even if MasterClass does not explicitly state that this is what they’re promising.

The start is the most important word. Initially, Patterson’s teachings appear to have everything we need to take a concept from our heads, flesh it out into an outline, and then start to work creating characters, scenarios, and chapters. When your book is ready, he’ll go over the process of editing, getting it published, and working with Hollywood if necessary (it ever comes to that).

Saying we’ll have everything we need to produce a book by the end of this MasterClass is a hefty promise. I’m going in knowing that three and a half hours isn’t going to turn me into a master, but it will teach me the essentials. That is only possible with a great deal of repetition.

Plans & Pricing – James Patterson Masterclass Review

We will guide you here in our James Patterson Masterclass Review that what are the ways to get enroll with.

There are three ways to enroll in James Patterson’s MasterClass:

• Subscriptions cost $25 a month.
• $60 for a three-month membership (saves you 20 percent )
• An annual fee of $180 is required for membership (saves you 40 percent )

You’ll have access to more than 90 MasterClass classes, including those by authors like Margret Atwood and Neil Gaiman, as well as Aaron Sorkin and Dan Brown.

$180 for access to a person’s whole career, distilled into entertaining and pleasurable video content, is a reasonable price in my opinion If the James Patterson MasterClass isn’t for you, there are likely to be other MasterClasses that are.

What I Learned From James Patterson’s MasterClass

01 – Learn From A Successful Author

Stephen King’s endorsement of another author’s achievement is worth paying attention to. James Patterson is currently the highest-paid novelist in the world, having authored numerous number-one best-sellers throughout the course of his career.

MasterClasses are a great way to learn directly from the author of the work you’re studying. It’s refreshing to take a lesson from a published author instead of an academic, who may or may not have followed the correct steps to get where he is now.

Take notes from one of the greatest writers of our time if you’re serious about your career in writing.

02 – Strong Additional Resources

James Patterson’s MasterClass includes 21 video lessons as well as the following extras:

• Subchapters of a 66-page Workbook
• Pages of notes
• Exceed Yourself
• Assignments
• Embedded links to weekly writing calendars
• Recommendations for further study
• Chapter summaries are included in this section.
• Samples of one’s writing
• Honeymoon plan outline

To prove this, I’ll show that the most popular extra resources were those that gave students a way to actively connect with the content. Video lessons can be made more dynamic and less passive with the addition of this tool. You can use it outside of MasterClass as well.

03 – Humorous And Concise Approach To Teaching

It’s possible James isn’t a very good teacher, but his teachings are presented in a way that’s both entertaining and educational. When compared to other MasterClasses, James’ teachings are generally concise and straight to the point, making it easier for students to concentrate and grasp the material.

The fact that James takes his work so seriously and is so engrossed in it goes without saying. Additionally, he incorporates comedy and wit into his lessons while steering clear of traditional lecture-style presentations. To me, it felt more like a conversation than a lecture, which was exactly what I was looking for.

04 – Condensed And Easy To Follow

Even the MasterClass as a whole is a rather brief affair. Despite a large number of subtopics, this is an easy read. That’s a big help to me because I know precisely what to expect from each video.

It follows a logical path, starting with your initial thoughts and leading you all the way to final publishing. This made the class appear less overwhelming and allowed you to see the clear flow from one topic to the next.

This MasterClass is also shorter than others, making it easier to get through if you’re cramming it in around other commitments.

James Patterson Masterclass Review: Is It Worth Your Money?

The James Patterson writing course isn’t one of my favorites, but that’s just my opinion. For this reason, writing for money and profit can feel more like a business than a creative expression (which it is to many others).

Those intending to write outside of the mystery/thriller genre will have a difficult time using it because it is so narrowly focused. As a result, before enrolling in a course, think about what you hope to accomplish as a writer.

For professional writers, the all-access pass is the best value for money, according to one user’s recommendation. As a result, you’ll be able to take advantage of all of the writing-related courses available.

As a whole, this MasterClass focuses more on how to structure and publish a book than on how to write. It’s worth checking out the “What’s inside” section to see if this course is a good fit for you.

Is James Patterson a fan or not? He has become one of the most popular thriller writers in recent memory. In terms of writing, advertising, and promoting a book he has a lot of demonstrated experience. If you’re willing to put in the time and money, this MasterClass is for you.

Learn How To:

• Identify and generate enticing concepts.
• Create characters that are both engaging and believable.
• Create dialogue that is both believable and integral to the storyline.
• In your writing, create a sense of dread.
• Writer’s block can be overcome.
• Ensure that your work is flawless by going back and making revisions.
• Publish your work in a field that is very competitive.
• Publicize your book both online and off.

Pros:

• Learn from a successful author
• Strong additional resources
• Condensed and easy to follow

Cons:

• Does contain spoilers
• Heavily subjective advice
• Limited in other sources

Conclusion On James Patterson Masterclass Review

This James Patterson MasterClass on writing comes highly recommended, in my opinion, taking everything into account:

• Efficacy of output
• Duration of instruction
• The Class Workbook supplied
• Author James Patterson has a track record of both commercial and critical acclaim.
• Being able to make use of an unlimited number of MasterClass courses is a huge perk (especially access to other authors such as Neil Gaimon, Dan Brown, Margaret Atwood, Judy Blume, and more)

Frequently Asked Questions