I'm big on having a blistering pace. That's one of the hallmarks of what I do, and that's not easy. I never blow up cars and things like that, so it's something else that keeps the suspense flowing. I try not to write a chapter that isn't going to turn on the movie projector in your head.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of maintaining a fast pace in storytelling to keep the audience engaged.
James Patterson highlights his commitment to a rapid narrative style that creates suspense and excitement. By focusing on a blistering pace, he aims to ensure that every chapter contributes to a cinematic experience, igniting the imagination of readers and keeping them captivated from beginning to end.
In practice
In a writing workshop, I might use this quote to inspire students about the importance of pacing in their stories.
Let's face it: Most of us don't realize it, but we are failing our kids as reading role models. The best role models are in the home: brothers, fathers, grandfathers; mothers, sisters, grandmothers. Moms and dads, it's important that your kids see you reading. Not just books - reading the newspaper is good, too.
When I was 26, I wrote my first mystery, 'The Thomas Berryman Number', and it was turned down by, I don't know, 31 publishers. Then it won an Edgar for Best First Novel. Go figure.
Elegance is not an outer quality, but a part of the soul that is visible to others.
Writers are in control of editing processes - making a sentence better, cutting out a paragraph. But the initial outpouring has very little to do with conscious control or manipulation.
I like the construction of sentences and the juxtaposition of words-not just how they sound or what they mean, but even what they look like.
Being essentially a creator, I never set out to shock, always thinking about creating my work and not about the benefits it could produce.
Too many pieces of music finish too long after the end.
My films have been progressing towards a certain kind of minimalism, even though it was never intended. Elements which can be eliminated have been eliminated.
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