Non-Fiction

ExWhoDoesntCare

(4,741 posts)

49. He's following the Dumas formula

Mon Apr 10, 2023, 08:58 PM

Apr 2023

Alexandre Dumas, pere, had a writing factory of scribes. He'd come up with a detailed outline of the book, character sketches, and etc. Probably had a style guide they had to follow as well. He'd then dole out to the poor slaves the various portions of the book to write. I guess someone did a big read through to find inconsistencies and errors.

And that's how Dumas wrote most of Dumas. He got the acclaim and riches. The peons got slave wages.

Same thing Patterson is doing.

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Has anyone read the new James Patterson memoir "Stories of My Life" ? [View all] anobserver2 Jun 2022 OP

Have it. Haven't gotten around to it. ReluctanceTango Jun 2022 #1

His "writing factory" gets very little space in this 300+ page memoir anobserver2 Jun 2022 #4

See pages 249-250 anobserver2 Jun 2022 #11

Thanks for the specifics ExWhoDoesntCare Apr 2023 #51

Also read this: Harvard Business Review, March 2012 anobserver2 Jun 2022 #12

And this: page 259 of his memoir (an unnumbered page) anobserver2 Jun 2022 #13

It seems he has promoted two versions of the structure of his writing factory anobserver2 Jun 2022 #14

Note to: any of his "writing factory" writers anobserver2 Jun 2022 #15

PS Here's the NY Post article about the lawsuit a writer filed against Patterson anobserver2 Jun 2022 #16

Also: Patterson's new memoir makes no mention of any lawsuit against him by a writer anobserver2 Jun 2022 #17

Two organizations for writers in the writing factory - Author's Guild and National Writers Union anobserver2 Jun 2022 #18

Questions someone should be asking these writers in his writing factory anobserver2 Jun 2022 #19

Well, of course it doesn't ExWhoDoesntCare Apr 2023 #48

I used to read all his books but now I think he just doc03 Jun 2022 #2

I think he still writes the Cross books, but other than that, I agree. rsdsharp Jun 2022 #3

Yeah, I think now he is really much more like a publisher anobserver2 Jun 2022 #5

I meant to add: And Equity, and all the other unions anobserver2 Jun 2022 #6

"crap, about crap" is the opinion of a reviewer I read - and I agree anobserver2 Jun 2022 #7

He's following the Dumas formula ExWhoDoesntCare Apr 2023 #49

James Patterson is an anomaly anobserver2 Apr 2023 #52

I do hope you meant to educate people ExWhoDoesntCare May 2023 #55

P.S. anobserver2 Apr 2023 #54

When I have time I will write a list of discrepencies I found in this memoir anobserver2 Jun 2022 #8

Excerpt from above link anobserver2 Jun 2022 #9

Well, that's a first ExWhoDoesntCare Apr 2023 #50

I think Patterson did the same thing as Frey anobserver2 Jun 2022 #10

Well, every review seems to be wonderful anobserver2 Jun 2022 #20

Great news: Library Journal panned Patterson's new memoir anobserver2 Jun 2022 #21

More about Library Journal anobserver2 Jun 2022 #22

So glad they panned it!!! anobserver2 Jun 2022 #23

The UK's Telegraph panned it, too anobserver2 Jun 2022 #24

Well, I almost thought today was Juneteenth - but it's not anobserver2 Jun 2022 #25

From June 20, 2022 New Yorker magazine: "How James Patterson Became the World's Best-Selling Author" anobserver2 Jun 2022 #26

Deception #1 in Memoir: North America anobserver2 Jun 2022 #27

Deception #2 in Memoir: Vietnam-era Law re draft anobserver2 Jun 2022 #28

Deception #3 in Memoir: Grad school / omission anobserver2 Jun 2022 #29

Deception #4 in Memoir: Re Harvard anobserver2 Jun 2022 #30

No Masters degree - he's not a "distinguished alumni" anobserver2 Jun 2022 #31

So - what was he doing from 1970-1971? anobserver2 Jun 2022 #32

Deception #5 in Memoir: His working life before advertising anobserver2 Jun 2022 #33

Deception #6 in Memoir: His false channeling of John Lennon anobserver2 Jun 2022 #34

Deception #7 in Memoir: How He Got Hired in Advertising anobserver2 Jun 2022 #35

Deception #8 in Memoir: Misrepresenting book anobserver2 Jun 2022 #36

Deception #9 in Memoir: "Outline!" anobserver2 Jun 2022 #37

Deceptions #10 #11 and #12 in Memoir to come anobserver2 Jun 2022 #38

Will try to finish this thread today anobserver2 Jun 2022 #39

Deception #10 - Pages 114-116 / Re full page ad in the NY Times 1984 anobserver2 Jun 2022 #40

Deception #11 in Memoir: Money, and Pages 120-121 - "the fine art of negociating" anobserver2 Jun 2022 #41

Deception #12 in Memoir - re Veterans anobserver2 Jun 2022 #42

Celebrity Index - Dolly Parton anobserver2 Jun 2022 #43

James Patterson & Bill O'Reilly book anobserver2 Jun 2022 #44

A Letter from James Patterson to me, August 1985 anobserver2 Feb 2023 #45

Patterson's Memoir (June 2022) vs Patterson's letter to me (August 1985) anobserver2 Feb 2023 #46

A novel idea anobserver2 Feb 2023 #47

How to Get On NYT Best Seller List anobserver2 Apr 2023 #53

RE Vietnam Draft anobserver2 Jan 2024 #56

job offer anobserver2 Jan 2024 #57

I liked these reviews on Good Reads anobserver2 Jan 2024 #58