by Gretchen Archer, @Gretchen_Archer
I don’t have a clue. He probably doesn’t
either. I’m sure there are forensic accountants, Schedule Cs, and colorful pie
charts with the secret formula for how this man, in today’s publishing climate,
earned so much money by simply putting pencil to paper (they say he
writes-outlines-edits long hand on legal pads), but I bet there’s no
one-sentence explanation. “Mr. Patterson, it was the Alex Cross fleece booties
that shot you from Forbes Stinking Rich to Forbes Obscenely Loaded.”
either. I’m sure there are forensic accountants, Schedule Cs, and colorful pie
charts with the secret formula for how this man, in today’s publishing climate,
earned so much money by simply putting pencil to paper (they say he
writes-outlines-edits long hand on legal pads), but I bet there’s no
one-sentence explanation. “Mr. Patterson, it was the Alex Cross fleece booties
that shot you from Forbes Stinking Rich to Forbes Obscenely Loaded.”
The only logical answer? James Patterson
supplies a high-demand product to an eager and willing consumer. That’s how he
does it. Who’s next? Who will be the next J.K., Danielle, John Grisham? I hope
it’s not me. I don’t want to be the next Gillian Flynn or E.L. James, either,
but for different reasons, and not because I hate going to the bank, something
they must be doing a lot of, too. It’s because, having read both Ms. Flynn and
Ms. James (kudos, ladies) I know I could never do what they’ve done (in the
first place) without giving up my life. For me to go that deep, I’d have to
shut off everything and everyone, and what if, when I dug out, everything and
everyone were gone?
supplies a high-demand product to an eager and willing consumer. That’s how he
does it. Who’s next? Who will be the next J.K., Danielle, John Grisham? I hope
it’s not me. I don’t want to be the next Gillian Flynn or E.L. James, either,
but for different reasons, and not because I hate going to the bank, something
they must be doing a lot of, too. It’s because, having read both Ms. Flynn and
Ms. James (kudos, ladies) I know I could never do what they’ve done (in the
first place) without giving up my life. For me to go that deep, I’d have to
shut off everything and everyone, and what if, when I dug out, everything and
everyone were gone?
Which brings me to a terrible confession:
I’m not in it for the money. I write with the luxury of knowing there will be dinner on the table and lights
on in my house if I bring in Sandra Brown numbers or, like many other happy
writers, I don’t.
I’m not in it for the money. I write with the luxury of knowing there will be dinner on the table and lights
on in my house if I bring in Sandra Brown numbers or, like many other happy
writers, I don’t.
I’m in it for the fun. Writing is fun.
I write, entirely, for my own amusement.
While there’s an underlying message in my Davis Way Crime Caper Series—you
can’t have something for nothing—my solitary goal, when staring at the blank
screen, is to entertain myself.
While there’s an underlying message in my Davis Way Crime Caper Series—you
can’t have something for nothing—my solitary goal, when staring at the blank
screen, is to entertain myself.
Maybe I need to get out more.
Plot is fun. For whatever reasons,
because I couldn’t drum up a hotel sewing kit if James Patterson were standing
in front of me holding a critical runaway button, I think of plot in terms of
thousands of colorful strands of loose, wispy threads all around me, and my
goal is to gather and assemble and weave them in such a way that they come
together in a strong, affecting, and charming design. (Side note: I think of
editing as someone saying the light lavender strand, that I love, and spent
forever plaiting in, looks horrible.)
because I couldn’t drum up a hotel sewing kit if James Patterson were standing
in front of me holding a critical runaway button, I think of plot in terms of
thousands of colorful strands of loose, wispy threads all around me, and my
goal is to gather and assemble and weave them in such a way that they come
together in a strong, affecting, and charming design. (Side note: I think of
editing as someone saying the light lavender strand, that I love, and spent
forever plaiting in, looks horrible.)
Characters are fun. I have the pleasure
of taking all the good I’m surrounded by and giving it to my characters. I do
the same with my bad guys. The parents who blame everything and everyone but
themselves for their child’s rotten grades-Sailor language-haircut—in the book.
The friend who won’t stop making harrowing relationship decisions—in the
book. The desperate man having a very
public meltdown at the bank when he’s the one who bounced the checks—in the
book.
of taking all the good I’m surrounded by and giving it to my characters. I do
the same with my bad guys. The parents who blame everything and everyone but
themselves for their child’s rotten grades-Sailor language-haircut—in the book.
The friend who won’t stop making harrowing relationship decisions—in the
book. The desperate man having a very
public meltdown at the bank when he’s the one who bounced the checks—in the
book.
The research is fun, because learning is
fun. For DOUBLE DIP (Henery Press, January, 2014), I learned about French food,
slot tournaments, bananas, mega churches, and waste management. Which didn’t do
a thing for my cash flow, but I really enjoyed it.
fun. For DOUBLE DIP (Henery Press, January, 2014), I learned about French food,
slot tournaments, bananas, mega churches, and waste management. Which didn’t do
a thing for my cash flow, but I really enjoyed it.
Outside of the writing process, the
people are fun. If you’re not working with people who make your life and your
work a better place, get new ones. I’m surrounded by the greatest group of
people imaginable. I’d have never met them had it not been for the writing, and
they’re worth more to me than money. Above all, they’re fun.
people are fun. If you’re not working with people who make your life and your
work a better place, get new ones. I’m surrounded by the greatest group of
people imaginable. I’d have never met them had it not been for the writing, and
they’re worth more to me than money. Above all, they’re fun.
You’ll read next week that Mr.
Patterson’s 18th release (this year)
has been knocked out of the NYT’s #1 spot by none other than Mr. Patterson
himself, with his 19th. Be happy for
him. Go, James, go! Rake it in!
Patterson’s 18th release (this year)
has been knocked out of the NYT’s #1 spot by none other than Mr. Patterson
himself, with his 19th. Be happy for
him. Go, James, go! Rake it in!
Gretchen Archer
is a Tennessee housewife who began writing when her daughters, seeking higher
educations, left her. She lives on Lookout Mountain with her husband, son,
and a Yorkie named Bently. DoubleWhammy is her first Davis Way Crime Caper. www.gretchenarcher.com
is a Tennessee housewife who began writing when her daughters, seeking higher
educations, left her. She lives on Lookout Mountain with her husband, son,
and a Yorkie named Bently. DoubleWhammy is her first Davis Way Crime Caper. www.gretchenarcher.com
Double Whammy: Davis Way hits the jackpot
when she lands a job at the fabulous Bellissimo Resort and Casino, but only if
she can steer clear of her ex-ex husband, her evil twin, and pesky felony
indictments.
when she lands a job at the fabulous Bellissimo Resort and Casino, but only if
she can steer clear of her ex-ex husband, her evil twin, and pesky felony
indictments.
It’s good to be in the privileged situation to be able to write just for fun. It’s the same with me. I get my money from BigOil (which should probably give me bad conscience, but I must admit it doesn’t).
Question: Do you need to be poor, to fight for survival, to become a great artist?
Cold As Heaven
Elizabeth – Thanks for hosting Gretchen.
Gretchen – What a terrific reminder that writing should be fun. Writing to please oneself can be really uplifting in a lot of ways, and I don’t think it necessarily has to contradict paying attention to what the audience wants. There’s a really deep satisfaction one gets too when one writes something for pleasure that lo and behold, readers love too.
Or, CA Heaven, do you get to claim that your art has more merit if it comes from a dark place?
Gretchen–Thanks so much for posting today!
I’m like you–I knew that writing wasn’t going to bring much income, so I started out to please myself by writing. Income is starting to trickle in now…welcome, but unexpected…and we never know when that will come to a close. Always good to write for fun and for pleasing our audience. :)
Love this post – never expected to make any money. It just makes my heart happy.
Yes, Margo, a perfect balance. Thanks for having me, Elizabeth.
I’ll never make a fortune either, but that’s okay with me.
Gretchen,
The question of dark places is interesting, in a broad sense (I’ve discussed it with other people previously). I think all people have a dark side. Writing can be a great way to explore the dark side in a rather innocent and harmless way >:)
Cold As Heaven
I’ll still be writing, with or without cash flow. It’s fun and cathartic. And it keeps the voices quiet.
I write for fun. If my books sell at all, it’s bonus.
Man, I’d LOVE James Patterson’s gig… he outlines the plot and lets somebody else write most of those… cuts a lot of the time off a book if you don’t actually… you know… write the book…
I ADORE plotting and LOVE writing… it is the editing and cleaning up that gets cumbersome. I DO want to make money, but only because that’s the only way I’ll ever be able to give up my day job and write more.
L.Diane, Karen, and Alex, exactly. CA, I agree. Rarely is society harmed by someone acting out their freak in narrative. Hart, did you see the 60/20/Nightline piece about J. Patterson? Nice place, he’s got there. Good luck on full-time writing– it’s easier on the brain/family/pets/body clock.
You are too cute, Gretchen Archer. And I’m glad you find writing fun, because your writing is fun! Loved DOUBLE WHAMMY and I wish you Patterson’s success just because you deserve it!
LOVE this post!! Writing is so much fun – and it’s easy to lose sight of that in this crazy world at times! Thanks for reminding everyone! :)
Carol K, it is a chronic condition, right? Larissa, if I made even a tenth of JP’s jackpot, I’d split it with you. (Which reminds me, need to talk to you about the $600 million lottery ticket we said we’d split.)
it’s definitely not for everyone. not sure i could commit like they do!
Gretchen, congratulations on your book! James Patterson definitely uses a different process for putting his books together. Here is some insight on it.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/authorinterviews/7052581/James-Patterson-interview.html
and
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/magazine/24patterson-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
I think I may be the only one who doesn’t understand this post at all. Sure, writing is fun. I agree. I’m in it for all the reasons you list. (I would think that James Patterson and EL James and Gillian Flynn believe it’s fun too.) But to say that you wouldn’t want to be the next best-selling author because it’s too much pressure and work?? Somehow I think this post implies that to make all that money a writer has to work harder than one who makes a nominal salary. Not true. Best-selling author or otherwise, we writers work pretty darn hard. I even sometimes shut myself off from everyone and everything to write. So, yes, I’m in it for the fun, but to imply that fun and hard work are mutually exclusive is very misleading.
To me, his books seem kind of cookie cutter and uninteresting. I enjoyed some of the early Pattersons. I avoid them now and read lesser-read authors that seem more interesting or very well accepted authors with less output (People like Louise Penny).
Fun. Yes. And writing provides good company. I have many friends and treasure the time with them. But I also treasure the time spent with my characters in the settings I created.
Knowing our own “why” makes all the difference. And knowing our own personality helps, too.
Despite my gloriously happy marriage and our enormously wonderful little one, I spend a lot of time in solitude because it’s who I am. Best Beloved and Little One feel very cared for, get lots of time and attention. I just don’t work very much, because I’d rather write. Good thing we’ve created a lifestyle that doesn’t depend much on money.
I use my solitude time for my writing. Non-fiction, fiction (more of that these days) and music. And if one of my books or songs becomes a giant hit and I spend more time writing and making zillions of dollars, I’m okay with that.
Or if my writing continues to be primarily personal therapy via a hobby that almost pays for itself, that’s fine, too.
Comments above about “dark places” — great fiction comes from conflict and growth. Dark places are easier to write, but even positive happy stuff can involve conflict and growth. I personally abhor the tragic and horrendous in what I choose for entertainment. But the powerful, intense, and personal? I’ll take that all day long and twice on Sunday.
What a fun post, Gretchen! Thank you. You made me smile.
I think I’d like to hang out and plot with you!
I LOVE this perspective!
Jemi, jkb, and Dina– thanks for responding. Yes, Jemi, it’s good to remember why we started writing in the first place. jkb, thanks for the links! Dina, I’m working harder than I’ve ever worked in my life. Do what you love and love what you do? Fun and hard work aren’t exclusive, for me, anyway.
Tammy, Carolyn, and Joe– Tammy, that’s the word I was looking for: commit. Carolyn, good point. I absolutely love my time with my characters. Thanks for the reminder. And Joe, me, too. Loved the early stuff, but haven’t read a new one in decades.
Joel– I love your “great fiction comes from conflict and growth.” I hear young people say they want to write novels and I think, you haven’t lived long enough. Most young people haven’t met Conflict and Growth. And you have to meet them over and over again for it to come into play in your work, right? Grow up and have problems like the rest of us, you young whippersnappers, then write your masterpiece.
Diane and Julie– thanks, and Diane, let’s do it!
I loved this post.
While I’m not in this business for the money, my dream is to be able to write and nothing more, relying on that to give my wife and I a comfortable lifestyle and put my children through school.
Of course, that only comes about with money. :-)
I’d be writing anyway. I can’t not write. I just wish I could ditch the day-job and dedicate more of my life to it.