Is James Patterson's MasterClass Right for You

In February I decided to checkout James Patterson's MasterClass on writing. I had hit a wall in my writing and needed to figure out how to fix it. That's when I stumbled across a plug for Patterson's class. It cost $90 to enroll and I could take the class at my own pace. 

The reviews of the class were positive, but also made it sound like it was better for people who were just starting out writing or had never taken a creative writing course. I've taken several writing courses over the ten years that I've been dabbling in creative writing. Still I decided to give it a try because I figured I would pay $90 to attend conferences or events where Patterson would speak. Why not pay the enrollment fee to have access to his wit and wisdom whenever I wanted? One of the benefits of the course is that once you enroll, you can revisit it any time. There is no expiration on the course.

Overall the class offered a lot of basic information spread across twenty-two short videos averaging about ten minutes. Each video covered a different topic like developing plot, creating characters, and writing dialogue. He also covers subjects that aren't often included in creative writing classes like how to get published, marketing, and Hollywood. 

So, is the class right for everyone? In my opinion, yes. Hearing about the writing process from the person who holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers offers a unique perspective to even the most basic topic. If that is not enough to get you to sign-up, consider what else the course has to offer.

1. Class Workbook

Each of the twenty-two lessons has a worksheet that accompanies it that includes a lesson recap, writing assignment, and critiques of fellow students who have submitted their assignments. You can also submit questions through the Office Hours platform.

2. Community

At the bottom of each video lesson is a discussion board for students to comment on the lesson. While Patterson is the professional teacher of the course, there can be a lot to learn from your peers who have also taken the class.

3. Outline of Patterson's Honeymoon

Along with the class workbook, you can download and print the outline he wrote for his thriller Honeymoon. Hearing about Patterson's writing process is helpful, but actually seeing one of the first steps he takes towards writing one of his bestsellers is enlightening.

Regardless if you have just started writing or have finished or even published a novel, I recommend adding this course to your writer's toolbox. No matter how long you've been writing there's always more to learn. 

Thanks to this class I've learned possibly the most important lesson I've learned in my writing career. The reason my story wasn't working was because I was trying too hard to fit it into a perfectly styled novel that followed all the rules. After taking James Patterson's class I have a new found freedom for creating a story how it has to be told regardless of the rules. Thank you, James Patterson. Now to write my bestseller. Good luck and keep writing.