4 ms·

Terrible writer, but interesting and successful business model, including co-writing with many authors.

• kevingadd 17y ago
  His skill when it comes to writing may not actually be that relevant. These days, people consume stories - and entertainment in general - in lots of different forms: novels, newspaper articles, blog posts, tv series, video games, forum threads and even tweets. Patterson may not be a master artisan when it comes to prose, but he's clearly dedicated to the goal of giving people interesting stories in an accessible format. Perhaps the use of co-authors is his way of addressing deficiencies in his own abilities? at least when it comes to video games, one's ability to write prose is not a good indicator of an ability to tell interesting stories. I've personally seen talented writers work hard to deliver an ultimately boring game story while non-writers with a knack for plotting and creative thinking can come out of left field with a game like Silent Hill 2 (widely recognized for a gripping and unorthodox plot).
  • ErrantX 17y ago
    Agreed. One of my current fav authors - Raymond Feist - isn't a particularly fine writer - but I really like his stories (especially the earlier ones) and some of the characters (particularly the quirky ones) are utterly engaging. At the end of the day a lot of what he writes is a bit awkward (and even weak at times) but you dont often notice.
    • coliveira 17y ago
      On a similar token, a lot of "high literature" looks terrible when you consider the story being told. My latest example is Virginia Woolf's "The Wave". While it is a beautiful book, the story couldn't be more boring.