Page Updated: 09/02/2005

Author Profile

James Patterson: Tangled Web Interview

Internationally acclaimed crime writer James Patterson, has many No 1 bestsellers to his credit, including the Alex Cross Mysteries, Big Bad Wolf, Four Blind Mice, Violets are Blue, Kiss the Girls, Along Came a Spider and the Women's Murder Club Series, 1st to Die, 2nd Chance and 3rd Degree. On the eve of the publication of his latest book, Honeymoon,(co-authored with Howard Rougham), Tangled Web talks to James about his writing.

Did you have any favorite writers as a child?
Edgar Allen Poe (just kidding).
Why and when did you decide to become a writer?
I was working at a mental hospital and had a lot of free time to read at night. Then I started to scribble my own stories and I loved it.
What attracted you to the crime/suspense genre?
Somebody said you’re lucky if you find something you want to do, and then it’s a miracle if you find someone to pay you to do it. That’s my life.
What are the major influences on your writing?
I read Day of the Jackal and I said to myself, ‘you can’t write Ulysses, but you might be able to write something like this’. I don’t think I really write like anyone else. The influence on my writing is colloquial storytelling, the way we verbally tell stories, as opposed to the way most fiction is written.
What makes, for you, a good crime novel?
Lots of twists and turns, no unnecessary information and characters that I either love or hate.
Do you read crime novels, and if so, do you have any favorite authors?
Yes, I do. Michael Connolly, Ian Rankin, Ruth Rendell and Nelson DeMille are some of my favorites.
What do you read for pleasure? What book(s) are you reading at the moment?
I read two to four books a week -- fiction and nonfiction. I’m currently reading the Bob Dylan autobiography, a novel called The HaHa and Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.
Which comes first for you - plot, place or characters - and why?
Plot, then characters. I’m usually not all that interested in place.
Do you have the whole plot in your head before you start writing, or does it develop as you write?
I write an extensive outline, but I’m not a slave to it. I almost never know the ending when I start to write.
Which of your novels has been the most enjoyable to write?
It’s usually the one I’m writing right now, or rather, the ones I’m writing now: the second in my Young Adult series, Maximum Ride, the new Alex Cross, and a horror story that would give Steven King the jitters.
Do you find writing easy?
It’s certainly a lot easier than it used to be. Let’s put it this way, I’m more confident, and that’s three quarters of the battle.
Do your own experiences make their way into your books?
I’ve already covered 3 or 4 murders that I’ve personally committed, so I seldom write about myself anymore. (!)
How do you do your research? What sort of research do you do?
I do the things that appeal to me -- like research on the Caribbean. I have a couple of people who do some of the less appealing tasks -- like the look and feel of a crack house in the East Bronx.
Do you have any thoughts/unease about crime fiction as entertainment?
I think the great thing about good crime fiction is that it creates anxiety and then relieves it. This doesn’t happen often enough in real life. I despise it when people talk about reading mysteries as a guilty pleasure. Why should anyone feel guilty about reading a mystery?
What has been the most satisfying point in your career so far? What are you most proud of achieving?
I like the Alex Cross series, the new Young Adult series which is launched this summer and my latest book, Honeymoon. Getting married and having my first child can’t be beaten.
It must be satisfying to see your books on the big screen - which is your favorite film adaptation and why?
I’m still waiting for my favorite film adaptation!
What do you do to relax?
Write books.
What are your plans for the future?
I have five novels scheduled and completed for 2005 -- and five more for 2006. I’d better get back to work.
Thanks James.
(Email interview by Liz Lees)

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