Witch & Wizard: James Patterson

When I think of James Patterson, I think of Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls. I have to admit, I have never read one of Patterson’s books until now. I wasn’t disappointed.

I think what made Witch & Wizard a bestseller was because of its ...

Pacing.

Sch-zaam! This book didn’t have legs; it had wheels. It was like being punched in the face every time I turned the page.

Witch & Wizard worked because once you started it, Patterson forced you to continue with the next page and the next. I think readers automatically look for natural breaks in a story to stop reading. Witch & Wizard does not give you that opportunity.

Here’s how Patterson did it:

1. The story opened with immediate action.
2. Something happened on every page.
3. There were no lulls, no reflections, no breathers (unless it was like a minute) before the action continued.

As opposed to some of my other book reviews, I believe Patterson’s writing style made Witch & Wizard a hit. I don’t know if Patterson outlined his story, but I think this book would be a good example of how to outline. Patterson stuck with whatever plan he created without going off on tangents and bogging down the reader. Witch & Wizard was impossible to put down. And isn’t that the point of being a writer … creating a story that can’t leave the readers hands? Outlining before you write is a good way to achieve the same results.