I did something today I thought I would never do. I listened to an Audible book on our Amazon Echo.
I have been listening to books on audio contraptions since they were invented. I was an early user of Audible books long before Amazon bought the company.
I listen to a book a month, sometimes more. If I went out walking everyday like I should, I could knock off an audio book or two a week. I would love that. One day I will get my act together.
Here is a little background for those who never listened to a book on Audible. In today’s world, most books published are available on Audible. Either the audio version is available immediately, along with the print edition, or a few weeks later. The books are read by the author, an actor, or a professional reader. I spend $15.00 a month on Audible which usually gives me one free book, plus bonus credits for future purchases.
I listen to books on my iPhone or iPad. It doesn’t matter what device I use, the book picks up where I left off. It seems like magic. It’s not like the books you used to listen to on audio cassettes. There is very little chance to lose your place. The chapters are marked and you can set the voice speed. If you need to review the story because you didn’t understand something, you can click a 30-second button to go “back” or “forward.”
Today, I decided I wanted to listen to “The Store” by James Patterson on my Echo. I thought I could just give the command to Alexa and the book would be read. No go. After 45 minutes on the phone with Audible support, I found out I had to download the Alexa app, and click on a few settings to make it work,
I listened to “The Store” on the Amazon Echo for a few hours today, while I worked on eliminating my emails. It was a great way to work and be entertained at the same time. The commands for The Echo are posted above.. See how sophisticated and easy it is. Let me know if you need my help.
Eliot showed me his signed copy of James Patterson’s first novel. I’m not allowed to touch it because any scratch would devalue its worth.
I consider myself so lucky. A few months ago I decided to write a non-fiction book. I’m not going to reveal the topic until the book is done. It’s a sensitive topic and it requires many confidential conversations.
I also don’t want to talk about it because I’m not sure how I’m going to tell the story. All I am doing now is gathering the information. I’m so grateful to the people who are helping me. I’m also checking out how some of my favorite authors structured their stories. I might follow their path.
Today, I found out about Master Class, an online video-based tutorial site where I can learn more about writing a book. They also have a few other topics. The teachers are the best in their field: Dustin Hoffman for acting, Serena Williams for tennis, Annie Leibovitz for photography, and James Patterson for writing. I am sure other categories will be added soon. I consider myself so lucky because James Patterson, one of the most successful authors in the world, is going to give me encouragement and tips on how to write my book.
The best part of this is that the classes are all online and I can go at my own speed. Each Master Class costs $90. I get up to three hours of video-based lessons as well as a series of interactive exercises. I will also receive teaching materials that include some of James Patterson’s early drafts to see how his novels developed.
I just took my first two lessons today. I can’t believe that so many of my questions have already been answered. Watch the videos below to get a flavor of what this is all about. I am so excited that I am a participant.
Here are some of my lessons.
INTRODUCTION
Your instructor, James Patterson—currently the best-selling author in the world—lets you know what he has planned for your class and what you’ll need to learn to start writing your own best-sellers.
PASSION + HABIT
Getting into the proper mindset is an essential first step to writing a best-seller. This lesson explores James’s secrets for staying focused, productive, and motivated.
RAW IDEAS
How do you recognize a great idea? How do you figure out if it’s worthy of your effort? James spells out the techniques he uses to generate his ideas and then separate the good ones from the less compelling ones.
PLOT
With the right plot, your reader won’t be able to stop turning the pages. In this lesson, James measures out his unique approach to developing plot lines that keep readers wanting more.
RESEARCH
For James, conducting in-depth research not only makes his writing better, it also boosts his credibility with his readers. Find out when and how James conducts his research and how he incorporates it into his writing in a thoughtful way. OUTLINES PART 1
James’s secret weapon is a comprehensive outline. Learn how he sets himself up for a fast and successful first draft. No matter what, don’t skip this lesson!
OUTLINES PART 2
James has never shown the outline for his best-seller Honeymoon to anyone (not even his publisher) until now. Follow along with the outline provided in your Class Workbook as James further explains his process.
WRITER’S BLOCK
Even when you’ve written as many books as James has (76 best sellers and counting), there’s still nothing scarier than staring at the blank page. Here’s how to conquer those fears.
CREATING CHARACTERS
From Alex Cross to Michael Bennett, James has mastered the art of creating complex and memorable characters. Hero to villain, learn how to make your character stay with your reader well beyond the last page.
FIRST LINES
Grab your readers attention quickly, and make them hold on for dear life. James shares his tips for getting your reader hooked from the very first line.
WRITING DIALOGUE
Dialogue should always push the story forward. Listen to James explain a few common dialogue pitfalls and easy ways to avoid them.
BUILDING A CHAPTER
James is well known for his numerous short and snappy chapters. Learn how he propels the reader through the book with an outline as his roadmap.
WRITING SUSPENSE
The secret to suspense is…
ENDING THE BOOK
We’ve all read great books with terrible endings. Of the infinite possible endings, learn how James chooses the right one.
EDITING
James is liberal with a red pen; his editing is key to keeping the reader engaged. Learn how to trim the fat with our interactive editing assignment.
WORKING WITH A CO-AUTHOR
When does James decide to use a co-author and is it a true collaboration? In this lesson, we meet two of his most trusted co-authors who share their process for making a collaboration truly successful.
GETTING PUBLISHED
Author of 76 best-sellers and holder of the Guinness World Record for the first person to sell over 1 million eBooks, James knows a thing or two about getting published. In this lesson he shares what he’s learned.
BOOK TITLES AND COVERS
Readers do judge books by their covers. What should they think about yours?
MARKETING THE PATTERSON WAY
Before publishing his first book, James was an executive at a top ad agency in New York. Find out what James learned from his time in advertising, and how he used it to change the book marketing game.
HOLLYWOOD
What happens when Hollywood takes an interest in your story? Sit back and listen as James shares the best and worst moments from his time on the set.
PERSONAL STORY
Every master begins as a student. James shares his long, winding path to becoming the world’s best-selling author.
CLOSING
You’ve been given the tools to help write your next book. Now what?
I almost didn’t write this blog post because it really has nothing to do with the digital world. I circled back to this life-lesson incident because our Internet went down and I didn’t have access to the web for research. Maybe this is a sign that the story should be told.
Picture this: A loud-mouthed, self-absorbed fan, constantly interrupting one of the most popular authors in the world during his meet and greet presentation yesterday at Murder on the Beach Bookstore in Delray Beach, Florida.
As I described yesterday, the bookstore was packed. Most loyal fans showed up an hour before James Patterson, author of 260 million books purchased worldwide, gave his talk. Everyone wanted good seats. The rest of the fans squeezed into the aisles like it was the last train home. The air conditioner was at max, but you could already feel the heat rising.
Right on time, Patterson appeared in front of the mic. Before he got a few words out of his mouth, you heard a commotion in the back of the store with one raspy female voice screeching, “I can’t see Patterson. I can’t see Patterson.” The author stopped talking, waiting for a break in the chaos to start again, but the outbursts continued. He made a few jokes like, “I thought I was the speaker?” Those of us in the front laughed, but the voices in the back got louder and louder.
Finally, Patterson couldn’t take it anymore. He stopped everything. He asked, “What is the problem back there?” No one answered him. You heard moans and groans. All of a sudden, some elderly, heavy set woman, squeezed her way through the crowd, stepping on the toes of others, giving a right and left elbow jab to those standing in the way. She was panting heavily, “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe,” as she slowly made her way down the aisle until she reached the front.
Instantly, some other older woman got up to offer her a chair. Without hesitation, “panting woman” took the chair and brought it closer to Patterson while she blocked the view of those who thought they had front row seats.
Patterson tried to start again, but the woman kept kvetching. “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe.” At one point I expected her to pass out. Patterson tried to be sympathetic, but it was becoming increasingly clear that this was more about her self-absorption than anything else that was going on in the room.
There was no stopping this woman. She interrupted Patterson for the entire hour. She loudly commented on everything he said. The problem was that she was a loyal fan. She recited excerpts from Patterson’s book, clapped like a two-year-old when Patterson announced his next books, and offered to give him pages to read from the book her son was writing as a New York City cop.
If this were any place other than Delray Beach, this intrusive nudnik would have been removed. If it were New York, she would have been a victim in one of Patterson’s books.
But this was Delray. Patterson was tolerant and the crowd was kind. I was flabbergasted.
The author who has sold approximately 260 million copies of his books worldwide says the most important thing you can do for your children or grandchildren is to encourage them to read. Eliot and I met up with James Patterson at Murder on the Beach Mystery Bookstore in Delray Beach, FL last night.
Patterson was launching his latest novel, “Private L.A.” The place was packed with fans, way over capacity. “Do what you have to in order get your kids to read,” he said. “If they read, they won’t see things in black and white. They will be able to open themselves up to new opportunities and concepts. They will be better thinkers and live richer lives.”
Patterson has several special initiatives in motion that encourage children of all ages to read. The programs are so strong that he believes he actually saves lives. “We have seen the difference from before and after. Remarkable. The time I devote to the programs is both exhilarating and rewarding.”
Patterson admitted he doesn’t spend a lot of time using digital products. All his books are written by hand. He still likes the feel of a book. There is something magical about visiting a bookstore. He doesn’t want young people to miss out on this adventure.
Patterson said he spoke to Jeff Bezos of Amazon about the absence of bookstores and the impact it will have on future generations. Bezos’s response was interesting. “We’re working on it.”
DigiDame 