Listen "#7: James Patterson Writes a Better Thriller"
Episode Synopsis
It took James Patterson seven attempts before he found the right formula for a successful thriller. In this episode, we focus on Patterson break out commercial success, Along Came a Spider and answer the question of how he changed his writing, to find commercial success in his seventh book. Bibliography:Along Came a Spider (1993) by James Patterson: https://www.amazon.com/Along-Came-Spider-Alex-Cross/dp/031606637X The Thomas Berryman Number (1976) by James Patterson: https://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Berryman-Number-James-Patterson/dp/0316473528 Season of the Machete (1977) by James Patterson: https://www.amazon.com/Season-Machete-James-Patterson/dp/0446600603The Day of the Jackal (1971) by Frederick Forsyth: https://www.amazon.com/Day-Jackal-Frederick-Forsyth/dp/0425276116 The Exorcist (1971) by William Peter Blatty: https://www.amazon.com/Exorcist-40th-Anniversary-William-Peter/dp/0061007226 The Silence of the Lambs (1988) by Thomas Harris: https://www.amazon.com/Silence-Lambs-Hannibal-Lecter/dp/0312924585 Mrs. Bridge (1959) by Evan S. Connell: https://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Bridge-Evan-S-Connell/dp/1619027349The Day America Told the Truth (1991) by James Patterson & Peter Kim: https://www.amazon.com/Day-America-Told-Truth-Shocking/dp/0446516383 James Patterson by James Patterson (2022) by James Patterson: https://www.amazon.com/James-Patterson/dp/0316274001People Discussed:00:35 | James Patterson – best-selling thriller author and focus of the episode 03:50 | Francis Greenburger – literary agent who sold Patterson’s debut novel 06:45 | Stephen King – horror writer who was once critical Patterson’s work 12:10 | Richard Pine – agent who negotiated the million-dollar Along Came a Spider deal 12:20 | Larry Kirshbaum – then head of Time Warner Book Group backing the acquisition 12:25 | Charles “Charlie” Hayward – publisher leading Little, Brown 12:40 | Fredi Friedman – Patterson’s editor on Along Came a Spider 15:50 | Peter Kim – co-author of The Day America Told the Truth and J. Walter Thompson colleague
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