On Writing: A Memoir of The Craft
by Stephen King
Please be aware that this discussion guide may contain spoilers!
1. Do you agree with Stephen King that the desire to write always starts with a love of reading?
2. What role did Stephen King's childhood play in his evolution as a writer? Did your childhood
experiences influence your desire to write?
3. King was encouraged from a young age by his mother, who told him one of his boyhood stories was
"good enough to be in a book." Was there someone in your life who encouraged your earliest efforts?
4. At what age do you remember thinking you wanted to write? What do you remember writing when you
were young?
5. King's wife Tabitha is his "Ideal Reader," the one-person audience he has in mind when writing a first
draft. When you write, do you envision a particular Ideal Reader? Who is that person and why?
6. While King delights in the nuts-and-bolts mechanics of the writing process, he concedes that good
writing involves magic as well. Do you agree with King's assertion that "while it is impossible to make a
competent writer out of a bad writer, and while it is equally impossible to make a great writer out of a
good one, it is possible, with lots of hard work, dedication, and timely help, to make a good writer out
of a merely competent one?" To what degree can a writer be made? To what extent can writing be
taught? What writerly skills do you come by naturally, and which have you had to work to acquire or
improve?
7. Discuss King's "toolbox" analogy. What "tools" do you find most indispensable when you write? Are
there any you would add to King's toolbox?
8. King believes that stories are "found things, like fossils in the ground." Discuss King's extended
metaphor of "writing as excavation." Do you agree with this theory?
9. According to King, good story ideas "seem to come quite literally from nowhere, sailing at you right out
of the empty sky," and often don't ignite until they collide with another idea that also comes unbidden.
Do you find that ideas for stories or writing projects come to you out of the blue, or do you have to
search for them? What serves as the basis for most of your stories? A situation? A character? A moral
dilemma? King recalls a dream that led him to the writing of his book Misery. Have you ever gotten a
story idea from a dream? Discuss how you discovered your best ideas and how they evolved into
finished stories.
10. King describes the dangers of seeking reader response -- or "opening the door" -- too early or too
frequently. At what stage in a writing project do you solicit critical feedback from others? When you do
"open the door," who are the first readers you ask for advice? Why do you trust those readers and
what are you looking to hear from them?
11. King doesn't read in order to "study the craft" but believes that there is "a learning process going on"
when he reads. Do you read books differently as a writer? Are you conscious of "the craft" as you read?
12. In the first foreword to On Writing, King talks about the fact that no one ever asks popular writers
about the language. Yet he cares passionately about language and about the art and craft of telling
stories on paper. Do you think there is a false distinction between writers who write extraordinary
sentences and writers who tell stories?
13. Often, King says, "bad books have more to teach than the good ones." He believes that most writers
remember the first book they put down thinking "I can do better than this." Can you remember a book
that gave you that feeling? Why?
14. King's self-imposed "production schedule" is 2,000 words a day and he suggests that all writers set a
daily writing goal. What kind of discipline, if any, do you impose upon your own writing efforts? Do
you always write at the same time of day? If so, when and why? Do you try to maintain a steady pace?
Does adherence to a strict routine help your writing efforts?
15. King tells a story about getting his fantasy desk, a massive oak slab that he placed in the middle of his
spacious study. For six years, he sat "behind that desk either drunk or wrecked out of [his] mind."
After sobering up, he replaced the desk with a smaller one that he put in a corner. "Life isn't a support
system for art," he figured out. "It's the other way around." Discuss King's "revelation" and the
symbolism of the placement of the desk.
Overview
The book is not a mechanical guide on how to be a better writer from a technical standpoint, though in the
middle section King does discuss the fundamentals of the craft. Stylistically, it is similar to Anne Lamott’s
Bird by Bird, in that it is a very personal book that discusses writing through the author’s personal stories,
experiences and anecdotes, all told with good grace and humor. You don’t just learn about writing techniques
in On Writing – you also get to learn a great deal about Stephen King, his family, the struggles he has
endured, both pre-fame and post-fame, and what makes him tick as a popular horror novelist that has sold
hundreds of millions of books worldwide.
There are essentially 3 parts to this book. Part I is all about King’s life, and is autobiographical in a
sense. Part II is all about the craft of writing from King’s personal perspective. Part III talks about King’s life
after his tragic car accident that almost ended his life and writing career. All 3 parts are equally instructive
and compelling.
Parts I & III– All About Stephen King
The book begins like an autobiography on Stephen King, the writer. It starts off from his childhood and goes
all the way to that first big success and then on to superstardom. It’s filled with lots of little humorous tales
about the outrageous things he got up to. After all, it is a memoir.
At first, I was concerned – where was he leading with this? Is the book called On Writing or On Stephen
King? I got the book with the hope of learning more about how to be a better writer, not to learn everything
about the author! That being said, King does tell his story with a lot of skill, keeping it interesting, intriguing,
funny and inspiring.
Then you start to realize that it isn’t just a self-indulgent story of King’s life. There is a common theme
running through his life, and that theme is writing. He loves to write and he writes for the love of
writing. Like most other successful writers, King went through years and years of rejections (starting when he
was just a kid). He held ordinary jobs because he had to support himself and his family. He struggled.
But he never stopped writing and honing his craft, largely thanks to the encouragement of his wife Tabitha,
who happens to also be his most loyal supporter.
King tells one of the most inspirational and uplifting stories I’ve ever heard – how his breakthrough novel
Carrie earned him an initial $2,500 for the hardcover rights (not much even for those times), and then how he
scored a life-changing $400,000 for the paperback rights (split equally with hardcover publisher) when the
most he expected was $60,000 (half of which would be his). Not bad for a guy who would have earned
$30,000 over 4 years as a teacher.
However, success manifested itself in strange ways, and the next section dealt with King’s fall into alcoholism
and drug abuse. Amazingly, some of his most famous novels were written during the darkest phase of his life.
Anyway, don’t be put off by the long start – King does eventually get to the craft of writing in Part II. However,
this first part is also very instructive. If nothing, you learn that the path of a writer is a long, difficult, and
eternal road.
Part III is significantly shorter. It tells of King’s horrific car accident at the hands of a loony driver – one that
not only nearly ended his writing career but just about killed him. I thought King showed a lot of restraint in
this section – he doesn’t hurl abuse at the driver who turned his life upside down and made even simple tasks
such as sitting incredibly painful for him. He merely describes what happened like a good narrator (including
the agonizing pain he endured) and leaves it at that.
Part II – The Craft of Writing
The second part is what most people buy the book for – King’s guide to the craft of writing. It contains a lot of
the same advice you might find in other writing books, but King adds his own personal touch and insight
from his years of experience.
Here’s a summary of some of the most salient points I got out of this section and what I thought of
them. Please note that I cannot guarantee that it is an accurate or complete reflection what is actually in the
book because they are merely from scribbles I took down when listening to the audio book. Of course, you
will get much much more out of it by reading (or listening) to the book, which provides a lot of in-depth
discussion and useful examples. This is really just a personal reminder of things I need to look out for in my
own writing and a critique of King’s advice.
The Elements of Style
First of all, get yourself a copy of Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style. King raves about this book and
mentions it more than a couple of times. In his view, all writers should read this short but essential book.
I need to get myself a copy.
Characters
King’s writing style is based on characters. In his view, stories and characters are not really created, but are
waiting to be uncovered like archaeological artifacts. He usually starts his novels with just a premise and
goes from there, meaning his characters and plot tend to form over the course of the novel rather than get
planned out from the beginning.
It may be a viable method but I find such an approach to likely lead to dead ends (and I feel King might have
the same problem with some of his horror novels, which have a tendency to crash to a crappy finish with
unsatisfactory solutions).
Good Writing
When King talks about good writing, he is not talking about writing masterpieces or literary award winners.
He’s simply talking about writing that is above competent and readable, and perhaps, publishable. In his
view, there are two key criteria to ‘good writing’: (1) a good grasp of the fundamentals; and (2) having the
right instruments. These criteria will not make good writers great or bad writers competent, but it can make
good writers out of merely competent writers.
So what are these fundamentals and tools? See below. I should say in advance that these are things you
would expect to find in most other books on writing and shouldn’t come as a big surprise.
Adverbs
King hates adverbs (you know, words that mostly end in ‘-ly’). Loathes them. Not that they shouldn’t be used
at all, but they should only be used when strictly necessary. On the same point, King brings up the issue of
using adverbs for dialogue attribution – for instance, ‘she said slowly’. Again, the rule is to use it only when
necessary. If the dialogue itself already tells the way in which it is expressed, then there is no need for the
adverb. King’s preference is to just use ‘said’. However, that being said, he also admits to using adverbs more
often than he should.
Personally, I admit I have a tendency to resort to adverbs. Because it’s easy. It tempts you to use it so you
don’t have to think of a better word or come up with better dialogue (in the case of dialogue
attribution). However, cutting out adverbs is something I’ve reserved for the second draft.
Passive Voice
Another thing King frowns upon is using passive voice. For example, instead of ‘he rode the horse’, using
‘the horse was ridden by the man’. King attributes the use of passive voice to fear. People that usually write
for business purposes (like me) have a tendency to overuse passive voice. I think I recall reading somewhere
that it comes across as more professional and more objective. Anyway, it’s another thing I need to cut out
come second draft time, but I think I’ve already started to avoid it instinctively as I’ve progressed with my
novel.
Grammar
It’s obvious, but grammar is crucial for good writing. It’s something writers need to get right. As simple as
that. There are some small exceptions which a lot of writers employ, such as the short fragments typically
found in writing these days (see previous sentence), but for the most part, it’s advisable to stick to correct
grammar.
Don’t apply incorrect grammar and punctuation on purpose, even when you know it’s wrong, just to be
different and creative and stylish. That is, of course, unless you are a famous writer already that people
consider to be genius so you can do whatever you want (eg Cormac McCarthy).
Cut Useless Words
King believes most writers, especially inexperienced writers, have a tendency to put in too many useless
words. Good writing involves cutting them out and getting to the point.
This is something I’ve struggled with all my life, even with high school and university assignments. I just can’t
help myself, and I think it shows, even from this post! Oh well, better keep moving…
Vocabulary
King has a simple tip with vocabulary – use the most appropriate word, and usually, that is the first word that
comes to mind. The only way to improve your vocabulary is to read more. When writing, don’t stop so you
can think of a better word, and don’t put in words that you don’t really know. If you don’t know it then there
is a good chance that other readers won’t know either. The aim is to allow readers to read smoothly, and
making them wonder what a word means (or having to check up what it means) runs against that objective.
I’ll be the first to admit that my vocabulary is not all that crash hot. It stems from a lack of reading good
books throughout my childhood and adolescence. Consequently, I do find myself struggling to find the right
word at times, even if it’s for the first word that comes to mind. As King says, however, the only way to
improve is to read more!
Plot
For King, the 3 elements to a story are narration, description and dialogue – meaning plot is not one of
them. As noted above, King’s stories usually start off with not much more than a premise and the characters,
which he allows to let loose to see where they take him.
I still have a bit of trouble fully appreciating that approach, but it’s obviously one that works for him. I do
allow my characters to roam free a little, but it’s usually within the confines of a single scene as opposed to
the entire story.
Descriptions
Descriptions make the reader a sensory participant in the story. The key is to visualize what you want the
reader to experience. However, there is a fine line when it comes to descriptions, as there is a danger of
describing too much, which slows down the pace, kills the imagination and bores the reader. I have to say I
have sometimes found this to be the case with some of King’s writings.
King’s advice is to use your descriptions but not do too much – simply say what you see and get on with the
story. It is important to pick the right details that stand for everything else. Particularly useful is the advice
to avoid too much description on individual attributes of characters. There is no need to go into depth on the
precise height, weight and hair and eye colour of every character you come across. It’s boring. King advises
writers to put down the first visualized details that come into your mind – the priority is to keep the ball
rolling.
Dialogue
Dialogue is difficult to get right, and King’s advice is to let the dialogue be honest to the characters and to
allow each speaker to speak honestly.
I’m also struggling with dialogue for my characters (I’m struggling with a lot of things). It’s easy to make the
mistake of making every piece of dialogue look like it comes from the same character. I’m really going to have
to put in a lot of work on dialogue in my second draft to allow the characters to distinguish themselves and
stand out from each other.
Showing and Telling
Another tenet of good writing is to show, not tell. This was the subject of one of my earlier posts on
writing. Of course, it’s not always possible to do that, but King believes ‘show’ should always be preferred to
‘tell’ whenever possible.
Personally, I’m glad to say I am starting to get the hang of this, but sometimes I wonder whether it is better to
just tell it using a simple sentence rather than showing it through pages of conversation and action?
Paragraphs
King calls paragraphs the beat in your head when you read, the fragments in the prose. It’s easy to overlook
it, but how you structure the length of your paragraphs can be very important. King’s recommendation is to
learn the beat and let nature take its course.
It’s not something I ever gave much thought to, so I found this particular part rather instructive.
Back Stories, Info Dumps and Flashbacks
King says back stories and info dumps should be kept in the back of the mind. Also, try and avoid
flashbacks wherever possible. Of course, there are exceptions – there are plenty of great books with lots of
flashbacks and back stories. But the key is questioning whether it is really necessary and whether there are
other more effective ways of getting the information across. King notes that JK Rowling is particularly good at
the info dump and back story retelling in the Harry Potter books, so take a look at them if you want to see
how it is done well.
My own novel has its fair share of flashbacks, but I’ve tried my best to control the back stories and info
dumps. It’s probably something best to come back to once the first draft has been completed.
Close the Door
King believes it is very important for writers to have their own private space when writing, a place with no
distractions. He recommends a regular place to write, and to close the door when writing. It shuts out the
rest of the world and the distractions, and lets people know you are working and you are serious.
I don’t always close the door when I write, but I admit I write best when I am totally focused and not being
distracted by what’s outside the window or in the next room.
Reading and Writing
Stephen King says that reading and writing is the only way to improve as a writer. Writing is a craft that is
best learned through doing. King puts a great deal of emphasis on reading. Writers need to read in order to
improve, and it’s not only through reading good literature – you can learn just as much from reading a good
book (teaching you what to do) as a bad book (teaching you what NOT to do).
What to do after the First Draft
King’s advice is to complete that first draft within 3 months. It’s probably not a realistic deadline for those
that have day jobs and other unavoidable things that consume their time.
Anyway, after completion of the first draft, however long it might take, King advises you to let go of it for 6
weeks before going back to it so you would have forgotten it. Reading your own work with a pair of fresh eyes
is extremely important. Start writing something else in the meantime. This I agree with, but 6 weeks can be
a painfully long wait! I’ve read elsewhere that a week or two might be sufficient, but I suppose it’s up to the
individual.
When revising the first draft, King suggests you concentrate on both big things such as inconsistencies, plot
holes and character motivation and development problems, as well as small things, such as
misspellings. Make notes about where problems are, mark up the manuscript and check your notes when
revising. Get rid of adverbs and add in clarifications where necessary. Ask yourself whether it is coherent,
whether there are any recurring elements or themes, and what to do to make those things clear. You may
need to add or delete scenes. The key is to make the story and characters resonate with readers.
Symbolism and Theme
For King, symbolism and themes in your novel are things that come in at the second draft stage. They
should not be things you purposely go out and put into your story. Rather, you should focus on the story
itself and when only explore symbolism and themes if they become apparent when reading the first draft.
King’s Rule for Second Drafts
King’s personal approach to second drafts of novels is to tighten the first draft by 10%. So if you have a first
draft of a story that is 100,000 words, try and tighten it to 90,000 words for the second draft.
In my opinion it’s just his personal approach and a loose guide at best because everyone will have their own
preference. King does 2 drafts and a polish, whereas some writers need 4 or 5 drafts and dramatic changes
every time. Besides, not everyone can churn out first drafts that are good enough to be published just after
one additional draft and a polish.
What to do after the Second Draft
King does not show anyone his work until he has completed the second draft. This I wholeheartedly agree
with, because (especially for writing novices) it can be daunting to ask others to read your work. King shows
his completed second drafts to 4 or 5 people. Some say that readers should not be your friends, or else you
won’t get honest feedback. King disagrees – he says you should be smart enough to gauge the reactions, even
if they are your friends.
I must say I agree. It is scary enough showing your work to your friends, let alone people you don’t
know. And if a friend tells me it’s ‘not bad’, I’ll have a pretty good idea that they thought it sucked.
Agents and Publishers
On agents and publishers, King says that it is not impossible to get an agent/publisher with an unsolicited
manuscript these days, and there are ways to get into the industry. He recommends building a portfolio,
submit to magazines relating to your genre and to try and get publishing credits to your name. He
encourages writers to research the market – look through Writer’s Market to find an agent that might be
interested in your type of book. He says that it is important to go into it looking like a professional, in that
you need to make sure your manuscript and query letter are done right. As he says, you cannot make
agents/publishers like your manuscript, but you can make it easier for them to like your story.
Writing Courses
King generally does not find writing courses to be very helpful on the whole as the creative flow tends to get
stopped. In fact, he’s rather critical of them, despite understanding how they may appeal to aspiring writers.
Again, I find this to be a generalization and not much more than a subjective view. There are many different
types of writing courses and writers – some people might need a course to get them started or give them more
confidence. I suppose what he is trying to say is not to rely on them too much or expect them to change your
life. That I agree with.
Writing For the Right Reasons
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, King tells you to write for the right reasons – for the joy and rush
and excitement of writing – not for the money, not for success or fame, not to impress anyone. Can’t disagree
with that. Does impressing yourself count?
Concluding Thoughts
Before I read On Writing, I considered myself a slight to moderate King fan. For me, most of what I knew
about the author came from the horror movies and mini-series adapted from his novels. There are too many
to count. The ones that have been stamped deepest into my memory are It (thanks to which I am still not a
fan of clowns), The Stand, Pet Cemetery, Sleepwalkers, Misery, Carrie and The Shining, but there are at least a
dozen more.
I had only read one of his full length novels – The Dark Half – which I found to be okay. A bit long and a bit
slow. But I did read it when I was much younger and had a shorter attention span, and the book was
probably beyond my comprehension level at that age.
On the other hand, I had read some collections of King’s short stories and novellas. I found Nightmares and
Dreamscapes to be reasonable, littered with some good and some bad stories. However, my favourite King
book has to be his non-horror work, Different Seasons, which includes two novellas that were made (pretty
faithfully) into two of my favourite movies of all time, Stand By Me (adapted from The Body) and The
Shawshank Redemption (adapted from Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption). I found both novellas
(and films) to be incredibly powerful and moving, and was amazed at what a terrific storyteller Stephen King
can be, and it doesn’t even have to involve anything supernatural.
As a popular novelist, King has obviously had his critics throughout the years, but there is no denying that he
can write. Maybe not awe-inspiring literature, but he definitely has a firm grasp of the fundamentals of
writing, and he can certainly tell a good story. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is an instructive and
insightful book, one that is filled with useful information for the aspiring writer and immensely enjoyable to
read (or in my case, listen to). I would recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about the craft of
writing or just wants a good read.
(p. 118) Remember that the basic rule of vocabulary is use the first word that comes to your mind, if it is
appropriate and colorful. If you hesitate and cogitate, you will come up with another word -- of course you will,
there's always another word -- but it probably won't be as good as your first one, or as close to what you
really mean.
(p. 119) ... grammar ... you are capable of remembering the difference between a gerund (verb form used as a
noun) and a participle (verb form used as an adjective).
(p. 120) Bad grammar produces bad sentences. My favorite example from Strunk and White is this one: "As a
mother of five, with another one on the way, my ironing board is always up."
(p. 124) ... passive voice ... And remember: The writer threw the rope, not The rope was thrown by the writer.
(p. 124) The adverb is not your friend. ... Adverbs, like the passive voice, seem to have been created with the
timid writer in mind.
(p. 125) I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs ...
(p. 127) I'm convinced that fear is at the root of most bad writing.
(p. 128) ... energize your prose with active verbs. ... Good writing is often about letting go of fear and
affectation.
(p. 128) ... remember that, while to write adverbs is human, to write he said and she said is divine.
(p. 134) I would argue that the paragraph, not the sentence, is the basic unit of writing -- the place where
coherence begins and words stand a chance of becoming more than mere words.
(p. 135) Words have weight. Ask anyone who works in the shipping department of a book company
warehouse, or in the storage room of a large bookstore.
(p. 136) You will build a paragraph at a time, constructing these of your you vocabulary and your knowledge
of grammar and basic style.
(p. 142) ... two theses, both simple.
The first is that good writing consists of mastering the fundamentals (vocabulary, grammar, the elements of
style) and then filling the third level of your toolbox with the right instruments.
The second is that while it is impossible to make a competent writer out of a bad writer, and while it is equally
impossible to make a great writer out of a good one, it is possible, with lots of hard work, dedication, and
timely help, to make a good writer out of a merely competent one.
(p. 145) If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. ... Every
book you pick up has its own lesson or lessons, and quite often the bad books have more to teach than the
good ones. ... One learns most clearly what not to do by reading bad prose ...
(p. 147) We also read in order to measure ourselves against the good and the great, to get a sense of all that
can be done. And we read in order to experience different styles. ... If you don't have time to read, you don't
have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that. Reading is the creative center of a writer's life.
PASSIVE SENTENCE
(p. 148) Reading at meals is considered rude in polite society, but if you expect to succeed as a writer,
rudeness should be the second-to-least of your concerns. The least of all should be polite society and what it
expects. If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered,
anyway. ... Reading takes time ...
(p. 150) The more you read, the less apt you are to make a fool of yourself with your pen or word processor.
2,000 WORDS A DAY
(p. 154) I believe the first draft of a book -- even a long one -- should take no more than three months, the
length of a season. Any longer and -- for me, at least -- the story begins to take on an odd foreign feel, like a
dispatch from the Romanian Department of Public Affairs ... I like to get ten pages a day, which amounts to
2,000 words. That's 180,000 words over a three-month span, a goodish length for a book ... only under dire
circumstances do I allow myself to shut down before I get my 2,000 words.
ADVERB
(p. 157) And as your mind and body grow accustomed to a certain amount of sleep each night ... so can you
train your waking mind to sleep creatively and work out the vividly imagined waking dreams which are
successful works of fiction.
(p. 160) When the reader hears strong echoes of his or her own life and beliefs, he or she is apt to become
more invested in the story.
(p. 161) Write what you like, then imbue it with life and make it unique by blending in your own personal
knowledge of life, friendship, relationships, sex, and work. Especially work. People love to read about work.
God know why, but they do.
(p. 162) Grisham has been there, spied out the land and the enemy positions, and brought back a full report.
He told the truth of what he knew ... Grisham's make-believe tale is solidly based in a reality he knows, has
personally experienced, and which he wrote about with total (almost naive) honesty. The result is a book
which is ... both brave and uniquely satisfying. ... What you know makes you unique in some other way. Be
brave ... tell us all you know.
(pp. 163-165) In my view, stories and novels consist of three parts: narration, which moves the story from
point A to point B and finally to point Z; description, which creates a sensory reality for the reader; and
dialogue, which brings characters to life through their speech.
You may wonder where plot is in all this. The answer – my answer, anyway – is nowhere. … my basic belief
about the making of stories is that they pretty much make themselves. The job of the writer is to give them a
place to grow (and to transcribe them, of course). ... / ... Plot is, I think, the good writer’s last resort and the
dullard’s first choice. The story which results from it is apt to feel artificial and labored.
I lean more heavily on intuition, and have been able to do that because my books tend to be based on
situation rather than story. ... I want to put a group of characters (perhaps a pair; perhaps even just one) in
some sort of predicament and then watch them try to work themselves free. My job isn’t to help them work
their way free, or manipulate them to safety – those are jobs which require the noisy jackhammer of plot – but
to watch what happens and then write it down.
The situation comes first. The characters – always flat and unfeatured, to begin with – come next. Once these
things are fixed in my mind, I begin to narrate. I often have an idea of what the outcome may be, but I have
never demanded of a set / of characters that they do things my way. On the contrary, I want them to do
things their way. In some instances, the outcome is what I visualized. In most, however, it’s something I never
expected. For a suspense novelist, this is a great thing. I am, after all, not just the novel’s creator but its first
reader. And if I’m not able to guess with any accuracy how the damned thing is going to turn out, even with
my inside knowledge of coming events, I can be pretty sure of keeping the reader in a state of page-turning
anxiety. And why worry about the ending anyway? Why be such a control freak? Sooner or later every story
comes out somewhere.
(pp. 169-170) A strong enough situation renders the whole question of plot moot, which is fine with me. The
most interesting situations can usually be expressed as a What-if question:
What if vampires invaded a small New England village? (Salem's Lot)
What if a policeman in a remote Nevada town went berserk and started killing everyone in sight? (Desperation)
What if a cleaning woman suspected of a murder she got away with (her husband) fell under suspicion for a
murder she did not commit (her employer)? (Dolores Claiborne) /
What if a young mother and her son became trapped in their stalled car by a rabid dog? (Cujo)
These were all situations which occurred to me ... and which I eventually turned into books. In no case were
they plotted ... although some of the stories (Dolores Claiborne, for instance) are almost as complex as those
you find in murder mysteries. Please remember, however, that there is a huge difference between story and
plot. Story is honorable and trustworthy; plot is shifty, and best kept under house arrest.
(p. 173) Description is what makes the reader a sensory participant. ... it's not just a question of how-to, you
see; it's also a question of how much to. ... (p. 174) If you want to be a successful writer, you must be able to
describe it, and in a way that will cause your reader to prickle with recognition. ... It's also important to know
what to describe and what can be left alone while you get on with your main job, which is telling a story.
(p. 175) For me, good description usually consists of a few well-chosen details that will stand for everything
else. In most cases, these details will be the first ones that come to mind. ... in most cases, your first
visualized details will be the truest and best.
(p. 176) It's always important to remember it's not about the setting, anyway -- it's about the story, and it's
always about the story.
(pp. 176-178) Example of using DESCRIPTION
The first four things which come to my mind when I think of Palm Too are: (a) the darkness of the bar and the
contrasting brightness of the backbar mirror, which catches and reflects light from the street; (b) the sawdust
on the floor; (c) the funky cartoon caricatures on the walls; (d) the smells of cooking steak and fish.
If I think longer I can come up with more stuff (what I don't remember I'll make up -- during the visualization
process, fact and fiction become entwined), but there's no need for more. This isn't the Taj Mahal we're
visiting, after all, and I don't want to sell you the place. It's also important to remember it's not about the
setting, anyway -- it's about the story, and it's always about the story. It will not behoove me (or you) to
wander off into thickets of description just because it would be easy to do. We have other fish (and steak) to
fry.
Bearing that in mind, here's a sample bit of narration which takes a character into Palm Too:
The cab pulled up in front of Palm Too at quarter to four on a bright summer afternoon. Billy paid the driver,
stepped out onto the sidewalk, and took a quick look around for Martin. Not in sight. Satisfied, Billy went
inside.
After the hot clarity of Second Avenue, Palm Too was as dark as a cave. The backbar mirror picked up some of
the street-glare and glimmered in the gloom like a mirage. For a moment it was all Billy could see, and then
his eyes began to adjust. There were a few solitary drinkers at the bar. Beyond them, the maître d', his tie
undone and his shirt cuffs rolled back to show his hairy wrists, was talking with the bartender. There was
still / sawdust sprinkled on the floor, Billy noted, as if this were a twenties speakeasy instead of a millennium
eatery where you couldn't smoke, let alone spit a gob of tobacco between your feet. And the cartoons dancing
across the walls -- gossip-column caricatures of downtown political hustlers, newsmen who had long since
retired or drunk themselves to death, celebrities you couldn't quite recognize -- still gambolled all the way to
the ceiling. The air was redolent of steak and fried onions. All of it the same as it ever was.
The maître d' stepped forward. "Can I help you, sir? We don't open for dinner until six, but the bar--"
"I'm looking for Richie Martin," Billy said.
Billy's arrival in the cab is narration -- action, if you like that word better. What follows after he steps through
the door of the restaurant is pretty much straight description. I got in almost all of the details which first
came to mind when I accessed my memories of the real Palm Too, and I added a few other things, as well -the maître d' between shifts is pretty good, I think; I love the undone tie and the cuffs rolled up to expose the
hairy wrists. It's like a photograph. The smell of fish is the only thing not here, and that's because the smell of
the onions was stronger.
We come back to actual storytelling with a bit of narration (the maître d' steps forward to center stage) and
then the dialogue. By now we see our location clearly. There are plenty of details I could have added -- the
narrowness of the room, Tony Bennett on the sound system, the Yankees bumpersticker on the cash register
-- but what would be the point? When it comes to scene-setting and all sorts of description, a meal is as good
as a feast. ... / More about the restaurant would slow the pace of that story, perhaps annoying us enough to
break the spell good fiction can weave. In many cases when a reader puts a story aside because it "got
boring," the boredom arose because the writer grew enchanted with his powers of description and lost sight of
his priority, which is to keep the ball rolling.
(p. 195) My job (and yours, if you decide this is a viable approach to storytelling) is to make sure these
fictional folks behave in ways that will both help the story and seem reasonable to us, given what we know
about them (and what we know about real life, of course). ... And if you do your job, your characters will come
to life and start doing stuff on their own.
(p. 195) ... practice is invaluable (and should feel good, really not like practice at all) and ... honesty is
indispensable. Skills in description, dialogue, and character development all boil down to seeing or hearing
clearly and then transcribing what you see or hear with equal clarity (and without a lot of tiresome,
unnecessary adverbs).
(p. 208) ... a word of warning -- starting with the questions and thematic concerns is a recipe for bad fiction.
Good fiction always begins with story and progresses to themes; it almost never begins with them and
progresses to story. ... But once your basic story is on paper, you need to think about what it means and
enrich your following drafts with your conclusions. To do less is to rob your work (and eventually your
readers) of the vision that makes each tale you write uniquely your own.
(pp. 209-210) The first draft -- the All-Story Draft -- should be written with no hlep (or interference) from
anyone else. /... Keep the pressure on; don't lower it by exposing what you've written to the doubt, the praise,
or even the well-meaning questions of someone from the Outside World ... the great thing about writing with
the door shut is that you find yourself forced to concentrate on story to the exclusion of practically anything
else.
(p. 211) How long you let your book rest -- sort of like bread between kneadings -- is up to you, but I think it
should be a minimum of six weeks.
(p. 212) You're ... not ready to go back to the old project until you've gotten so involved in a new one (or reinvolved in your day-to-day life) that you've almost forgotten the unreal estate that took up three hours of
your every morning or afternoon for a period of three or five or seven months.
(p. 214) I'm asking myself the Big Questions. The biggest: Is this story coherent? And if it is, what will turn
coherence into a song? What are the recurring elements? Do they entwine and make a theme? I'm asking
myself What's it all about, Stevie, in other words, and what I can do to make those underlying concerns even
clearer. What I want most of all is resonance, something that will linger for a little while in Constant Reader's
mind (and heart) after he or she has closed the book and put it up on the shelf. ... I'm looking for resonance.
Most of all, I'm looking for what I meant, because in the second draft I'll want to add scenes and incidents that
reinforce that meaning. I'll also want to delete stuff that goes in other directions.
(p. 220) Pace is the speed at which your narrative unfolds.
(p. 222) I got a scribbled comment that changed the way I rewrote my fiction once and forever. Jotted below
the machine-generated signature of the editor was this mot: "Not bad, but PUFFY. You need to revise for
length. Formula: 2nd Draft = 1st Draft - 10%. Good luck."
(p. 223) What the Formula taught me is that every story and novel is collapsible to some degree.
(p. 223) Back story is all the stuff that happened before your tale began but which has an impact on the front
story. Back story helps define character and establish motivation.
(pp. 224-225) ... in medias res ... "into the midst of things" ... I don't like it. In medias res necessitates
flashbacks, which strike me as boring and sort of corny. ... As a reader, I'm a lot more interested in what's
going to happen than what already did. ... / ... I like to start at square one, dead even with the writer. I'm an
A-to-Z man; serve me the appetizer first and give me dessert if I eat my veggies.
Even when you tell your story in this straightforward manner, you'll discover you can't escape some back
story. In a very real sense, every life is in medias res. If you introduce a forty-year-old man as your main
character on page one of your novel ... you'll still have to deal with the first forty years of the guy's life at some
point.
(p. 227) The most important things to remember about back story are that (a) everyone has a history and (b)
most of it isn't very interesting. Stick to the parts that are, and don't get carried away with the rest.
(p. 236) You don't need writing classes any more than you need this or any other book on writing. ... You
learn best by reading a lot and writing a lot, and the most valuable lessons of all are the ones you teach
yourself.
(p. 256) He [Bryan Smith] and Bullet [Smith's rottweiler] left the campground where they were staying, he
later tells an investigator, because he wanted "some of those Marzes-bars they have up to the story." When I
hear this little detail some weeks later, it occurs to me that I have nearly been killed by a character right out
of one of my own novels. It's almost funny.
(p. 269) Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In
the end, it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well.
It's about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.
1. Stephen King dedicated this book to a fellow author, because he felt that she was the one who told
him in a "very simple and direct way that it was okay to write it." Who was she?
Amy Tan
Kathi Kamen Goldmark
Barbara Kingsolver
Hillary Clinton
2. How many forewords does the book have?
0
3
1
2
3. King states that, "To write is human, to _______ is divine."
Answer:
4. The title of the first main section of the book is "C.V." - what does this stand for?
Curriculum vitae
Carnivores//Vegetarians
Corpus vallosum
Centennial Version
5. King had a habit of putting rejection slips from magazines he had submitted stories to on a nail on
his wall. How old was he when he had so many slips that the nail couldn't support the weight, and he
had to replace it with a larger spike?
14
18
16
19
6. True or false: King's first widely-distributed (i.e. beyond his immediate family) "publication" was a
massive copyright infringement. True
False
7. Stephen King defines writing as:
All of these
A meeting of the minds
Telepathy
Portable magic
8. According to Strunk and White, and oft-quoted by Stephen King, which of the following is a writer's
deadly enemy?
The adverb
Overstated dialogue attribution
The passive voice
All of these
9. Stephen King believes that writers can be divided into groups in terms of ability. Which of these
groups does he believe is largest?
The bad writers
The good writers
The competent writers
The great writers and the writing geniuses
10. According to Stephen King, what's wrong with the following text:
"Hello, ex-wife," Tom said to Doris as she entered the room.
It's technically incorrect
It's got too many adverbs
It's too long
It's not graceful
11. How did King get the idea for his novel, "From a Buick Eight"?
A stranger he met at a convenience store who had a funny looking Buick
His brother Dave told him an interesting story about manufacturing Buicks
He slid down a snowy embankment behind a gas station in Pennsylvania
A news item he saw on CNN
12. According to King, what are The Magic Secrets of Writing?
Use plenty of adverbs
Practice man practice
There aren't any
Have a ballpoint pen that's been blessed by best-selling author
13. In 1999 Stephen King was almost killed when a van whose driver wasn't paying attention rammed
into him at the crest of a hill. A portion of the book is devoted to the accident and his recovery. King
had to undergo what's commonly referred to as P.T. for a long time - what does King say P.T. really
stands for, if you've ever had to do it?
Pain and Torture
Psychic Telepathy
Power Training
Please sTop
14. In "On Writing", King includes part of a short story he wrote in its raw form, and then shows how
he would alter it for his second draft. Why is the story eventually retitled 1408?
It's a thirteenth floor ghost story
King couldn't think of a name so his editor called it that
It's about events that took place in the fifteenth century
It's not retitled 1408
15. Which of the following most closely resembles Stephen King's mindset toward writing after his
accident, and in the context of all his life experiences? Writing is about enriching yourself and others
Writing is about making money
Writing is a way of life
Life is a support-system for writing
Assignment for: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
On Writing is really two little books in one. The first half is an autobiography by King, a bestselling novelist in
the horror genre. The second half is a brief outline of King’s ideas about what makes for good writing. While it
is largely a discussion of fiction writing, King’s tips for good writing apply across most genres. The book is
both entertaining and instructive.
As you read this book as homework over the next four weeks, do several in-class writings discussing what King
has written. Please plan to follow the reading schedule below. In order to ensure that we’re “all on the same
page,” there will be a reading quiz each Monday following the previous week’s reading assignment.
Reading Schedule
Plan for a reading quiz on these dates (the next four Mondays) for the pages assigned (each week represents
about 70 pages of reading):
Sept. 22 – Beginning to page 68
Sept. 29 – Pages 68-131
Oct. 6 – Pages 131-209
Oct. 13 – Pages 209 to end of book
As You Read
Keep a Reading Journal that includes:
1) A running list of every single “tip” King gives for what makes good writing, along with the page number
where he discusses that aspect of writing.
2) A paragraph reflection (4 to 8 well-developed sentences) at least 2 times each week in which you reflect on
your own habits and experiences as a writer in light of what you’ve read about King’s habits and experiences.
This will be a total of 8 paragraphs over the 4 weeks of reading, checked weekly for 10 points.
Writing Assignment
The ability to summarize varying amounts of information is crucial for adult success in most fields. Being able to
take an entire poem, article or book and sum it up in a sentence, paragraph, or short paper helps readers to
better understand what they’ve read. This process requires that you extract the main ideas of a text, and then
sum up their importance. A summary is a concise paraphrase of the all the main ideas in a text, without your
opinion or evaluation of those ideas. It conveys to your readers an understanding of the text you have read,
without them having to read it themselves
When we complete the book, you will complete the following writing assignment:
Write a paper in which you summarize King’s book, paying particular attention to his ideas about what makes
for good writing, but also summarizing the key points of his life story relative to his work as a writer. A
summary is meant to be an objective description of what an author has written, with as little of your own
thoughts on the subject as possible. Typically, a summary includes the author’s main ideas, but omits
his/her examples. In your own words, state King’s thesis, main ideas, and conclusions.
The Particulars
– Minimum 2 pages, typed, double space, using an ordinary font.