Sun haven stephen1/10/2024 Incidentally, this is a rule for all storytelling. If it’s not necessary and is just filler, leave it out. If you have to provide backstory for something to make sense, do so. He places backstory, but it’s sprinkled throughout and doesn’t include every bit of life story they have.įocus on the here and now. He makes you care about them, but not because of things that happened to them twenty years ago. The thing that makes King so great is the depth of his characters. When the baddie finally shows up, you’re ready, it makes sense, and it’s that much creepier. The character gets nothing more than a sense of unease (if that), but all that foreshadowing builds up the suspense. ![]() While King is making you care about the characters, he’s also hinting at what’s coming. This can be frustrating at times, but once you get the hang of it, it’s freeing and exhilarating. Follow them down whatever dark holes they choose. Put your characters in a situation and make them work to get out. The caring is why you’re staying up until 3 a.m. Then he scares the bejesus out of them (and you). He starts it by following his characters, showing you their everyday lives, making you care about them. He doesn’t start a story with something jumping out immediately. King might write predominately horror, but the bumps in the night aren’t what keep us coming back to his books. Here are a few things I’ve gleaned from his work that he hasn’t necessarily explicitly said in one of his juicy writing quotes: 1. (Although I imagine his paycheck doesn’t hurt.) My AdviceĪs a (predominantly) horror writer, I’ve been studying King for years. He writes because he loves writing, not because he’s focused on a paycheck. Obviously, King has deadlines to meet and money to make. Sometimes it’s my sister or mom, but mostly it’s my husband. For me, it depends on what the story is about. Write with one person in mind, your Ideal Reader, the person you most want to impress with your writing.įor King, it’s his wife. You can’t please all readers all the time. No one wants that and they’ll put your book down quickly if they feel that way. Your reader is your friend and you need to treat them as such. Not because you don’t know bigger words, but because you don’t need to show off. Just write, whether you want to or not, whether you have the time or not. King writes daily and puts out a phenomenal word count when doing so. Writing is like a muscle: use it or lose it. We’ve all heard this advice a million times, even from our fearless leader here at The Write Practice, Joe Bunting. (Incidentally, most rich people read extensively. Personally, I don’t shun the television entirely, as I think something can be gained from studying shows and movies for their story just like you would any other story form. How can you know how to write if you don’t read? That’s like saying you can build a skyscraper without having ever looked at building plans before. Seems basic, but I’ve met quite a few new writers who don’t read. I’ve chosen a few that he mentions time and time again and that I’ve applied to my own writing. Google it and you’ll find a million hits with lists of his quotes and thoughts on the subject. King has been active for over fifty years, and he’s given a lot (and I mean a lot) of writing advice in that time. Want to learn how to write a book from start to finish? Check out How to Write a Book: The Complete Guide. ![]() Read on for tips on how to write a book like Stephen King. (If you’re a writer and haven’t read On Writing yet, you need to go get it. I’m going to take you through what I’ve learned from King after years of reading his fiction and poring over On Writing like it held the key to the universe’s mysteries. ![]() (My muse has since decided that wasn’t the best course for me and has gone off in a different direction.) I even mimicked him for a while in my own writing. ![]() What I do know is that King’s books have taught me more about writing than any other author’s work. I’m not going to pretend I could ever write as well or as prolifically as King. Whether you’ve read him or not, you know who he is and I would be amazed if you haven’t experienced his work in some form or another. Stephen King has written in just about every genre imaginable, has sold over 350 million copies of his books, and has had work adapted to movies, miniseries, and comics. Ever wondered how to write a book like Stephen King? He’s called the King for a reason, and it’s not just his last name.
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