To kickstart my re-introduction to longform writing, I close read “On Writing” by Stephen King. With a doggy eared and post-it flag covered copy at my side, here are my greatest takeaways!
“On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” by Stephen King has its place high on the list of “Modern Classics.” The book is equal parts memoir and manifesto, all contributing to King’s advice on how to be a good writer (or, at least, less of a bad one). A lot of the stories I have bustling about in my head are what I would classify as “horror.” As a result, I believed that I could certainly learn a great deal from the greatest horror writer of the 20th century. “King” of horror, indeed!
However, how often have I indulged in a text, only to conclude it and completely move on with my life, with no further reflection? Not the best way to read OR write, certainly! Therefore, I decided to bring along my post it flags and mark every passage I found impactful. If you look at my completed copy of “On Writing,” you’d see a pleasant flurry of post its poking out of the side! What can I say? I truly enjoyed King’s insights!
In short, I’ve collected a series of quotes I’ve found the most delightful, helpful, or some combination of the two. In addition, I’ll include page numbers, based on this edition!
On Writing: Lessons on Inspiration/Finding the Story
- “There is no Idea Dump, no Story Central, no Island of Buried Bestsellers… your job isn’t to find these ideas but to recognize them when they show up.” (p. 37)
- “The actual story did not as then exist (well, it did, but as a relic buried –except for sixteen handwritten pages that is– in the earth), but knowing the story wasn’t necessary for me to begin work. I had located the fossil; the rest, I knew, would consist of careful excavation.” (p. 167)
- “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.” (p. 169)
- “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. 170)
On Writing: How to Write
- “Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open. Your stuff starts out being just for you, in other words, but then it goes out. Once you know what the story is and get it right — as right as you can, anyway– it belongs to anyone who wants to read it.” (p. 57)
- “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. 118)
- “With a passive verb, something is being done to the subject of the sentence. The subject is just letting it happen. You should avoid the passive tense.” (p. 122)
- “The adverb is not your friend.” (p. 124)
- “… 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 merely competent one.” (p. 142)
- “But if you don’t want to work your ass off, you have no business trying to write well–settle back into competency and be grateful you have even that much to fall back on.” (p. 144)
- “As with all other aspects of the narrative art, you will improve with practice, but practice will never make you perfect. Why should it? What fun would that be? [sic] Practice the art, always reminding yourself that your job is to say what you see, and then to get on with your story.” (p. 180)
- “Your job during or just after the first draft is to decide what something or somethings yours is about. Your job in the second draft — one of them, anyway — is to make that something even more clear.” (p. 201)
- “Revising the work– how much and how many drafts? For me the answer has always been two drafts and a polish.” (p. 208-209)
- “Plenty of writers resist the idea. They feel that revising a story according to the likes and dislikes of an audience is somehow akin to prostitution. If you really feel that way, I won’t try to change your mind. You’ll save on charges at Copy Cop, too, because you won’t have to show anyone your story in the first place. In fact (he said snottily), if you really feel that way, why bother to publish at all?” (p. 218)
On Writing: How to Be a Writer (as in, a published one)
- “Loose pages plus paperclip equal correct way to submit copy.” (p.40)
- “You can’t please all of the readers all of the time; you can’t please even some of the readers all of the time, but you really ought to try to please at least some of the readers some of the time.” (p. 196)
- “You need to revise for length. Formula: Second Draft = First Draft – 10%.” (p. 222)
- “The fact is that agents, publishers, and editors are all looking for the next hot writer who can sell a lot of books and make a lot of money.” (p. 237-238)
- “You must begin as your own advocate, which means reading the magazines publishing the kind of stuff you write. You should also pick up the writers’ journals and buy a copy of Writer’s Market, the most valuable of tools for the writer new to the marketplace.” (p. 239)
- “Submitting stories without first reading the market is like playing darts in a dark room– you might hit the target every now and then, but you don’t deserve to.” (p. 240)
- “You don’t have to be an English major to become a writer, but it sure doesn’t hurt.” (p. 240)
- “When you send your story out, there ought to be a very brief cover-letter on top of the script, telling the editor where you’ve published other stories and just a line or two on what this one’s about. And you should close by thanking him for the reading. That’s especially important.” (p.244)
- “You should submit on a good grade of white bond paper –none of that slippery erasable stuff. Your copy should be double spaced, and on the first page you should put your address in the upper lefthand corner– it doesn’t hurt to include your telephone number too. In the right hand corner, put an approximate word-count.” (p. 244)
- “You can’t make them like your story… but you can at least make it easy for them to try to like it.” (p. 244)
On Being a Writer
- “Life isn’t a support-system for art. It’s the other way around.” (p. 101)
- “You must not come lightly to the blank page… if you can take it seriously, we can do business. If you can’t or won’t, it’s time for you to close the book and do something else.” (p. 106-107)
- “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” (p. 145)
- “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” (p. 147)
- “If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered, anyway.” (p. 148)
- “Mornings belong to whatever is new–the current composition. Afternoons are for naps and letters. Evenings are for reading, family, Red Sox games on TV, and any revisions that just cannot wait. Basically, mornings are my prime writing time.” (p. 152)
- “Writing is at its best –always, always, always,– when it is a kind of inspired play for the writer. I can write in cold blood if I have to, but I like it best when it’s fresh and almost too hot to handle.” (p. 153)
- “The combination of a healthy body and a stable relationship with a self-reliant woman who takes zero shit from me or anyone else has made the continuation of my working life possible. And I believe the converse is also true: that my writing and the pleasure I take in it has contributed to the stability of my health and my home life.” (p. 155)
- “What would be very wrong, I think, is to turn away from what you know and like… in favor of things you believe will impress your friends, relatives, and writing-circle colleagues.” (p. 159)
- “I have written because it fulfilled me. Maybe it paid off the mortgage on the house and got the kids through college, but those things were on the side — I did it for the buzz. I did it for the pure joy of the thing. And if you can do it for joy, you can do it forever.” (p. 249)
- “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.” (p. 269)
Insightful! Inspiring, even. I’ve honestly only scratched the surface here. I’ve left out lovely anecdotes about King’s trust and love for his wife, Tabitha, the little blips of how classics for him began, and an extended metaphor of a writer’s “toolbox.” He also offers some sass regarding the effectiveness of writer seminars, and retreats. Coming from a mentality of hesitancy about attending a writing seminar, I thoroughly appreciate the sentiment. I’ve thought about attending one before, but I was too scared to let my work be picked apart; what’s more, I didn’t like the idea of killing someone else’s darling. What do I know, you know? I’m an idiot. Consequently, why should I tell anyone what they’ve written is boring or shoddy or shlocky or unoriginal?
On Writing: Final Thoughts
I wanted to conclude this reflection with this note about disruptions to the writer’s routine:
“In truth, I’ve found that any day’s routine interruptions and distractions don’t much hurt a work in progress and may actually help it in some ways. It is, after all, the dab of grit that seeps into an oyster’s shell that makes the pearl, not pearl making seminars with other oysters.” (p. 232)
So, if it weren’t obvious, I really liked that idea. Also, pearl’s my birthstone! Disruptions can be beautiful. Moreover, surprises can be, too. I think that if I take what I can from what I’m given –the good, the bad, and the ugly– and create something that I love, that I’m proud of, that’s the most that I can ever ask about myself.
So, what comes next? I finish “The Brand Gap,” and start on “Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need,” to find my way back to the elements of writing a screenplay. In the meantime, it’s character notes and story development. Go on the journey of my stories, and see where they take me!