Want to know what Stephen King says about writing?
1. First write for yourself, and then worry about the audience. “When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story. When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story.”
2. Don’t use passive voice. “Timid writers like passive verbs for the same reason that timid lovers like passive partners. The passive voice is safe.”
3. Avoid adverbs. “The adverb is not your friend.”
4. Avoid adverbs, especially after “he said” and “she said.”
5. But don’t obsess over perfect grammar. “The object of fiction isn’t grammatical correctness but to make the reader welcome and then tell a story.”
6. The magic is in you. “I’m convinced that fear is at the root of most bad writing.”
7. Read, read, read. ”If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.”
8. Don’t worry about making other people happy. “If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered, anyway.”
9. Turn off the TV. “TV—while working out or anywhere else—really is about the last thing an aspiring writer needs.”
10. You have three months. “The first draft of a book—even a long one—should take no more than three months, the length of a season.”
11. There are two secrets to success. “I stayed physical healthy, and I stayed married.”
12. Write one word at a time. “Whether it’s a vignette of a single page or an epic trilogy like ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ the work is always accomplished one word at a time.”
13. Eliminate distraction. “There’s should be no telephone in your writing room, certainly no TV or videogames for you to fool around with.”
14. Stick to your own style. “One cannot imitate a writer’s approach to a particular genre, no matter how simple what that writer is doing may seem.”
15. Dig. “Stories are relics, part of an undiscovered pre-existing world. The writer’s job is to use the tools in his or her toolbox to get as much of each one out of the ground intact as possible.”
16. Take a break. “You’ll find reading your book over after a six-week layoff to be a strange, often exhilarating experience.”
17. Leave out the boring parts and kill your darlings. “(kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.)”
18. The research shouldn’t overshadow the story. “Remember that word back. That’s where the research belongs: as far in the background and the back story as you can get it.”
19. You become a writer simply by reading and 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.”
20. Writing is about getting happy. “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid or making friends. Writing is magic, as much as the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink.”
The following was posted on Open Culture (http://www.openculture.com) on March 16th, 2014.
Until Next Time…
[…] Stephen King’s Top 20 Rules for Writers. […]
Reblogged this on Mandy White and commented:
Insight from one of my idols…
I haven’t read On Writing in a while, so I really enjoyed the refresher. Stephen King rocks!
Breath of fresh air from Stephen King one of the masters. Thanks so much for sharing. We shouldn’t get so pent up on our grammar. It personally puts me so far back it’s not funny and I hate it when I’m constantly correcting, I wish I had an editor. I think the main thing is like he said – is about getting happy.
Reblogged this on Cool Cat Writers and commented:
Awesome, inspiration for writers
Thank you for the reblog Posey!
It certainly is inspiring and sound advice. Absolutely admire Stephen King’s writings
Reblogged this on A PEEK OF KARI'S WORLD….
My friend Lynda has a great saying which I think is funny, “We can’t all be gems” writing is all about being a gem. Hubris rears it’s ugly head. http://societyfordaintydamsels.com
Really loved this Jen. Of many of the writers who blog, you had consistently given uplifting information from various sources. I really appreciate it. Thanks.
Thank you for the compliment. I’m glad it’s helpful and uplifting. 🙂
Thanks for the thanks. 😉 We writers need to uplift one another, so it is tremendously appreciated.
This is excellent advice – I really wish George RR Martin could follow rule 10. A Song of Ice and Fire would have been finished a decade ago then!
Lol, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for sharing and stopping by.
Reblogged this on So, I Read This Book Today .
Thank you, and glad you stopped by. Have a great day.
Reblogged this on mira prabhu and commented:
Stephen King’s Top 20 Rules for Writers…check ’em out here! And thanks very much, Jen!
Thanks Mira!
Reblogged this on mira prabhu and commented:
Stephen King’s Top 20 Rules for Writers…check ’em out here! And thanks very much, Jen!
[…] Owenby has this great post with Stephen King’s Top 20 Rules for Writers. They both surprised me and made me laugh. A big thank you to her for this great […]
Thanks Taylor!
Thanks for sharing these wonderful tips from Steven King. I wrote a book some time ago and wrote it exactly as mentioned here, i.e. ” as it happened ” because it was my biography,It was like living my life over again because I told it ” as it happened.”
Good rules, but do not get too carried away following them. Adverbs are not the plague, but like salt and pepper, should not be overused. Words like “when” are adverbs, and sometimes their use is essential. Similarly with the passive voice. Sometime you want to give the impression of passivity.
Thank you for stopping by and sharing 🙂
My pleasure. I am trying to put my life back together, now (my wife died recently) and I am gradually spreading my interests.
Such great advice! Thanks for posting.
I love Stephen King!!
He’s an amazing mentor and writer. Thank you very much for stopping by.
I have King’s book, “On Writing,” and he takes the weight of the “Chicago Style” off of writers. My favorite author DOES know how to put a book together!
I love those tips and it uncomplicates an enormous project. I’m all about breaking it down 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Reblogged this on Anita & Jaye Dawes and commented:
advice from the Master…
Reblogged this on Sucheta the Scribbler and commented:
No-nonsense tips. I like 🙂
Thank you very much 🙂
🙂 You are welcome!
A.m.e.n. 🙂
Reblogged this on kanzen sakura and commented:
Excellent advice from an outstanding and successful writer and a nice guy to boot!
Thanks for reblogging and glad you found it helpful. Have a great day!
I met him once at one of those fan conferences. Nice guy. These are excellent rules. I am going to reblog!
That would be pretty cool, meeting a famous author like him. 🙂
Stephen King is fabulous and these are fabulous rules for all aspiring writers! Thank you!
I know, I might print and frame them myself. Thank you for stopping by!
Reblogged this on Bette A. Stevens, Maine Author and commented:
Awesome advice from one of the greats! ~ Bette A. Stevens
Thanks for reblogging! And, send me some of your snow please. We have had the warmest driest winter in years! I’m sad Bette, I’m sad 😦 I look at your pictures of your snow often. lol 🙂 Have a wonderful day!
That’s a great read and I’ll try to take as much of it onboard as I can.
Great! 🙂
I haven’t had the courage or the materials I need for novel writing, but Stephen King! I love his work 🙂