I’ve never read a Stephen King novel.
I know that’s quite shocking from one who loves books but it’s true. I grew up associating his name with horror films, the likes of which did not appeal to me in my teens or twenties. There I’ve said it and I shall shrug my shoulders with confident self esteem when you throw eggs at me and tell me I’ve been missing out all these years!
IT flooded our cinema screens last year and this was the first of his creations I actively chose to go and see.
I hate clowns. This was a potential problem, but after I’d accepted the character and his wonky eye, I was more worried about the boy being sucked down the drain.
As films go, I’d personally still rather see a Bond but I think I was probably missing the point (as many readers and literally people do) according to Stephen in his ‘ON WRITING’ book, first published in 2000.
(My blogging friend Mike2all points out that some of the later films based on Stephen’s novels are totally different and when I found out that Shawshank Redemption – one of my favourite films – was based on his writing, I was gobsmacked!).
His words in this part-memoir and part writing tips book are blowing me away, right out of the building where the front door has ‘Leave your assumptions outside please’ written in permanent marker.
I hadn’t realised he was a human. With a past. An alcoholic and a drug addict at one sorry time. With a wife who has stood by him and real, actual live children whom he nurtured and loves very much. He had a big desk, but prefers now to write at a smaller one. He’s grown a thick skin against his critics (yes; even HE had/s them!). Guess what he does? Shrugs his shoulders and carries on writing.
I’m falling in love with him, maybe his words then. The tips he is sharing with us aspiring writers choosing to read his book are carefully woven into memoirs. Taking us back to his childhood, his teenage years, his first dabbled attempts at newspaper articles, the mountain of rejection slips he received, his recollection when his first big book ‘Carrie’ sold a few thousand copies in the first print run and how he and his wife were finally able to instal a telephone.
He suggests we read all the time while writing and this pleases me immensely as I’ve done more of both in the last six months than in the whole of my children’s lives (and they are 19 and 18 remember). He writes daily, aiming for 2000 words! May God forgive me here for swearing. (It’s ok, I deleted it and wrote that sentence instead.) He says we should be aiming for 1000 words daily; this is do-able.
He also reads slowly so now I love him truly because I do too. I’m not one of those that can open a book and stay up all night and finish it (though I have read half his book across two days so far!).
You HAVE to buy this book if you write – (fiction especially).
Talk about timely for me … and yesterday I believe the tides have turned, as I purchased my very own SK novel (actually co-written with one of his sons, Owen). Check me out now 💃🏼 a Stephen King fan (and I KNOW I am in good company 🤗).
Missed you yesterday but I’m trying my new hat on for size. The participant-on-an-online-writing-course hat.
I’ve done homework today and EVERYTHING!!! (Luckily mother in law has just offered to cook us dinner, that’s why I’m sitting here chatting to you, or I’d be wearing my wife/mummy hat by now).
I’ll tell you more about that later, promise x
[…] This 2013 adaptation should be good and I’ll be noting all the aspects SK talked about in his amazing book ON WRITING. […]
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How could i not buy it after that! Done 🙂
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👏🏼👏🏼🥂 it will be pennies well-spent
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I did not even know about this book. I read tons of Stephen King in high school – in fact, IT was his first book I ever read. I re-read it last year before the movie came out. I’m definitely going to have to get this book. I love his writing style and can’t wait to see what he has to share in this book.
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It’s diamond. It’s dynamite. It’s honest and modest. He describes so beautifully the process he takes and has always taken over the years. He doesn’t plot at all. He lets his characters ‘speak’ to him after he’s created them … !!
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My wife hates horror, but ‘The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon’ works for her. Less horror than than a study in survival and loneliness.
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Thank you (and her) because I shall now order that from my library … having joined back up this evening!!!!!!
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Forget ‘life is box of chocolate’, life is a library, with a great choice, and all for free. Enjoy browsing!
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I so did! (I could have moved in but they’d probably have noticed) 🤗
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[…] There are ‘How to’ books and then there are ‘How to’ books – Ideas.Become.Words […]
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I’ll spare you the gushing and unnecessary details, Viola, but I’ve been a Stephen King fan since I was in 2nd or 3rd grade. As far as I know, I’ve read everything he’s every published, and I own much of it. His writing of the past few years really doesn’t classify as horror. I urge you to pick up some of his more recent novels. Also, his son Joe Hill is outstanding, I think a better writer at this early stage of his career than King was at the beginning of his. His younger son, Owen King, is a writer as well. A great place for you to start would be Stephen & Owen’s outstanding _Sleeping Beauties_, which I briefly gushed about in my post of the same name. If you’re interested, you can read it here:
https://theceaselessreaderwrites.wordpress.com/2018/01/08/sleeping-beauties/
I’m glad you’ve discovered him and hope he brings you much pleasure!
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I have it!!! I bought it yesterday (and thought I’d added it in my post under the ‘tide’ daily word prompt sentence … damn computer!!
Can’t thank you enough for the back up though .. thrilled to have discovered him … gimme give then go back in to check the final photo xx
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That was meant to say gimme five!!
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I love ‘On Writing’ for many reasons. King’s book ‘Salem’s Lot’ scared me because it was the first vampire story that made them real. Which sounds weird, but if you read the book, you’ll see what I mean. He made them feel like they could be your next door neighbors. These aren’t vampires that sparkle, believe me. And that, to me, is the brilliance of his writing. It’s not the horror stories, it’s his ability to make even minor characters so alive and real that you have to stay with them. His are the only books where I flip to the end to see who’s still alive. I don’t want to get emotionally invested in a character only to have them die part way through. So I have to peek to find out which ones are ‘safe’ to get attached to. Some of King’s books are too much for me, but the older ones in particular are worth being scared while reading because of his gift of bringing characters to life.
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I love that you’ve taken the time to reply and thrilled to meet another fan.
Ok, so I’ll make a note of Salem’s Lot … Mike mentioned one and Denny another… I’ve a feeling a new collection may be starting!
Characters that climb under your skin and become part of you as you read simply has to be the aiming point for a new writer?
Wow 🥂🌸
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I think you’re right about the characters – why else do we care about the story? And I think equally as important is the ability of a writer to dig down deep into honest emotions and give those to the characters. Bring them to life, I guess. Warning though: Salem’s Lot is scary. And again, it’s so scary because the characters are so well drawn.
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I’ve never read a true horror …. I love watching horror films; even if I need to hide behind a cushion 🤣 (‘wrong turn’ .. and ‘the hills have eyes’) … I’d love to attempt one! 🙈
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King has always been one of my favourite authors with The Stand being the most read book. I read it every three to four years and it’s like meeting old friends. His book on writing is a must read, no bullshit,
guide to becoming a writer. Hey, and don’t judge him by the movies as his books are better (apart from Misery). His prison novels have converted well into the cinema wth The Green Mile and Shawshank Redemption coming out tops. Of the others, a short story Called The Body made an excellent flick entitled Stand By Me. So, I’ve just spent the last few sentences destroying my nonsense from the one before. Prolific is what King is….
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Shawshank Redemption is one of my favourite films … I had no idea it was based on his book until recently 🙄
I may actually edit my post to clarify that his early films, like Carrie, were not my cup of tea but later ones were/are.
And I’ll give that title you mention a whirl 👌🏼
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His writing on background details and internal feelings of characters is sublime at times. A few clunks here and there but that comes with the genre.
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I am in agreement…Endings are a problem.. again, genre…
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Agreed 🙂 I read that book couple of weeks ago too :)💙💙
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Weird coincidence!!
Let’s drink to inspiration 🥂🌸
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No I’ve seen a lot of ppl on WP r reading that book haha so I decided to read too (I read it in Swedish tho)…and then I saw ur review too 🙂 cool 😎
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Fabulous!! 👌🏼🌟
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