I’ve blogged from time to time about the importance of Stephen King‘s On Writing. It is a funny, moving, flawed, and priceless resource for those who dream of having their journal sketches become hardcover books.
On Writing is one of the books that changed my life.
It is also, I think, a pretty good resource for anyone who taps out their living on a keyboard–from storytellers to journalists, from preachers to teachers, from bloggers to speechwriters, from scholarly researchers to policy writers.
In preparing for my previous post on Stephen King and Danse Macabre I stumbled across this poster. Though it has the kind of professional staleness you’d expect from a publisher–boy, I’d love to see a good edgy graphic novelist or digital designer get ahold of this book–I think it is a great reminder of some of the bright practical points of On Writing. It wasn’t these 14 things that meant so much to me but the book as a whole, warts and zippers running up the back of the monster’s back and everything. But I rarely forget these 14 points, which make a great addition to the writing rules from L.M. Montgomery, Olivia Butler and Robert Heinlein that we’ve already discovered. It’s true, these are all writing hacks compared to many other elegant writers of writing books. Still, you know who I am talking about, and I think these rules go a long way to transcending genre and the limitations of labels.
I hope this little post from A Pilgrim in Narnia helps you along your way, whether your destination is the bestseller shelf or the bargain bin, the lectern or the pulpit, a product user or the legislative assembly, your little writing circle or the entire twitterverse.
Reblogged this on James' Ramblings.
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I always love reading from “On Writing.” It helps me focus as a writer and makes me thing I can do it.
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Me too. This post was practical, but I found it more inspirational than anything else.
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It’s a great book. I read it quite a long time ago – it’s great to have these tips all in one spot. I do love his description of his cranky muse in the basement. 🙂
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Great post and information. I’ll be reading the book next!
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Thanks much! I loved the book.
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Great and practical info👍
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Loved this book so much. I actually just got it on audible read by the man himself to hear it in his own voice. Literally.
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Yes, I’ve read it that way too. Very cool, hey?
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Pingback: Writing Tips by Stephen King — A Pilgrim in Narnia – TheBlurbAuthor.com
Really interesting
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Great tips! I’m just trying to figure out how to write that many words with a 1-year old, a job, managing the house, exercising, making time for my husband and having a life outside of writing! Stephen King seemed to sacrifice a lot to become the writer he is – much like any professional at a craft. It take much time, effort, sacrifice and talent to break the big time.
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Jeepers, yes I know the challenge. And I have taken a couple of years off of fiction to finish other projects. I do, however, hang on to people who have written a page a day–or a paragraph–working in the 15 minutes segments to eke out a story.
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That’s exactly what I’m planning to do, Brenton. Great advice!
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I love Stephen King’s books and thankyou for blogging some tips of him that could help every writer including me.
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Thanks for the note!
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you’re welcome
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Reblogged this on A safe place.
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