How did you send him a letter if I may ask? I wanted to do that since the 90s but being from an eastern European poor country never had an idea how to contact him.
It's always an amazing feeling when the characters you're writing take over the story. And nothing will kill a story faster than trying to force the characters to follow your plot.
For what it's worth, consider that Outlines and Plots are more useful in revision and for marketing tools... Once you've written a draft, you KNOW (if you're any good) that it can be stronger, more concise, and other little adjustments to make a more potent and better experience for the reader... SO THEN maybe you should jot out the rough outline of "Important Beats" your story hits and where (by chapter/scene) it hits them... That can then help you better define "concretely" what genre and sub-type or whatever your story covers from Theme to sub-plots and so-forth... These are important for the revision process even more than "cleaning up" from grammatical slips, typo's, and making sure the weird Character Names are at least consistent in spelling... It can also help when deriving a question about the order of the telling. Some events may happen roughly "at the same time" and your choice of which to tell sooner can have an impact on what the story does over-all... AND finally, you may have spent the whole time more interested in the Romantic Subplot than in the primary conflict, thinking you're building a Rom-Com in a Fantasy World... when it's a much more powerful mix of Rebellion and Hope with the Romance as a second-place holder, even slightly... That allows you to set the marketing tone so readers get what they're LOOKING FOR, rather than think they've been lied to for buying a Rom-Com that isn't really a Rom-Com... AND I know that sounds a bit screwy, but you might be surprised how many aspiring writers actually have no idea what the hell they're even putting together with a finished product in their hands. ;o)
'NO! YOURE NOT SUPPOSED TO FALL FOR THE MC. You have to manipolate him! It's on the outline! Character: Well, no Me: Okay, you've forced my hand *proceeds to erase the paragraph* Character: ' What are you doing?' Me: what I should have done in the first place *rewrites whole chapter exactly the same* Me: 'What's happening' Character: 'I'm the writer now'
I sometimes just let them do what they want, to get it out of their (my) system. Sometimes I love their version and use it, sometimes I don't, but I save it because it's often hilarious. 😂
@@Shinooobi211 Sure, a lot of translations, but I don't get how's this relevant? I read books, I know something about literature, I'm well equipped to criticize.
That's exactly how it is. I also love this tip: a good idea is one that sticks around. Many writing teachers/professors recommend you carry around a notepad to write down any ideas that pop into your head. However, the best ideas are the ones that stick with you and won't go away because you are clearly passionate about it.
I don't particularly love that he said it... but it's probably a true statement. Probably. However, you can teach people to be better at what they're capable of doing. Like a mentor of sorts....
Me too! I've been struggling because I've been trying to convince people of that fact. Honestly, I've been following all of the advice in this video naturally, all the while being told I was doing it wrong. Especially the reading and copying other authors part. I feel much more confident! At least with novels. Now to take conquer the anime/manga battle!
This is good advice. I would add one more. #11 Don't tell anyone you're writing a book until it's finished. You'll have rejection from everyone before you send it out - and without them having a chance to read it. Rejection from people close to you hits different and it's rather discouraging.
When your ideas go ahead of your typing and you’re trying to type while your head is 3 steps ahead of your hands and it becomes this creation that feels like it came out of know where inspired by some Devine being
Fantastic collection of clips on his thoughts on writing. If you haven't picked up On Writing, I highly recommend it. Bradbury's book Zen and the Art of Writing is also great.
I love Stephen King! I've read so many of his novels and short stories SEVERAL TIMES! Read the stand about 4 times,It 3-4 times,The Dark Tower Series about 7 times....etc.
King's writing is great for the most part. It reads easy and he writes characters very well. I feel like he has issues ending his longer stories though. That probably comes down to him wanting to spend more time with the characters (as he has stated) but he knows he has to end it. That's one of the reasons I find it useful to know how your story is going to end, at least in a round about way. Now, however long it takes one to get there is entirely up to the author. Throw in all the stuff you want but just don't end it lazily. If it requires more pages or even a second book then by all means take advantage of that is afforded the oppurtunity. Obviously publishers have a say in things but at this point I think someone of King's stature doesn't have to worry about such minutia. The rest of us* are at the wolves mercy lol. *By the way I am not a writer/aspiring writer. One can probably tell by my terrible grammar. Though, I do have tons of stories wrapped up in my head. I have never put pen to paper. So by "us" I mean all the aspiring authors out there :)
Like him or not, but you can't deny that this man is a sensation. I'd like to have a piece of his ability to put thoughts into words and make them come to life. I'm in the autistic spectrum with issues of understanding sarcasm or irony or also written emotions, but I can vividly imagine Stephen King's stories in my locked up mind.
He's so spot-on about the notebook part. It's literally it. A space for bad ideas or variations of those same ideas. Whatever makes it in there, never makes it to the book.
The best thing in writing is living in that world, but you have to break loose from the obsession, otherwise you will be in an institution. | THATS THE TIME YOU WILL PRODUCE YOUR BEST
"A good writer is a voracious reader," that statement literally makes me hungry. Hungry for words, ideas, statement, ideology ready to be digested to my system and given with full liberty to share such metabolic by product of an idea to the masses. Hope can do such thing in one of these days
It is now Tuesday, the 10th of August of 2021. I just began reading his latest novel....Billy Summers.....(only because I read that it’s not a horror story.....cause I tired of those)......&, as always, this one started out riveting & almost impossible to put down! I will sell it for $10 when I’m finished. Steven King is a genius as a story teller!! 👍🏻🇨🇦😉
The best stories I've ever written all have one thing in common: I had no idea what path they would take or how they would end until I finished them. Everything I wrote when I had the whole story before I started absolutely sucked.
"That sort of the way crazy people are in institutions.." Actually, people in institutions/mentally ill have always possessed a huge amount of creativity and real intelligence. I think this is a really good point, that sain people can tell the difference between what is just thoughts in their head and what is not.
Forgot to say I have writing a novel , ghost story since 2009, and I'm still trying it, a lot of stuff gets in the way, like living and problems but I feel i can finish it, I have wrote over 500 pages, I do keep notes to reflect, it helps as time goes by, I get inspiration from lots of sources , i feel when I finish it, it be about 200 page story, no long boring read lol, in today's world where I feel we all live fast and not enough hours in the day and lovely podcasts to listen to, reading a long book is over, short novels are better, so that my advise for would be writers , make your characters strong and the story takes care of it self, and let your imagination go wild lol
There is actually an effortless way to eliminate procrastination. Adding this to it can let a person sail through their book writing experience. This technique can be done by an eight year old child for both fiction or non-fiction - it's that easy: Simply erase part of the last sentence you've written for that day. Your mind is hardwired to be working on it, so that you won't be able to wait for the earliest time to get back to writing some more. Do this every time. If your last sentence is so golden you don't want to erase it, write another line and erase part of it. If you're stuck and haven't written in a while, go back to where you left off and erase part of the last sentence you wrote. Your last sentence might change almost every time. Who cares because you're on your way! IOW, you've just conquered the biggest challenge to writing for most writers and done it effortlessly. Kelley Eidem author, "The Doctor Who Cures Cancer" (an #1 Amazon "Mover & Shaker out of 10 million titles) and "Is There a Question That Heals Instantly?"
Stephen King should do some mobile 360 live writing on RU-vid so that we/he can see external influences of the stuff around him inform his work unconsciously.
For lyricist the first two lines are key. The hope is placing a catch phrase within the body. Editing is bad. And its best if you are interacting with a person while trying to grasp a particular concept. As for being a voracious reader. I didn't read my first book till I was 27. Firestarter. By then I had wrote over 400 sets of lyrics. Many of which are still being recorded to this day.
The Stephen King drinking game: Drink when... 1 - The story takes place in a small town. 2 - The town is in Maine. 3 - A mysterious evil permeates the town. 4 - The main character is a writer. 5 - A character is an alcoholic or recovering alcoholic. 6 - A woman is in an abusive relationship. 7 - Psychopathic childhood bullies torment our main characters. 8 - The villain is a religious fanatic. 9 - Children have supernatural powers. 10 - The ending is sudden and unsatisfying.
I think it's funny when people ask where do you get your ideas(it's called real life mixed with imagination and creativity). You can litteraly visualize what you're writing. And I find the worst question for people to ask writers and comedians that write their own stuff is... Why don't you put this in your book or that in your comedy? 🤔 Because then it would not be my book or my comedy. It would be yours. So I ask if you want that in it then why not write it and create your book or your comedy.😁 I'm pretty sure every writer of all formats has people say that all the time. It might work for someone doing nature or places to go (adventures). Like asking someone to write about Alaska or the mountain lion . That's different. But when it's created through your own imagination you can take a suggestion if it's something you're in a style to do or want to do. Otherwise it's just reaching
If you are seeking a great book to read, then nothing could be better than the book “The War of Colossals.” An exciting story, filled with adventure, war, mutants, and drama.
I'd like to know if Stephen King ever created a character so real to him that it scared him. I have a character like that. I have been finding it so difficult to write his story because I'm scared to feel his presents again.
I think he stated that after he finished Pet Sematary he read it only the one time and has never gone back to re-read it because it was so dark. For him anyway.
"presence" again. Just remember, your villains are people too, and don't think they are evil and also have hopes dreams and wants. Unless their a psychopath. But eve then, many psychopaths think that it's society that is truly sick. I find it a good idea to write a chapter from the viewpoint of the protagonist, even if it isn't actually going into the book. That way you can really get into who they are. In doing so, maybe also give them secret pathologies that not only dictate who they are and have become, but also why they do what they do. These things can really help "humanize" them in a way that can make them less scary to you. "Voldmort is pure evil! But in secret, he cries a lot, and is scared of cockroaches and has to turn his sink on and off ten times before bed. He also secretly is terrified of confronting Harry, but would never in a million years show that in public. He has no choice but to put on a facade to the world that is so convincing, that in that moment, even he believes it! Much of his cruelty though comes from his own insecurities" See, now he is more manageable to write. And maybe some of this can slip into the writing to make him way more interesting then he ever was.
@@Reggie2000 I understand what you are saying, but the character I was talking about is not human, and is a manifested entity from man's accumulated ability for carnage. The story is scary to write because it tends to pull me into a dark world where pain, discomfort, and despair exists like air and water. It's understanding of loneliness and despair goes deeper than any human can handle, so to characterize it makes me reluctant.
@@adamgutierrez7120 Yea, I have a book like that, that I have never written more ten a few pages in ten years because I know that I am going to have to go deep down the well and exist there for extended periods of time. But if I do write that book I plan to also offer up happy times, as I feel that a book without many pockets of joy suck. Even if those pockets of joy are sucked away by the very thing that makes my book dark and ugly at times. But at least I know that in those alternating chapters I can be more upbeat. Remember, all stories need hope. Even if that hope never comes. Maybe it's times to also start looking for the more upbeat and opportunistic parts in the story. Le t me ask you this? Does evil win the day? Because if not, then there must be some hope and joy to be found. And if not, then there has to be hope and joy to be crushed. I finally will point out that in order for any lose to matter to the reader, you have to at the very least show what it is they had. So in my book he has a completely life altering experience happen, and at first I started to write it from there. But then I realized that none of this matters, if I don't show you how amazing his life was to begin with. Granted, I know I am risking losing my audience before they even get to the real plot, but it has to be done. Right? In A Separate Peace, we have to know what life was like for the two boys before the tree incident, even if that is a huge chunk of the book. An d that is fine, because we can make that interesting too. Maybe it's time to rethink what is more important in the book. Showing more of the despair, or more of the joy, so that the lose is even greater to the reader. And then you your not so much writing 100k words of sorrow, but just 30K? Just a thought to help get you there. I don't know, hopefully some of this was helpful to you. Good luck.
@@Reggie2000 That sounds like a great way to make the story enriched with the ups and downs of life. I love stories I can relate too. The books I've been writing are called "Chronicles of the Crossing." There are three that are described within the many stories as Chronicles. They describe the science and historical events in every race of being in the universe. The entity I have trouble writing about is just one of the 17 books I'm writing that fit in the Chronicles of the Crossing. They have been shared with family only so far and many have wanted me to publish them, but because I've had many concerns about publishing them I just write them and store them on my offline hard drive. I've got tons of great feedback though. A lot of the stories intersect at moments through out history. So, I tend to write multiple books at a time to make, for instance, book 1 to relate events to books 5, 7, and 11. The scary entity I was talking about is from a dark reality but what makes the story diverse is when it gets trapped in a human body of a young man. A chapter dedicated to the dynamic between the man and the entity. Much like MCU's version of Venom and its host. While this story takes place during the United States revolutionary war era the other books coincide with events that are mentioned in this story. Sometimes the reader would not be able to fully understand the characters choices unless they had read the other stories as well that coincide, making the Chronicles depend on eachother. So, creating and mapping all 17 books out on a linear chart is complicating to say the least, especially as some of the books take place on earth, and others on other planets.
Stephen King also advised to never use a thesaurus. But I often do and it only improves my expression through writing. 3:54 Stephen also ignored advice from prominent writers when it didn't fit his process; which further demonstrates that everyone just needs to discover their personal truths. It's great when successful people share their journey. But the journey to success has many a road. And everyone must find their own way on it.
I agree, there's many ways to get to success. But using a thesaurus in my opinion is not a good idea. If the words are not naturally in your vocabulary then you will not use them naturally. King's tip is very logical.
@@Howlox No, I need a thesaurus. And I'm almost always able to use the words I take from it seamlessly. Some terms just escape me at times. And a thesaurus only helps to remedy that. It's not that these words aren't a normal part of my repertoire. It's just that I sometimes forget them even though they are. Also, I'm not trying to replicate my natural way of speaking every time I write.
@@boomieboo You NEED a thesaurus? Honestly, if it works for you, then fair enough. It just sounds very unnatural to me and it also sounds like it would slow you down
I think Stephen King’s success has to do with his sheer will to do what he does everyday whether he feels like it or likes what he produces or not. He keeps his machinery in constant operation even if it’s just for the mere act of doing it. He probably doesn’t overthink, rethink and over rethink, expecting to lay the golden egg with every word and punctuation. Writers……….write. Musicians play. Chefs cook. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I’ll give you a freebie: Write for yourself, not for someone else (unless you are breaking POV, and inhabiting a character and you are replicating something or experimenting with something). That is. When you write, don’t think, oh they’ll love this, or picture an audience you are writing for…don’t do that!!! You will need your soul, inner demons, inner angels, no ego, and plenty of passion, to put pen to paper (saying), and write a story because you NEED to write it. Write it to the audience of yourself. But… Get it judged, opinions from others, especially from at least one someone that doesn’t kiss your butt, is harsh.
What I have experienced is a spiritual journey that I'm trying very hard to move on from and recover from but I'm afraid if I write this book that I'll think more of someone in particular when I was going through that painful experience too much and I'll start waiting them back when they don't need to be in my life no longer but this story needs to be told. I'm also afraid what will people in my life think when they read it should I put name under a ghost writers name? And how do I accomplish writing this book without going back to the past and reliving it again? I don't want that nor need it anymore.
I used to think I was doing a bad job if I never had an outline, but it's so much more enjoyable just going with the flow because it's as if you're experiencing the story yourself, and never saw the ending like a first time reader.
This really reminds me of Bob Ross’s way to paint, which may seem weird, but let me explain: Bob Ross often said in “the joy of painting” that he doesn’t really use sketches and hours/days of planning anymore, and instead he’s just getting his most authentic, inner feelings on canvas. Likewise, I think it’s most important to just write your ideas down, you may change it later, but for now just go with what your heart says and experience the story yourself, instead of controlling it almost in a “scientific” way, if you know what I mean.
I look at it this way, bad writing is still writing. Even if you have to massively overhaul and edit a manuscript, at least you have something to edit. It is so hard to wear an editor's cap and a writers cap at the same time. My background is in medical editing professionally and my writing suffered because of it. The creative flow is always interrupted by the critical checker, and I can see the relevancy of just going with the flow and not worrying about grammar, not worrying about if things are making sense exactly, not worrying about plot especially. Those things can trip you up and stop the writing flow. At least that's been my challenge.
@@curiousobserver97 I strongly agree. Writers are all aware of the writer's block. If you are not blocked, then write as much and as fast as you can! As far as i know, editor's block doesn't exist, so editing is a good thing to do when your writing is blocked.
@@ahabduennschitz7670 There will be that yes, depending on how you might see it, but that's not what I'm trying to say. Some people will genuinely love someone's work and some people it just won't appeal to them.
@@darkangel3492 Ok but isnt that already a known fact your parents teached you? Tastes are different from person to person, someone likes science fiction, someone is into western flicks and someone else likes horror. Tastes always variate so you should always try to get your stuff to your "target audience" to get useful feedback. If someone who just likes fantasy stuff has to read a love story, its very likely that the person will dislike your work, no matter the actual quality. So this isnt useful feedback. But if someone who likes love storys doesnt like your love story, its very likely that the quality of your product isnt that good
@@ahabduennschitz7670 Typically people who aren't interested in the genre won't take time out of their way to read it, but those who read it because they are interested in that genre are either going to like it or not. It's the ones who like it that you want to keep in mind. Trying to make everyone happy is just a waste of time. And there's always, of course, room for improvement no matter what.
@@wrathoftheflyingspaghettim850 Exactly, and we are our absolute worst critics, but now, all it takes is that one person to tell me "I enjoy reading your stories," and that's what keeps me motivated to keep going. Do better. Most importantly, get past the anxiety that not everyone will love it, but don't let those people stop you doing what you're passionate about.
Suddenly I feel a whole lot better about my method and this is why I hate being in writers groups with the know-it-all nobodies telling everyone what they are supposed to do with ART. I have been fired from projects because I refuse to write "outlines", because I write the story as I go with no idea how it is going to end up.
Keep in mind that writing IS art, however, if you plan to sell it someday, it can ALSO become a business. Many talented writers fail to make a penny, not because they lack creativity and talent, but because they lack an understanding of the business. King has been around for decades and publishers are quick to listen to his ideas even if they are absurd. He is a famous, battle-tested writer. You are NOT. So be careful what you take from him IF your goal is to publish. IF your goal is to just write for yourself, then ignore the business part of it and go as crazy as you'd like with your writing. However, back to writing as a business: IF an editor is asking you to do something, put your creative pride aside and do it. Writing IS a business for the editor and its fundamental goal is to help you provide a product for the reader. If the reader doesn't like your product, they will put it down and not bother with it. The editor fails, you fail, and the publishing company fails and loses money. You HAVE to understand that. Steinbeck said it many times, that as soon as he turns his draft over to the editor, it no longer belongs to him, but to the reader. He obviously knew what he was talking about.
I agree. No one should tell you how to express your own creation. You don't need grades to affirm your ability. Groups won't understand because people are mostly the same; boring. Stick to your flow. BE the river.......😃
@@silvervalleystudios2486 There are those who love his early works and then there are those who think that the Dark Tower series are the greatest books ever written.
anyone who's got writing experience should acknowledge how unbelievable fast his writing pace, especially with the quality of his body of work. Just out of this world
His 10 Tips: 1. If you don't succeed, get a bigger nail. (For rejection letters) 2. Write 6 pages a day. 3. Go where the story leads you. 4. The good ideas will stay with you. 5. First, you read and copy other writers, then little by little you develop your own style. 6. Writing is self hypnosis. You need to have a routine. 7. Start with short stories and let them develop into novels or screenplays. 8. Learn to write for different mediums. 9. Look for ideas that you would really enjoy writing for longer periods. 10. Get immersed in your writing process until the outside world is gone.
They are both discovery writers, from what I heard. I have a feeling that’s why George R. R. Martin is taking so long to finish his series: he has so many characters and stories at this point that it must be a nightmare to control without an outline (or plot).
I started taking writing seriously when I was 15-16 and now I'm trying to edit my novel xD I really got inspired by the "get a bigger nail", rejection is tough, but persistence is key :D Anyone else writing right now?
Just gave up unfortunately. Came back here to see if i could sap anything from the ol' well of knowledge that is King, but nah. Just cant because i dont have fun when i write and even then i'm imitating someone else, which is never good imo
Persistence is key, I wish you the best of luck. Almost hitting my 40th book since Oct 2022. 2 novels, 36 novellas & 2 short stories. My first ones were awful. 😐It's hard work but very rewarding.
"You get thousands of rejection letters before you succeed." So true, rejection is fuel to the fire. Critics are important because they show you how your writing looks and feels for the outside world.
Well, this is Stephen King. It doesn't work for everyone, obviously. Neil Gaiman, another brilliant writer of our time, wrote his novel Coraline 50 words per night, as he himself said.
Those 6 pages a day are about 2500 to 3000 words a day. That's a solid amount. And I am sure they are 3000 high-quality words. I have written up to 2,000 words on a day, but later find out more than half, are low quality and have to do major rewrites. So quality matters as much as the quantity.
@@parkermudsen1063 I don't do it every day. I do it once a month or something when I am feeling very stubborn, in a good way! Normally I average about 500 words a day. I simply put aside about an hour in the morning (morning session) and aim for 250 words, then I do another session in the evening and aim for 250 words. Between those sessions I think about how the scenes intertwine with each other. This is important. Don't just write scenes because they sound cool or because you love them. Write scenes that serve a purpose and will connect sub-plots to the main plot.
Really, 6 pages isn't much. I usually write a full chapter everyday, because the style of writing I am comfortable with divides chapters according to stages of the progression of the story. It's easier to accomplish when you already know what to write. So, my prep work provides firm supporting points of interest to construct freely on.
I used to do 10 pages a day. Then life intervened, I discovered that I was always a horrible writer, my confidence was destroyed and I haven't gotten it back. Oh, well. Whaddaya gonna do?
One of my characters is a sociopath who is obsessively in love with another character. He has no purpose in life after losing his family and is now trying to manipulate his way into her heart. I can’t tell you how much fun it is playing with the suspense in his interactions and showing off his callous, remorseless side. I have one beautiful scene of him rescuing her after a car crash over a cliff face, but leaving her cab driver and the wreckage on the road, driving only her to hospital. In that scene, he has to reach over the cab driver to her, he could’ve helped the cab driver first, but instead decided to unbuckle his seatbelt. This causes the cab driver to fall through the cab door and off the cliff, making it much easier and safer to pull her out of the car.
That actually sounds pretty good. But the better the idea sounds, the tougher it is to execute properly in long term of a novel. But I'm sure it will be great! Would love to read something of yours in the future.
@@ArunKumar-dv8zw Thanks :) I tend to plan obsessively over a novel (For example, this is just a fraction of it all, I have a few thousand pages I've been writing since I was a child... yes it's that big). Luckily, I have extreme patience, so I'm waiting another year before I even start the book. I'll be writing short stories and the like to practice, so that it's immaculate. But I also don't have a fear of the scale of the project I'll undertake, just been looking forward to it since 13 years old (22 now, when i'm 23 the novel starts ;) ). I'll be looking forward to your feedback :)
If you allow, little advice; sociopaths are unable to fall in love, they pretty much appear to be in love untill it serves their goal, whatever that goal might be, they manipulate with utmost "expertise" and not every time to a degree of usual movie style murder, kindapping, or making new wallpaper out of their victim's skin. So, to the advice at hand, investigating and researching stuff you want to write about, if you're not certain about them, would benefit your writing as well as your personal growth, since statistically highest number of scripts, books, novels and such, that are very poorly written are result of author writting about stuff he doesn't know enough. I'm sorry for being "helpful" when it wasn't asked, but i like your idea and it would be a shame to turn out shallow on the fact merrit.
So fascinating hearing tips from a true master storyteller. Stephen King is a writing machine. I've enjoyed so many of his books and to think I've barely scratched the surface with his catalog, such a treat. So fortunate to live in a time when authors like Stephen King exist to constantly create and share their gifts to the world.
My English teacher and I were talking about Stephan King and other more modern inventive writers, and we both agreed that authors like Stephen King and others like him should be taught more in school.
In an English class we were to pick a favorite author and write a research paper on them. One guy did Stephen King. The teacher said he wasn’t a “real writer” and needed to redo his paper with another author. The guy lost his mind and went off for 5 mins told her she didn’t know her own subject matter said he was dropping her class and stormed out.
@@divadevincent711 The student shouldn’t have stormed out but, how can a teacher tell someone who and who isn’t a “real writer”? And Stephen King of all people!
@julian marx Fair enough, my teacher and I just love King and (even though I adore Shakespeare) are tired of having read the same, old-fashioned stories written centuries ago.
I don't think he should. He literally wrote a sex scene between children. Kids in school shouldn't be subjected to that. Keep his books as far away from the school library as possible. Just you wait until you know more about the man's most darkest secrets. Googling a man called Isaac Kappy will clarify things for you. To me it was always obvious anyway.
Exactly! A story doesn’t need that much complexity. A story can be long, but it can only get so long and tediously portrayed that it just looses it appeal after a while. So Martin just got lazy.
@@GreatOldOne9866 Comeon man, A song of ice and fire is one of the best high fantasy series and his characters are soo beautifully written that they come alive. Greatness takes perseverance and time
That is not so acuratte, while setup in Martin's books takes place on grander scale geopolitically speaking, in Dark Tower series (that towards last books drops in quality imo) it is as complex minus feeleng of epic high fantasy and rather being on some cowboy knights, monsters, fellowship on a questt buzz. And, this is again, my opinion, Hamingway's "Old man and the sea" which is a short novel, is far more complex material then both of these series, and i love and collect King, and i love Martin but he is doing video games with Myazaki (and that rocks) and not writing anymore so much.
Wow! It's crazy, I go around telling my friends the same thing, "Let the story tell itself." AKA- "Go where the story leads you." I must be doing something right lol
His book 'On Writing' is an amazing tutorial and memoir. Funny, insightful and harrowing when he describes being hit by that van. When writing he describes a character doing something he did not know the character was going to do. I've had this happen and it's astonishing. 'She lied to him!' 'She LOVES him?' 'WHAT?' Love it!
I love that half the book was about his life and experiences that influenced his writing. It shows how ideas are all around us, and in us, if we take the time to look around.
@@futurez12 It can be that most adults and some teenagers have busy lives, schedules, or assignments that take up most of their time out of the day. It’s easier for some people to enjoy a shorter story that they can read entirely on a lunch break or between classes depending on how fast they read, than it is to pick up a 500 page book and only get to read it on a day off you know? I don’t think it has anything to do with people’s attention spans.
Give me a great short story collection over a novel any day of the week. I read Vanderneer’s The Weird compilation cover to cover-it’s about 1100 pages. It has nothing to do with attention spans; someone without an attention span would not elect to read at all these days. King’s short stories and novellas are better than most of his longer works.
@@futurez12 Are you kidding me??? Most people these days lack the attention span for a short story. A lengthy novel has been seen as too much for looooots of people for centuries. You could find people complaining about the length of Don Quixote centuries ago.
He’s amazing, we all know that. But not every mind works congruently-when he said taking notes and plotting out stories ahead of time is “garbage”, Im taken aback. I idolize him but I do make outlines so when I write the story process is smoother and “go where the story leads” is entirely up to the writer. Sometimes the story goes with my outline and sometimes I lead myself astray from it to a better path. It’s not “garbage” to me-just internalize that every writer is different.
A very good friend of mine uses notes and develops plot lines like that,and he is amazing writer imo, i on the other hand don't want to know the end till the very end. I want to be the first one to read it and expirience it while writing. I take a break now and then whe i hit wall, but it's a cigarette break, and i'm off to the races again.
You're probably a planner kind of writer then. Stephen is a "pantser" or discovery writer/Gardner. I am as well. If we try to work with an outline it kills our creativity. We just have to write and discover the plot as we go. He's taking from the point of view of his own process. Planners need the structure of an outline and notes to write. That is totally okay too. 😊 Don't feel bad about your personal process because Stephen does it a different way. That's just what works for him. Do whatever works for you, what helps you write your story. Because it's your story that you want to tell and no one can tell your story but you. 😊
I can understand why it helps but me personally, and I'm not sure for who else, but I have key moments planned then make it up as I go. It much more fun not knowing what happens because I know if I plan it all out, it's going to bore me writing out. NOT TO BE MEAN TO ANYONE WHO PLANS! JUST MY OPINION
King is blunt with his opinions, that's one of the things I like about him. But don't take it like gospel what he does. His way works for him and your way works for you. Do whatever works for you. Everyone has their path.
One thing I regret about my time in high school (15 years ago now sheeeesh) is they didn’t teach us modern authors who could actually talk about their ideas and process for themselves. I would have loved to have listened to stuff like this when I was a baby writer. It makes the craft seem so much more accessible and human than just studying the far away legends like Shakespeare or Hemmingway. Or obscure authors people knew nothing about and who shared nothing of their craft.
I love the bit about notebooks being places for bad ideas. I've trained myself not to keep track of ideas and just go with the ones that stick in my brain night after night when I'm not sleeping. Also, he's right that writers are readers. But most of all I like the mix of work ethic and magic he talks about. Sit down every day, make it routine, do the work and you will fall into your imagined universe.... IF you do the work. I tell my students, writing is ditch digging, not swanning around in a pirate shirt acting angsty. Ditch digging. Thanks Stevie!
I'm 21 with 3 published books., truly curious to hear from a master writer. I 100% Completely agree with tips 3-6 and 9 and 10. My average writing a day is roughly half of what King suggested though. If there are people watching this wanting to learn how to make their own book or stories, constructive criticism is okay but don't let negativity or doubt get in your way...ever!
