Writing advice from Stephen King

Stephen King, having written more than 48 books (34 of them being best sellers), might know a thing or two about writing. To become a better writer, King advices repeatedly that one must “read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”

Reading and writing have one thing in common: words. Words are the smallest component of reading and writing, yet they form the greatest ideas and stories. They bridge the gap between the mind’s of individuals. The writer of the book shares her ideas to the reader through the use of words. These words carry weight; they hold meaning.

“This business of meaning is a very big deal. If you doubt it, think of all the times you’ve heard someone say “I just can’t describe it” or “That isn’t what I mean.” Think of all the times you’ve said those things yourself, usually in a tone of mild or serious frustration. The word is only a representation of the meaning; even at its best, writing almost always falls short of full meaning.” — Stephen King

Two things you can do to make your writing better is omit needless words and not dress up your vocabulary. Too many tasteless words make the writing dull, and excessive use of fancy words turn off the reader. You can get better at writing and understanding the use of words through reading a lot. Stephen King always carries a book with him everywhere he goes.

“Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life. I take a book with me everywhere I go, and find there are all sorts of opportunities to dip in. The trick is to teach yourself to read in small sips as well as in long swallows. Books are a uniquely portable magic.” — Stephen King

King made interesting points about the use of the active and passive voice. Here is what he had to say: “Verbs come in two types, active and passive. With an active verb, the subject of the sentence is doing something. 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.” The use of the passive or active verbs have an effect on the reader. Although the reader is generally more engaged when the active voice is present, sometimes the passive voice is good to use to illustrate a character’s personality.

The use of grammar, like verbs, has a significant impact on the meaning. We have certain rules that we must obey when forming our words into sentences, and if we don’t follow these common set of rules, then the meaning is lost. The rules of grammar are the means by which we communicate clearly. Misuse of grammar causes miscommunication and confusion. Adding to the importance of clarity, King heavily advises to separate your thought into multiple pieces. A single complex thought is easier understood when it is split into two parts. The reader is your main concern, and you never want to have your reader think to himself, “what is he trying to say??”

As for when to write, John Gould, Stephen King’s first writing professor in college, advices him to “write with the door closed, and rewrite with the door open.” Feedback on your writing is important. But, as King points out, “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.”

His final thoughts on description are important to mention.

“Good description is a learned skill, one of the prime reasons why you cannot succeed unless you read a lot and write a lot. Description begins with visualization of what it is you want the reader to experience. Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s. The key to good description begins with clear seeing and ends with clear writing, the kind of writing that employs fresh images and simple vocabulary. One of the cardinal rules of good fiction is never tell us a thing if you can show us.” — Stephen King

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