6 Things R.L. Stine Can Teach Us About Writing
Ironically, he wants us to stop being afraid.
R.L. Stine (born Robert Lawrence Stine) is one of the most recognised authors of children’s horror novels in the world.
He has been dubbed “the Stephen King of children’s literature” and has written more than 300 books. His ability to simultaneously frighten and entertain audiences has made him one of the most notable writers of our time.
As a child, the Goosebumps series were absolutely magical to me . They instilled a mixture of feelings — a combination of of fantasy and fear. He also introduced me to the horror genre, of which I’m still a huge fan of to this day.
R.L. Stine had a huge impact on my aspiration to become not just a writer, but a writer who could instil a sense of fantasy and wonder.
There is no doubt that Stine is a truly gifted artist with an incredible imagination. He can certaintly teach us all a thing or two when it comes to writing.
1. Stop being afraid.
Stine laughs at the idea of “writing” being viewed as such a complex task. After all, we are all natural storytellers.
He believes that there is no need for it to be hard, and that the monumental task at hans can often all be in our head.
Try and remember that everybody loves stories. We love to tell them, we love to hear them and we all have an inherent desire to know what happens next.
“People are natural storytellers. Everyone wants to know what happens next.”
— R.L. Stine
2. Writing is fun.
Stine says that you don’t have to write from your heart if you don’t want to, a notion proven by the fact that, according to Stine himself, none of his 300 books were ‘written from the heart’. Instead, they were written simply because he wanted to write them.
He writes stories because he wants to.
He writes stories because his ideas excite him.
He writes because it. is. fun.
Stine also says it’s incredibly important to have fun with your first draft — try and enjoy the process of it and just get it done — you can always change it later.
“Completing your first draft shows you can do it. No matter what trouble you have later on, you know you can do it, no matter what.”
— R.L. Stine
Write, not because you have to, but simply because you want to.
3. There doesn’t have to be a deeper meaning.
Stine wants us to stop overthinking it.
Our writing doesn’t have to change the world. It doesn’t have to make us money. It doesn’t even have to make sense if we don’t want it to — we can write for ourselves.
Whether you’re writing for children or writing for adults, your story also doesn’t need to leave the reader with a moral lesson.
It’s completely fine for the sole purpose of your story to be for entertainment only.
“Enjoy it. Have a good time writing.”
— R.L. Stine
4. Stay alert to ideas.
Most writers know that a huge portion of their ideas come to them at incredibly random times and places. Despite sometimes being inconvenient, the world itself can be an absolute goldmine for ideas, if only we let it.
The key, Stine says, is learning to keep yourself open to ideas at all times.
Whether it’s on your commute, in the middle of your shower or during exercise, keeping yourself open and paying close attention to the world around you will ensure you continue to have your bank of ideas filled. Whenever a nugget of an idea enters your mind, grab hold of it. Dissect it. Write it down. Inspiration is everywhere.
5. Take what you know.
Brilliant ideas are often right in front of us. It can sometimes be a simple matter of taking something we already know and love, and putting a spin on it.
Stine came up with the idea for his novella series HorrorLand by taking his love of Disney World and giving it a creepy twist — alas, an evil theme park.
Stine also grew up watching horror films during the 50s and 60s, and these films became muses for many of his stories.
This strategy can also help the reader relate to the story more. Setting your story in a familiar location (like regular neighbourhoods, streets, work places, schools, and then, in Stine’s case, putting a scary twist on them) can help the reader identify with the story more and become more absorbed.
6. Write the title first.
This is quite an unusual piece of advice, but this is the way that Stine often works. Where most writers create a title for their piece upon completion, Stine uses the title to create an entire story to follow.
Stine says that titles are a great way to grab that “germ of an idea” and grow it into an entire story. Although it is an unconventional process, it can’t hurt to try something new!
