5 Easy Lessons from On Writing By Stephen King
Write if you love to write
Writing cannot improve without reading.
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
I started writing to generate revenue from it. But I stumbled upon the plan as I ran out of motivation to write. I completed reading Stephen King’s On Writing, which changed my perception of writing. It taught me not only how to write but why to write.
Below are a few lessons from this book that might help your writing journey.
Lesson #1: Don’t use passive voice
When I started writing, I often used passive voice. It came by default.
I never knew why I loved passive voice until I read Stephen King’s On Writing.
According to the author, it indicates that you do not own what you say — you don’t have confidence in your thoughts and words. You do not believe your heart’s calling.
It’s like you dream to have a hobby, but you do not do it.
Your mind feels comfortable saying — “A side hustle is a good hobby to be started.”
Because you feel shy to say — “I will start a side hustle.”
You know you are reading the work of a great author when the author points out your subconscious mind that you did not know.
I realized I was too shy to write confidently. Now, I have learned to avoid passive voice.
Lesson #2 : Don’t use adverbs
The author says not to use (except where it is necessary) adverbs. These are redundant.
According to Merriam-Webster, an adverb describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
The placement of adverbs becomes unnecessary in your text when you have already given the context before and after writing the verb.
So try to avoid it unless you need it.
“The road to hell is paved with adverbs.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Lesson #3: Write short paragraphs
When I was in school, the chapters with walls of text made me feel sick. I wanted to close the book and never open it again.
Short paragraphs with white spaces in between make it easy for the readers to read your text.
It creates a visual delight to write and read with short paragraphs.
Lesson #4 : Use a topic sentence followed by a clarifying sentence
The readers read the headline of your article to decide whether they should read or move away from your article.
If he likes the headline, he will want to read it. If he finds interest in the first few lines, he will read the whole article.
The author gives a technique to make the reader read your complete article.
The first sentence will say the topic of the article.
The subsequent few sentences will give a short(not the entire detail) of the topic you mentioned in the first sentence. It’s like the trailer of a movie. It should be interesting enough to excite the reader to read the whole article.
Lesson #5 :Write for the love of writing(without any expectation)
It’s my favorite lesson.
You all must have some hobbies, right? When you do that, you don’t realize how time flies.
Have you wondered if your hobby gives you any payment or accolades for you to get lost in time?
No, right?
When I was a child, painting took me to a different world.
It is the flow state that gives you ecstacy and joy. For this reason, you yearn to do a hobby every weekend/daily and wish to continue for years.
It’s the same with writing. If you do not have fun writing, you cannot do it for your entire life.
If it depends on the appreciation you get, you will face despair and lose interest in writing.
Write because you love to write like a mother loves her child.
“It starts with this: put your desk in the corner, and every time you sit down there to write, remind yourself why it isn’t in the middle of the room. Life isn’t a support system for art. It’s the other way around.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Summary
Here is a quick recap of what I wrote in this article.
- Do not use passive voice — it does not make you look confident.
- Do not use adverbs — these are redundant.
- Write in short sentences — it is easy for readers to read.
- Use a topic sentence followed by a clarifying sentence — it excites the reader to continue to read your article.
- Write without expecting anything — it helps you to write for a long time.
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