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How To Get It Write w/ Stephen King!

Stephen King has undoubtedly secured his place in our world of literary icons, yet he remains humble as one of the most recognized authors in pop culture history and continues to dazzle with his tale-telling artistry. Best known as a knitter of nightmares (Pet Semetary, Salem’s Lot, It), Mr. King has also hit our heartstrings (Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, The Body, The Green Mile) and filled our soul with epic adventures (The Stand, The Dark Tower, 11/22/63). He has a  staggering list of story writing success and thankfully shows no sign of slowing down.

Stephen King has established himself as an author able to captivate a diversity of discerning readers. How did he do it though? King’s memoir, On Writing, gives a gritty and unapologetic view of his trek to the top and while it was published almost two decades ago, his insight stands true today. Forbes recently posted an article that highlighted five key elements from On Writing, sure to assist any aspiring author.

Practice

This seems pretty simple. Do you want to write? Then you need to write… consistently. Even the master sticks to a daily schedule!

“If I don’t write every day, the characters begin to stale off in my mind — they begin to seem like characters instead of real people.”

Read

Knowledge really is power, learn from the experts in the genre for which you’d like to write. Be inspired by the creators around you. Stephen King touts many of his favorites via social media.

Create First, Fix Later

Do not get hung up on first draft perfection, release what is in your mind. There will never be an opportunity to refine was is lost.

Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open.

Be Unique

Write what you like, then imbue it with life and make it unique by blending in your knowledge.

Accept Rejection

No one likes rejection but it can be a useful source of motivation and a great tool for improving your craft. Perseverance is key; be your biggest fan!

I sent Happy Stamps off to Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. It came back three weeks later with a form rejection.

Writing can be a daunting task even for the most seasoned professionals, check out On Writing for the tools to perform your written repairs.

It’s 2019… let’s get it write!