Advice The Best Writing Tips From Stephen King
List Rules Vote up the best advice from the master of horror
Any writer, seasoned or amateur, should pay mind to these Stephen King writing tips. The King of Horror has sold over 350 million books, has over 50 published novels, and has penned over 200 short stories. There is little doubt that the Maine-born bestseller is one of the most prolific writers in the history of literature. And, he’s willing to share his secrets.
Many of these quotes from Stephen King come from his 2000 bestseller On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. The book serves as both an autobiography and a must-read for any would-be writer. On Writing quotes are a treasure trove of sound advice that will help a writer deal with everything from negative criticism to what hackneyed words to avoid, like "amazing."
Find out why the esteemed novelist has a beef with the word “amazing” and how not to start a paragraph. These 17 sage Stephen King quotes may just help you get past the pain of the empty white page and on your way to finishing the manuscript of your dreams. When you're finished being inspired, be sure to vote up which Steven King quotes about writing are the most helpful.
The Opening Line Is Everything
"But there's one thing I'm sure about. An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story. It should say: Listen. Come in here. You want to know about this."
The Atlantic, 2013
Eliminate Any And All Distractions
“There’s should be no telephone in your writing room, certainly no TV or videogames for you to fool around with.”
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, 2000
No Need To Get Too Detailed
"I’m not particularly keen on writing which exhaustively describes the physical characteristics of the people in the story and what they’re wearing... I can always get a J. Crew catalogue... so spare me, if you please, the hero’s 'sharply intelligent blue eyes' and 'outthrust, determined chin.'"
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, 2000
Don't Sweat The Grammar
"The object of fiction isn't grammatical correctness but to make the reader welcome and then tell a story."
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, 2000
