Throughy

Recently SK emphasized that a writer should read intensely, and write to seriously pursue writing. Advice from Stephen King

Elsewhere I recall where he says he does each for 4 hrs/day.


I'm interested to hear feedback from some of you pros.

Truth-Teller

We've had this discussion time and time again.

And time and time again, Lin would go contrary to the master King, and so would many others.

Sad day it was.

Throughy

Well Truth-Teller,

I gather, 'time and time again' is one of your pet phrases, eh?

Don't see this tired and worn topic, would you care to post a link?

Truth-Teller

Trust me, you don't want a headache--and open up another pandora's box for us all.

SevenWritez

King has sound advice, but you also need to remember one thing--when he offered that advice, the complacent asshole was a rich author who could write when and where he chose. If I had green bills pouring out my ass, I would write, read, work out, and have sex with my girlfriend in equal numbers, thank you very much.

As of now, I am a highschool student, so here's how my schedule pans out:

First school, and because I have two study halls (long story, I'm trying to sneak my way into another class right now), along with a job in the school library, I find plenty of time to read and write. On average I can get about 1/4 of a book done on a school's reading day.

When I go home, I get my chores done, and if I'm feeling generous, I spend some quality time with my homework. I then proceed to either read or write, depending on what mood I'm in.

Around four thirty I head to work (because as an arrogant sixteen year old asshole I need money to flaunt my arrogant desires, y'dig?), and then get off around nine thirty, but I work about five days a week, so this isn't so bad.

When I get home, again, it depends on my mood. Read or write.

I don't get four hours in a day, but I do my best to improve.

When Stephen King was our age, he didn't read no damn four hours a day, OR write four hours a day. He is a great writer with sound advice, but follow your own gut when it comes to improving.

Read what you feel is a lot (as I do), and write what you feel is a lot (as I also do); and on a side note, Stephen King, though talented, isn't exactly the greatest writer when it comes to prose. I loved him as a Freshman and Sophomore, but there are other writers out there who offer so much more depth in such sparser use of words.

Anyhow, that's my two cents.

ClancyBoy

That, and he took quite a bit of cocaine to "zone" himself.

That said, the man has a lot of good advice. I wish youtube was allowed in China so I could watch this. Anyone have a transcript?

__________________
"Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons wait for you down there. Little pets they are, little little little pets. Cute little things, they say. Don't you believe it. No man ever saw them and walked away alive. You won't either. That's the final dash, flash. That's the utter clobber, cobber." --Cordwainer Smith, Norstrillia.

Mike C

It's all pretty simple. You'll never be a great mechanic without taking engines apart. You'll never be a great chef if you don't eat. You'll never be a great writer if you don't read a lot.

__________________
My writing
My Photo Blog
Web design for Writers
The Oddville Press

Rabid Euphoria

King says you need to practise to be good at your craft, not uncommon. Writing an hour or two a week (if that) helps nothing and shows you're not taking it seriously. You make time. King had a job and was going to university when he wrote Carrie, wrote it on a tiny childs desk propped on his knees in a tiny laundry room.

Read 'On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft' (I just finished it, again) the half auto-biography, half writing guide. He talks a lot actually about his early days, inspirations and habits. He hardly talks about the day when he was making money but on his starts and he offers a lot of sound and simple advice on the basic elements of writing. Stephen King is not the best writer (though my favourite) but he knows how to tell a story and 30+ years of dozens of bestsellers is all the credibility I need to know what a man is talking about.

Many people don't understand the mechanics of writing nor even the element that create a story. I've seen enough jumbled messes called fiction in my life, lacking many key elements that make a story a story. Stephen King is an idol of mine (though I do not try and mimic his style) and I've heeded some of his advice.

He hates adverbs, a lot. When he stressed how horrible they reflect on your work I realized it and now they stand out to me. Many of them make work seem hackish and people use them all the time. "He shut the door firmly" is an example he uses. How does one close a door firmly, anyways? It's either shut, open or a jar (lol).

King doesn't think of himself as a master of the craft, though successful and admired. I think, if you desire to write popular fiction, hes about the man to talk to. When Stephen King was your age the world was a much different place. When he wrote his first work (think when writer part of The Gunslinger) he was working in a laundry facility (I think) that was steaming hot all summer. He says he reads whenever he has nothing to do. Standing in line? He gets a book. On hold? He gets a book. Now he has the leisure to do what he wants but he didn't and I know he hasn't forgotten his early days. When the pink rejection slips piled up on him, his wife pulling Carrie from the trash and assuring him he had something going and being headstrong on ambition (his foreward 'on being nineteen' describes his aspirations as a young writer - Found in new editions of Dark Tower 1-4)

If you're stressed now just remember this; life only gets harder and more stressful after high school, unless you're fortunate to make it big early like Stephen King and be set by 30. A friend of mine works 12 hour, alternating shifts (mornings to midnights) and has 4 kids and is 26. Him not having time to write, I can see. You don't have to write 4 hours a day (I can only manage to pump out two or three pages in an hour or so session before I start to feel exhausted) but you have to at least make a daily effort.

You make it seem like it's a bad thing he gave this advice. I think after a lifetime of hardwork, fame, fortune and notoriety (he is America's Boogeyman) he's earned the right to do nothing but read and write; his three kids are now moved on and given him grandkids. There is not much more he can do but keep writing until he dies.



As or the 4 hours a day each thing, he never mentioned it in On Writing. My recollections are (paraphrased)

"Many writers would every day except christmas, the 4th of july and their birthday [...] I write every day. I try and get ten pages out, every day. Do the math that's a fair size book in three months."

"For one to write, one must read as one must watch movies to direct. I read whenever I get the chance, when nothing is going on. It's always a chance to escape a mundane line at the post office. I read as often as possible."

WriterDude

You do know King finished the manuscript to Carrie and found it so bad he tossed it in the garbage? His girlfriend picked it up later and read it, and then convinced him to send it in.

My broadband is currently too slow to watch youtube-videos directly (have to switch off the sound, play the entire thing in the background with a lot of slowdowns and such) to put in the buffer and then watch the whole thing all over again with sound on. I might watch it sometime, but I haven't exactly been impressed with King lately. In fact, I can't remember the last King book I enjoyed. I think it was Desperation or Hearts In Atlantis.

As for how an when I write, it depends a lot on how you see it. If I have the time and are currently working on a novel, I can write for hours and hours a day. I've been known to write ten hours non-stop on a novel in some cases. (of course, with bathroom breaks, eating and so on). But even if I'm not technically writing, I am usually still thinking about the story. If I am writing a story, I think about how the story should proceed even if I am not in front of the computer. I've come up with great twists in the story while sitting in McDonalds, walking aimlessly around in the city, even while eating breakfast. This gives me a break from the writing part and let me focus a lot on the story instead. Instead of focusing on "here and now" in the story, I focus on the overal story and how I can make it as good as possible. Guess my point is if you want to write a story, don't just sit in front of the computer and try to enter one letter at a time. Let the story grow in your head even when you are away from the computer, like at work.

__________________

huyzee

great read

Mr Sci Fi

I really wish people would stop using "On Writing" as the greatest reference on the craft, like it were a writer's bible. I understand that he's pretty much the most popular author ever, but most of the book is King whining about being hit by a car, as if he doesn't reiterate that fact enough in his introductions.

True, King's advice is sound, but ask any published author what it takes to make it as a writer and they'll tell you - "Read a lot, Write a lot." Hell, Mike C just said that to the entire thread and we didn't even have to buy a book to learn it.

Above King's most relevent points is the fact that once you're an avid reader, you'll be able to pick out the garbage from the gold and tell yourself that you can do better than that.

I'd recommend a few other "Memoirs of the Craft," namely Edgar Allan Poe's "The Art Of Composition." Orson Scott Card's "How To Write Fantasy And Science Fiction" also has some useful advice, even if you're not a Fantasy or Science Fiction writer.

__________________
"The writer you envy today will probably have reason to envy you tomorrow." - Orson Scott Card

Rabid Euphoria

What exactly makes you think that we think it's the greatest reference or writer's bible? Considering over half of it is about Stephen King and not a writing guide...I only brought it up to shed light on his history as Sevenwritez appear misinformed.

On Writing is a great example for someone who wants to learn the basic fundamentals of writing from a constant force in the industry for 40 years. He's not teaching how to win a pulitzer prize but enough so that you can actually write. There is much better publications on writing, I'm sure. It's just people are more inclined to learn from an experienced veteran of whos work they enjoy. He offers much more advice than 'read a lot, write a lot'.

More than that, it's a great read. I've gotten people to read it, who've no interest in writing (skipping those sections) and enjoying it very much.


EDIT - I noticed you added a second writing manual. Did you have to google it?

Mr Sci Fi

Every thread you look at for writing advice, some schmuck always feels the need to throw in some advice from "On Writing," like it's the definitive authority on writing at the moment. King maybe says a few useful things about the craft, the rest is just how he coped with his car accident and alcoholism. It was also a good way for him to market some of his wife's work, considering she can't seem to escape the shadow of her husband. I'm not trying to knock the book, just trying to say that you shouldn't settle for one guy's advice. Read as many books on the subject as you can and make your own conclusions.

I said his advice is sound, I didn't say he didn't have anything to offer. I'm clearly stating that everyone always quotes him as "Read a lot, Write a lot," when any author can tell anyone that. Other than that, King suggests knowing a thing or two about grammar and knowing a thing or two about decent vocab. He even states that he doesn't have much to say in his introduction, and recommends The Elements Of Style as a more formidable book.

That's touching, but has nothing to do with the discussion regarding useful advice.


Cute, but no. I just realized that it's also pertinent to authors outside of Fantasy and Science Fiction, as most of the advice is viable to story structure and publishing.

Don't be a contentious dick -- Just read more thoroughly next time.

__________________
"The writer you envy today will probably have reason to envy you tomorrow." - Orson Scott Card

Malone

What he says is common sense. I personally think the man's brilliant, and the fact that he used to use a lot of drugs just makes me like him more. There's really nothing new at all in what he's saying, though. It's kind of the oldest rule there is to be a writer.
And the thing he says at the end, about realizing that most published works are worse than what you can write, is usually true. Bukowski said the same thing, just better phrased. "Whenever I get depressed or feel hopeless, I just read another author's work." There's more to it that I can't remember, but he's basically just saying that reading other people's work, realizing it's crap, encourages him and gives him confidience. That's Bukowski quote is probably the most inpspring and wisest thing I've ever heard as far as craft goes.

Rabid Euphoria

Mr. Sci Fi, considering your entire post was based on your personal assumption that people worship On Writing as the bible of writing, don't talk to me and you said this knowing (i'm sure) someone would retort. You could have easily said, 'it's not to the only book about writing' instead of what you posted about the book mostly being Stephen King whining about being hit by a car, which was not the case at all....you were the contentious one in this discussion, sorry to say.

You should write a book on writing called 'how to undermine those more successful me and look smart doing it'.

You tell me to read thoroughly yet you seemed to missed 90% of what On Writing was about or even what I was saying. You end a paragraph with a line like 'you shouldn't settle for one guy's advice (aka listen to me)


Why did he recommend this E.B. White book? Two reasons; he knows it's good and he doesn't want to be considered as a know it all prick. You seem to be upset at Stephen King for his book (which is only about alochol and getting hit by a car) because other people quote him as 'read a lot, write a lot'. These are OTHER PEOPLE quoting/paraphrasing Stephen King.

You contradict yourself from

to

to

to

to


What are you doing? I'm confused. One paragraph you're insulting the content of his book and the next you're saying he has sound advice and you're not knocking the book. I forgot that's all that's in there because I just finished reading it two days ago and forgot he wouldn't shut up about his damn car crash


I understand your point of 'get advice from mutliple sources' but you're posts could be 95% less and get the same point across...That is KIND OF common knowledge...