Like many teenagers who discovered adult books in the late 1970s, I was an avid horror fan. Guy Masterson, William Peter Blatty, David Seltzer, Dean Koontz, Frank de Filitta; we waited for their books with bathed breath. But the undisputed top of the heap was Stephen King. We had no access to publishing news in those days, so I would drop by my local bookshop on a weekly basis, hoping to see his latest bestseller (and it was always a bestseller) on the shelves.
Egged on by Brian de Palma's film adaptation, the first Stephen King book I read was Carrie. It was also the first book I read which was a collection of letters, reports and diary entries. (I hadn't yet read the original Bram Stoker's Dracula, only the Bancroft Classics abridged version). I was hooked. As Mr. King's books grew in scope, so did my enthusiasm for his writing. I read The Stand and The Shining over and over again.
My fervour for Mr. King's writing ran aground with Rose Madder. By now I had moved to England. Lured away from horror by more diverse writing discovered at Shepherds Bush library, I just couldn't get into it. And I've never read another horror book since. I still regard Stephen King as a master of his genre, though. Of any genre, really. On Writing is still my go to book when I need a refresher course on plotting and, over the years, I have amassed quite a collection of Stephen King writing tips. Here are my favourites, and how I interpret them, in no particular order:
1. IDEAL READER
Always write for one reader, whom you must keep in mind through the writing process. Stephen King calls him/her IDEAL READER. For me, it's Rosemary Sutcliff, who I imagine sitting beside me, nodding enthusiastically when I get something right and shaking her head sadly when she's not so sure. She's at my elbow all through my writing time, whether I'm chained to my desk or tapping away at my laptop in Espresso Yourself. I even read out loud to her (when I'm at home, obviously, not when I'm in a cafe. That would be weird.)
2. WHAT IF
The most interesting situations can be expressed as a What if? question. I tend to use this a lot, even when I have the plot all worked out. I still keep asking the question. I find it takes me up interesting alleys and along side roads I did not consider first time round.
3. THE CHARACTERS, THE EVENT
A good story always ends up being about the people rather than the event. The characters are what we remember. Can I call the plot to Great Expectations to mind? Only vaguely. What first springs to mind when I hear the title to Dicken's masterpiece is Miss Havisham in her tattered wedding gown, sitting at a wedding table covered in rotting food.
4. 3 PARTS
A story has three parts.
NARRATION, which moves the story from point to point, from event to event.
DESCRIPTION, which creates a sensory experience for the reader.
DIALOGUE, which brings the characters to life through their words.
I think this is one of Mr King's most important writing tips. I write the three words on three different coloured sticky notes and stick them to the side of my screen, moving them up every time I use one of them to make sure they keep abreast of each other.
5 And, finally, a tip (I'm so tempted to use the word 'hack' but I won't, I won't) we should keep in mind through the ups and downs of being published authors.
IF YOU CAN DO IT FOR JOY, YOU CAN DO IT FOREVER.
The Crocodile Curse, Saviour Pirotta's second book in The Nile Adventures series is out from Maverick now. Otter-Barry Books have reissued his picture book classic Turtle Bay.
Follow Saviour on Twitter @spirotta and on TikTok @saviour_pirotta. His tag on Instagram is saviour2858.
2 comments:
I like On Writing too. Have now read it twice and found it a great source of inspiration.
(Coincidentally, I too began winding down with Rose Madder. But I think Mr King definitely got his mojo back with Under The Dome and 11/22/63. I've been looking forward to his books again ever since.)
Thanks for the comment, Nick, Must try these new books of Mr. King.
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