The 2 Things Every Writer Must Do
Analysis of "On Writing" by Stephen King
📚 On Writing provides a fascinating look into Stephen King’s process.
🕒 Save time by reading my comprehensive summary.
My summary is broken into four posts:
Part 1: Stephen King’s guide to good writing
Part 2: The 2 things every writer must do
Here is Part 2:
According to Stephen King, a writer must:
Read a lot
Write a lot
There’s no way around these two things and no shortcut.
He urges readers to read more.
“Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life.”
Every book you pick up has its own lessons.
And quite often the bad books have more to teach than the good ones.
Most writers remember the first book he/she put down thinking: I can do better than this!
The good books teach you about style, graceful narration, plot development, the creation of believable characters, and truth-telling.
Stephen King says he’s a slow reader, but at the time of On Writing, was getting through seventy or eighty books a year, mostly fiction.
“The trick is to teach yourself to read in small sips as well as in long swallows.”
Stephen King reads at night, kicked back in a chair. He also brings a book along with him everywhere so he can read in any small pockets of time. He also listens to audiobooks while driving.
King recommends removing other forms of entertainment (like TV) if you are serious about becoming a writer— “you must be prepared to do some serious turning inward toward the life of the imagination.”
Continue reading my On Writing summary:
Part 1: Stephen King’s guide to good writing
Part 2: The 2 things every writer must do
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