No, Elvis fans, not that one. Stephen King. Holy Cow. I haven’t read Stephen King’s books, not because I think his writing is bad- it’s the scary and spooky plots. The first nine pages of The Stand scared me so much, I didn’t sleep for a week.
I was told on good authority (Grammar Girl, no less) that King’s On Writing is one of the best books …well… on writing... there is. So I put in on my wish list, and it arrived under the Christmas tree. It’s paperback, so I took it with me on vacation, leaving behind my hardcover treasures to avoid the sand. I opened it as I lay beside the pool and didn’t put it down until I was done. Man, can that man write!
It’s awesome to get advice from someone who actually has a following. What’s that old saying? Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach; those who can’t teach, consult. The millions and millions of people who devour King’s work can’t be wrong. I’m not planning on becoming a novelist, but it was fascinating to see how the mind of a great one works, and it was heartening to know even popular novelists have a plan about their books, a plan that has more to do with storytelling than it has to do with money.
You can expect a marked improvement in my writing in the months to come as I employ Stephen King’s suggestions here.
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