Stephen King has written more than 200 short stories and has published 54 novels some of which has been turned into movies. He has won innumerable awards. He has been named the “King of Horror.”

If you want to learn about writing, Steve has obviously something or two to teach you. Lucky for us, this writing deity has published a book about writing. He even had it recorded as an audiobook.

At the time of writing of this post, you can download the audiobook for free when you try audible for 30 days. But I know a lot of you are too lazy to read 288 pages or listen to 8 hours and 5 minutes of pure Stephen King goodness.

That’s why I summarized the content here for you. And it’s not out of the goodness of my heart either. I want you to upvote this post. And the only proper way I know to do that is by providing value. So here goes.

Read a Lot, Write a Lot

You want to be a writer? There are two things you have to do. 1) Read a lot. 2) Write a lot. No ifs. No buts. Just read and write a lot. It’s foolproof. You’ll get better and better at writing eventually.

The 3 Parts of a Story

There are three parts to a good story. 1) Narration – this is the voice of the storyteller and this is what moves the story from one point to another. 2) Description – it makes the story real for the reader as it describes familiar sensory details. 3) Dialogue – this brings the characters to life as you can distinguish them by the way they talk.

The Plot Comes First

The situation comes first. It’s more interesting than the characters. The characters are secondary. Compelling stories often tell us how characters would react to certain situations.

Don’t love your characters too much that you can’t allow them to experience conflict. Let them climb a tree and then throw stones at them and see what happens next.

Take it One Word at a Time

It doesn’t matter whether you’re writing an 9-book epic or a 1500-word short story. You have to work at it one word at a time. There are now shortcuts. So, enjoy the process.

Ask the Right Questions

The most compelling stories are a result of asking the right what-if questions. To fire up your imagination, here some 75 what-if questions:

http://www.litbridge.com/2012/11/13/what-if-creative-writing-prompts/

It’s About How People React to Events

To make your story relatable, the events must be seen through the eyes of someone your readers can relate to. So, while the plot comes first, telling the story through the right point of view will make your story more relatable.

Don’t Use Passive Verbs

Passive verbs should not be used. Yeah, that sentence you just read is passive.

Notice how the heading is more easily understood? It’s because it's in the active form. In the passive form, the subject of the sentence is just letting things happen to him. He is passive. We are not passive.

Avoid Adverbs

Stephen King hates adverbs.

“I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs.” – Stephen King

Remember, show don’t tell. Relying on adverbs is a disguised form of telling and not showing. However, it’s worthy noting the Amazon bestseller list is full of fiction riddled with adverbs. So, it’s up to you to decide whether you’d rather use adverbs or not. It's only Stephen King telling you not to do it anyway.

Don’t Use Big Words When a More Familiar One Will Suffice

It’s tempting to showcase your vocabulary. However, as a writer, your ultimate goal should be to express and not to impress.

Writers Write

Oh you’re a writer who’s PLANNING to write his first novel. Sorry. You, my friend, are not a writer. You’re a dreamer. If you want to be a writer, then write. Don’t talk about wanting to write. Just freaking do it.

Don’t Write for Everyone

You have to have a specific person in mind when writing. Steve writes for Tabitha, his wife. Ultimately, we are all Tabitha. So, don’t write something you think everybody will love. Instead, write something that you think a specific person will love. Chances are there are millions of people out there who are just like that specific person you’re writing for.

Hey, it worked for Stephen King!

Write What You Love

Writing is a thankless, solitary job. But if you write something you really, truly love, it will be a reward in and of itself. And if you’re enjoying what you’re doing, you can do it forever.

Personally, I love writing. It’s not work for me – as long as I’m honestly interested in what I’m writing about.

This is why I think Steemit is simply awesome. It lets me do what I love and get paid regardless of audience reception. That a few people like what I spew out is just a bonus.

More Resources

http://www.openculture.com/2014/03/stephen-kings-top-20-rules-for-writers.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/stephen-king-22-lessons-creative-writing-advice-novels-short-stories-a8021511.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Writing:_A_Memoir_of_the_Craft

https://mashable.com/2018/02/23/stephen-king-best-writing-quotes/

http://biblioteka.teatr-obraz.ru/files/file/English_cinema/Stephen_King_On_Writing.pdf