Things I learnt from reading On Writing by Stephen King:

Add heading (2).png

Stephen King is one of the most recognizable writers of our generation. He has written multiple best sellers as well as created a general impact on the publishing sector. Famed as a horror and fiction novelist, Stephen King has however left other nuggets of wisdom in the pages of the unlikeliest of books. On writing.

Today, I will explore some of the really important pieces of advice he gives to writers.

Never give up: Keep writing

It is often easy to give up. As a young budding writer, this is exactly the opposite of what you should do. Never let rejection letters, failed novels and the words of others drown out your own inner voice. Speak from your heart and be firm with it.

Always have a second view: The editor is always right.

While he has also placed so much emphasis on writing, Stephen King also believes that the editor is always right. “To write is human, to edit is divine” he writes.
The editor is an integral part of both a writer’s life and development. An editor fits the pieces together, spots the loopholes and helps get the writer back on track. Truly, an editor is priceless and no one says it better than Stephen King.

Cut down on TV.

This is one of the more difficult pieces of advice in his book. Stephen King makes the suggestion that one of the best things a writer could do now was to cut out TV time from his life. He even subtly advises writers to throw out their TV sets.

Don’t try to sound smarter than you are.

One offense common to many writers is that they are always trying to sound much more sophisticated than they are. They try to use buzzwords and other high sounding versions of normal words. Yes, It makes you sound quite good and sophisticated, but you have to now that the key idea behind written content is communication. If you use the best of words without establishing understanding then you are not doing it right.

Read. Read. Read.
As a writer, there is simply no alternative to reading. As a writer, you need to write, write write and write. Stephen King, writes each and every day. Including on holidays and on weekends. He just keeps reading and writing and doesn't stop till he reaches 2000 words. All writers should incorporate the habit of writing and reading constantly. Surely there is bound to be an improvement when you need keep writing and reading.

Take your craft seriously.
As a writer, you have to take your craft seriously. Stephen King advices young and upcoming writers to always take their craft seriously. "You must not come to a blank page lightly" he writes. Every writer should understand that you do not need to be afraid of the paper. You should take it serious and make sure you write to reflect that.