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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Stephen King on what writing is about

Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, or making friends.

In the end, it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It's about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.

Some of this book — perhaps too much — has been about how I learned to do it. Much of it has been about how you can do it better. The rest of it — and perhaps the best of it — is a permission slip: you can, you should, and if you're brave enough to start, you will. Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free, so drink.

Drink and be filled up.

And where do you find these pearls of wisdom? At the end of the master storyteller's brilliant book, On Writing.

Actually there's more to the book.

After the conclusion comes a long passage. King urges the reader "to look at it closely before going on to the edited version".

The edited version has notes on the changes he has made. Isn't that a huge learning for aspiring writers?
  • UPDATE (June 21, 2013): Journalist and editor Eric Olsen discusses On Writing as well as four other books on the craft of writing: "Eric Olsen's recommendations".  

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