On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft Quotes

“Story is honorable and trustworthy; plot is shifty, and best kept under house arrest.”

― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

topic:writing

“Almost everyone can remember losing his or her virginity, and most writers can remember the first book he/she put down thinking: I can do better than this. Hell, I am doing better than this! What could be more encouraging to the struggling writer...”

― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

topic:writing

“It’s hard for me to believe that people who read very little (or not at all in some cases) should presume to write and expect people to like what they have written”

― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

topic:writingreading

“On the other hand, if you’re just starting out as a writer, you could do worse than strip your television’s electric plug-wire, wrap a spike around it, and then stick it back into the wall. See what blows, and how far. Just an idea.”

― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

topic:writing

“The simplicity of noun-verb construction is useful—at the very least it can provide a safety net for your writing.”

― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

topic:writingsimplicity

“you must not come lightly to the blank page.”

― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

topic:writing

“You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you.”

― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

topic:writing

“Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference. They don’t have to make speeches. Just believing is usually enough.”

― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

topic:writingloneliness

“The idea that creative endeavor and mind-altering substances are entwined is one of the great pop-intellectual myths of our time.”

― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

topic:writing

“Writing fiction, especially a long work of fiction, can be a difficult, lonely job; it’s like crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a bathtub. There’s plenty of opportunity for self-doubt.”

― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

topic:writinglonelinessdoubtdifficulty