Part three - Steven King's On Writing - Analysis

Most essays I’ve written, there were no second drafts, so it’s interesting to see how much of a difference that second draft makes. That whole equation (2^nd draft = 1^st draft – 10%), pure genius. Cutting out 10% seemed like a bit much to me, until I saw the revisions he made to The Hotel Story. There are details that sound necessary and fitting in the moment, but when you go back and take some of those out it actually does flow better. I thought it was funny when he made the joke about everyone having a history, but most of it isn’t interesting. I immediately thought of that one person in class that has an impulse to tell any story even the slightest bit related to something the teacher has said. They drag on for what seems like forever, and in the end nothing is gained. No one paid attention and everyone would’ve been just fine not having to endure one more of the countless stories. The same applies to writing; though it may sound good to you it’s important to remember that no one really cares as much as you do. Cut out the unnecessary details and move on, you’ll be doing yourself and everyone else a favor. I’ll definitely remember this concept in my future essays.

State of the Union Address 2012 response

Stephen King - On Writing Analysis - Part Two

The idea that writing is form of telepathy both surprised me but fascinated me at the same time. The concept makes sense. When you write you really are transmitting your thoughts to another person in that special way, I never would’ve thought of it that way though. I never would’ve compared writing skills to a homemade, wooden toolbox either. In his advice on vocabulary and descriptions he says the first things that come to mind are usually the best choices. Writing is creative and in the spur of the moment which I thought justified that advice. The words you remember first are usually the most vivid. Most of these things I never thought of but knew all at the same time; like he said, like cleaning the rust off of drill bits. I always used to think description of the characters was really important. King’s explanation of the show don’t tell kind of opened my eyes. After a few characteristics the rest usually go in hand with the previous, there’s no need to add in unnecessary details. When he started writing about not having a plot, I was a bit skeptical. I thought about how unorganized and all over the place the story would be. Just like all the other advice in this book, I eventually ended up agreeing with him. I originally thought the writer plans out the story, but I like the way he sees the story as already there just waiting to be written; as if the story writes itself. He’s truly passionate about what he does and he’s more than good at it. Many of the tips and explanations contradicted my original thinking, but now I see why he’s so great and what makes his writing just as great.

Stephen King - Part 1 of On Writing - Response

Stephen never gave up on his writing which I thought was really significant. He was constantly being rejected when he was young. He took criticism well, and used it as motivation. That motivation and persistence is what attributed to his success. He saw the world in a different perspective. His imagination got him in trouble more often than not as a child, but came to his advantage later in life. Most of his books come from random off the wall ideas that only he could think of. He wrote through periods of poverty, mourning, and addiction. I think only a true writer like King can do so and still have great pieces as a result. His mother and his wife were the two people that always motivated him, I highly doubt he would've gotten his life back on track without them. Even as a struggling single mother, King's mother always encouraged him to do better and keep writing. In moments of doubt his wife seemed to give him that extra push to keep him going on with his career. Writing always helped him at the right moments. The points in his life where he thought he’d hit rock bottom his writing always seemed to help him back up to his feet. He never gave up writing, and writing never gave up on him.