Stephen King's Writing Tips

On Writing for Yourself, Magic & Momentum

Prolific writer Stephen King (born 1947) offers solid writing advice in his book "On Writing."

One of his ideas is that you should be able to write a book in 3 months. Many people disagree, but the quick pace and the momentum it generates works well for a good percentage of writers. 

As with all of his advice, find your own optimal time frame and way of working to keep up your momentum to insure you'll be happy with the results. 

Here are 7 secrets to King's output:

1. Stephen King goes for a walk, a very important part of his writing ritual. He then writes 1,000 to 2,000 words per day. 

2. Before he begins writing, he reads the last page he wrote the day before to get him into the groove.

3. "Write for yourself. You become a writer simply by reading & writing."

4. "Don't obsess over grammar, especially in dialogue." 

5. "Avoid the passive voice. Avoid adverbs." (It's not true 100% of the time. Not everyone agrees, but adverbs can sound too directed, like the author is trying to tell you how to think without showing the action sufficiently.)

6. How do get a book done? "One word at a time." Bit by bit. Step by step.

7. "Find & stick to your own style." Remember, the magic spark resides in you. Especially for your first book, don't over-research for it. Just find a great topic and flow with it.