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Stephen King Quotes about Writing

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The scariest moment is always just before you start.

The scariest moment is always just before you start.

Travel, Writing, Worst Moments

Good description is a learned skill, one of the prime reasons why you cannot succeed unless you read a lot and write a lot. It’s not just a question of how-to, you see; it’s also a question of how much to. Reading will help you answer how much, and only reams of writing will help you with the how. You can learn only by doing.

Reading, Writing, Skills

Stephen King (2000). “On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft”, p.112, Simon and Schuster

Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open.

Kings, Writing, Doors

Stephen King (2002). “On Writing”, p.47, Simon and Schuster

I have spent a good many years since―too many, I think―being ashamed about what I write. I think I was forty before I realized that almost every writer of fiction or poetry who has ever published a line has been accused by someone of wasting his or her God-given talent. If you write (or paint or dance or sculpt or sing, I suppose), someone will try to make you feel lousy about it, that's all.

Writing, Thinking, Years

Stephen King (2002). “On Writing”, p.39, Simon and Schuster

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.

Art, Writing, Filled Up

Stephen King (2002). “On Writing”, p.275, Simon and Schuster

Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.

Kings, Writing, Imagination

FaceBook post by Stephen King from Nov 10, 2013

If the stuff you're writing is not for yourself, it won't work.

Writing, Stuff, Ifs

Optimism is a perfectly legitimate response to failure.

Kings, Writing, Optimism

Stephen King (2002). “On Writing”, p.29, Simon and Schuster

Rewrite formula: 2nd Draft = 1st Draft - 10%.

Writing, Formulas

Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.

Inspirational, Writing, Procrastination

The unconscious mind writes poetry if it's left alone.

Writing, Mind, Left Alone

Stephen King (2008). “Duma Key: A Novel”, p.56, Simon and Schuster

The most important things to remember about back story are that (a) everyone has a history and (b) most of it isn’t very interesting.

Kings, Writing, Interesting

Stephen King (2000). “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft”, p.277, Simon and Schuster

To write is human, to edit is divine.

Writing, Divine, Humans

Stephen King (2000). “On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft”, p.9, Simon and Schuster

Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open. Your stuff starts out being just for you, in other words, but then it goes out. Once you know what the story is and get it right — as right as you can, anyway — it belongs to anyone who wants to read it. Or criticize it.

Writing, Doors, Stories

Stephen King (2002). “On Writing”, p.47, Simon and Schuster

When it comes to the past, everyone writes fiction.

Writing, Past, Fiction

Stephen King (2014). “Joyland”, p.32, Titan Books

There are all sorts of theories and ideas about what constitutes a good opening line. It's tricky thing, and tough to talk about because I don't think conceptually while I work on a first draft -- I just write. To get scientific about it is a little like trying to catch moonbeams in a jar. But there's one thing I'm sure about. An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story. It should say: Listen. Come in here. You want to know about this.

Writing, Thinking, Ideas

FaceBook post by Stephen King from Jul 23, 2013

Kids, fiction is the truth inside the lie, and the truth of this fiction is simple enough: the magic exists.

Lying, Writing, Kids

Stephen King (2016). “It: A Novel”, p.7, Simon and Schuster

When asked, 'How do you write?' I invariably answer, 'one word at a time.'

Writing, Answers, One Word

Stephen King (2008). “The Stand”, p.17, Anchor

Writing is not life, but I think that sometimes it can be a way back to life.

Writing, Thinking, Way

Stephen King (2002). “On Writing”, p.254, Simon and Schuster

In both writing and sleeping, we learn to be physically still at the same time we are encouraging our minds to unlock from the humdrum rational thinking of our daytime lives.

Writing, Sleep, Thinking

Stephen King (2000). “On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft”, p.99, Simon and Schuster

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.

Kings, Wall, Writing

Stephen King (2000). “On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft”, p.20, Simon and Schuster

I hated school. I don't trust anybody who looks back on the years from 14 to 18 with any enjoyment. If you liked being a teenager, there's something really wrong with you.

Teenager, Writing, School

By the time I was fourteen the nail in my wall would no longer support the weight of the rejection slips impaled upon it. I replaced the nail with a spike and went on writing.

Wall, Writing, Support

Stephen King (2000). “On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft”, p.24, Simon and Schuster

The more you read, the less apt you are to make a fool of yourself with your pen or word processor.

Kings, Writing, Fool

Stephen King (2002). “On Writing”, p.145, Simon and Schuster

I write to find out what I think.

Writing, Thinking

Stephen King (2005). “The Colorado Kid”, p.184, Simon and Schuster

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