Legendary author Stephen King knows about writing.
He’s published 65 novels, collectively selling 400 million copies. Film adaptations include IT, Carrie, The Shining, and The Shawshank Redemption.
In his book On Writing, King lifts the curtain, sharing his best writing advice. You’ll find everything from tips on crafting good writing to strategies for overcoming self-doubt.
The best Stephen King quotes on writing, reading, and grammar
Here are 17 Stephen King quotes that cover his advice around:
- Writing and the writing process
- Reading as a writer’s tool
- The role of grammar in writing
Reading
Reading is essential if you want to become a better writer, said King. It’s a view supported by a ton of research, especially in education.
Even outside of the school environment, reading is beneficial and King explains why.
1. “Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
2. “You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has done to you.”
3. “You have to read widely, constantly refining (and redefining) your own work as you do so.
4. “If you don’t have the time to read, you don’t have the time to (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
Grammar
King has a nuanced take on grammar rules. A former English teacher, King’s approach is to avoid complicated grammar rules. Speaking to the Atlantic in 2015, he summed up his approach to grammar like this:
“I always started by telling them (students) not to be too concerned with stuff like weird verbs (swim, swum, swam) and just remember to make subject and verb agree. It’s like we say in AA—KISS. Keep it simple, stupid.”
Some are quick to criticise even the smallest grammar mistakes, especially online. Many times these exchanges miss the point of grammar rules.
King, conversely, calls on us to apply grammar to make sure our writing is clear and unambiguous. Nothing less and nothing more. In other words, he’s far more practical.
5. “Grammar is not just a pain in the ass; it’s the pole you grab to get your thoughts up on their feet and walking.”
6. “Communication composed of these parts of speech must be organized by rules of grammar upon which we agree. When these rules break down, confusion and misunderstanding result. Bad grammar produces bad sentences.”
7. “The real importance of reading is that it creates an ease and intimacy with the process of writing; one comes to the country of the writer with one’s papers and identification pretty much in order.”
8.“I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs.”
9. “With a passive verb, something is being done to the subject of the sentence. The subject is just letting it happen. You should avoid the passive tense.”
Writing
King’s quotes on writing and the writing process are a masterclass in how to get more words on the page. The author wrote Carrie, one of his first novels, while working a full-time teaching job.
When he’s working on a novel, King writes every day – including Christmas and his birthday. This kind of consistency will make a massive difference in your writing output and quality.
Balancing writing and other commitments – like work or family – isn’t always easy. I know. But setting up even a short writing slot adds up over time.
Here’s King on writing, shutting out distractions, and the function of early writing.
10. “For any writer, but for the beginning writer in particular, it’s wise to eliminate every possible distraction. If you continue to write, you will begin to filter out these distractions naturally, but at the start it’s best to try and take care of them before you write.”
11. ‘When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story,’ he said, ‘When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story’. *
12. “Good writing is about letting go of fear and affectation.”
13. “…I have a lot of self-doubts. I think the best thing to do when I really run into trouble, is remember the saying ‘Hard writing makes for easy reading.’
15. “I try to remember that we’re all amateurs at this, and every time I sit down it’s like the first time. I battle doubts all the time about whether or not this thing is working or that thing’s working, whether or not the idea is good.”
16. “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”
17. “…to write is human, to edit is divine.”
Hearing that King also struggles with doubt is reassuring. Here’s one of the world’s most successful authors saying that even if feels inadequate when he sits to write. I can relate, and U know you can too.
Additionally, I’ve also seen the power of editing in my work. Editing your own work, ideally, a day after you’ve written it, is helpful for refining your thoughts and catching errors. Working with a professional editor can support you to level up your writing significantly. If you’re serious about your writing, I highly recommend investing in the services of a good editor at some point.
Use these quotes to guide your approach to writing
King’s advice is full of practical tips: things you can apply right away to boost the quality and consistency of your work. Start with carving out a dedicated writing space. It doesn’t need to be a secluded cabin or even a separate room in the house if space is tight. Maybe it’s an area on the dinner table or kitchen counter. Whatever you decide, create and protect space and time to write. Then put King’s other tips into practice as you go.
Featured image post: Image by Pinguino via Wikimedia under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license
