Stephen King’s Top 20 Rules For Witers by Lauren Passell
The article is Passell summarizing various questions Stephen King as been asked about his writing process. After reading the article, I have to admit there is some truth to the “20 rules”, some I don’t fully agree with.
With one of the rules I agree with, a healthy body can help with writing. It is important to balance writing and keep the writer’s health in check. After all, a dead body can’t write stories. King also mentions that a writer should write for themselves first, which includes exploring the creativity of writing. Going past what society would believe is “the limit”. He says to have fun with it before getting professional with it. King also states what would feel like the obvious, read and keep reading. But, it is true, reading is a wonderful tool and skill to strengthen. Not only can it improve the imagination, an inspiring writer is exposed to new ideas and formatting which can help their own skills.
As for a rule I did not entirely agree with, is the “Turn off the TV” rule and the “You have three months” rule. While I do understand how TV, and other electronics, can be distracting when writing, they could also bring good information. With how easily accessible electronics are in some places, it is free information being spread around. Even if it is real or fake, they do have a potential to be studied and used in stories. My opinion on the three month rule is that this may not work for everyone. Not everyone is a full-time writer nor can they afford to be one. Some people may take longer or shorter, it all depends on their personal life.
On not winning the Nobel Prize by Doris Lessing
This article was extremely detailed, personal, and impactful. It start with the difference in education from an underfunded school in Zimbabwe versus a well funded school in English. In one area, the teachers, children, and parents beg for books and education, while in the other the children hardly touch a school library full of books. The article does bring up a point with this, when used to having something, a person may not fully know the value of having said thing. Each person’s priorities are different based on their environment, culture, and current living situation. Having an education is important, but it is not valued across the globe. This could be because a school does not have proper funding from the government, which varies in what a proper funding looks like. This article hit home for me, not because of the living situations, I know I would never be able to relate to the people who beg to feel safe in their own home and pray for a better education. It hit home for me because I value education, as much as some subject might frustrate me —math—, but it is important. It enrages me that education is not funded everywhere, that there is a limit to what a person has access to. Any child and adult should have the right to learn.
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