Stephen King is one of the most interesting figures in literary history. Most of his stories read as if they were written by a cocaine fueled maniac just barely holding onto reality (because they were) but in interviews he seems to be just a normal older gentleman. The root of this ability to harness his creativity in the most efficient manner possible are the rules and standards that he holds himself to. These rules are all compiled in “Stephen King’s Top 20 Rules For Writers” by Lauren Passell.
I have been a fan of King for a long time, so many of the rules are already things that I hold myself to. I try to read as much as possible, write for my own tastes, and write daily because he specifically suggested these things. I trust his advice not only because he is a famous and accredited writer, but also because it aligns with the advice given by many other writers. Jordan Peele (who is also one of my favorites) has two quotes that I recall often that help me. One is that writing is sometimes like shoveling sand into the sandbox so that it can later be turned into a castle, and his other is to write the movie that you wish you could watch. These have both helped me greatly in my writing endeavors.
My favorite piece of advice from Stephen King in this article is that to be a writer is to “dig” often. Most of the stories that I have written that really manifested into something that I was proud of in the end came to me when I was not expecting any sort of inspiration. I wrote a two-act play that was inspired by an offhand comment from my history professor last semester. I wrote a one-hundred thousand word novel that was inspired by a two paragraph account of someone’s life on Reddit. I am currently writing another novel that was inspired by a news article I read this past summer. Writing requires “digging” in order to gain proper inspiration and remain motivated.
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