The 23 finest Stephen King quotes to write down about

If you’ve read Stephen Kings About writing, You know what a treasure trove of writing tips it is – from the mindset to the daily routine to the basics of structure and choice of words, it covers everything.

If you’re looking for a burst of inspiration, look no further than this list of the 23 Best Stephen King Quotes From On Writing.

1. Your job is not to find ideas, but to recognize them.

“There is no idea dump, no Story Central, no island of buried bestsellers. . . two previously incoherent ideas come together and create something new under the sun. It is not your job to find these ideas, but to recognize them when they arise. ”

2. There will always be critics.

“If you write (or paint or dance or picture house or sing, I suppose) someone will try to make you feel guilty.”

3. Don’t stop writing.

“Interrupting work just because it is emotionally or ideally difficult is a bad idea. Sometimes you have to keep going when you don’t feel like doing it, and sometimes you do a good job when you feel like you can only shovel shit while sitting. ”

4. Put your desk in the corner.

“Put your desk in the corner and every time you sit down to write, you’ll remember why it’s not in the middle of the room. Life is not a support system for art. It’s the other way around. ”

5. Take the craft of writing seriously.

“I am not asking you to come reverently or unconditionally; I’m not asking you to be politically correct or to put aside your sense of humor (God please you have one). This is not a popularity contest, it is not the Morals Olympiad, and it is not the Church. But it’s writing, damn it, not washing the car or putting on eyeliner. If you can take it seriously, we can do business. If you can’t or don’t want to, it is time to close the book and do something else. ”

6. Don’t disguise your vocabulary.

Put your vocabulary on the top shelf of your toolbox and make no conscious effort to improve it. . . . One of the really bad things to do to your writing is to polish up your vocabulary and look for long words because you may be a little ashamed of your short ones.

“Use the first word that comes to mind if it is appropriate and colorful.”

7. Avoid adverbs.

“The adverb is not your friend. . . . I think the road to hell is paved with adverbs. ”

8. Focus on paragraphs.

“I would argue that the paragraph, not the sentence, is the basic unit of writing.”

9. Don’t spend too much time researching good articles.

“The hours we spend talking about writing are time we don’t spend actually doing it.”

10. Be ready to work for it.

“If you don’t want to work your ass off, you’re now in trying to write well.”

11. Reading. A lot.

“If you want to become a writer, you have to do two things above all: read a lot and write a lot. There is no getting around these two things that I am aware of, there is no shortcut. “

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or tools) to write. As simple as that.”

12. Read so you can create.

“Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life.”

“The real importance of reading is that it creates an ease and intimacy in writing; you get into the writer’s country pretty well with your papers and IDs. Constant reading pulls you into a palace (a mindset if you like the sentence) where you can write diligently and without bias. It also provides you with an ever-growing knowledge of what has been done and what has not, what is mundane and what is fresh, what works, and what is just lying on its side dying (or dead). The more you read, the less likely you are to fool yourself with your pen or word processor. ”

13. Read a lot.

“You have to read a lot and constantly refine (and redefine) your own work.

14. Apply the Kondo test.

“If there’s no joy in it, it’s just not good. It is best to go to a different area where the talent pool can be richer and the fun quotient can be higher. ”

15. Write (the first draft) quickly.

“I think the first draft of a book – even a long one – shouldn’t take more than three months.”

16. Where you write is important.

“The greatest help for regular production is working in a quiet atmosphere.”

17. Set a specific goal.

“You need a specific goal. . . The longer you stick to these basics, the easier it will be to write. Don’t wait for the muse. ”

“I like to get ten pages a day, that’s 2,000 words.”

18. Appear every day.

“Your job is to make sure the muse knows where you will be from nine to noon or seven to three every day. If he does, I assure you that sooner or later he will show up, chew on his cigar and do his magic. “

19. Tell the truth. Be brave.

“About what do you want to write? And the equally great answer: Anything you want. Anything. . . as long as you tell the truth. ”

“What you know makes you unique. . . Be brave.”

20. Cut 10%.

“2. Draft = 1st draft – 10% ”

“Every story and novel can be collapsed to a certain extent. If you can’t get ten percent out of it while keeping the basic story and flavor, you’re not trying too hard. ”

21. Confidently claim your identity as an author.

“Do you need someone to make you a paper badge with the word WRITER on before you can believe you are? God, I hope not. ”

22. Just start.

“The scariest moment is always just before the start. After that it can only get better. ”

23. Know what it’s about.

“Ultimately, it’s about enriching the lives of those who read your work and your own life as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over it. Get happy, okay? To become happy.”

Of course, these aren’t all Stephen King quotes about writing. What are your favorites Let us know in the comments.