On Writing by Stephen King

Deepak Shukla’s Notes On On Writing by Stephen King - Notes: Hey guys, I finished reading this book on the 10th of January 2021. Here’s a synopsis of the book I grabbed from Amazon: “Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 3-9 business days for standard shipping. For Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. Box, and APO/FPO addresses, allow 6-20 business days for standard shipping. No expedited shipping. Choose expedited shipping for superfast delivery in 4-8 business days. Over 3 000 000 happy customers. 100% Customer satisfaction guaranteed! Please feel free to contact us for any queries.” And here are the actual notes I took whilst I was listening to this on Audible:

Non-specific critiques are useless 100% of the time.
Research is part of the backstory. Belongs in back
Long-life stories are best received in bars and only if you are buying.
Formula is 2nd draft = 1st draft - 10%
Kill your darlings (ie parts in the story that get in the way of the pace of the story)
The pace is the speed at which the story develops.
Think of this person as being in the room with you when you write.
IR is your old English teacher.
That person is your ideal reader.
Who is the one person you write for that you want to wow?
If several people separately say the same thing, you've got a problem and have to do something about it
Once the draft is finished, show it to 4 people you trust who will critique the book.
All novels are letters aimed at one person.
Ultimately, looking for what I meant?
What I want is resonance.
I asked myself if this story was coherent. What will turn coherence into a song?
In 6 weeks' time, you'll be able to see the glaring character and plot holes as well.
Need to be so engrossed in something new that you forget what the old book was about
Once finished. Take 2 days off ,then start something different for 6 weeks (write 100k words)
Don't show anyone your first draft AT ALL.
But if you write consistently (every day), enthusiasm can outrun your self-doubt if you just focus on putting words to paper.
Writing fiction, especially long works of fiction, can be a lonely job.
The book should be a minimum of 100k words.
2.5 drafts is how much a book should need to get it right
Once you have a basic story on paper, it's your job to ask what it means and then adjust.
Good fiction almost always begins with the story and then progresses to a theme.
Novelists have many interests but only a few thematic concerns powerful enough to power a novel.
What am I writing about? Why am I bothering? What got my nose down to the grindstone anyway
Thematic thinking is a powerful tool.
Violence as a solution woven through human history
Overlogic, or thinking about the curve, is when you have a flash or insight that brings a story together.
In the 2nd draft, you should figure out what the book is about
The story is like a fossil you're trying to unearth; it was always there, anyway. When you dig it u,p see what shape it takes.
The only story is about the story.
Symbolism can also be simple, and if you notice it in your store, you should bring it out and make it shine.
2nd draft is where you can bring out certain patterns or themes you see more clearly
Remember. There are no rules; you can do what you want!
Hemingway said you must kill your darlings, and he was right.

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Sometimes villains feel self-doubt. Sometimes heroes feel pity. Sometimes good guys act badly. Sometimes bad guys act well.
If you create fiction, every character you write ends up being partly you.
If I have to tell you something I lose. If I can show you something. I win
There should be no hero or heroine or bad guy, etc. We are all the stars in our own lives. So each character has colour, life and vibrancy.
But the book should never be a character study.
King starts stories situationally but always believes they should end up about people rather than an event.
One of the cardinal rules in fiction is never to tell us a thing if you can show us instead.
Practice your art. Your job is to say what you see and then get on with your story.
Don't ever use any clichés.
Open your memory eye.
The description that's effective is a case of using a few carefully chosen details and leaving the rest to the imagination of the reader.
The physical description should be kept broad so the reader can fill in the gaps.
The description is what makes the reader a sensory participant in the story.
A strong enough situation renders a plot irrelevant.
Stories consist of 3 parts.

The narration moves the story from point A to point B to point z
The description creates a sensory reality for the reader.
And dialogue,e which brings characters to life through their speech

And write about the things you like to read.
What are you going to write about?
Listen to white noise when you write.
The door closed is to keep people out and to keep you in.
Write 7 days a week, 2,000 words a day.
The closed door of your writing space is all you need to write your great novels and books.
A healthy body, a stable relationship, and a quiet workspace are keys to success in writing regularly.
Stephen King does 2k words per day for 90 days straight.
Some writers produce books within 2 days.
Should work on this same book daily and not on any other book
The 1st draft should never take more than 3 months.
Stephen King believes that to be a great writer, you must read + write 4-6 hours a day.
You must read a wide range of genres of books as well as types.
If you want to be a writer, you must....
Literary Toolbox: Consider vocabulary - write as you speak
A farseeing place exists for all writers.
What writing is: Telepathy
Put your desk In the corner and every time you sit yourself down to write remind yourself why it isn't in the middle of the room.
Sometimes you're doing good when all it feels like is you're shovelling shit from a sitting position.
Sometimes, you have to go on when you don't feel like it.
Stopping a piece of work because it's hard, either emotionally or imaginatively, is a bad idea.
Learned from writing Carrie that the writer's perception of the main characters may be as erroneous as the readers
Writing is a lonely job. It's important to have someone around who believes in you.
Write first for yourself then write for others.
First, write with the door closed, and then write with the door open.
At one stage or another, you will meet people who say your work is shit.
Recurring motifs in books often come from your childhood memories (it's called the barrens. We called it the jungle)
To write is human to edit is divine.
No writer will take 100% of editors comments.
The editor is always right.
Omit needless words