On Writing  
Stephen King

Summary

Writing advice and the memoir of a legendary fiction writer

Rating: 4/5

Notes

To write is human, to edit is divine

Good story ideas seem to come from nowhere. Your job isn’t to find these ideas but recognize them when they show up

When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story. When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not a story

Writing is a lonely job. Having someone else who believes in you makes all the difference

Life isn’t a support system for art; it’s the other way around

You must not come lightly to a blank page

Use the first word that comes to your mind if it’s appropriate and colourful

Avoid using a passive tense

The adverb is not your friend

Good writing if often about letting go of fear

To be a good writer, you must do 2 things: read a lot and write a lot

If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time to write

You need to write consistently every day

Eliminate all possible distractions in your writing room

Write about anything you want as long as you tell the truth

The key to a good description begins with clear seeing and ends with clear writing that employs fesh images and simple vocabulary

Some people don’t want to hear the truth but that’s not your problem

Once you’re finished a piece of work, relax. Don’t go back to it for a few days

2nd draft = 1st draft minus 10%

The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better

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