I remember reading an interview with Stephen King where a woman was standing next to him in line at a store and saw one of his books and turned to him and told him that she wished Stephen King would write a nice story like The Shawshank Redemption.
neotank Wrote:I LOVE Stephen King. I must say he is my favorite author, with FPW (of course) Robert Mccammon, Richard Laymon, and sometimes Dean Koontz, rounding out the bunch. All these guys have given me great scares, and much, much, more. I still remember reading It when I was a kid, and the feelings of adventure, horror and wonder it created. Then later on reading Repairman Jack, and hooting and hollering in my parents basement as he took a drink of that cursed coffee.
As someone who hopes to one day take the time to actually complete a damn novel, I think FPW and the others are probably the MAIN reason for doing so. They gave me the inspiration to want to do the same type of magic.
Neotank--I'm sure Steve would say this to you--Don't talk about it...DO IT!
As the first American to win a Nobel Prize for fiction said, "The art of writing is the art of putting the seat of your pants onto the seat of your chair."
And that's gospel truth.
when my wife and i were on our honeymoon, we went to see a movie in bethel, maine, where we were staying, and stephen king was in the theater. he was actually kind of annoying, laughing at the top of his lungs every time there was the slightest hint of a joke. he was dressed in old, stained clothing. it was pretty weird. i have to admit, though, i do have some respect for the guy. while i find his writing a little bit needlessly vulgar, he does have the ability to really freak me out sometimes.
Bluesman Mike Lindner Wrote:Neotank--I'm sure Steve would say this to you--Don't talk about it...DO IT!
As the first American to win a Nobel Prize for fiction said, "The art of writing is the art of putting the seat of your pants onto the seat of your chair."
And that's gospel truth.
I totally agree. I have a few novels that I stopped writing at about 30k words, which is about a third or a novel. So I have put some time in, I just need to stop wandering to other ideas and just stick it out. Although I have finished a few short stories that got some good feedback from the slush readers of the world, but never accepted. You're a good writer, blah blah blah, BUT it's just not right for us. LOL sorry to go off topic...
neotank Wrote:I totally agree. I have a few novels that I stopped writing at about 30k words, which is about a third or a novel. So I have put some time in, I just need to stop wandering to other ideas and just stick it out. Although I have finished a few short stories that got some good feedback from the slush readers of the world, but never accepted. You're a good writer, blah blah blah, BUT it's just not right for us. LOL sorry to go off topic...
Keep at it! DUNE was rejected by =23= publishers :confused: before Chilton took a chance on it!
I found out about Repairman Jack through two fellow King fans, on the Dark Tower site I've been a member of for 5 years now.
Stephen King has such a gift for creating realistic dialogue and believeable characters in often unbelieveable situations. He can scare the crap out of you with a story like It, then transport you to an almost fairytale world with the likes of Eyes Of The Dragon. As for the Dark Tower series...well, if you haven't read it you need to pick up a copy of The Gunslinger immediately!
I know some people argue that he's "lost his magic" a little with his more recent books, but I think King's writing has always reflected the different stages in his life. Personally recent books like Duma Key, have been among my favourites.
Stephen King has such a gift for creating realistic dialogue and believeable characters in often unbelieveable situations. He can scare the crap out of you with a story like It, then transport you to an almost fairytale world with the likes of Eyes Of The Dragon. As for the Dark Tower series...well, if you haven't read it you need to pick up a copy of The Gunslinger immediately!
I know some people argue that he's "lost his magic" a little with his more recent books, but I think King's writing has always reflected the different stages in his life. Personally recent books like Duma Key, have been among my favourites.
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Under the Dome rules also.
I've read the majority of King's work outside of The Dark Towers and Talisman series. I have enjoyed his progression as an author. The number one thing Stephen King does better than most authors is relay the audacity and foolishness of the human condition. Someone commented earlier about his writing being needlessly vulgar. I would agree that his writing can be vulgar, but if you notice a lot of his writing takes place inside character's minds. He does not employ the third person omnicient format as much as other modern authors. He will often times drop you into a character's thoughts. This can lead to the "vulgar" and "hokey" nature of his writings. He is presenting the material without filter, just like really happens in our heads. This facet of his writing is unique because he does it so well.
In our heads, our voice isn't cool or inflected, its just our voice. He captures the essence of that in many of his books. I always loved that about his writing.
You also have to admire his courage. He writing reflects both his upbringing and generation. I dig the fact that he is confident enough to let this come through in his writing. No other way to say it than he has guts. Some of his subject matter is supremely left field, yet he presents it in a light that has made him wildly successful.
Bottomline for me is that he is an excellent story teller.
In our heads, our voice isn't cool or inflected, its just our voice. He captures the essence of that in many of his books. I always loved that about his writing.
You also have to admire his courage. He writing reflects both his upbringing and generation. I dig the fact that he is confident enough to let this come through in his writing. No other way to say it than he has guts. Some of his subject matter is supremely left field, yet he presents it in a light that has made him wildly successful.
Bottomline for me is that he is an excellent story teller.