forum 7: On Stephen Kings, "On Writing"

Topic 1:

I haven't finished my profile because I still need more interviews, but my subject was Wilmar. He likes the story so far and he thinks that it is amazing that I am telling his story. I still have to fill in blanks to the story. There are family members and co-workers who need to be interviewed in order to accurately portray Wilmar's story. I ran into a little dilemma because Wilmar's health has been decreasing dramatically within the past few months. He does a lot of laying in his bed staring at the ceiling. That being said, he has a lot of family who would be willing to discuss with me about his life. I just need to arrange those interviews. Another dilemma that I am facing is that my original story revolved who has become, and I think I want to focus more on who he was when he was younger and in good health. He has a lively spirit still, but you can tell that it was amplified times 100 when he was younger.

I will approach this type of story differently next time I report on someone of this nature. I will do more research about the life of my profile subject, I will spend more time getting to know their family members, and I will ask more questions about their past.

topic 2:

Reading, "On writing," taught me a lot about writing in general. There is this presumption that good writing is detailed to the core. One huge thing that Stephen King has taught me is that good writing leaves room for mystery within the story. There has to be questions that the reader asks themselves throughout, or the reader is going to become bored and quit reading.

Often times journalists, novelists and writers in general try and write about what is popular and trendy that day. However, Stephen King suggests that you write about what you know. Stephen King wrote a lot of science fiction and horror because he grew up watching movies that were in those genres. He wrote about what he knew and he added his own flavor to it and that is what he is well-known for today. I learned that I need to write about what I know and what I am passionate about, because writing about topics that you don't care about would get really tedious and boring.

Read as much as possible and write as much as possible. Possibly one of the biggest lessons that I have learned from, "On Writing," is that if you don't have time to read than you don't have time to be a writer. Stephen King looks at writing as if it is a job. He sets time out every day just to write. You have to be dedicated to the profession of being a writer.

“you can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” 

This quote stands out to me, because so many of us let our fears control our lives. There is this overwhelming pressure on many people to make the rational choice, to choose the guaranteed job, and to not take creative risks. I think Stephen King is trying to tell us that a lot of aspiring writers won't succeed because they let their fears get in their way. He is saying that it takes an ounce of bravery to begin something, and he is encouraging us to go for it. 

I feel like Stephen King himself is sitting down with my and offering me wise advice when I am reading this book. The language is simple yet pristine. There are countless bits of logical advice that every aspiring journalist, novelist and writer should know. A lot of the time when we read "how to" books on writing, they are clouded with complicated, opinion based sentences that leave us more at a crossroad than when we began it. This book is to the point and definitely a small yet significant life changing read.