Stephen King: On Writing (Blog Assignments)

In Stephen King's book On Writing, he has a section called "Toolbox" in which he reminds us that:

• Writers have a figurative "toolbox" just like a carpenter does. We use the tools of our trade to make stuff or fix stuff.
• On the first shelf of the writer's toolbox is: vocabulary. Words. The more words you know or come to know, the better. Some writers use a lot of words, others not as many, but writers have a way of collecting words so they can use them in their writing. You can too!
• Write a short list of your favorite words (try to get at least 10) in your journal. You can also write a post on YOUR BLOG discussing with the world your favorite words and why they are your favorite...
• On the second shelf is grammar. While you are learning this, note that well-constructed sentences can have a lot of power in a story. You have to master enough grammar to communicate your ideas effectively when you write. There's no way around this. Luckily, you're currently in the right place to improve your grammar.
• Write a short sentence that is grammatically correct.  Ex. The cat scratched him.
• Then write a long sentence that is grammatically correct that communicates the same basic information.  Ex. The black and white calico cat reached out his paw without hesitation or provocation and slashed him across the back of the neck, drawing rigged welts of blood in parallel lines, forcing a shrill screech to fill the otherwise quiet and dark basement--then the cat fled back up the stairs, leaving him alone in stinging pain.
• Then write a third time, dividing up your long sentence into a variety of short and long sentences. Ex. The black and white calico cat reached out his paw. Without hesitation or provocation, it slashed him across the back of the neck. The claws drew rigged welts where blood appeared slowing, like peeking from behind a curtain of skin. A forced and shrill screech filled the quiet and dark basement. The cat fled. It scampered back up the stairs. He was alone with his stinging pain.
• And finally, on the third shelf is style. Style includes your use of tenses (present, past, future), POV (1st, 2nd, 3rd), diction (word choice), paragraphs (how long or short they are), sentence length, and, of course, the use of various literary elements and techniques. We'll discuss this more at length later.

Throughout this unit, we will be working with the techniques of suspense. For mystery, suspense, action, and horror writers, this skill is essential. But any writer's story can be improved with the use of suspense. Suspense is used in all good storytelling, no matter the genre. Romance and Science Fiction or Westerns and Fantasy or Comedy or Realistic Fiction and children's literature. Even poetry and plays use suspense. So let's learn how to improve our craft.

Suspense: delaying the reader's gratification. The intense feeling (often of anxiety) a reader feels when characters in stories/films, etc. are either in danger, threatened or the outcome of the story is in question. This uncertainty creates a feeling of suspense. The feeling a reader gets is called MOOD. The way the writer uses words (diction) to create that mood is called TONE. Tone is your job as a writer. With the proper tone (say a suspenseful tone) your mysteries, horror, and suspense stories will be more effective.

As writers, we want to make sure our readers ask: what's going to happen to my favorite character in this situation or what will happen because this is happening to my favorite character?

Some ways to create suspense:

• Show (describe) the danger or threat
• Hint at possibilities through your diction (careful word choice) and imagery
• Delay gratification by keeping your reader guessing as to what will happen next
• Use description as a way to break up or slow down the resolution of events
• Use dialogue as a way to break up or distract characters from the resolution of events
• Cut to a different scene--use white space to transition from one scene to another
• Cut to the POV of a different character--this is called parallel action
• Stop the scene before you resolve it--this is often called a cliffhanger

YOUR TASK: Read Stephen King's On Writing (his book has 5 parts, you're only reading part 3). As you read, consider your goals as a writer. What did you want to come to the School of the Arts and major in creative writing to learn? Consider how a master storyteller like Stephen King can help you achieve your writing goal(s). Take his advice. He's a successful writer and probably has something to teach us. 

Stephen King: On Writing Post Ideas

TASK #1: Read On Writing. In your journal, take notes about key or important tips about writing.
TASK #2: Stephen King invites us as readers into his life. He says of his memoir that it is his attempt to "show how one writer was formed...snapshots, most out of focus" (page 4, On Writing). Along the way he drops some pretty solid advice to young writers. Read for these nuggets of wisdom.

Please use any of the following prompts to write your posts. You must write at least 3 posts! You may write as many of these as you can or want. The more you write, the more credit you gain. Remember: our goal is to approach writing fluency. You can't get better at writing by avoiding it. Use these prompts to give your ideas a good jumping off point for your inspiration and reflection. Above all, try to tell as much of the truth as possible. Where you don't recall a detail, it is fine to make something up. Feel free to use dialogue, imagery, or other effective writing techniques to tell your story or communicate your ideas.

PROMPTS (with chapter models from On Writing by Stephen King, taken from Part 1 of the book--you did not read part 1 of the book...but you can still benefit from these prompts):

• Chapter One: Write about your earliest memory.
• Chapter One: Write about an injury you suffered when you were young.
• Chapter Two: Write about one of your babysitters (or one of your babysitting jobs, if you'd like)
• Chapter Two: Write about a time when you were sick or violently ill
• Chapter Three: Write about a crazy stunt your brother, sister, or you did
• Chapter Four: Write about your experience or first memory of death (if you can't think of one, ask your parents, or a sibling)
• Chapter Five/Six: Write about getting a childhood sickness (the measles, chickenpox, pneumonia, ear aches, stomach viruses, etc.) or operation (even your first shot at the doctor's office...)
• Chapter Five/Six: Write about a doctor's visit (include some dialogue...)
• Chapter Seven/Eight: Write about your first story you ever wrote
• Chapter Nine: Write about your first crush, kiss, or date
• Chapter Nine: Write about an embarrassing moment (how did you survive?)
• Chapter Ten: Write about one of your siblings (or a friend, if you are an only child)
• Chapter Ten: Write about your first "scientific experiment"; or write about your first experience with a "blackout" or when the electricity (or internet) went out
• Chapter Eleven: Write about a favorite t.v. show when you were growing up
• Chapter Twelve: Write about your first 'rejection'

Tips/Advice & prompts from chapters 1-8:

• If you want to be a writer you need to do 2 things: 1. read a lot & 2. write a lot. Why is this valuable advice for you?
• Write about the book you read as a youth (younger than you are now) that inspired you to become a writer. Explain why you wanted to write after reading the book.
• King writes that he likes to write about 2,000 words a day (about 10 pages). How many words are you capable of writing per day do you think? What keeps you from achieving this goal? What can you do about it to reach your goal?
• Where do you prefer to write? Describe your "writing space".
• King writes in chapter 3 that you need a room, a door, and the determination to shut that door. What does he mean? For you, when should you "shut your door"? What interruptions cause you to stop writing? What are you going to do about those interruptions?
• In chapter 4, King insists that good writing starts with the truth. What are you afraid to write about because it means telling the truth? 
• If you "write what you love to read" what would that be? What do you love to read? How might that inspire or help you write? What writing market are you most interested in? [Sci-fi, fantasy, romance, horror, mystery, comedy, children's fiction, poetry, plays, media, journalism, westerns, action/adventure, general fiction, realistic fiction, teen fiction, gay/lesbian fiction, religious/inspirational fiction, memoir, etc.]
• In chapter 5, King discusses that a story is like a fossil. Sometimes it comes out of the ground in one piece, but most of the time it comes out as pieces. How true for you is this observation? Discuss a story/project that came out in one piece and contrast that with a project/story that you struggled to find all the pieces...
• In chapter 6, King comments on the importance of description. Find a passage from a novel (Montana 1948, for example) or story and examine the description. What is it doing there on the page? What's its purpose? Explore. 
• Write a series of descriptive similes or metaphors that help to describe a character or a place. "The room stank like an abattoir" for example. Come up with at least 10 of your own.
• In chapter 8, King stresses that to improve characterization and dialogue you should do 2 things:  1. pay attention to how people around you behave and 2. tell the truth about what you see or observe. Watch a person and describe the "character". Include what a character may say as well. 

Some Tips/Advice from chapters 9-13:

• Practice is invaluable--and, if you're doing it right, you should enjoy what you're doing
• Honesty is indispensable!
• Write in any style you like, as long as your style serves the story--there's no right way to do this
• Don't worry about getting it perfect in the first draft--refine, shape, and add "grace notes" (like symbols and themes) in the second draft
• An author will decide how many drafts it takes to revise a story/book. You need at least a second draft
• After writing, put the project away for a while and let it "bake." After some time, take it out and read it in one sitting. See it with "fresh" eyes. Ask: Is my story coherent? Where are the gaps? What sections or passages don't I enjoy reading?
• Don't talk about your work until the first draft is finished; choose an Ideal Reader to give you feedback after writing the draft. Write for this ideal reader (IR). When ready, have more peers look at your work and give you feedback. You might want to pick people you trust, but don't know very well so you get an impartial eye.
• Keep research and backstory in the background of your work. It's the story you should be telling, not a history. "Everyone has a history and (b) most of it isn't interesting."
• The story always comes first.

HOMEWORK: Please read the packet On Writing by Stephen King. On YOUR blog, please write at least 3 posts using the bulleted prompts listed above. 

Have a nice break!