Caroline Starr Rose

picture book and middle-grade author

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On Writing

22 Comments

From Stephen King’s ON WRITING:

“You can approach the act of writing with nervousness, excitement, hopefulness, or even despair — the sense that you can never completely put on the page what’s in your mind and heart. You can come to the act with your fists clenched and your eyes narrowed… . You can come to it…because you want to change the world. Come to it any way but lightly. Let me say it again: you must not come lightly to the blank page.

“I am convinced that fear is at the root of most bad writing… . Good writing is often about letting go of fear and affectation. Affectation itself, beginning with the need to define some sorts of writing as ‘good’ and others sorts as ‘bad,” is fearful behavior. Good writing is also about making good choices when it comes to picking the tools [words] you plan to work with.”

“Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life.”

“The real importance of reading is that it creates an ease and intimacy with the process of writing… Constant reading will pull you into a place where you can write eagerly and without self-consciousness. It also offers you a constantly growing knowledge of what has been done and what hasn’t, what is trite and what is fresh, what works and what just lies there dying (or dead) on the page. The more you read, the less apt you are to make a fool of yourself with your pen or word processor.”

“Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.”

“The scariest moment is always just before you start [to write]. After that, things can only get better.”

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Filed Under: the writing life

Comments

  1. Jennifer Shirk says

    April 21, 2010 at 12:41 pm

    I love that book.

    And it’s just what I needed to be reminded of. I was just telling my crit partner that I need to stop second-guessing myself and just write.

    Reply
  2. Jody Hedlund says

    April 21, 2010 at 12:59 pm

    Great and very inspiring quotes, Caroline! I think that’s so true of reading–it puts our minds into a flow of how words are strung together.

    Reply
  3. Heather Sunseri says

    April 21, 2010 at 1:24 pm

    I’m with Jennifer! I love that book. On Writing was the first book on the craft of writing I ever read. King opened up a whole new world for me and helped me see writing in a whole new light.

    I so agree with reading being “the creative center of a writer’s life.” It teaches you pacing, words, conflict, character building, and many, many other tools.

    Reply
  4. Dayle James Arceneaux says

    April 21, 2010 at 1:36 pm

    You trying to tell me something. 🙂

    I did like the book but I thought Koontz’s book was better. Unfortunately, its a little dated now.

    Reply
  5. Solvang Sherrie says

    April 21, 2010 at 1:50 pm

    I bought this book on the recommendation of many people but I haven’t read it yet. Sounds like I need to! He has some great advice.

    Reply
  6. Sharon K. Mayhew says

    April 21, 2010 at 1:59 pm

    I love “The scariest moment is always just before….” That is so true!

    Reply
  7. Liesl says

    April 21, 2010 at 2:02 pm

    I just finished ON WRITING yesterday! I was skeptical because I’m not a Stephen King fan, (or of thrillers or horror in general,) but I think ON WRITING is the best book on the subject.

    Reply
  8. Caroline Starr Rose says

    April 21, 2010 at 2:15 pm

    Sharon, I’m with you.

    Reply
  9. David J. West says

    April 21, 2010 at 4:29 pm

    I have to hop on the bandwagon and say how much I loved ‘On Writing’ too. So many great tips and things to ponder, not being a huge horror fan, it was the first book I ever read by Stephen King and is also the one I still think about the most.

    Reply
  10. Katie Ganshert says

    April 21, 2010 at 4:45 pm

    I’m reading this book right now! Reminds me how important reading is!!

    Reply
  11. Karen Strong says

    April 21, 2010 at 5:04 pm

    Love these quotes, Caroline! Especially “Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life.”

    I may have to dust off my copy for a re-read.

    Reply
  12. laurapauling says

    April 21, 2010 at 6:04 pm

    I agree. Sometimes starting is the scariest part!

    Reply
  13. Faith E. Hough says

    April 21, 2010 at 6:18 pm

    Thanks for posting these! I definitely needed to be reminded of some of those points right now.

    Reply
  14. Caroline Starr Rose says

    April 21, 2010 at 6:24 pm

    I think the reading quote is my favorite, too. Books are lessons in craft, voice, characterization, everything.

    Reply
  15. Elana Johnson says

    April 21, 2010 at 7:43 pm

    Oooh, I love “you must not come lightly to the blank page.”

    So me cracking my knuckles and diving into the blank pages maybe isn’t so good… Oh, crap. 🙂

    Reply
  16. Jemi Fraser says

    April 22, 2010 at 12:20 am

    Awesome – I actually got little chills reading this 🙂

    Reply
  17. Natalie Aguirre says

    April 22, 2010 at 11:09 am

    Great quotes. I loved that book.

    I just saw on the MichKids e-mail list a posting about your book & that you used to be in the Michigan SCBWI. I live in Michigan. I wish you were still here.

    Reply
  18. Sheri Larsenッ says

    April 22, 2010 at 11:36 am

    Huge King fan. Have to be, living in Maine. I think fear is the number one killer of our time writing, our scenes, and our choices while we’re writing. Let’s not be leery of the pen–‘K, keyboard. “;-)

    Hopefully, I can start following that advice.

    Reply
  19. Caroline Starr Rose says

    April 22, 2010 at 11:40 am

    Natalie, small world! I loved SCBWI-MI. I wonder if our paths ever crossed.

    Reply
  20. Christ is Write. says

    April 22, 2010 at 9:43 pm

    Love these quotes! Thanks!

    Reply
  21. Susan Quinn says

    April 23, 2010 at 3:38 am

    I seriously need to dust that book and take it off the shelf. As in READ it. 🙂

    Reply
  22. Priya Parmar says

    April 27, 2010 at 2:27 am

    that is wonderful. i am a the beginning of my second novel and have endless respect for fearsomeness of the blank page at the moment!

    Reply

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