stephen king adverbs essay

Stephen King on Writing, Fear, and the Atrocity of Adverbs

By maria popova.

While he may have used a handful of well-placed adverbs in his excellent recent case for gun control , King embarks upon a forceful crusade against this malignant part of speech:

The adverb is not your friend. Adverbs … are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They’re the ones that usually end in -ly . Adverbs, like the passive voice, seem to have been created with the timid writer in mind. … With adverbs, the writer usually tells us he or she is afraid he/she isn’t expressing himself/herself clearly, that he or she is not getting the point or the picture across. Consider the sentence He closed the door firmly. It’s by no means a terrible sentence (at least it’s got an active verb going for it), but ask yourself if firmly really has to be there. You can argue that it expresses a degree of difference between He closed the door and He slammed the door , and you’ll get no argument from me … but what about context? What about all the enlightening (not to say emotionally moving) prose which came before He closed the door firmly ? Shouldn’t this tell us how he closed the door? And if the foregoing prose does tell us, isn’t firmly an extra word? Isn’t it redundant? Someone out there is now accusing me of being tiresome and anal-retentive. I deny it. I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops. To put it another way, they’re like dandelions. If you have one on your lawn, it looks pretty and unique. If you fail to root it out, however, you find five the next day . . . fifty the day after that . . . and then, my brothers and sisters, your lawn is totally, completely, and profligately covered with dandelions. By then you see them for the weeds they really are, but by then it’s — GASP!! — too late. I can be a good sport about adverbs, though. Yes I can. With one exception: dialogue attribution. I insist that you use the adverb in dialogue attribution only in the rarest and most special of occasions . . . and not even then, if you can avoid it. Just to make sure we all know what we’re talking about, examine these three sentences: ‘Put it down!’ she shouted. ‘Give it back,’ he pleaded, ‘it’s mine.’ ‘Don’t be such a fool, Jekyll,’ Utterson said. In these sentences, shouted, pleaded, and said are verbs of dialogue attribution. Now look at these dubious revisions: ‘Put it down! she shouted menacingly. ‘Give it back,’ he pleaded abjectly, ‘it’s mine.’ ‘Don’t be such a fool, Jekyll,’ Utterson said contemptuously. The three latter sentences are all weaker than the three former ones, and most readers will see why immediately.

King uses the admonition against adverbs as a springboard for a wider lens on good and bad writing, exploring the interplay of fear, timidity, and affectation:

I’m convinced that fear is at the root of most bad writing. If one is writing for one’s own pleasure, that fear may be mild — timidity is the word I’ve used here. If, however, one is working under deadline — a school paper, a newspaper article, the SAT writing sample — that fear may be intense. Dumbo got airborne with the help of a magic feather; you may feel the urge to grasp a passive verb or one of those nasty adverbs for the same reason. Just remember before you do that Dumbo didn’t need the feather; the magic was in him. […] 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 other sorts as ‘bad,’ is fearful behavior.

This latter part, touching on the contrast between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, illustrates the critical difference between working for prestige and working for purpose .

Complement On Writing with more famous wisdom on the craft from Kurt Vonnegut , Susan Sontag , Henry Miller , Jack Kerouac , F. Scott Fitzgerald , H. P. Lovecraft , Zadie Smith , John Steinbeck , Margaret Atwood , Neil Gaiman , Mary Karr , Isabel Allende , and Susan Orlean .

— Published March 13, 2013 — https://www.themarginalian.org/2013/03/13/stephen-king-on-adverbs/ —

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“The adverb is not your friend.” —Stephen King, On Writing

by Barbara Dee | Dec 3, 2020 | Carpe Diem! | 0 comments

Not only will learning about adverbs help you with grammar, it will improve all of your writing projects. If you follow Stephen King’s advice on writing (and why wouldn’t you?), you will eliminate most, if not all, of your adverbs. An adverb is a word that describes (modifies) a verb (he speaks softly ), an adjective ( very cute), another adverb (ended too quickly), or even a whole sentence ( Fortunately , I had an extra hat).

Adverbs often end in -ly, but some (such as fast ) look exactly the same as their adjective counterparts. The word being described determines if the modifier is being used as an adverb or adjective, i.e. adjective: He is a fast runner; adverb: He runs fast.

King said that the reason someone overuses adverbs is that they are afraid.

In trying to be clear enough, good enough at getting the point across, the writer uses unnecessary and often awkward descriptive words, i.e., adverbs.

When I read over what I have written and note my use of adverbs, I take a moment to consider if a stronger or clearer verb is needed rather than an adverb. “She closed the door firmly and loudly” can be improved by finding a better verb and writing, instead, “She slammed the door.”

In one of King’s examples, he notes that an adverb is often redundant. “Give it back,” he pleaded abjectly, “it’s mine.” When you remove “abjectly,” you still have “pleaded,” and that is enough to express your meaning.

Sometimes you’ll want to use an adverb and consider it almost part of the word you are modifying. Adjectives (which describe nouns) are often used that way and are hyphenated. An example is “The paper was a two-page mess.” Another example is “He likes the freckled-face girl.” When using an “-ly” adverb, a hyphen is not needed. For example, a “recently released book” should not be written “recently-released book.” “Recently” modifies “released,” so the hyphen is unnecessary. Basically, –ly words used as adverbs don’t get hyphenated because they aren’t modifying the noun.

Adverbs are not against the law in good writing, but each one should be brought in for questioning, so to speak.

FAQ: Is the app “Grammarly” a good tool?

In a word, yes. Just decide if you need the “premium” (not free) version, or not.

As a professional writer and book editor, I know how important clear, accurate, and error-free writing is. Recently, a college professor submitted his manuscript to me and assured me that it was “ready for final formatting and publication.” He was an experienced writer and he’d had a professor friend proofread his work. With a little too much glee, I set about proofing the document to discover grammar and typing mistakes—I “knew” I’d find something, and I did.

My point is that there is practically no such thing as too much proofreading. So using a tool like Grammarly is one helpful step.

Warning: it will not weed out your adverbs. Although it is effective at catching certain mistakes, it is not a human editor.

For example, yesterday I caught an error where the word was spelled correctly (“donuts”), but in context, the sentence was supposed to read “dos and don’ts” —not “dos and donuts.”

English is a tricky language to write well, and it’s even trickier to proofread.

Grammarly and human editors are not in direct competition. You don’t need to make a choice between them as they have different uses for different types of writing.

Other grammar checkers with similar features as Grammarly include Ginger ProWritingAid, and WhiteSmoke, but over 10 million people use Grammarly and it can work well as one of your proofing buddies.

Find out how Barbara Dee can help you write and publish your book: www.barbaradee.com/coaching

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Is The Stephen King Adverbs Rule Going Out Of Fashion?

The Stephen King Adverbs Rule Is Going Out Of Fashion

Stephen King and his advice on adverbs is well-known, but are writers now ignoring it?

This is Stephen King on adverbs. “I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops. To put it another way, they’re like dandelions. If you have one in your lawn, it looks pretty and unique.

If you fail to root it out, however, you find five the next day… fifty the day after that… and then, my brothers and sisters, your lawn is totally, completely, and profligately covered with dandelions.

By then you see them for the weeds they really are, but by then it’s — GASP!! — too late.” Stephen King

In This Article

Adverbs in books today

I often take a look at the bestselling titles on Amazon and have a quick preview read of some of the top 100 books.

Call it market research.

While this habit is often about discovering what genres are popular or how a book hooks a reader in the first chapter, I have noticed that adverbs are being used far more often.

Yesterday, I checked the top five ebooks on Kindle, and three of the titles used adverbs with reporting verbs in almost every line of dialogue.

For me, the three books were annoying and painful to read. But what do I know about popular writing and what readers want to read today?

Not to point a finger, but the three titles were romance.

I wonder if the return of the dreaded adverb is intentional and is becoming a writing tool that helps speed up a story.

Or, are the writers oblivious to the old writing adage that ly adverbs are not your best friend ?

With so many new writers using self-publishing now, perhaps they are unaware of the fact that the road to hell is paved with adverbs.

Or should we now say, was paved?

What did Stephen King say about adverbs?

To remind writers of his advice, here is a short extract from his book, Stephen King On Writing – A Memoir of the Craft. It is, for many writers, still the ultimate guide to good writing.

I insist that you use the adverb in dialogue attribution only in the rarest and most special of occasions … and not even then, if you can avoid it. Just to make sure we all know what we’re talking about, examine these three sentences:

“Put it down!” she shouted.

“Give it back,” he pleaded, “it’s mine.”

“Don’t be such a fool, Jekyll,” Utterson said.

In these sentences, shouted, pleaded, and said are verbs of dialogue attribution. Now look at these dubious revisions:

“Put it down!” she shouted menacingly.

“Give it back,” he pleaded abjectly, “it’s mine.”

“Don’t be such a fool, Jekyll,” Utterson said contemptuously.

The three latter sentences are all weaker than the three former ones, and most readers will see why immediately. Some writers try to evade the no-adverb rule by shooting the attribution verb full of steroids. The result is familiar to any reader of pulp fiction or paperback originals:”

“Put the gun down, Utterson!” Jekyll grated.

“Never stop kissing me!” Shayna gasped.

“You damned tease!” Bill jerked out.

The best form of dialogue attribution is said , as in he said, she said, Bill said, Monica said.

Show, don’t tell

I have always been a firm believer in this last line of advice from King because it makes a writer work at showing and not telling.

But what would I know?

Not one of my books is in the top ten anywhere.

But for some, adverbs are now in, and the road to hell is not paved with them or dandelions anymore.

Instead, the road to the bestseller list may well be literally, currently, and incessantly dotted with ly adverbs.

“Oh, no!” I moan begrudgingly.

So, what literally is an adverb?

It is a part of speech. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

The most recognizable form is adding ly to words such as sadly, modestly, greedily, angrily, happily, or terribly.

These are often adverbs of manner that can modify adjectives and other adverbs.

Examples of time include yesterday, tomorrow, now, then, late, and early.

Then there are frequency adverbs like sometimes, never, rarely, or often.

You can also use adverbial phrases like very carefully, quite easily, surprisingly well, or luckily for us.

Sentence adverbs modify a whole sentence by setting the sentiment in the first word.

Common words are clearly, obviously, curiously, or sadly. A comma usually follows after the first introductory adverb.

Modifying adjectives

Using an adverb before an adjective modifies the adjective.

Truly funny, incredibly big, carefully manicured, and fairly solid are good examples.

But King was mainly referring to adverbs that are used in dialogue in fiction to modify common reporting verbs such as said, told, and asked.

His advice was to avoid extravagant attribution or reporting verbs and, moreover, never modify them with an adverb.

So, he grated angrily, or he remarked courteously, are out according to the advice on adverbs by Stephen King.

I have to agree – wholeheartedly. Use adverbs sparingly.

Who is mostly right?

What would I know about what readers like to read today? Our language is always evolving.

Perhaps what I learned in high school about avoiding the use of the passive voice when it is written by writers is now such old-school thinking.

Adverbs that would have been best removed forty years ago by great writers are now perhaps totally, completely, and immensely fashionable.

Then again, I have adapted my writing since that time in other areas.

I can’t remember the last time I used whom in a sentence or a question.

With whom did you go to the cinema? Ouch. It almost hurts the eyes to read it.

I have no problems now with ending a sentence in a preposition. It’s something I can put up with.

I have Winston Churchill’s famous quote echoing in my mind. “ Ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.”

Yes, Winston, you were right. It was such a silly rule.

Related Reading: Do Usually And Normally Share The Same Meaning?

About The Author

Derek Haines

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40 thoughts on “is the stephen king adverbs rule going out of fashion”.

From his debut novel, The Black Echo, and onward, bestselling author Michael Connelly used adverbs quite often, as well as told instead of showing. It worked out quite well for him.

I’m in the middle of reading The Dead Zone, and that version of Steven King didn’t follow today’s version’s advice. Adverbs are all over the place. It actually surprised me.

I think King’s statement is still (On Writing was published in 2000) cited, followed, and considered to be good advice because the (partial) quotation—“The road to hell is paved with adverbs”—is pithy and clever while seeming to offer definitive advice. The context and his further development of the argument are generally omitted or ignored. On Writing contains terrific wisdom for young (and old) writers, as well as some crappy advice, as most of these types of books do, and is too often discussed as if it contains only this controversial opinion about adverbs. King’s fertile imagination, creativity, ability to engage readers’ emotions and, often, sense of nostalgia, and sheer prolificacy give him, I believe, credibility as an advisor on writing style and other issues, whether one is a fan or not or believes he always follows his own advice (he doesn’t).

As a proofreader of self-published books, I once had to allow “she asked quizzically” to go through to publication because editing was not part of my role. It was almost physically painful. And, in a long-ago former life as a lawyer, I would on one day write Brief A, stating with as much persuasion and conviction as possible, “Clearly, [this argument] is completely correct and therefore must definitively prevail in *this* case,” and the next day write Brief B, stating with equal persuasion and conviction, “Clearly, [this completely opposite and inconsistent argument] is completely correct and therefore must definitively prevail in *this* case.” Adverbs do a lot of heavy lifting in legal writing.

I recall investigating and I believe Churchill never said that, though it is a common misattribution.

Any kind of strong rule is nonsense. Even “show, don’t tell”. History of literature is full of great fiction that was told, proving that there are NO rules for a masterpiece, only guidelines, which all can be broken by the writer who knows what he/she is doing. A writer should always strive to be more than a craftsman.

I agree completely! And yet if you are trying to go the trad publishing route, agents seem to be stuck on all these formulas, even though their own clients don’t follow them all of the time.

It’s clearly a matter of style, but if there are too many adverbs (as in Harry Potter) then it’s about a convincing a target audience with a specific demo. JK Rowling’s audience feels that the quote, “It is my belief … that the truth is generally preferable to lies.” is inspirational. King is right. It’s writing down to an audience that can’t handle complexity.

I agree that adverbs are totally being overused these days. I’m sure some of the times it’s an expression of the writer’s style, or lack thereof. Other time it’s just lazy writing. It’s like my old English teacher used to say, “Don’t tell me, show me.” If you write your dialogue correctly then everyone would already know if they were admonishing you or condescending you. You can pick up so much detail by paying attention to the contexts. Aside from a whodunit, the writer tends to give you enough information to fill you in on the actions and motivations of the character, whereas in a whodunit they try to give you more information than you need in order to lead you away from the person who actually did it. A literary version of the ol’ rope-a-dope style in boxing. But, I find that in great literature you have everything you need ready for you to enjoy without having to resort to adverbs. They are to literature what puns are too comedy, they’re both the lowest form of communicating your ideas in their respective forums. sure you can use them occasionally, but overall you shouldn’t use them if you can help them. It’s ok to have a longer book as long as each word and page is necessary. So do not get upset if your book becomes longer than you originally planned. As long as each word supports your characters and their feelings, then it’s always best to go with the longer version than the short version. But, don’t become lazy in your writing and start using adverbs as it cuts down on the amount of paragraphs you have to write. This isn’t High School and you haven’t been given a maximum word count, which most people followed to the letter (if we had 998 words so far and needed 2 more for the grade, everyone would just pick, “the end” and be done with it :) “So, adverbs,” he says laxidaisically as he rolls his eyes, “are just a lazy form of writing and should be avoided, at all costs.” Thanks for listening. The end. :)

If you go back and read many of King’s early works, particularly his short stories, you’ll find tags chalked full of those pesky distracting adverbs. Now that he’s a seasoned professional, he knows better, and his later stories reflect his learning and expertise in the field. I suspect that much of what you’re seeing are stories written by writers who are still fairly new to their craft and simply haven’t learned any better yet. Or perhaps the old adage, “Write what you know” is in effect: a writer who reads stories filled with adverbs is going to write stories filled with adverbs. Personally, I don’t think it’s an indication that adverbial dialogue tags are making a comeback. More likely, it’s just a sign of the author’s frustration after their fourth revision, when they take one final look at their manuscript and decide, “That’s good enough for me.”

Thanks for clearing that up.

The romance genre uses adverbs to the point of extreme to reach its target audience. The speed bumps of interpretation are left for … um … physical action. More power to them, I say. The writers found what pleased their audience and gave it to them.

Sometimes I think English Major types are making stuff up. They’ve got their idea of how writing should be and bam! no oxford commas, no adverbs, dialog tags, no two spaces before the next sentence, avoid filler words like That and Just, etc.

And then you find nobody else knows this “rule” until we all tell somebody else what we heard…

We all know how the Oxford Comma hate turned out.

As pointed out successful authors and beloved books like Harry Potter have done quite well ignoring these rules.

I think there’s been excellent examples in the comments on when and why to cut out an adverb. Fewer words to make the point is always good. But too few is also bad.

Thanks Derek for the post. I’ll be mindful of the advice.

A tutor from a famous publishing house told our group of aspiring writers that if it had an adverb on the first page a manuscript is binned. Immediately.

Perhaps, that was how they missed J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series? Every first page of the first chapter is peppered with -ly adverbs.

HP1: … perfectly … hardly … nearly … happily …

HP2: …said Uncle Vernon heartily … said Harry irritably … said Harry quickly.

HP3: … highly … really … nearly … Completely … likely … commonly … particularly … Slowly … carefully … only …

HP4: … easily … plainly … apparently … dramatically … suddenly …

HP5: … usually … slightly … only … loudly … suddenly … said Aunt Petunia unconcernedly…. he said scathingly … really …

HP6: … clearly … only … peculiarly … barely … unfortunately …perfectly … really … mournfully … firmly …

HP7: … briskly … neatly … majestically … visibly

Let’s take the first chapter of Stephen King’s “11-22-63”, published 11 years after his “On Writing”:

“Lung cancer,” he said matter-of-factly, after leading us to a booth at the far end… “Okay,” I said, agreeably enough. “Did the radiation do that?” I asked suddenly….

And others, though not directly attributed, but with adverbs!

“Al,” I said. My voice was so low and strengthless I could hardly hear it myself “…cut back to two a day.” He laughed wheezily. “Of course. Shock, isn’t it?” He looked at me sympathetically… “It ain’t counterfeit, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Al sounded wearily amused…. “There you go,” Al said. The gravel had gone out of his voice, “Nothing’s going to happen to you, buddy. Just go on.” He coughed harshly…

And for those who are interested, these are the “-LY” words from the 6600+ words of Chapter 1:

…He really had…who rarely missed…comes easily to…it carefully by…he actually had…always remarkably cheap…pulled slightly askew…been particularly screechy… Especially not today…was apparently…was certainly better…was currently reading…was mostly correct…not really cat…or probably not cat… been strictly a…music really sucks…was fairly gruesome…were only four…I certainly would…whirring, brightly painted…Less than that, really…but probably not…. Mostly, though…Al was seriously ill…And mortally was probably more…his normally ruddy cheeks…and nearsightedly peering…formerly almost all black…hardly hear it…he said matter-of-factly…laughed wheezily…I absolutely had…was exactly right…clasp it cozily…the cigarettes, actually…I said, agreeably enough…looked fixedly at me…you obviously washed…delicately ruffled wrinkles looked at me sympathetically…Only seeing isn’t…Al only stood…I asked suddenly…shaking slightly…Strictly a rhetorical question…I originally opened…the increasingly gruesome…fit finally tapered…it fully outfitted…Unless it really is…looked at me steadily from his watery, newly old eyes…I looked at him doubtfully…If you really are…fully stocked…Spices, mostly. Coffee… it mostly burned…really look around…I was equally sure…sheaf of bills considerably thicker…sounded wearily amused… It’s probably valuable…Probably nothing…he’ll probably say…I vaguely remembered…there shortly after …now actually crouching…still firmly on…at least temporarily…What exactly was… most likely answer…He coughed harshly…

Maybe I am too thick to get the sarcasm, but isn’t “…totally, completely, and profligately…” the single worst use of adverbs we might have ever seen? Does this make King a hypocrite, or was this a sly way for him to mock himself and underline his actual point?

I’d like to think that King is so brilliant that he was simply making fun of the use of adverbs by using them in the worst manner he could think of, just to mess with our minds a little bit, and that King is confident enough to not really care if that flew over my pointed little head.

But I am not fully convinced.

The message to writers seems to be ‘try to not be timid, be confident, and take care not to use adverbs where they are not really needed’. Or maybe stop using them totally, completely, and profligately (whatever that means).

If a book is a bestseller, it’s a bestseller and the author is doing something right. If one wants to succeed in popular fiction, there is a lot to be said for emulating what works, not condemning it.

Each to his own, of course, but instead of throwing sour grapes, I’d rather make myself some wine and sip to my own success :)

Readers of different genres expect different techniques. That’s not new. Romance readers love heavy doses of adverbs and dialogue tags. They want to be told how to feel so they can speed through each book. This has advantages but can feel to writers as if they are dumbing down their books.

I’m with King that adverbs are easy to overuse. They feel like cheats. But I actually get requests for more of them from test readers. It’s hard to resist the temptation to give in.

Overuse of adverbs can drag down a piece of writing, but I think some writers/editors have gotten a little too strict about King’s no adverb rule. There’s nothing wrong with using adverbs sparingly, and sometimes trying to remove them makes for awkward sentence constructions.

Stephen King uses the adverb in excess in The Stand. He even uses it in dialogue which he states clearly not to. So I wonder, because this is one of his best books yet he violates his own rule in 80% of the manuscript.

Qualifiers are words—many of them adverbs—that modify the meaning of other words. I wasn’t aware of my problem until one of my colleagues read a piece I had written. She said, “You use a whole lot of qualifiers, and it makes your points weaker.”

I don’t enjoy horror and I don’t read King. About five years ago, an editor tried to get me to take every single adverb out of a novella, based on King’s advice. Wondering how one could write without ever using an adverb, I went to the library and found a book of King’s short stories. Choosing one at random, I started reading. About six pages in, I noticed there were lots of adverbs. I went back to the beginning and wrote them all down. If memory serves, I found between 30 and 40 in those six pages, many repeating on the same page. I see King’s advice as a case of “do as I say, not as I do.”

Your editor didn’t know what he was doing, and I’m saddened to see there are people out there charging for such terrible services. Anyone who honestly believes one shouldn’t use adverbs shouldn’t be writing for a living, or helping writers either.

King never said not to use adverbs. Just like you, I have noticed he uses them often – and there’s nothing wrong with that. I use them often, and many people do.

The thing with adverbs is knowing when to use them: Adverbs are often redundant, either repeating information already available or stating the obvious. In other cases, they’re downright unnecessary: In the phrase “Dianne truly felt frightened”, for example, truly is a truly redundant word unless Dianne has a knack for lying to herself. So when writing you just need to make sure that the adverbs you’re using are indeed necessary, otherwise they just clutter the story and add to the word counts many writers have to fight against on a daily basis.

The one point where King states not to use adverbs – and where I take his advice by heart, because it’s true – is in dialogue tags. If you feel the need to let me know Aiden said something lovingly, threateningly, fearfully, or doubtingly, then you’re either a beginner or just a bad writer who tells me these things because they can’t show them by making characters act in such a way I can infer the intentions. If you feel the need to let me know somebody whispered softly or yelled loudly then you’re just being silly by repeating information. Same, if you tell me that Dana dashed hurriedly past the store you’re just repeating information since nobody ever dashes past something leisurely. If you’re running, you’re obviously in a hurry, after all.

However, if you were to say something like…

“I don’t know,” said Dana. Her words came out slowly, almost as if she had to force them out.

Then I would have nothing against that use of the adverb. After all, if you removed it there’d be no way for the reader to know that particular quality on Dana’s speech at the time, and replacing it for a non-adverb description like “Her words came out in a slow fashion” would be just silly, since it would just clutter the writing with needlessly complicated constructions. Note the adverb on that previous sentence.

The thing with adverbs isn’t that you shouldn’t use them. If anyone asks you to excise all adverbs from your book, run away and hire a new editor. The thing with adverbs is knowing when they’re necessary, when they’re redundant, and when they’re just bad writing. If you can master that, you’ll be able to write… competently.

King uses adverbs a lot on dialogue tags in his book The Stand. In fact I was surprised to see how much he did because I read it after reading his memoir and thought. Hmmm, maybe it was a new rule of his. And if it’s one of his best books, perhaps he is going to change his rule back again. ;)

Thank you for that. That’s the best explanation I read on the internet regarding the use of adverbs :)

Sometimes it feels right, and supportable, from the perspective of either a reader or a writer. The appropriateness seems to be based on the logic. If you can take it out and it loses little or nothing, then it’s superfluous and part and parcel of deathbyadverb-ism that SK described. If it loses something, and can be reworded (preferably) or left as is (without annoying or calling attention to itself), then so be it. As someone said, judiciously. It’s as big a decision as when to use italics, or all caps, or hyphens. To me it feels right (writerly?) when the adverb use tells me something extra or indiscernable about the doer, something persistent, not just something transient and thin about the verb itself. For example, I care more if something is being done instinctively, or judiciously, more than if something is being said wryly or sardonically (which I can probably figure out on my own by context). I’m OK knowing that she’s precariously standing on the ledge or bridge rail, not so much if she’s intently, delightedly sipping her coffee. Now if she’s doing it seductively and suggestively, that may be different–but probably still worth rewriting. Bottom line, if it seems superfluous, it probably is. It’s not like SK said “never use adverbs.”

I prefer wherever possible to describe a character’s expression or demeanor, but sometimes that gets a bit heavy as well, particularly when you’re trying to make a dialogue feel fast-paced.

Used sparingly, a good adverb can work well. My general test is this: if it sounds awkward and forced when you read it out loud, it’s a problem. Find another way to convey the feeling, or leave it to the reader’s imagination.

Context is everything.

People who believe they can write rely on adverbs as their imagination does not reach the heights of showing and they fail in describing a person’s emotion; instead they tell the reader how the character is acting, his emotion … need I say more. Lots of it on the Amazon slush pile.

I think there is some virtue to a well-placed adverb. The problem lies in their overuse.

I agree, Noelle. It’s impossible to write without using adverbs. But when almost every dialogue tag uses an adverb, I have to give up reading any further. The two books I started to read, which gave me the motivation to write this post, were classic examples of habitual adverb overuse. I am not sure if this was intentional or accidental, though.

In the same book, after King denigrates adverbs, he admits to using them. The popularity of his writing has nothing to do with whether or not it contains adverbs: if readers enjoy that genre, they’ll probably like King’s novels.

Adverbs serve a purpose, Christine, as King points out. It’s up to a writer to know when and how to use them, judiciously.

The key is to use vibrant, effective verbs, but it all really comes down to differences in styles. Still, you can’t really argue against King’s success.

I have been a believer in King’s advice, Will. I use said, unless there is very good reason not to do so. But I may have to bow to popular tastes and I might now revise my thinking, reluctantly!

Those top books on Amazon are today’s “pulp fiction and paperback originals” that King refers to. I don’t think much else has changed.

Clearly, Karent, I’m not writing pulp fiction. Maybe I should earnestly try!

I agree wholeheartedly!

Undoubtably, Mark!

Comments are closed.

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Aug 14, 2020

The Data-Backed Case for Ditching Adverbs

Updated: Oct 22, 2020

Legendary authors really DO avoid them

Did You Listen When Your Teacher Told You Not to Use Adverbs?

Who knew that my teacher was talking to me ? I thought she was sputtering empty platitudes to those kids who didn’t like to write, the ones who struggled to make word counts by putting in any word they could think of. I never even considered that I might be guilty of inserting too many qualifying words, and I certainly didn’t believe that over-writing was a sin.

I should have paid more attention to the stern warning: avoid adverbs.

Contrasting Beliefs About Adverbs

Anti-adverbists.

“I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops. To put it another way, they’re like dandelions. If you have one on your lawn, it looks pretty and unique. If you fail to root it out, however, you find five the next day…fifty the day after that…and then, my brothers and sisters, your lawn is totally , completely , and profligately covered with dandelions. By then you see them for the weeds they really are, but by then it’s, GASP!, too late.” — Stephen King in On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

If you’re a writer, you’ve heard Stephen King’s tirade against adverbs. King is not alone. Strunk & White, William Zinsser, Graham Greene, and Elmore Leonard have all decried adverbs. Concise, honed writing doesn’t need their clutter.

Pro-adverbists

Other writers profess that the adverb is essential, as Colin Dickey does in his essay in Slate:

“Adverbs, then, curtail and refine, but in doing so they can pick out the unexpected resonances, the hidden valences in the words they modify.”

Dickey’s essay, aptly titled “Lovingly, Stridently, Unapologetically,” argues that by pushing the “no adverb” theory, we eliminate the depth of thought that good writing evokes. It shouldn’t be about how fast we can consume words, but how much we can assimilate those words into our psyches.

“What’s striking about adverbs is the way in which they resist a treatment of language that sees it as a bare conveyance of information. We’re in a data-driven age, and that data drives us to force language into its most easily assimilated form. New apps arrive seemingly every week with the promise of increasing one’s reading rate and comprehension. Sites like Medium render articles in terms of the minutes it will take to consume them and are calculated on a formula that treats every word as having the same temporal value. The presumption here, of course, is that no sentence need be re-read, no allusion need be looked up, no thought need be untangled.”

Dickey suggests that anti-adverbists perpetuate the idea that all writing should be hard-hitting, compact, and concise, essentially aggressive with a fighting stance. Pro-adverbists believe that not all writing has to slap you across the face. Adverbs can add depth, complexity, and beauty, a seduction of sorts.

Who’s Right?

Neither side of the debate expects to obliterate the use of adverbs. Even anti-adverbists use an occasional “-ly” word, and research hasn’t found anyone whose adverb usage is zero. The crux of the matter is how many and how often you use them.

Know this: Based on hard science, your writing teacher was right. Data proves that the fewer the adverbs, the better the writing.

The Proof Is in the Data

Ben Blatt is a journalist and statistician who uses technology to analyze writing patterns. In his benchmark book, Nabokov’s Favorite Word is Mauve , Blatt showcases data generated from loading millions of words into computers for counting. Fascinating, fun, and informative, this book should be on the shelf of every writer interested in the “art” of writing and the conventions of modern publishing. Hard science is mixed with book lore, much like whiskey with water, into an inebriating brew, 100% proof of what you’ve been told.

Great authors don’t use as many -ly adverbs as the rest of us. If we follow their example, our writing will be, if not great, at least, better.

How Many Adverbs Does Stephen King Use?

Stephen King has been a vocal opponent of adverbs. Ben Blatt tests whether King practices what he preaches by loading all fifty-one of King’s novels into his computer. Using the Natural Language Toolkit, Blatt checks the number of adverbs. Talk about holding someone accountable.

Does Stephen King follow his own advice about eschewing adverbs? Yes. But not as much as other writers do.

Can you guess ten prominent writers, past and present, who use the fewest adverbs? You might be surprised at the “winners.” I’ll give you a hint, Stephen King was number nine on the list of top ten “anti-adverbists. Go ahead, take a stab at it before scrolling down.

Data Proves a Definite Correlation Between the Number of Adverbs and the Quality of a Work

Nabokov’s Favorite Word is Mauve gives dozens of examples of renowned writers and their award-winning books, all deemed as higher quality than other works.

Three American writers won the Nobel Prize in Literature within a decade: Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, and John Steinbeck. In the works often considered to be their “best” works, less than 1% of the words were adverbs.

Hemingway scholars consider To Have and Have Not , The Sun Also Rises , and A Farewell to Arms to be some of his best novels. The adverb rate per 10,000 words is 52, 63, and 67 respectively.

The same pattern holds with Faulkner: As I Lay Dying scored 31 adverbs per 10,000; The Sound and the Fury , 42.

Does the hypothesis hold for Steinbeck? Yes. The Grapes of Wrath scored a 79, ranking number three out of all his works for the least number of adverbs. Both Of Mice and Men and East of Eden had 87 adverbs per 10,000 words.

“Great” books and bestsellers

To test the hypothesis that the fewer the adverbs, the “greater” the book, Blatt compiles four different lists of the best of 20th Century Literature, sorting out the books that appeared on multiple lists as “great.” He ran the numbers on those, too.

The pattern held. More than 60% of the books considered by multiple sources to be “great” works had fewer than 50 adverbs per 10,000 words. Bestsellers averaged 115 per 10,000.

The best works in the world have low adverb counts.

Improve Your Writing by Counting Your Adverbs

Writers like to think we practice what we preach. But how often do we hold ourselves accountable? Have you tested yourself? How many adverbs do you use in 10,000 words? Or per 1,000 words?

Focus on decreasing the number of “-ly” adverbs by doing this:

For every piece you write, do a word count.

Copy and paste your article into your word processing program, and then do a “Find” function for “ly.”

Discover how many “ly” words you have per 1,000 words.

Review each instance and determine whether you can eliminate that word without detriment to your meaning.

If you aim for 6 (or fewer) adverbs per 1,000 words, you’ll be in the same range as Nobel Laureates in Literature.

Make it to 12 adverbs per 1,000 words, and you’ll be in the range of the average bestselling book in America.

Now I count adverbs as faithfully as I count carbs, making it a practice to “Find” those sly little devils. The results pointed me to my habitual use of the words “actually” and “basically.” (Ouch.) I am getting better, though. While I thought I had used three adverbs in writing this, “aptly,” “faithfully,” and “carelessly,” my word count showed how devious these critters can be.

I used two times as many adverbs as I thought I had. Years of habit let them carelessly comingle with my other words and slip out into the crowd on the page. This 1,389 word-article has six adverbs that weren’t used in quotes, titles, or as examples. “Certainly,” “essentially,” and “respectively,” snuck in without my notice.

Thanks to Ben Blatt and data science, I can guarantee that my writing will improve by reducing my adverbs. You can, too.

Buy Ben Blatt's Nabokov's Favorite Word is Mauve from Amazon

Buy Ben Blatt's Nabokov's Favorite Word is Mauve from Bookshop.org

A Writer's Life

Why I Am Proudly, Strongly, and Happily in Favor of Adverbs

Defending a much-maligned part of speech

Pixsooz/ Shutterstock

I am gladly, fully, openly in support of adverbs.

Despite our democratic ideals, schoolchildren throughout America learn that not all words are created equal: Nouns and verbs make sense of the world, but adverbs only muck it up. The end of November—National Novel Writing Month—means that hundreds of thousands of people who took a crack at writing a work of fiction in 30 days will soon be drawing on that advice. They've caught their breaths and now it's time to polish their prose. If my own writing experience is any indication, they will make the easiest edit earliest: If it ends in -ly, kill it.

The best writing guides support that technique. Strunk and White's Elements of Style is the first resource for many writers who care about quality; adverbs, the authors say, can be "cluttery" and "annoying." In On Writing Well by William Zinsser, the reader learns again that "most adverbs are unnecessary" and that they "clutter" and "annoy." Stephen King's On Writing cautions that "the road to hell is paved with adverbs." The fourth of Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing is an admonition against modifying the verb to say . "To use an adverb this way (or almost any way)," Leonard writes, "is a mortal sin."

As is fitting for the authors of the best writing guides, these anti-adverb crusaders make a good, nuanced point. Good dialogue doesn't need anything beyond "he said" and the right verb can likewise speak for itself.

Such rules also make it easy to teach writing, even as the debate rages over whether it's a skill that can be taught or an innate gift. Writing isn't math. It has no Pythagorean theorem, but it's simple to ban adverbs. In many cases, doing so can improve the work in question, as it encourages writers—children, adults, newbies, veterans—to think about structure and diction. The no-adverbs rule only becomes problematic when students don't learn—just like how there are many words where "e" comes before "i"—that there are times when the rule is meant to be broken.

Even those most famous rulebooks couch their points in qualifiers. Dig past the section headings, and Strunk and White aren't always against an adverb. It's in the rush to get it right that those who rely on those rules replace Zinsser's "most" with "all." We forget that there are exceptions, that an adverb can go a long way.

Examples abound. Without "lightly," we would be having breakfast at Tiffany with Holly Go. Without "darkly," we would not know how we see through a glass. Without "merrily," we would row, row, row a boat down a stream and think it a nightmare. We still wouldn't give a damn, just as Rhett Butler didn't in Margaret Mitchell's original Gone With the Wind , but without the addition of "frankly" we wouldn't have one of the top movie quotes of all time.

Adverbs don't just make a sentence memorable, they change its meaning. Sure, there are many times when a more precise verb can narrow the gap in understanding—but some verbs can't be fine-tuned any further. A sigh is just a sigh, but anyone who has ever been in love knows how important it is to distinguish between when she sighs happily and when she sighs otherwise.

It's not that adverbs aren't often unnecessary. In screenwriting parlance, an acting instruction meant to make up for lazy, nondescript dialogue is known as a "wryly," so called after the overused parenthetical direction—and nobody wants to be accused of relying on wrylies. It's that adverbs are no guiltier than any other part of speech. A noun can be nonsense. A verb can be vague. A preposition can be improper. An adjective can be antiquated. A conjunction can be confusing. Even if English speakers have a tendency to misuse adverbs, that doesn't mean they're evil. Some—those that help the current move "ceaselessly" at the end of The Great Gatsby or the crew of the starship Enterprise go "boldly"—are downright great.

The only way to learn the difference is from the supreme writing teacher: reading. Reading great books, great magazines, great blogs—and reading a lot—allows you to internalize what works and what doesn't. Read great sentences until you can tell when one isn't. Read great paragraphs until their rhythms get stuck in your head.

Only by reading can you know when an adverb belongs in a phrase and when it belongs in the trash. Then you can write beautifully. You can write masterfully. You can write cleanly.

You can write however you want—and you can tell us about it with an adverb.

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Why Stephen King’s Road to Hell is Paved With Adverbs

A lot has been written about the creative processes of famous people. For the same reasons that How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie was an instant bestseller, people interested in creative pursuits have made books like The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp and Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke their bibles. We like to poke around in people’s studios, dig through their pasts for clues of their genius, and hear about the day when it all clicked. We’re secretly hoping some of that creative brilliance will rub off on us.

Basically, it’s self-help for people who snub their noses at self-help. And nobody snubs self-help better than literary types, which is why I believe there are so many books written by writers about writing. Most of these books have black and white covers with unceremonious (and decidedly un-self-help-y) titles like titles like Writing and The Writing Life and A Writer’s Diary .

I’ve read and enjoyed all of those books, by the way, but the one I’ve found the most helpful is Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft . King’s book is both an instructive guide to honing one’s writing skills and the fascinating life story of a man who drew inspiration for Carrie while working as a high school janitor and then went on to become one of the bestselling authors of all time.

Right after I finished On Writing I talked about it with a friend of mine who’s a writer, and she brought up a good point: the writing process of one famous author won’t necessarily work for the reader, who—if he or she really wants to write—should figure out a writing process of his or her own. In other words, the time that I’d spent reading about writing and talking about reading about writing, I could have spent actually writing, and I’ll never be Annie Dillard or Virginia Woolf or Stephen King merely by emulating their routines.

I agree with that. But one of the things that I find so great about King’s book is that he emphasizes almost exhaustively the importance of finding the type of writing that you are good at and sticking to it. He uses his career as an example and reflects on the writing life in general, but he’s very up front about how much practice it requires, and he definitely doesn’t entertain any fantasies about becoming your favorite literary great. King writes, “While it is impossible to make a competent writer out of a bad writer, and while it is equally impossible to make a great writer out of a good one, it is possible, with lots of hard work, dedication, and timely help, to make a good writer out of a merely competent one.” I find that genuinely encouraging.

The book is full of little gems like that, written in King’s tell-it-like-it-is style and peppered with what he terms “colorful” language. I’m sharing a few choice pieces of advice below, but you should still read the book in its entirety for the entertaining dispatches from the life of Stephen King. And for lines like “timid writers like [passive verbs] for the same reason timid lovers like passive partners. The passive voice is safe.”

“Some writers have enormous vocabularies; these are the folks who’d know if there really is such a thing as an insalubrious dithyramb or a cozening raconteur…other writers use smaller, simpler vocabularies… Remember that the basic rule of vocabulary is use the first word that comes to your mind, if it is appropriate and colorful.”
“[Your writing] space can be humble (probably should be, as I think I have already suggested) and it really needs only one thing: a door which you are willing to shut. The closed door is your way of telling the world and yourself that you mean business; you have made a serious commitment to write and intend to walk the walk as well as talk the talk.”
“Can I be blunt on the subject? If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
“Plot is, I think, the good writer’s last resort and the dullard’s first choice. The story which results from it is apt to feel artificial and labored.”
“I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops. To put it another way, they’re like dandelions. If you have one in your lawn, it looks pretty and unique. If you fail to root it out, however, you find five the next day…fifty the day after that…and then, my brothers and sisters, your lawn is totally, completely, and profligately covered with dandelions. By then you see them for the weeds they really are, but by then it’s— GASP!! —too late.”

Read the full review here.

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On Writing Summary

1-Sentence-Summary: On Writing details Stephen King’s journey to becoming one of the best-selling authors of all time while delivering hard-won advice on the craft to aspiring writers.

Favorite quote from the author:

The Shawshank Redemption is the highest-rated movie on IMDb. When I first watched the cult classic some 15 years ago, I had no idea that it was based on a Stephen King novella. “King? Really? Doesn’t he just do horror, like Carrie , IT , and The Shining ?”

Like me, you might be surprised not just how many but which stories King is behind, from The Dark Tower fantasy series to emotional dramas like The Green Mile . Even if “all” he did was horror, though, that wouldn’t stain his reputation in the slightest.

Stephen King is the epitome of making it as a writer. His over 60 books and more than 200 short stories have sold more than 400 million copies, making him one of the best-selling writers of all time. Plenty of his stories have been adapted into movies, TV shows, and more.

If you want to be a writer too, King’s book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft , offers the perfect blend of inspiration and advice. Half memoir, half tips on the craft, it is a must-read for any aspiring writer, yet still a useful book for non-artists.

Here are 3 of the most powerful lessons I learned from the book:

Pretend rejection is a game, and then keep playing round after round until you win.
Adverbs and passive tense make your writing sound wimpy, so avoid them where you can.
As long as you read a lot and write a lot, eventually, your writing journey will work itself out.

Ready to put pen to paper and fingers to keys? Let’s see what it takes to make it as a writer!

If you want to save this summary for later, download the free PDF and read it whenever you want.

Lesson 1: Treat rejection like a game, and play it until you succeed.

Stephen King’s journey is one of stubborn perseverance. Where he did get lucky was that his mother encouraged him to start writing at just six years old. She told him his first original story was good enough to be in a book, and she also paid him his first dollar for the next four ones he wrote. The early praise and earnings were pivotal in his life — but they were also the only ones he received.

For the next ten years, King hardly received positive feedback. He received blunt rejection notes on his story submissions to magazines, like “No” or “Not good enough.” To not lose his enthusiasm, King treated rejection like a game . He fixed a nail to his wall, then pinned each next rejection slip onto it, like receipts collected at a restaurant.

Each next rejection meant he was still in the game . It was an invitation to keep playing. Eventually, he racked up so many, his nail fell off the wall. He attached a bigger one and kept going. Over time, the rejections got milder. Kinder. People started giving him useful feedback, such as to use paper clips, not staples, to bind manuscripts. Lesson by lesson, he kept improving.

It was only when he was 16 that he first heard the words, “This isn’t for us, but it’s good. You have talent. Try again.” And try again he did, until, only in 1974, after 20 years of writing, he had his big breakthrough when the publishing rights to Carrie sold for $400,000.

Lesson 2: Avoid adverbs and passive tense; they make your writing sound weak.

As a budding writer, some of the easiest lessons to follow are the things you’re not supposed to do . Whatever you try might fail, but what you can avoid entirely helps a great deal. Two of King’s biggest pet peeves are adverbs and passive tense. Both weaken your writing and ultimately reveal a lack of confidence.

“Bertha timidly admitted she had eaten the candy.” The word “timidly” takes our focus away from the action. It should be clear from what we wrote before that Bertha feels guilty about eating the candy. “After shuffling her feet for a good 30 seconds, Bertha admitted she had eaten the candy.” That’s a much more vivid picture, and that’s why adverbs are often just a way of weaseling out of properly explaining what’s going on.

Similarly, “The football was thrown by Francis as hard as he could” puts the focus on the football — an object that doesn’t actually do anything. It sounds clunky and makes us wonder what’s going on. Have courage! Let Francis throw the football with force and determination! “Francis threw the football as hard as he could.” Much better, isn’t it?

Writing means committing to a path of words you think works best to accomplish a certain outcome, whether that’s to teach, to inspire, or to entertain. If you feel like treading lightly on that path, there’s usually some kind of fear at play. Dig into that fear, root it out, and then, along with your concerns, delete your passive voice and adverbs.

Lesson 3: Read a lot, write a lot, and the rest will fall into place.

The most important part of achieving anything is to keep going, especially when that “thing” is an identity . You can’t call yourself a runner if you’re not running. Sooner or later, the label will feel cheesy and start to expire.

Therefore, the main part of succeeding as a writer is to, well, keep writing! “Write a lot,” King recommends, especially if you’re just starting out. Pick a fixed location and time, and try to produce at least 1,000 words a day, six days a week. It doesn’t matter if it’s good. It matters that you produce. King doesn’t write all the time, but when he writes, he tries to hit six pages a day — that’s a novel every three months!

The other half, King says, is to study what other people write , and that requires reading . King carries a book wherever he goes. He claims to read around 80 books a year, despite being a slow reader. Studying other people’s writing will help you form your own unique taste and style . It’ll teach you what’s good writing, what’s bad writing, as well as how other writers use the tools of language and stories, from grammar and rhythm to character and plot.

Pro tip: Pretend that a book you really like is actually bad. Try to criticize it. How could you improve it? Could you write something that’s even better?

If you remember nothing else from Stephen King’s journey, make it this: Read a lot, write a lot, and eventually, your writing stars will align.

On Writing Review

On Writing is a clever book. It draws you in with King’s personal story, then whacks you over the head with great writing advice. Should we have expected anything less from a man who’s been writing for 50 years? Probably not. It’s a unique and all-too-rare way of combining story and instruction. Two thumbs up for this one, and a must-read for all writers.

Who would I recommend our On Writing summary to?

The 9-year-old who prefers creating her own worlds in her room to going to school, the 39-year-old journalist who’s halfway through his novel and on the verge of giving up, and anyone who hopes their writing might one day become a true career.

Last Updated on August 4, 2023

Niklas Göke

Niklas Göke is an author and writer whose work has attracted tens of millions of readers to date. He is also the founder and CEO of Four Minute Books, a collection of over 1,000 free book summaries teaching readers 3 valuable lessons in just 4 minutes each. Born and raised in Germany, Nik also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration & Engineering from KIT Karlsruhe and a Master’s Degree in Management & Technology from the Technical University of Munich. He lives in Munich and enjoys a great slice of salami pizza almost as much as reading — or writing — the next book — or book summary, of course!

*Four Minute Books participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising commissions by linking to Amazon. We also participate in other affiliate programs, such as Blinkist, MindValley, Audible, Audiobooks, Reading.FM, and others. Our referral links allow us to earn commissions (at no extra cost to you) and keep the site running. Thank you for your support.

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15 Best Writing Tips From Stephen King: Advice From One of the Most Successful Authors of the Modern Era

Discover our guide with the top writing tips from Stephen King to begin your writing journey.

Over the last 50 years, Stephen King has published more than 80 novels. Thirty of them have made the New York Times best-seller list, and dozens became movies. He is the gold standard of American fiction writers and almost single-handedly breathed new life into horror in the 80s and 90s. Before all of that literary success, however, he was an English teacher, beloved by his students and dedicated to inspiring generations of new writers.

King no longer teaches writing classes, but lucky for us, he has published On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft , a funny, intimate look at both his successes and failures as an author, as well as his best advice for those of us looking to improve our writing skills. The writing advice in Stephen King’s book is practical, irreverent, friendly, and sure to encourage anyone interested in learning the craft from a master.

1. Avoid Adverbs

2. steer clear of the passive voice, 3. consider it a conversation, 4. get to the point, 5. read, read, and read some more, 6. edit ruthlessly, 7. keep a clear head, 8. be fearless, 9. be unapologetically you, 10. eliminate distraction, 11. love what you do, 12. take a break, 13. start writing and keep writing, 14. don’t let critics get you down, 15. listen to feedback.

King famously quipped that “the road to hell is paved with adverbs.” He explains that they are often unnecessary, and if they are left unchecked, they will take over your writing like weeds. The best way to eliminate adverbs is to replace them with a more descriptive metaphor or a simile. Instead of saying that she wrote timidly, for example, say that she wrote as if any one of the keys might be a detonator.

The passive voice occurs when the object of the action becomes the sentence’s subject. “The dog chased the ball” is written in the active voice, while “the ball was chased by the dog” is a passive voice construction.

King argues that many writers “feel the passive voice somehow lends their work authority, perhaps even a quality of majesty.” However, the result often sounds stiff and pretentious. “The book signing was poorly attended” sounds like something your English professor might say, peering over his glasses, but “only a few people went to the book signing” comes across as far more conversational. You might also be interested in our post detailing what’s going on with Stephen King on Twitter .

As a master storyteller, King contends that writing fiction isn’t just about putting words on a page. It’s about inviting your reader into the action and making them feel like they are a part of the story. He suggests remembering that “description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.” To become a good writer, be a good reader. Pause, change roles, and reread what you have written from the audience’s perspective.

Fiction writers can quickly get bogged down when they must include the entire life history of each of their characters. King shares that you should only write what is necessary to the tale, saying, “the most important things to remember about back story are that (a) everyone has a history and (b) most of it isn’t very interesting.” When describing your character’s background and physical characteristics, ask yourself if it is truly necessary. Does it add to the story? Does it help the audience understand why your character thinks, feels, and behaves as they do? If not, take it out.

Professional writers, especially those who are just building their careers, often believe they must stay laser-focused on writing. Still, King insists that making time to read is essential to a writer’s ultimate success.” If you don’t have time to read,” he says, “you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.”

Read the writers that you love, and study what they do. Notice how they develop their characters, pace the action, and create their settings. When you read, you visit new worlds, meet new people, and gain new insight. You learn new words and discover new truths, which will undoubtedly make you a better writer. Read to learn, but don’t forget to read just for the joy of it too. Reading for reading’s sake is the surest way to remember why you want to write.

King promises that eliminating needless words and extraneous parts of the story, even when attached to them, will make your writing more powerful. “Kill your darlings,” he pleads. “Kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.”

Writers often labor over finding the right word, making the setting come to life, or perfecting dialogue. In the process, they sometimes grow invested in passages that don’t serve the story. When it comes to editing, put your feelings aside and take the knife to anything extraneous. It might hurt, but your writing will be better for it.

We’ve all heard the stereotypical stories of famous writers whose creative energies and imaginations were unleashed, even multiplied, by alcohol and drugs. We imagine the likes of Hemingway, Poe, Fitzgerald, and Dylan Thomas clacking away on their typewriters or scribbling in their journals with a cut crystal decanter of something strong at their sides. King, however, says the opposite was true for him.

Early in his career, Stephen King wrote in a haze of everything from beer and Nyquil, to Valium and Xanax, until finally, his family staged an intervention. Reflecting on how his addictions affected his writing, he says that his book The Tommyknockers is “just awful” and about twice as long as it should be. “There’s really a good book in [t]here” he laments, “underneath all the sort of spurious energy that cocaine provides.”

“I’m convinced that fear is at the root of most bad writing,” King contends. The best writers can set aside all their worries and doubts and face the blank page with courage. Those who are caught up in thinking about whether or not they are “doing it right” or if they will ever be published often lose their nerve or alter their writing so much that they lose their unique voice. Don’t worry about what you think will sell, or what today’s audiences want; write for yourself, and you will have won half the battle.

You can’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Some readers are going to love your work, and others will dismiss you out of hand. If you develop your style, you must develop a thick skin and trust your instincts. King suggests that you not worry too much about what people think of you because “if you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered, anyway.”

One of King’s simplest and best pieces of advice is to rid yourself of distractions. “There’s should be no telephone in your writing room,” he says, and “certainly no TV or video games for you to fool around with.” He says he feels lucky to have been one of the last successful writers to have grown up without a steady diet of relentless distractions.

One has to wonder if Thoreau, Dickinson, and Twain would have contributed what they did to American literature if they had been forced to contend with emails and text messages. If you want to succeed, take a page from their books, and weed out all of the things that stand between you and your work so that you can focus on perfecting your craft.

It can be so easy to get caught up in the writing business, to spend long hours learning the ropes of the publishing world, marketing yourself, and looking for an editor and an agent, that you forget why you’re doing it in the first place. As King insists, “writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends.

Writing is magic, as much as the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink.” It’s important, of course, for you to educate yourself on becoming a professional writer, but don’t let that become your focus. Write for fun sometimes, without thinking about it will amount to.

Writing should add to your life, not become it. You can’t tell a good story, inspire and move, and speak to the heart of humanity if you are locked away in your writing room and calling that a life. Nurture your other hobbies. Spend time with loved ones. Travel. Eat. Read. Remember, “life isn’t a support system for art. It’s the other way around.”

The hardest part of the writing process is often just getting started. New writers sometimes believe that to start, they need to have their stories all planned, their characters completely mapped out, and their ideas fully formed, so they make endless notes and charts and never actually create the first draft. King says, “amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” Don’t get stalled out in the planning stage or spend a lot of time stressing about perfection. That’s why second drafts were invented.

Stephen King was only 26 when he published his first novel, Carrie , but he was no stranger to rejection. “By the time I was fourteen” he recalls, “the nail in my wall would no longer support the weight of the rejection slips impaled upon it. I replaced the nail with a spike and went on writing.” It’s good to remember that even the most successful writers have had their share of disappointment.

King suggests that novelists “write with the door closed, [but] rewrite with the door open.” He means that fear and rejection can hinder the writing process, but that doesn’t mean that readers’ reactions and the advice of editors and critics should be dismissed. If you want to improve as a writer, put aside your pride and listen to and evaluate what people say about your writing. Not all of it will be helpful, but some can offer insight you might have missed.

Learning how to tell stories isn’t always easy. If you’re looking for a course, check out our review of Neil Gaiman’s Masterclass .

If you still need help, read our storytelling guide .

Stefani is a freelance writer who specializes in lifestyle and literary pieces. She worked for several years as a high school English teacher before becoming a full-time writer. Stefani is pursuing a graduate degree in English literature focusing on contemporary poetry. When not writing, you can find her in the garden, making plans for her next road trip, or in her workshop, where she restores vintage and antique furniture.

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Stephen King on Writing: 8 Lessons From the Acclaimed Author

“Words create sentences; sentences create paragraphs; sometimes paragraphs quicken and begin to breathe.”

These are lines from Stephen King’s On Writing , a memoir that touchingly talks about his writing endeavors. It is hard to find anyone who has not read Stephen King’s novels. He is known as one of the greatest living writers of our time. With over 60 published novels and over 200 short stories, he is revered for his art of writing supernatural fiction.

Many of Stephen King’s novels and stories have been made into TV shows and adapted for the big screen. King clearly knows his craft, and he is a writer who has successfully published one thriller after another. In this blog, we list the top writing tips from Stephen King.

Stephen King on Writing: 8 Top Tips

On different occasions, King has shared valuable insights into what makes a good writer. Here are a few of our favorites.

1. Read, read, read

A quote from On Writing by Stephen King goes like this, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”

According to King, if you are serious about becoming a writer, you need to read a lot. Learn about different authors and their writing styles to see what works for you and what doesn’t. Whatever you read, remember the things you can carry into your work. The more you read, the more you will understand the author’s craft and methods to achieve it. Reading can also help you differentiate exceptional writing from mediocre writing.

2. Avoid using too many adverbs

Although you don’t need to avoid adverbs altogether, it is better to learn when to use them. New writers often use too many adverbs to make their writing look more impressive. But, adverbs can take the reader away from the true meaning the piece wants to convey, and can ruin the quality of your work. In King’s own words, “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.”

3. Try to write every day

Be it for web content writing or fiction writing, if you want to be a good writer, you need to build a writing habit. Stephen King writes daily in the morning, takes a nap and drinks tea in the afternoon, and makes time for his family too. However, you do not need to follow the same routine. The important thing is that you take the time to write every day. Aim to write down a certain number of words and build on that slowly.

4. Adopt simplicity

King says, “Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.” The phrase “kill your darlings” means getting rid of unnecessary elements in your writing, even though you may have worked hard on them.

A crucial Stephen King writing lesson is to chop off flowery language, as it may come across as superfluous and awkward. Write crisp content in a natural style. Break down harder, complex concepts or information into shorter, consumable chunks. Instead of using complicated words, use simple words effectively.

5. Write for yourself first

First, write for yourself and then for your audience. This is your story, and you have all the freedom to explore it in a way you see fit. Once you offer it to others, it will no longer be just yours. They will form opinions, make suggestions, and influence the story’s direction. So you should write the first draft according to your vision. The second draft is when you should consider the reader’s side.

6. Create a good writing environment

Set up a space where you will feel inspired to write. King suggests creating your own writing shelter for enhanced productivity . A place where you can always write without distractions, such as phones, TV, video games, and the like. It is advisable to choose a spot that is peaceful and quiet, as it will enable you to think freely and effectively.

7. Failure is motivation

Almost no one wins the jackpot on the first try. And King’s story was the same. Initially, letters of rejection kept getting accumulated for every story he presented. He says that everyone goes through failure and is given a choice: give up or move on. People rarely go for the second one. Failure is a powerful fear that we struggle to overcome. But the more experience you accumulate, the better the chances of improvement. Keep it up, and soon, you’ll be able to overcome your shortcomings. This is one of the biggest writing tips from Stephen King.

8. Be yourself

Who you are is what makes you unique. Be bold enough to express yourself in your writing. It will have more resonance; it is natural, and in our opinion, it can also be therapeutic. After all, you want your audience to appreciate you for who you truly are. Keep your content genuine and valuable. A good place to start is reading genres that you truly resonate with. They may help you find your true voice.

Writing is a personal journey. Of course, along the way, there are tutorials, writing lessons, and guides to help you, but you have to develop your own style and voice. When writing, it is crucial to find your own style, use an active voice, and write for yourself first. Also, do not let your writing be overshadowed by flowery or extremely pompous language.

What King’s writing lessons give you are ideas on where to start based on how his journey has been. Finally, Stephen King’s On Writing is an excellent read for any aspiring writer, no matter what style they pursue. If you haven’t read it yet, we suggest you read it. But until you do, we hope this blog gives you some inspiration.

There are ideas everywhere. You can seek inspiration from your immediate surroundings, people you interact with, and by reading books, such as Stephen King’s On Writing . Another well-known technique to hunt for content ideas is the internet.

The following are three of King’s best quotes on writing: – “When you write a book, you spend day after day scanning and identifying the trees. When you’re done, you have to step back and look at the forest.” – “The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.” – “I think the best stories always end up being about the people rather than the event, which is to say character-driven.”

You must read a lot. According to King, if you don’t have the time to read, it is likely that you won’t be able to cultivate the craft of writing.

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Stephen King’s 20 Rules for Writers

in Writing | October 12th, 2018 25 Comments

Image by the USO, via Flickr Commons

In one of my favorite Stephen King interviews, for The Atlantic , he talks at length about the vital importance of a good opening line. “There are all sorts of theories,” he says, “it’s a tricky thing.” “But there’s one thing” he’s sure about: “An opening line should invite the reader to begin the story. It should say: Listen. Come in here. You want to know about this.” King’s discussion of opening lines is compelling because of his dual focus as an avid reader and a prodigious writer of fiction—he doesn’t lose sight of either perspective:

We’ve talked so much about the reader, but you can’t forget that the opening line is important to the writer, too. To the person who’s actually boots-on-the-ground. Because it’s not just the reader’s way in, it’s the writer’s way in also, and you’ve got to find a doorway that fits us both.

This is excellent advice. As you orient your reader, so you orient yourself, pointing your work in the direction it needs to go. Now King admits that he doesn’t think much about the opening line as he writes, in a first draft, at least. That perfectly crafted and inviting opening sentence is something that emerges in revision, which can be where the bulk of a writer’s work happens.

Revision in the second draft, “one of them, anyway,” may “necessitate some big changes” says King in his 2000 memoir slash writing guide On Writing . And yet, it is an essential process, and one that “hardly ever fails.” Below, we bring you King’s top twenty rules from On Writing . About half of these relate directly to revision. The other half cover the intangibles—attitude, discipline, work habits. A number of these suggestions reliably pop up in every writer’s guide. But quite a few of them were born of Stephen King’s many decades of trial and error and—writes the Barnes & Noble book blog—“over 350 million copies” sold, “like them or loathe them.”

1. First write for yourself, and then worry about the audience. “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 the story.”

2. Don’t use passive voice. “Timid writers like passive verbs for the same reason that timid lovers like passive partners. The passive voice is safe.”

3. Avoid adverbs. “The adverb is not your friend.”

4. Avoid adverbs, especially after “he said” and “she said.”

5. But don’t obsess over perfect grammar. “The object of fiction isn’t grammatical correctness but to make the reader welcome and then tell a story.”

6. The magic is in you. “I’m convinced that fear is at the root of most bad writing.”

7. Read, read, read. ”If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.”

8. Don’t worry about making other people happy. “If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered, anyway.”

9. Turn off the TV. “TV—while working out or anywhere else—really is about the last thing an aspiring writer needs.”

10. You have three months. “The first draft of a book—even a long one—should take no more than three months, the length of a season.”

11. There are two secrets to success. “I stayed physical healthy, and I stayed married.”

12. Write one word at a time. “Whether it’s a vignette of a single page or an epic trilogy like ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ the work is always accomplished one word at a time.”

13. Eliminate distraction. “There’s should be no telephone in your writing room, certainly no TV or videogames for you to fool around with.”

14. Stick to your own style. “One cannot imitate a writer’s approach to a particular genre, no matter how simple what that writer is doing may seem.”

15. Dig. “Stories are relics, part of an undiscovered pre-existing world. The writer’s job is to use the tools in his or her toolbox to get as much of each one out of the ground intact as possible.”

16. Take a break. “You’ll find reading your book over after a six-week layoff to be a strange, often exhilarating experience.”

17. Leave out the boring parts and kill your darlings. “(kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.)”

18. The research shouldn’t overshadow the story. “Remember that word back . That’s where the research belongs: as far in the background and the back story as you can get it.”

19. You become a writer simply by reading and writing. “You learn best by reading a lot and writing a lot, and the most valuable lessons of all are the ones you teach yourself.”

20. Writing is about getting happy. “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid or making friends. Writing is magic, as much as the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink.”

See a fuller exposition of King’s writing wisdom at Barnes & Noble’s blog .

Note: An earlier version of this post appeared on our site in March 2014.

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50 Stephen King Quotes on Writing for Aspiring Writers

Stephen King is undoubtedly one of the most renowned and influential authors in the world. A prolific writer, he has created an immense amount of books that have become part of popular culture. He’s labeled as the master of horror writing and his works have set the standard for a whole generation’s taste in the genre. His stories have made him one of the most recognized writers globally and he’s sold more than 350 million copies over his extensive career.

Throughout the years, Stephen King has motivated lots of people to put their work out there. He’s indisputably the most successful author of his time and still continues to write chilling yet incredible pieces. If you’re a writer, it’s impossible not to feel inspired by all the success he’s achieved.

Here are some of his quotes on writing that are sure to inspire you to write great works of your own. These quotes each symbolize a certain aspect of what it means to write.

Quote 1: “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” This quote by Stephen King emphasizes the power of books to transport readers to another world and provide them with an escape from reality. It suggests that there is something magical about reading, as it can bring us joy and allow us to explore different ideas and feelings.

Quote 2: “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” This quote highlights the importance of hard work in writing and encourages writers not to rely solely on inspiration but instead take action and put time and effort into their work. It reminds us that great writing takes dedication and perseverance.

Quote 3: “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.” In this quote, King warns against overusing adverbs in writing as they often weaken the impact of words and make prose seem clumsy and unprofessional. He emphasizes the need for concise, precise language when writing.

Quote 4: “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” Through this statement, King underscores the significance of reading in developing one’s writing skills. Reading gives us valuable knowledge and experience which we can use to inform our own work and make it more effective.

Quote 5: “Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.” This quote stresses the importance of creating vivid imagery in writing that appeals to the audience’s senses and emotions rather than relying too heavily on the writer’s own imagination.

Quote 6: “In many cases when a reader puts down a story, he knows more than he did at the beginning.” King believes that stories should leave readers feeling like they have gained insight upon finishing them. Good writing should be educational and impart some kind of knowledge or understanding upon its reader.

Quote 7: “The scariest moment is always just before you start.” Fear of failure is common among writers, but King urges us to push past these fears and start writing anyway. He reminds us that the only way to overcome this fear is to take the first step and begin.

Quote 8: “The most important things to remember about back story are that (a) everyone has a history and (b) most of it isn’t very interesting.” Here, King advises writers to focus on the present-day narrative rather than delving too deeply into backstory. He emphasises how unnecessary information can bog down a story and distract readers from the main plot.

Quote 9: “To write is human, to edit is divine.” This quote points out the importance of editing and polishing your work to ensure that it reads well and conveys your message clearly. Writing without revising will result in an inferior product, so King encourages us to spend time reworking our drafts until they reach perfection.

Quote 10: “We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones.” King suggests that horror stories serve a purpose beyond mere entertainment; they can also be used as a form of therapy, allowing us to confront and process difficult issues in a safe environment.

Quote 11: “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well.” This quote speaks to the idea that writing should be done with more than just a monetary reward in mind – it should be done for the purpose of enriching one’s own life, as well as the lives of readers. It encourages writers to focus on creating something meaningful, rather than merely pursuing fame or fortune.

Quote 12: “Stories are relics, part of an undiscovered pre-existing world. The writer’s job is to use the tools in his or her toolbox to get as much of each one out of the ground intact as possible.” This quote emphasizes the importance of researching and gathering details when crafting a story. A writer’s job is not only to write, but also to uncover hidden gems from the past and bring them back to the present.

Quote 13: “I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops.” Stephen King is warning against overusing adverbs in writing, which can lead to clumsy and amateurish prose. He believes that good writing relies upon strong verbs, precise descriptions, and vivid imagery, rather than relying on adverbs for emphasis.

Quote 14: “The two most important things you need to write are a pen and an idea.” This quote stresses the importance of having an idea before starting to write. Without an idea there is no basis for the story and no direction for where it should go. Additionally, this quote reminds us that even if we don’t have access to fancy equipment, all we really need to write is a pen and paper.

Quote 15: “The best stories are the ones that make the reader feel something.” This quote implies that powerful storytelling comes from invoking emotion in the reader. Whether it’s joy, sorrow, anger, fear, etc., the goal should be to move the audience emotionally through our words.

Quote 16: “The most important thing for a writer is to not be afraid. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration.” Writing takes courage, and often times we can be held back by our fears and doubts. But this quote encourages writers to take risks and push beyond their comfort zones. After all, fear can prevent us from achieving true greatness.

Quote 17: “You have to stay faithful to what you’re trying to say. You also have to stay open to the unexpected. It’s important to be flexible.” As writers, it’s important to remain true to our vision and intentions, while at the same time leaving room for surprises that may come along the way. We must remain both rigid and flexible in order to create the best version of our work.

Quote 18: “The worst thing you can do is go into a story with a plan.” While outlining helps provide structure and direction, going into a story with too much of a plan can limit creativity and stifle potential. Although planning can help set expectations, it’s important to leave room for spontaneity and surprise.

Quote 19: “The best writing is rewriting.” Rewriting is the key to good writing. Taking the time to go back and revise one’s work is essential to producing quality content. Not only does rewriting allow us to fix typos and grammar mistakes, but it also allows us to refine our ideas and add new elements.

Quote 20: “The most important rule of writing is that there are no rules.” This quote encourages experimentation and taking chances when it comes to writing. Every piece of writing is unique, and therefore requires its own approach and techniques. There is no single right way to write, so be creative and find the style and method that works best for you.

Quote 21: “The most important rule of writing is that there are no rules.” This adage speaks to the freedom and creativity inherent in writing. It encourages writers to break free from conventions and explore new ideas, voices, and formats without being limited by what has already been done. Ultimately, it suggests that the only real limit when it comes to writing is your own imagination.

Quote 22: “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” Reading and writing go hand-in-hand; they feed off each other and create an ever-evolving cycle of inspiration. By reading widely and deeply, writers can expand their knowledge base, discover new perspectives, and hone their craft through practice.

Quote 23: “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” Reading is essential for any aspiring writer, as it provides the necessary fuel for creative expression. Without the insight gained through reading, writers may find themselves unable to effectively convey their stories or messages. Therefore, making the time to read is critical for anyone who wants to master the art of writing.

Quote 24: “Writing isn’t a career, it’s a calling.” Writing is more than just a job; it’s an invitation to explore one’s passions, beliefs, and creative potential. Writers must answer this call with dedication and commitment if they wish to make something meaningful out of their work.

Quote 25: “You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” Here, Stephen King emphasizes the importance of taking risks and pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone. Aspiring writers must be willing to take a chance on themselves, even if it feels intimidating. Once they summon the courage to start, they will find that they have within them the capacity to achieve great things.

Quote 26: “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well.” Although fame and fortune are attractive incentives, true success as a writer lies in creating something that has a lasting impact on its readers. Writing also enriches the author’s life by providing a platform for self-expression and personal growth.

Quote 27: “The first draft of anything is shit.” No matter how talented the writer, the first attempt at any piece of writing is bound to be imperfect. However, this quote serves as a reminder that mistakes and shortcomings can be corrected with hard work and dedication. With patience and effort, even the most unpolished drafts can become works of art.

Quote 28: “The most important things to remember about backstory are that (a) everyone has a history and (b) most of it isn’t very interesting.” Every character in a story has a past, but not every detail of that past needs to be added into the narrative. Though it may seem like adding background information adds depth to characters, too much irrelevant detail can bog down the plot and distract from the main focus of the story.

Quote 29: “The best way to learn to be a better writer is to write.” Writing is a skill that improves with practice. The only way to get better is to keep producing content – even if it doesn’t turn out perfectly the first time around. Over time, the quality of output will increase as the writer develops their technique and understanding of the craft.

Quote 30: “Writing isn’t life, but I think sometimes it can be a way back to life.” Writing can provide an escape from reality, allowing us to express our innermost thoughts and feelings in ways we wouldn’t necessarily feel comfortable doing in public. It can also be used as a tool to process difficult emotions and experiences, helping us to reconnect with ourselves and find healing.

Quote 31: “The best stories come from the heart, not the head.” While it is important to understand the technical aspects of writing, the most powerful pieces of literature often come from emotional connections to a subject. When authors are able to combine expertise with passion and empathy, they are able to produce truly incredible works.

Quote 32: “Writing is about discovering what you believe.” Writing can be used as a means of self-discovery, enabling us to explore our values and opinions in greater depths. Through writing, we can gain a deeper understanding of who we are and what matters to us.

Quote 33: “Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference.” Writing requires a great deal of discipline and dedication, and having support from people who understand the challenges faced by writers can make the journey easier. Knowing that you are surrounded by people who believe in you and your work can help inspire and motivate you to pursue your dreams.

Quote 34: “You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” This quote is a reminder that we all possess the power to create and bring our ideas to life. We simply need the courage to take the first step and trust in our innate ability to succeed.

Quote 35: “You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.” Writing can serve as an escape from harsh realities, providing us with a place to retreat to during times of difficulty. Rather than succumbing to despair, writers should use their words to tell stories that remind them of hope and joy.

Quote 36: “Writing is a job, a talent, but it’s also the place to go in your head. It is the imaginary friend you drink your tea with in the afternoon.” Writing can bring solace, companionship, and respite during moments of loneliness. Through writing, we can find comfort in the imagined conversations and interactions we have with our fictional characters, allowing us to connect with the world around us in a unique and meaningful way.

Quote 37: “You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” This quote reiterates the importance of taking risks and pushing oneself beyond one’s perceived limits. Writers must be willing to put in the hard work needed to overcome fear and doubt in order to create something special.

Quote 38: “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” This adage speaks to the perseverance and resilience required to reach success as a writer. Becoming proficient at the craft takes time and effort, and only those who remain committed to their craft despite facing obstacles along the way can eventually reach their goals.

Quote 39: “Writing is a lonely job, but the best way to beat the loneliness is to tell a story.” Stories allow us to share our experiences and connect with others, regardless of physical distance. By pouring our hearts into our work, we can bridge the gap between ourselves and our readers, transforming loneliness into a source of comfort and community.

Quote 40: “Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open.” This quote is a reminder to writers that they should write with all their heart and soul, to stay focused on the prize. But should be humble enough to admit that they could be better writers.

Quote 41: “Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings. ” This is magnificent advice to every writer. It tells you to never grow attached to any character. It stunts your growth as a writer. Never be afraid to let go of a character in your stories.

Quote 42: “If you expect to succeed as a writer, rudeness should be the second-to-least of your concerns. The least of all should be polite society and what it expects. If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered, anyway.” This quote says a lot about how you should address your readers. You should always be ready to push the boundaries of your art and write as truthfully as possible. Be as authentic with your writing and be courageous when you are faced with challenges.

Quote 43: “Writing is not life, but I think that sometimes it can be a way back to life.” Writing can be considered as a form of therapy. If you feel bad or just want to let out your frustrations, writing is a truly effective method.

Quote 44: “Just remember that Dumbo didn’t need the feather; the magic was in him.” This quote tells writers to have belief in themselves. In truth everything you need to create a literary masterpiece in within yourself. You don’t need anything else to succeed. Just look deep within yourself.

Quote 45: “You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you.” This quote reminds you that you should always write with your heart. If you can make yourself feel a certain emotion with your writing, you can certainly make your readers feel these emotions too.

Quote 46: “Good description is a learned skill, one of the prime reasons why you cannot succeed unless you read a lot and write a lot. It’s not just a question of how-to, you see; it’s also a question of how much to. Reading will help you answer how much, and only reams of writing will help you with the how. You can learn only by doing.” This quote shows you that reading is an integral part of the writing process. No writer has ever become great without being an avid reader. It is technically a pre-requisite to becoming a writer. By being an avid reader you are also given the chance to hone your skills and develop your own writing style.

Quote 47: “I’m a slow reader, but I usually get through seventy or eighty books a year, most fiction. I don’t read in order to study the craft; I read because I like to read.” The quote tells you to be a wide reader. You don’t have to be a speed-reader, just as long as you thoroughly enjoy the book. All in all to be a good writer, you need to be able to enjoy good literature.

Quote 48: “I like to get ten pages a day, which amounts to 2,000 words. That’s 180,000 words over a three-month span, a goodish length for a book — something in which the reader can get happily lost, if the tale is done well and stays fresh.” The quote is a reminder to readers that when you write a book you always have to be accountable for the amount of writing you do. The more you write the faster your book gets finished. So you should always put in the work, and never slack off in your work.

Quote 49: “The book is not the important part. The book is the delivery system. The important part is the story and the talent.” The book itself isn’t as important as the story it contains and the talent of the author. The focus should be on creating a captivating story with well-crafted characters, rather than worrying about the physical form of the book.

Quote 50: “You can never bend reality to serve the fiction. You have to bend the fiction to serve reality when you find those things out.” This quote reminds us to use reality as inspiration for our writing. When researching or checking facts while writing, we must be willing to change the fiction in order to ensure accuracy.

Who is Stephen King?

Stephen Edwin King is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. His books have sold more than 350 million copies, many of which have been adapted into feature films, miniseries, television series, and comic books. He has published 61 novels, including seven under the pen name Richard Bachman, and six non-fiction books. He has also written over 200 short stories.

Final Thoughts

Writing doesn’t have to be a daunting task; it can actually be quite therapeutic. With these words of wisdom from Stephen King, you can conquer your fear of putting words to paper, take charge of your inner creativity, and become the master of your craft. Whether you’re working on a novel, screenplay, poem, or anything else, draw on Stephen King’s quotes and advice for guidance and motivation.

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40 Best Books Based on True Stories for 2023

On the left, snippets of Stephen King book covers are set against a red background. On the right, a black and white photograph of King shows him from the neck up.

The Essential Stephen King

The author has dominated horror fiction, and arguably all popular fiction, for decades. Here’s where to start.

Photo by Philip Montgomery for The New York Times Credit... Philip Montgomery for The New York Times

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By Gilbert Cruz

Gilbert Cruz is the editor of the Book Review.

March 27, 2024

Before the vampires and the haunted hotels, before the killer clowns, killer cars and killer dogs, before Shawshank and that green mile, there was Carrie. A teenage girl, bullied to her very limit, who discovers that she can move things with her mind, and uses that power to massacre her classmates.

By the time “Carrie” was released, in April 1974, Stephen King had already written several unpublished novels. But none of them gave any real indication that he would come to dominate horror fiction, and arguably all popular fiction, for the next half century.

In his review of “Carrie” in The New York Times Book Review, the columnist Newgate Callendar (who was actually the music critic Harold Schonberg writing under a pseudonym) marveled, writing: “That this is a first novel is amazing. King writes with the kind of surety normally associated only with veteran writers.” Eight years later, Time magazine would call him the “master of postliterate prose.” Four years after that, in the same publication, King would call himself “the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and fries.” In 2003, he accepted a lifetime achievement honor from the National Book Awards. It’s now 2024 and he’s about to publish another collection of short fiction.

This is all to say that critical reception has waned and waxed, but the books have continued apace — more than 70, with no sign of stopping. If you’re like me (committed? troubled?) you’ve had occasion to read them all, some more than once. And if you’re not, and have always been curious, you’re lucky enough to find an author who can write short and long (and extra long!), outside of the horror genre as much as inside of it. Few writers are more famous and few writers have as many accessible entry points.

The book cover for "Salem's Lot" shows the illustration of a small town inside the "O" in "Lot."

Where should I begin?

You will find those who recommend jumping straight into the King pool with one of his door-stopper classics like “The Stand,” the postapocalyptic adventure story about the survivors of a plague that decimates much of the world’s population, or “It,” the tale of a group of friends stalked by a murderous supernatural clown. And while both are great, they can also be intimidating for beginners.

Instead, try ’ Salem’s Lot” (1975), his second novel and first true scary book. This riff on Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” sees a novelist return to the small town he lived in long ago at the same time as an ancient vampire and his human companion. It contains many of the most recognizable King elements: a writer protagonist, a Maine town full of idiosyncratic blue-collar characters, echoes of genre fiction standards and memorably creepy set pieces (the school bus, God, the school bus).

I want to read another King classic

Few writers have spoken so damningly for so long about an adaptation of their work as King did about Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining.” Despite the fact that it is regarded as one of the greatest of horror films, King appears to have been genuinely affronted by the changes that occurred from book to screen.

That’s likely because “The Shining” (1977) is particularly personal for the author. Jack Torrance is a down-on-his-luck alcoholic writer who finds one last job as the winter caretaker for the Overlook Hotel, a resort high in the Rockies. Accompanying him are his wife, Wendy, and his young son, Danny, whose psychic abilities make him vulnerable to the evil spirits that haunt the Overlook.

For King, Jack was a sliding doors version of himself, what he might have become had “Carrie” not been a success — an addict and wannabe novelist who can’t even cut it as a high school teacher and resents (sometimes violently) his family. Where the film’s version (Jack Nicholson in what remains one of his most memorable roles) is a psycho from the jump, the Jack of the novel feels human. He loves his wife and child. We want them all to make it out alive. The book is scary because, as King has said, “You don’t get scared of monsters; you get scared for people.”

I’m a scaredy-cat, OK?

It’s fine not to like scary things! That doesn’t mean you can’t read some Stephen King. Though he’s most famous for his horror novels and stories, at this point, he has written a significant amount outside of the genre. Early in his career, less than a decade after the publication of “Carrie,” King released “Different Seasons” (1982), a collection of four novellas.

Three have nothing to do with the supernatural. Two were adapted into top-tier King movies: “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” became, well, you know, and “The Body” was filmed as “Stand By Me.” Both are set in Maine in the early 1960s, and both give a sense of how lovingly King can draw his characters.

Actually, I’m not a scaredy-cat, OK?

Relax! No one said you were. “It” is probably King’s purest horror book, but it’s also one of his biggest and most dense and … the ending has some problems. Let’s call that one part of your graduate study. This starter guide will instead go with “Pet Sematary” (1983).

There’s something elemental about its simplicity: A young family moves into a new house, and terrible things happen after they discover an ancient burial ground deep in the woods. Contrary to what you might think of King’s novels, given the mode in which he typically works, many of them do end with a sense of hard-won victory and optimism. Not this one. It’s as grim as he’s ever gotten.

I want to learn something about the author

Part memoir and part writing manual, “On Writing” (1999) is a bit of an odd duck. Somehow, it has become the fashion to pick one of King’s only nonfiction books as one of his best. (I myself am guilty of this.) And that it is, but it shouldn’t be read without having tackled several of the other titles on this list first. The work gives the life greater meaning.

Written mostly before the 1999 accident that almost killed King, “On Writing” is cleareyed in its account of what it was like to be a pop-culture-obsessed boy in the 1950s, how it felt to be a nearly broke young writer having to support a family, how addiction can quickly imprison you. But the most memorable part might be the 20-page postscript, written after the accident, in which King recalls lying in a ditch on the side of the road, his body pulverized after being hit by a van. The driver of the van sits on a rock looking down at one of the world’s most famous writers. “Like his face, his voice is cheery, only mildly interested,” King writes. Later on it strikes him that “I have nearly been killed by a character right out of one of my own novels. It’s almost funny.”

I want to begin an epic journey

King has referred to “The Stand” as his attempt to do an American version of “The Lord of the Rings.” But his seven-book “Dark Tower” series (an eighth book was published after the story proper concluded) is King’s truest Tolkien analogue.

Indeed, it’s one of the great American genre series — an epic in multiple modes (horror, sci-fi, fantasy, Western) about a gunslinger-knight who is trying to save his world and ours from complete destruction by his foe, the Man in Black. Published over the course of 20 years, the series has become the center of a King extended universe, with multiple novels and stories connecting to its characters and locations. The first volume, “The Gunslinger” (1982) is the shortest, and it will give you a tiny taste of how weird and inventive the series gets.

I’m looking for non-supernatural suspense

A decent percentage of King’s work features writers as main characters, from “’Salem’s Lot” and “The Shining” to “The Tommyknockers” and “The Dark Half” to “Bag of Bones” and “Lisey’s Story.”

Paul Sheldon, the protagonist of “Misery” (1987) is yet another writer, one who finds himself in a particularly horrifying situation — held captive, post-car accident, by an obsessed fan who wants him to write a book just for her. The subtext is clear: Sometimes, fame can feel like a trap. And King, a recovering addict, has talked about the sub-subtext, saying: “Annie was my drug problem, and she was my No. 1 fan. God, she never wanted to leave.”

But none of that matters much when you’re deep into this novel and Paul sleeps a little too long and wakes up and you realize what’s going to happen and your stomach just plummets.

I’m looking for a big, fat read

For King, a prime baby boomer, the assassination of John F. Kennedy was one of the nation’s great pivot points: If Lee Harvey Oswald hadn’t fired those three bullets (as King believes he did), what would the next decade have looked like?

In “11/22/63” (2011) King imagines a scenario in which the Maine schoolteacher Jake Epping finds he can travel back to the year 1958 through the pantry in a local diner, eventually using that ability to try to prevent Kennedy’s death.

A big part of the book’s pleasures (and at over 800 pages, there are many) comes from the procedural-like manner in which Jake must establish a new identity in a new era and live in real time without revealing his mission. By the book’s back half, when he begins to cross paths with real historical figures and events, you’ve become fully invested in Jake’s task. It’s one secret of King’s success — that we can so easily put ourselves in the place of an ordinary person experiencing the most extraordinary circumstances.

I want a great crime novel

If you haven’t seen the HBO series based on “The Outsider” (2018) — the novelist Richard Price was the showrunner and Dennis Lehane wrote a couple of episodes — then the twists of this supernatural detective story will remain intact for you. It’s an irresistible setup. In a small Oklahoma town, a teacher and Little League coach is charged with the brutal murder of a young boy. The evidence against him is overwhelming. Until, that is, unequivocal evidence comes to light also placing him in a completely different town at the exact same time.

One of the book’s main characters, Holly Gibney, doesn’t show up until halfway through; and while she’s a character in a prior series of King crime novels (the Mr. Mercedes trilogy), it’s not necessary to have read them beforehand, though you might want to after finishing this one.

Give me a deep cut

This tale of a group of Pennsylvania state troopers and the odd car they keep hidden in a shed has always felt as if it got mysteriously lost. Released the year before King finished his “Dark Tower” epic in a three-book, two-year rush, “From a Buick 8” (2002) is an often contemplative novel that also happens to feature the gnarly dissection of an inter-dimensional bat.

While gross beings make several appearances here, resulting in some of King’s most unsettling descriptions, this is ultimately a book about how events often have no true resolution and life is ultimately inexplicable.

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List Of Adverbs: 300+ Common Adverbs List With Useful Examples • 7esl BE0
Stephen King, "Adverbs" from On Writing
The road to hell is paved with adverbs.
Stephen King Quote: “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.”
Stephen King Quote: The road to hell is paved with adverbs
Some bestselling books are using so many adverbs that it must make

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COMMENTS

Stephen King on Writing, Fear, and the Atrocity of Adverbs
King uses the admonition against adverbs as a springboard for a wider lens on good and bad writing, exploring the interplay of fear, timidity, and affectation: I'm convinced that fear is at the root of most bad writing. If one is writing for one's own pleasure, that fear may be mild — timidity is the word I've used here.
"The adverb is not your friend." —Stephen King, On Writing
King said that the reason someone overuses adverbs is that they are afraid. In trying to be clear enough, good enough at getting the point across, the writer uses unnecessary and often awkward descriptive words, i.e., adverbs. When I read over what I have written and note my use of adverbs, I take a moment to consider if a stronger or clearer ...
PDF Stephen King: The Adverb is Not Your Friend
Stephen King: The Adverb is Not Your Friend This great advice from Stephen King comes from his essential book On Writing. It's filled with writing tips and insight into his life and writing process. If you haven't read it - read it! This extract is about the dreaded adverb. One or two may be okay, but beware the adverb - it
How Stephen King writes and why: Language, immersion, emotion
Search for more papers by this author. Ross Deans Kristensen-McLachlan, ... We dissect and examine three pieces of writing advice from Stephen King's book On Writing (2000). ... there is a slight positive correlation between how many -ly adverbs King has used for any given book of his and how popular it is on Goodreads (R 2 = 0.07; F = 5.79; ...
7 Essential Writing Lessons from Stephen King's Million-copy ...
"The road to hell is paved with Adverbs." -Stephen King ... make me want to scream." -Stephen King. I remember writing my first essay back in 2009 — thinking it might be "a piece of gold ...
PDF Stephen King on Writing
Stephen King. be presumptuous enough to tell people how to write, I felt there had to be a better reason than my popular success. Put another way, I didn't want to write a book, even a short one like this, that would leave me feeling like either a literary gas-bag or a transcendental asshole. There are enough of those
Is The Stephen King Adverbs Rule Going Out Of Fashion?
To remind writers of his advice, here is a short extract from his book, Stephen King On Writing - A Memoir of the Craft. It is, for many writers, still the ultimate guide to good writing. I insist that you use the adverb in dialogue attribution only in the rarest and most special of occasions … and not even then, if you can avoid it.
The Data-Backed Case for Ditching Adverbs
Data analysis proved that Stephen King was right. The best writing has few adverbs. ... If you're a writer, you've heard Stephen King's tirade against adverbs. King is not alone. Strunk & White, William Zinsser, Graham Greene, and Elmore Leonard have all decried adverbs. ... Dickey's essay, aptly titled "Lovingly, Stridently ...
Stephen King
A complete list of Stephen King's Essays. A complete list of Stephen King's Essays. Works Upcoming The Author News FAQ The Dark Tower. search. Works ... What Stephen King Does for Love. Essay. 2000. What's Scary. Essay. TBD. The Author News FAQs Contact Newsletter Miscellaneous The Dark Tower All Works Upcoming New Releases Dollar Babies
Why I Am Proudly, Strongly, and Happily in Favor of Adverbs
Stephen King's On Writing cautions that "the road to hell is paved with adverbs." The fourth of Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing is an admonition against modifying the verb to say .
Why Stephen King's Road to Hell is Paved With Adverbs
The story which results from it is apt to feel artificial and labored.". "I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops. To put it another way, they're like dandelions. If you have one in your lawn, it looks pretty and unique.
On Writing
This volume "really contains two books: a fondly sardonic autobiography and a tough-love lesson for aspiring novelists", written by American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy, Stephen King (b. 1947). The first third of the book contains King's memoir, which includes heartfelt tidbits about his brother, mother and his long battles with alcohol and drug addiction.
On Writing Summary
1-Sentence-Summary: On Writing details Stephen King's journey to becoming one of the best-selling authors of all time while delivering hard-won advice on the craft to aspiring writers. Read in: 4 minutes Favorite quote from the author: The Shawshank Redemption is the highest-rated movie on IMDb. When I first watched the cult classic some 15 years ago, I had no idea that it was based on a ...
The Road to Hell is Paved with Adverbs
Some are less obviously adverbs: then, there, too, quite. But it's the "-ly" modifiers that get Stephen King's back up (gently, quietly, smugly). These actually only make up around 20% of all adverbs and are the ones ripe for the cutting! (Full education on what an adverb is on Gr ammarly if you need a deep dive refresher).
Breaking Down the Key Lessons of Stephen King's On Writing
In On Writing, his seminal work on the craft of creative writing, Stephen King said, "Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well.". As King put it, writers are uniquely ...
5 Takeaways from Stephen King's Memoir 'On Writing': A ...
To say that Stephen King is a prolific writer is an understatement. With 63 novels and 200 short stories published to date, the King of Horror is a writing machine.
What Writing is Stephen King Analysis
Writing is a multifaceted and complex art form that encompasses a wide range of styles, genres, and techniques. In his book "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft," renowned author Stephen King delves into the intricacies of the writing process, offering valuable insights and advice based on his own experiences as a prolific writer. This essay will analyze King's perspectives on what writing is ...
15 Best Writing Tips From Stephen King
1. Avoid Adverbs. King famously quipped that "the road to hell is paved with adverbs.". He explains that they are often unnecessary, and if they are left unchecked, they will take over your writing like weeds. The best way to eliminate adverbs is to replace them with a more descriptive metaphor or a simile.
Stephen King on Writing: 8 Lessons From the Acclaimed Author
1. Read, read, read. A quote from On Writing by Stephen King goes like this, "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There's no way around these two things that I'm aware of, no shortcut.". According to King, if you are serious about becoming a writer, you need to read a lot.
Stephen King's 20 Rules for Writers
Avoid adverbs. "The adverb is not your friend.". 4. Avoid adverbs, especially after "he said" and "she said.". 5. But don't obsess over perfect grammar. "The object of fiction isn't grammatical correctness but to make the reader welcome and then tell a story.". 6. The magic is in you.
How to Develop Your Writing Voice
Eliminate adverbs "I believe the road to hell is paved with adverbs, and I will shout it from the rooftops." — Stephen King "Adverbs are a sign that you've used the wrong verb." — Annie Dillard. The easiest and quickest way to discover your voice is to eliminate all adverbs from your writing. You can do this right now.
50 Stephen King Quotes on Writing for Aspiring Writers
Stephen King is warning against overusing adverbs in writing, which can lead to clumsy and amateurish prose. He believes that good writing relies upon strong verbs, precise descriptions, and vivid imagery, rather than relying on adverbs for emphasis. Quote 14: "The two most important things you need to write are a pen and an idea." This ...
Stephen King's Best Books: A Guide
141. By Gilbert Cruz. Gilbert Cruz is the editor of the Book Review. March 27, 2024. Before the vampires and the haunted hotels, before the killer clowns, killer cars and killer dogs, before ...