I admire Stephen King’s work. It may be arrogant of me to say that I think his writing is rather terrible, if you look at the pure sentence structure, grammar and all that jazz, but arrogance aside, none of that matters in my greater scheme of things.
Stephen King could write on a napkin and I’d be enthralled.
I’m even more enthralled lately with suggestions for improvement that he bashed into my mind via his book On Writing. (It’s worth every penny. Get it, no matter what type of writer you are.)
You see, King’s work has strength. It doesn’t matter what he’s writing, a paragraph of description or a piece of dialogue – it all has strength. Incredibly enough, his writing is also extremely concise. He doesn’t rely on length to create impact. The contrary applies; the shorter the better.
As writers, we tend to fall in love with the written word. We get drunk on our own creativity. Addicts, all of us, always looking for the better piece, the right phrase, the power word that just leaps off the page. We look for angles and twists of phrases to make our work stand out from the crowd and the competition.
Do we really need to? I’m not so sure we do.
I believe in simplicity. I have to. Website content, for example, is all about saying exactly what you need to say and compelling people in as few words as possible. (…except in the case of long sales copy, which is just an exercise in bashing down potential arguments in the hopes of landing a sale by using as many words as possible to achieve the point of dulling your reader into submission. Interesting, that.)
It’s been said that my writing is of a very basic level. I don’t use big words and I use language that almost anyone can read and understand easily. Frankly, I like it that way. I’m not out to impress anyone; I just want people to get what I’m saying – and to do something about it.
Otherwise, writing is just sheer self-indulgence.
Those of you who don’t feel that Stephen King can teach you anything about your articles, your ebooks, your copywriting, your advertising… think again.
King believes in simplicity too. He hates adverbs, for example, and with good cause. If you have to add the word ‘excitedly’ to your sentence, then your sentence wasn’t conveying excitement in the first place. If you write ‘angrily’, then obviously no one had caught on there was anger in the air.
In short, if you have to make sure someone understands what you wrote, then you didn’t do a very good job of writing in the first place.
King’s theory is that less is more. If you can’t sum up what you’re trying to say by stuffing your content full of words, then you aren’t a serious writer. Cut, chop and whittle it all down until you have the very core message. Sum it all up in one sentence, in fact. Can you do that?
Most likely not. Many writers have conditioned themselves to hitting word counts or fleshing out instead of trimming down. Most pages of website content are lengthy and boring. The best I’ve seen use a small handful of words that tell you what you need to know with great precision.
So why do we do this? Why are writers so hell bent on delivering 350 words for a page of content when 100 would have been plenty?
Fear.
Fear that a client will say it isn’t enough. Fear that the message hasn’t been well delivered. Fear that readers will feel cheated or click away. Fear that someone will say, “Why did you do this,” and the writer may not have an answer.
It’s very simple. Trim your writing down and have the confidence to know that you’ve done the best job to say what you need to in a way that works in the least amount of words possible.
That, my friends, is good writing.
Please note that this post was exactly 622 words in length. Summed up, trimmed down and chopped up to its core, the message is: Believe in your skills.
Correct.
(Sorry, couldn’t resist a comment as concise as that one.)
You’re 100% right on this, James. I used to tear through King’s stuff as a teenager – sometimes reading a book a day on the weekends, because his writing is so compelling.
Not elegant, not eloquent, not grammatically awe-inspiring – but compelling.
King is a master at invoking emotions (mind control) with short, visceral writing … and every writer should take pause and reflect on why it works so well for him.
Because King’s there.
Right behind you.
And he’s watching.
I personally dislike everything King has written EXCEPT for this book. Being the snob that I am, I didn’t read it when it first came out but found it later on cassette tape in the dollar bin. It was worth all 100 pennies and much more.
In the case of good writing books, I highly recommend Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird and all of Heather Sellers writing books, Page by Page, Chapter by Chapter. All are a wonderful balance of story, practicality, unvarnished truth and inspiration.
On Writing IS a great writing book – you’re so right. But, real clients intrude! There is the client who says your stripped down, what it says it what is means writing, is too “plain”. Yes, that has happened to me. She wants a rewrite. I was too “colloquial” (meaning, wow the average guy could understand it!). I have been procrastinating on this rewrite, because frankly I think she’s wrong. But for the sake of the check (this time, and this time only, I have learned my lesson!) I will do it. Sigh. Nice to know I’m right though.
Very good advice we all need to remember – I’m certainly not perfect in this regard, because basically I write documents for a living, and the company seems to pride itself on big words and complicated acronyms.
Often times, it seems, to hide the fact that no one has a foggy clue what is going on…
Wrong, wrong, wrong… my own pet theory, if you can’t explain something to a 5-year old in 5 minutes, you’re full of crap – or trying to fill it up with crap.
Good piece of writing, James.
Brett Legrees last blog post..george a. romero, inc.
With so much to read on the internet nowadays, I so appreciate the writers who do not waste words. More often than not, I have arrived on a website and clicked off because of rambling paragraphs.
Hmmmm…I don’t think it’s fear, rather a lack of , or the understanding of the importance of, editing skills. Now, when it comes to using big words, be it at work or blogging, I think that is the fear of not seeming Intelligent or Important or arTEESTic. I write the way I speak, and being fundamentally lazy, I can’t be bothered learning and remembering all those big words.
P.S. getting closer to that web redesign. Did you complete our poll?
Urban Panthers last blog post..Sugar and salt, it ain’t my fault!
@ Panther – Which poll? Did I miss something?
Ahh, just found it
I read my first Stephen King book at eight years old. I wouldn’t say he’s my favorite author, but I’ve certainly read more by him than anyone else.
A year and a half ago, I bought my wife “On Writing.” Then I took it off her night stand and read it. I only started writing last year. That book had a significant impact on getting me started.
Writer Dads last blog post..I Link You!
I’ve long admired King’s work. His short stories are often his best stuff. Gray Matter and The Mangler and Night Shift all take the incredibly mundane and make it horrifying. I also love this book. I strive to be that concise.
Sadly he’s lost some of that. His more recent books are monstrously huge. Of course even some of his older stuff is thicker than my phone book.
I think that every blogger, perhaps especially bloggers, should take notes when it comes to this. I enjoy reading longer blog posts, but if you get far north of 5-600 words I’m out. Unless you’re reeeeeeally good, which most aren’t.
Scotts last blog post..Scott Sigler Interview
@ Scott – I gotta ask. It’s bigger than me. Are we reeeeeeally good or just barely makin’ it?
Oh you’re off the chain.
Scotts last blog post..Scott Sigler Interview
King’s book is good. I enjoyed the first part, the “mini-memoir” part as much as the second half on the craft of writing.
He is right when he says that most fiction writers don’t understand much about what they do, why it works when it’s good, why it doesn’t when it’s bad. So he sticks to a few basic rules. I appreciate that.
I had to laugh at his section on adverbs. I rarely use them, either, but J.K. Rowling’s Potter books are full of them and they seemed to work. Hmmmm.
If you break rules, be sure to break them with skill?
Judy Dunns last blog post..A Photo Worth Far More Than a Thousand Words
Yeah Judy, that’s my thing about writing “rules”. Considering that writing is as much art as craft I don’t think following anyone’s set of rules is necessary. But (and this is a big but), you should be intimately familiar with the most basic rules (grammar, spelling, etc.) and use them the overwhelming majority of the time, breaking them only with good reason and only if you’ve got the talent to do so.
Scotts last blog post..Scott Sigler Interview
One of my favorite things to do (pre-Escaping Reality) was editing what other people wrote. It was never something I was paid to do, but I have several people who send me such things as their resumes and “important” emails to look at before they go live.
I’m a hacker editor. Adverbs are the first thing I gleefully rip out. It’s shocking how easy it is to chop a three page resume down to one solid page and still say everything (usually better).
While I can easily see the extra crap in what other people writer I don’t know that I do it well with my own writing. Usually I need a couple days before I can go back and read anything I’ve written with fresh eyes before I can edit out the extraneous bullshit.
I read On Writing early this year, and it’s quickly become a favorite. I think it’s about time for a rereading now that I’m actually doing some writing. It will be interesting to see what new things I take away from it with the perspective of a new writer.
Nicole Brunets last blog post..Mum & Dad go boating
@ Nicole/Judy – The adverb issue King brought up was one that drew me up short. At Escaping Reality, I tend to write very richly (ach!), interjecting plenty of description, adjectives, precise information… I always wanted to convey exactly what I saw in my mind’s eye to readers. Harry tells me that I do that, yes, and that it’s certainly good stuff, but I also realized that Harry and King do the exact opposite. They leave so much out and only put in what’s necessary that the visuals that play in my head when I read their work are just as rich and precise.
So lately, I’ve been working on chopping the fluff from my fiction
I have no idea if anyone has noticed, but I do. It’s certainly challenging and I’m enjoying playing around with words.
@ Scott – I’m right with you. Rules are often made to be broken, but arbitrarily doing so is just not cool. I also think that people should know how to follow all the rules – and write that way first – and *then* break the ones that should be broken for the purpose at hand.
@ WriterDad – I have many favorite authors that are favorites not because I enjoy their writing but simply because of what they do or how they do it or what they stand for. The important part is what you take away, no matter who you’re “taking” it from.
@ Urban – Good point, though fear of how others perceive us is one of the reasons that people use arTEESTic words to begin with. “Oooh, look at me, I can spell intrinsically! And use it in a sentence!” Yeah, yeah, good for you. I can spell cat and use it effectively. Way more important.
@ Karen – Heh. If I have to actually use my brain to read versus use it to think creatively on a concept or ponder the core message, I’m so gone. Reading is a means to an end. I hear you.
@ Brett – Try explaining something to a person who doesn’t have English as a first language. If you can’t do it, then you’ve blown it
@ Christie – Ah, that’s a tough one. But with writing, no one is wrong, as the very trade itself creates subjective material. (Unfortunately.) Now quit procrastinating! lol
@ Nicole – Listening to a book? Blasphemy!
@ Dave – YES! That’s exactly it! There’s nothing at all stunning about his work – it’s the story that grabs you and eats you alive. And that’s what counts. (I think.)
A great post on a great book.
Hate to point this out, though, but you’ve incorrectly used the spelling “Steven” throughout the post… Check the book cover for the correct spelling…
Mark Dykemans last blog post..Conversation with self-links
@ Mark – Feck. My French head said, “It can’t be spelled Stephen.” Then I thought, “He uses Stevie throughout the book; has to be Steven.”
That’ll teach me
“Otherwise, writing is just sheer self-indulgence.”
I agree completely. I strive for simplicity and conciseness. I try to view my readers as people I respect, not people I want to abuse. So, if I can get across a subject matter in fewer rather than more words, I will do it every time.
Sometimes I feel like people write much more than they need to in order to stroke their egos, whether consciously or subconsciously.
Length should be a result of necessity, not desire. This is particularly true in a blog setting.
Bamboo Forests last blog post..The Stain Demon Can and Will Taint Your Life
Adverbs are very good in cooking.. like saute gently. Mince finely.
How would Stephen King tell me how to make a souffle? Can you see him as Julia Child ?
Janice C Cartiers last blog post..Leaward Lines, Gentle Colors
@ Janice – Well, mince is already finely chopped – why repeat finely?
As Julia Child, King would probably wield a mighty hacking implement with an evil grin…
You’re right about mince.
And I imagine even Making Banana Pancakes with his kids would not be a Jack Johnson tune around the King household… very creepy scary guy.
You’ve been more concise here too, over the past couple of weeks it seems. Very clear and very directed. I like it.
Janice C Cartiers last blog post..Leaward Lines, Gentle Colors
Three words: Strunk and White. They wrote the classic guide to concise writing, “The Elements of Style.”
More can most definitely be less. Or, as Abe Lincoln once said, “He can compress the most words into the smallest ideas of any man I ever met.”
Debbis last blog post..Setting the Record Straight
@James You’ve been description chopping?? Now I must go back and compare some old posts to new and see if I can tell. It wasn’t readily apparent, at least not to me. Then again I haven’t rediagnosed your writing style recently.
So it’s challenging and you’re ejoying playing, but how do you feel about your writing when you do it this way? Do you think it’s something you’ll continue with, or will it be something you using in some cases and not others? I’m curious now!
Nicole Brunets last blog post..Mum & Dad go boating
My dad gave me this book and I was shocked that Stephen King seemed like such a normal guy! That aside, this is one of the best books about writing I’ve ever read. Concise is definitely best. A teacher in high school used to have us rewrite our assignments over and over until they were shorter each time.
I write short. I get my point across and leave it at that. My challenge with my writing is to get out into the world, to explore it but I just LOVE being inside my characters’ heads so much.
I’ve found, however, that when I write Young Adult, I don’t have that problem and I think it’s because normally (JK Rowling aside) YA is shorter fiction. I like the simplicity of it which is actually really hard to achieve without appearing patronizing or vapid.
And usually with my blog posts, I write then cut out about half and then add in about a quarter.
Alex Fayle | Someday Syndromes last blog post..Our Lives Are Full of Stuff
@ Alex – I agree, simple writing isn’t easy to write.
@ Shae – I was most surprised to learn how much of a drunk and addict King was. I knew he drank heavily, but I didn’t realize to what extent.
@ Nicole – Not sure if you’d notice, but yes. Little things, little things. I think it’s more effective. Do I enjoy it as much? No, I can’t say I do. I *like* painting pictures with my mind. Buuut… I heard one too many times lately that those who have to get down every little detail are cheating readers or aren’t confident in their writing, and I can’t say that I write comfortably since then anymore. I’m working on it.
@ Deb – One day, I will get that book. Is it like a book book with something interesting to read or like a manual textbook kind of thing?
@ Nicole – Actually, the way you said, “You’ve been description chopping??” makes me think that I’m definitely *not* accomplishing my goal. *sigh*
The only Stephen King book ‘s I’ve like are Duma Key (though it was too long) and On Writing. I think the advent of Twitter is remarkable for writers because it forces us to keep it simple, stupid. Keep it simple AND keep it interesting. It’s a tough thing to do, but I usually look at Twitter as a writing exercise.
@James Actually, your not enjoying it makes me think you’re not accomplishing a much more important goal.
Nicole Brunets last blog post..Mum & Dad go boating
@ Nicole – Hm, I disagree. There are many things we do that aren’t pleasant but the end result can often outweigh the pains of getting there. Change is never really very fun. I may not enjoy what I’m doing now, but if in the end more people say, “Wow!” then that’s a good feeling. And by the point they do say wow, I may have become comfortable in the techniques I use.
Make sense?
@ James – “Elements of Style” is a really short handbook. It gives you a concise guide to usage, sentence structure, word format (such as appropriate use of hyphens, etc.), frequently misused words and expressions, and matters of style (I’ve basically just listed the chapters). I have the 3rd edition, which is only 85 pages. It’s just a thin sliver of a book.
It’s structured in a straightforward, browsable form. Each point is stated in one short sentence, followed by a short (usually one paragraph) explanation (sometimes with examples). And each point is listed under the table of contents (except, oddly, for chapters 3 and 4), if you need to refer back to it. It’s worth reading through at least once. The book doesn’t just advocate concise writing–it demonstrates it by providing a lot of excellent advice in the fewest needed words.
Debbis last blog post..Setting the Record Straight
True, King isn’t a great writer, but he is a great storyteller. And that’s why many of us read in the first place. We all love a good story.
Mike Siebers last blog post..2008-09-11
@James Makes sense. But.. (and please pardon my devil’s advocate ways) what if you get to that point where people stand up and take new notice (not that I at all agree with the premise that you need to change anything) and you find it’s taken something away from your enjoyment of the actual writing process? Is that worth it? It may be, particularly for someone who writes for a living.
Nicole Brunets last blog post..Mum & Dad go boating
@James Then again, if you’ve become uncomfortable with writing anyway, I suppose it’s time for something to change. In that case, good on you for taking up the gauntlet.
Nicole Brunets last blog post..Mum & Dad go boating
@James: I don’t think you should change. I like the way you write, it’s your style and it already had me saying “Wow”. For years I wanted to write descriptions like you, but for me it was a struggle. After reading King I realized that was just the way I wrote and there was nothing wrong with it. Same goes for you. Go ahead and experiment, but don’t feel like you have to change everything.
@Harry Thank you. That’s what my “You’ve been description chopping??” was really all about. I love James’ descriptions. Chopping them would be a very sad thing in my opinion, but the fact that I didn’t notice makes me think it’s not been as harsh as it sounded at first.
(I shall now hush and return your comment thread to its regularly scheduled commentors.)
Nicole Brunets last blog post..Mum & Dad go boating
Well, dang now. Here I am on a “must improve” exercise and now everyone’s telling me I was fine in the first place? Sheesh. Go figure.
Funny how many people feel King isn’t much of a “writer.” I actually think he can be very good. He’s such a strong storyteller that you feel like he’s got to be a clunky prose writer, but he isn’t. I don’t think anyone will ever call his prose “lapidary,” (which is fine), but from what I’ve read, he’s a good, strong stylist.
My theory is that people read him so fast they can’t tell if the actual words are any good or not. They think, “Damn, that was entertaining as hell, the writing must have been really bad.”
I find simplicity very hard. I probably go through four or five rewrites at a minimum on something like a simple blog post, stripping out stuff that doesn’t need to be there. It takes forever, but it’s just part of my DNA, I think. I like things to be as good as I can make them.
I call summing it all up the Fortune Cookie Method. Condense the point into four or five words worthy of a Chinese proverb.
Believe In Your Skills, I absolutely LOVE it! Thanks, James.
James,
Every wordsmith that I know hones skill sets just like a good artist does. Keeps the work from getting stagnant. Your descriptions are beautiful, so is your conciseness. Kind of like developing an arsenal of weaponry to use. And how can that be bad ?
I used to think that Stephen King was a terrible writer. I couldn’t get through any of his novels. It was just too painful.
But then I picked up “On Writing” in the bargain bin. Why doesn’t he write like this all the time? He hit a stride and kept it up all the way through the novel. I especially love the edge he gets when he starts up the book after his accident.
(Terrible that it happened, don’t get me wrong. But such tight, controlled anger in his writing — unbelieveable…)
A great read and some really good tips in there to boot. I recommend it every chance I get.
~Graham
Oops — not novel, book. Slip of the mind.
~G
I used to enjoy King’s books for the vivid imagery. He really knows how to draw you into a story.
Jamies last blog post..9 Steps to Clearer Writing: Keep it Flowing
Thanks James. If only clients would read your blog!
Actually – here’s a thought. I have bookmarked this page and will send them to read it. Sage advice always sound so much better coming from a 3rd party authority.
Cheers!
Short and sweet is always the way to go when it comes to writing. The lesser words you require to convey a message, the better. It puzzles me why there’s a “minimum words” requirement in school essay.
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The reason for Stephen King’s success can be an attributed to a lot of things — story telling ability, mood setting, etc. — but I wouldn’t consider him a particularly concise writer. I can think of many, many successful writers and books that would be far better examples of concise prose than King’s.
I think that simplicity is not just for writers. In almost everything; writing, writing music, painting, even putting on makeup, simplicity always makes better impression to others.