Saturday, August 3, 2013

Stephen King on First Lines in The Atlantic (Creative Process)

It's the six-week count-down to my dissertation defense so, in case you haven't noticed, I haven't been doing much writing.  Not here.  But I recommend that you head over to The Atlantic where Joe Fassler primed the pump for Stephen King's musings on the opening sentences of novels: Why Stephen King Spends 'Months and Even Years' Writing Opening Sentences.  King is beautiful and insightful on writing.  
You've been here before.
All there by itself on one page, inviting the reader to keep reading. It suggests a familiar story; at the same time, the unusual presentation brings us outside the realm of the ordinary. And this, in a way, is a promise of the book that's going to come. The story of neighbor against neighbor is the oldest story in the world, and yet this telling is (I hope) strange and somehow different...

2 comments:

Sheila O'Malley said...

Good luck to you in the coming weeks! So exciting!

I can't wait to read this piece.

I read Stephen King's 11/22/63 last year and it honestly blew me away. I've always been a fan of his - his writing as well as his work ethic - he's like Woody Allen - he just keeps producing. Some stuff "hits", others are misses - but he doesn't belabor the point. Woody Allen does not concern himself with creating masterpieces - he does a movie a year. I just LOVE that.

If you haven't read 11/22/63, I highly recommend it.

Ted said...

S -
Thanks, friend.

I'm interested to read his Joyland as well. In fact, I want to read ANYTHING but what I should be reading right now!