On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

“I don’t believe writers can be made, either by circumstances or by self-will (although I did believe those things once). The equipment comes with the original package.”

Here, King introduces his opinion that you are either born with writing talent, or you are not. You can enhance your skills but not create them.

“If you’re just starting out as a writer you could do worse than strip your television’s electric plug-wire, wrap a spike around it, and then stick it back into the wall.”

King advises writers to limit their engagement with television. He believes that time should be spent reading in order to maximize your talent as a writer.

“There is no Idea Dump, no Story Central, no Island of Buried Bestsellers; good story ideas seem to come quite literally from nowhere.”

Contrary to what many believe, King explains that his ideas come to him spontaneously. This relates back to his central belief that stories should evolve naturally, without too much interference from pre-conceived plot.