Coffee (Get Your Motor Runnin’), outside Diamonds Coffee Shoppe, a great place to write, Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 2008, photo © 2008-2009 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
It’s a rainy morning and I’m slowly waking up. It’s been a strange week. Many irons in the fire, not enough focus, distracted. I have felt like a Duncan yo-yo spinning and “sleeping” at the end of its string. Since most yo-yo tricks are based on learning to “sleep,” it’s important to master the art of spinning. What was it going to take to snap back to the wrist and safely into the palm? Back to basics: practice, structure, community.
Amid continued job hunting, gardening and yard work with Liz, meetings with ybonesy around red Ravine, I’m researching and doing the ground work for a new mandala on canvas, progress on a series that’s been in my head for a while. And after Art-a-Whirl, I was reenergized for the writers’ photo series I’m working on. But I also have a commitment to honor from the last Kansas City writing retreat, a goal to focus on writing memoir essays for print submission — half day, 3x a week, mornings.
Where do I spend my time? It’s a matter of prioritizing the structure of each day. And staying grounded. Do other writers and artists struggle in this way? Is it a block or simply fear. Is there too much on the plate? Or do I just need to settle down and get back on track.
I carry creative projects in the belly a long time. Then they spew out all at once and nearly whole. It is the way I have always worked. I hold my work close to the vest, only talking to a few trusted people. It often takes a deadline to push me to completion. This is good to know.
Another thing that grounds me is looking to writers and artists who have gone before; their sage advice is hard earned and welcome. Recently, I perused paintings by Georgia O’Keeffe, the infrared photographs of Minor White, and a book of Judy Chicago’s stunning clay work in The Dinner Party. I’m inspired by the work of others; it wakes me up.
I also pulled Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft off the shelf. I read it years ago, before I called myself a writer. It’s on my list of classic books on writing — books I go back to when I need to feel that it’s okay to be struggling. I’ve always been fond of the way he dealt with rejection slips early in his career. I have never forgotten it:
I had a desk beneath the room’s other eave, my old Royal typewriter, and a hundred or so paperback books, mostly science fiction, which I lined up along the baseboard. On my bureau was a Bible won for memorizing verses in Methodist Youth Fellowship and a Webcor phonograph with an automatic changer and a turntable covered in soft green velvet. On it I played my records, mostly 45s by Elvis, Chuck Berry, Freddy Cannon, and Fats Domino. I liked Fats; he knew how to rock, and you could tell he was having fun.
When I got the rejection slip from AHMM, I pounded a nail into the wall above the Webcor, wrote “Happy Stamps” on the rejection slip, and poked it onto a nail. Then I sat on my bed and listened to Fats sing “I’m Ready.” I felt pretty good, actually. When you’re still too young to shave, optimism is a perfectly legitimate response to failure.
By the time I was fourteen (and shaving twice a week whether I needed to or not) the nail on 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.
-from On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King, Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, ©2000
His perseverance, what Natalie teaches as Continue Under All Circumstances, Don’t Be Tossed Away, has always stuck with me. Do you have books you turn to when you feel ungrounded or like your head is going to fly off the top of your spine? If you do, pull them off the shelf again when you get stuck. They will turn you around.
Below are a few tips plucked from paragraphs in On Writing. They were easy to find; they jumped out from the page in fluorescent yellow, the highlighter I used 9 years ago. Ah…..I feel better already.
10 Tips On Writing From Stephen King
- 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….Every book has its own lesson or lessons, and quite often the bad books have more to teach than the good ones.
- There is a muse, but he’s not going to come fluttering down into your writing room and scatter creative fairy-dust all over your typewriter or computer station. He lives in the ground. He’s a basement guy. You have to descend to his level…there’s stuff in there that will change your life.
- Write what you like, then imbue it with life and make it unique by blending in your own personal knowledge of life, friendship, relationships, sex, and work. Especially work. People love to read about work. God knows why, but they do….What you need to remember is that there’s a difference between lecturing about what you know and using it to enrich the story. The latter is good. The former is not.
- Description is what makes the reader a sensory participant in the story. Good description is a learned skill, one of the prime reasons why you cannot succeed unless you read a lot and write a lot…You can only learn by doing. For me, good description usually consists of a few well-chosen details that will stand for everything else. In most cases, these details will be the first ones that come to mind.
- I would argue that the paragraph, not the sentence is the basic unit of writing—the place where coherence begins and words stand a chance of becoming more than mere words. If the moment of quickening is to come, it comes at the level of the paragraph. It is a marvelous and flexible instrument that can be a single word long or run on for pages…You must learn to use it well if you are to write well. What this means is lots of practice; you have to learn the beat.
- Writing is seduction. Good talk is part of seduction. If not so, why do so many couples who start the evening at dinner wind up in bed?
- A series of grammatically proper sentences can stiffen that line, make it less pliable. Purists hate to hear that and will deny it to their dying breath, but it’s true. Language does not always have to wear a tie and lace-up shoes…
- I predict you will succeed swimmingly…if, that is, you are honest about how your characters speak and behave. Honesty in storytelling makes up for a great many stylistic faults…but lying is the unrepairable fault.
- Before beginning to write, I’ll take a moment to call up an image of the place, drawing from my memory and filling in my mind’s eye, an eye whose vision grows sharper the more it is used. I call it a mental eye because that’s the phrase with which we’re all familiar but what I actually want to do is open all my senses.
- As with all other aspects of narrative art, you will improve with practice, but practice will never make you perfect. Why should it? What fun would that be? And the harder you try to be clear and simple, the more you will learn about the complexity of our American dialect. It be slippery, precious; aye, it be very slippery indeed. Practice the art, always reminding yourself that your job is to say what you see, and then to get on with your story.
Grounding, vintage lamp inside the vault at Diamonds Coffee Shoppe, Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 2008, all photos © 2008-2009 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
Post Script — On Spinning: I wrote this a week ago Sunday and have since gotten back on track with my projects. It’s good to have resources to turn to when I feel like I’m spinning. And to believe that the tide will turn, even when I am rejecting my own process. Writing is the art of rebellion — then snapping back into place. Replace the nail with a spike, and keep on writing. One day at a time; it’s not a race. Eventually, my work will be finished.
Footnote — A Little About Yo-yos: One more historical tidbit I stumbled upon while adding the links on this post. Yo-yos and Slinkys (listen to the Slinky song here!) were popular toys when I was growing up. Did you know that the slip string that lets the yo-yo “sleep” at the bottom was a Filipino innovation? And that “Reach for the Moon,” “Loop the Loop,” and many more tricks in the familiar repertoire of yo-yo virtuosos were created by a group of professional demonstrators, mostly Filipino, hired by the Duncan Yo-Yo Company during the U.S. Great Depression?
The Duncan Yo-Yo Company started in 1929 when entrepreneur Donald F. Duncan Sr. purchased the Flores Yo-Yo Company from Filipino immigrant Pedro Flores. Check out the film of 77-year-old Nemo Concepcion, one of the first yo-yo demonstrators and originator of many yo-yo tricks. The film Yoyo Man was made in 1978 by filmmaker John Melville Bishop. Here’s a link to the film guide for Yoyo Man from Documentary Educational Resources.
-posted on red Ravine, Monday, June 15th, 2009
QM, that’s a book I adore, one of dozens and dozens of writing books that stand like soldiers on my shelves, rooting me on to get back to the page.
Thanks for dusting it off and bringing it forward today… big help! Also love your photos…
LikeLike
I read Stephen King’s book on writing several years ago on vacation, and it has stuck with me. It’s so heartfelt and practical. He was the first one to make it sink into me: you don’t need adverbs if the rest of your words are doing their jobs. Of course, I forget it sometimes or rebel against it, but it’s wonderful advice!
Glad to hear you’re back on track. Too many irons and not enough focus creates a frenzy (or immobilization, one of the two).
LikeLike
“I carry creative projects in the belly a long time. Then they spew out all at once and nearly whole. It is the way I have always worked. I hold my work close to the vest, only talking to a few trusted people. It often takes a deadline to push me to completion. This is good to know.”
I could have written this paragraph. I tend to let things boil and simmer, then I serve them in a rush of creativity, hot off the stove. Perhaps not the best way to do things, but it has worked in the past, and continues to serve me well.
I love this book by King. I too read it many years ago, and I always like #2 . . .
I also think quite a bit about #5. While blogging, I find myself sticking to short sentences that stand alone. The real work comes in translating lengthier trains of though into meaningful paragraphs.
Love this post, and thanks for the nudge . . .
LikeLike
Barbara, thanks. Yeah, I’d like to make a list of those “soldiers” on my shelf, writing books that stand by me when times get tough. I’ve seen lots of blog posts on lists of writing books that help pull people through. But I’ve never made one of my own. Maybe ybonesy and I will do that in an upcoming post. She can pull from her shelf, and I’ll pull from mine and we’ll see where they meet in the middle.
Carolee, yes, I feel both of those things at times – frenzy or immobilization. Nothing to do but keep moving on to the next day, hour, minute. One good thing I’ve found is that with my practices, structure, and more support systems in place, I don’t tend to stay in that insecure place as long as I used to. What a relief! I also forget what I’ve learned sometimes or want to rebel against it. Some days I just have to let myself have a tantrum. Hopefullly, I won’t stay there long either! Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
Brian, happy to find a kindred spirit in the “boil and simmer, then serve in a rush of creativity, hot off the stove.” You know, I find the down side to it is that it can look like I’m not getting anything done (and it can even look like this to me). But underneath, a lot is chugging along.
I know I’ve talked a lot about this on red Ravine, but I’m such a slow mover, a turtle. Yet when I do decide to move, or am ready to move, everything moves quickly into place. I hope that remains true for these essays I’m writing. I do have to fight my resistance sometimes.
Recently, ybonesy told me she thinks my writing does lend itself to the essay form. I hope she is right! At least I know I have a couple of people who don’t give up on my slow process.
I like Stephen King’s #2 as well — maybe one of my faves. The muse lives in the basement. That long walk to the bottom.
And #5 about paragraphs, your comment about using shorter sentences when you blog got me to thinking — I think blogging over a long period of time changes the way a person writes. The shorter form, shorter sentences. (It makes me wonder what Twitter and Facebook are going to end up doing to languages.)
Yet something like an essay or short story demands longer, more comprehensive writing and tying long strands of thought together. I suppose it’s not any different than journalists who end up writing books in a different genre. I’m going to think more about that. Thanks so much for stopping by today.
LikeLike
Quoin,
We could be twins, I sweartagod. I get accused of sitting around a lot, but few people will ever really know all the stuff that is percolating inside.
But I’m trying to remind myself that ideas will never bloom unless you plant them . . .
Writing paragraphs is a challenge for many writers, I imagine. I read a lot of blogs, and many of these folks (present company included) aren’t afraid to share at length about what’s on their minds. All of them can string together more than just a few bullet points and write something that, while taking a longer time commitment to read, make the experience more enjoyable.
And yet, when I’m feeling lazy, or the “pressure” to get a post up, I tend to fall back on the crutch of choppy thoughts, spilled out in even choppier sentences. Or fragments.
😉
Quality post, my friend . . . and I appreciate your reply.
LikeLike
Great post, QM. Lots of great advice for moving forward when in a spin. Applies to most things in life, not only writing.
I also followed your link to the film guide to The Yo-yo Men. That was fascinating reading. I’ve had a few Duncan yo-yos myself, but I have never read the background on the introduction of it. Thanks for the great link.
LikeLike
I remember my first yo-yo. It was most special because for a long time, my sister and I didn’t have one because it was a “boy toy”. We used to watch our brothers playing with their you-yos and we wanted one, too. Finally, when I was probably in third grade, they let me have one! Mine was red. I never really learned to do much with it but it was a fun thing to have and it was important because boy toy or not, I wanted one!
LikeLike
Hello from fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada, QM and all! Well, talk about a lot on one’s plate: we were here about five days ago, and in the interim we watched an incredible graduation ceremony in Palo Alto, spent a day riding cable cars and cruising the wharf and China Town in San Francisco, helped my niece move into a new apartment (although all I did was a bit of unpacking—others did MUCH more), and nursed a bad respiratory ailment that struck me and my youngest daughter as soon as we got to California.
Like others here, I loved King’s book, his direct talk. What resonated with me is the idea of holing up. Also loved how much he emphasized letting the writing and characters tell the story and how little plot comes into play (until after you have something to work with).
QM, one of your greatest strengths as a writer is the amount of background/research work you do. And it’s the turtle in you that digs away, patiently learning what you need to know in order to get to the task of writing. Relish your turtleness. It has served you well thus far and will continue to do so as you embark on the goals you set during your latest retreat.
LikeLike
Do other writers and artists struggle in this way? Is it a block or simply fear. Is there too much on the plate?
I definitely struggle whenever I have too much to do. Also, when I’m having a block with whatever it is I’m working on.
And even when I’m into my creative work, like now with the series of paintings I’m doing these days, I struggle whenever starting a new one. All that prep work, plus I have so little time to actually work on it, between my family and friends, job, yard, and exercise. Last time I started a new painting, I decided to clean my work space first.
This is, I think, the continuous struggle for writers and artists.
LikeLike
I really love On Writing. I didn’t think I would, but I did, and do revisit it every now and again. Great post.
LikeLike
I love Stephen King’s On Writing. His wisdom about how simple (“be honest”) writing is and how complex (“slippery, indeed”) I am coming off of a week of helping my son with graduation and moving. All Mom-mode, very little writing-mode. And yet, there is always something going on at the end of the string, a spinning, whether I am paying attention to it or not. Your post reminded me- that even when I don’t look like I’m writing, I am, in a way. Always.
The time structure thing…don’t even let me get started. I’ve spent years being frustrated with how little time there is for my writing. I think just now I’m beginning to understand that it’s simply part of the package. So many things interrupt my writing – some I choose, and some I don’t. – I do my best these days not to get all judgmental about myself when I’m not writing. It does seem to come to fruition in its own time. Whether I push or not.
LikeLike
Simonne, same here. I haven’t liked any books by Stephen King since The Shining (although I liked the movie Misery) and hadn’t read any books of his since Pet Semetary when I picked up On Writing. I was surprised by how much I loved the book, especially “hearing” his voice when he was talking about himself and writing.
I have absolute respect for him and his commercial success, even if I’m not a fan of his books.
LikeLike
Thank-you for the post on such a fabulous book. It inspires me to read it again; I remember laughing out loud a lot when I read it the first time. And the scene in the dumpy house he and his wife got the news that his manuscript for Carrie was accepted. That page made me cry.
LikeLike
Brian, thanks again. I really appreciate your comments.
Bo, isn’t the history of the yo-yo fascinating? I thought you might like those links. I’m so happy that someone found them interesting. Sometimes I get off on these kicks that I find fascinating but no one else really notices or cares about (I know, I’m a strange one!). History is so alive for me. I’m happy you liked the links.
I hope you got to go to the link with the actual film footage about Nemo Concepcion taken by John Bishop. He made the film because these Yo-Yo men used to come to the kids’ playgrounds and demonstrate their yo-yo tricks. The film Yoyo Man is specifically about Nemo doing his tricks at one of the playgrounds. Amazing man. And that history would be lost without documentary film!
LikeLike
Corina, another yo-yo fan! Yeah! My yo-yo was red, too, and it was a Duncan. I used to practice making it “sleep” and trying to do the “around the world” trick. I don’t know if I was too short or what, but Around the World was a tough one for me to master.
I ran into the yo-yo section of the toys last week when Liz and I were looking for a birthday present for a 7-year-old. I have fond memories connected to that toy. Also the Slinky. The link I added there has all kinds of nostalgia on the ads for Slinky.
Back then, ads on TV were much more simple and many were in black and white. The jingles stuck in the head for days.
LikeLike
Simonne, thank you for stopping by. Yeah, I wonder what it is about that book that resonates with all kinds of writers. Like ybonesy says, even people who might not like Stephen King’s work, still find On Writing a useful tool.
ybonesy, I read a ton of Stephen King in the late 80’s, early 90’s and was amazed at how good he was at detail and story line. I enjoyed his body of work up to that time. These days I don’t get into his newer fiction as much. They don’t seem to hold as much for me.
Now I wonder if it’s that I’ve changed and that maybe I used his work as a training ground for learning a little about detail. Books are such good mentors. Plus I love a good mystery. I might still like the Dark Half if I reread it, about the shadow side of a writer’s mind. But I don’t know. I’ve found that there is not much fiction I can sit down and reread with the same vigor I read it with the first time.
LikeLike
Oh, ybonesy, thanks for your comment about the “Turtle” in me being a good thing. I do get into the research and love learning about history. I have a lot of patience for it. I hope all those details can make their way into the essays I’m working on in a way that makes them mine. And that they will resonate with others.
Jude, your comment about time — it seems like we all struggle with not having, or not thinking we have, enough time for creative work. And sometimes it’s as you say, I’ve felt insanely busy. Then other times, I’m just not disciplining myself.
I have the opposite dilemma now with more time on my hands. But I was telling ybonesy, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee that I’ll get more writing done. Without the structure of work (and the income), thoughts about what I should be doing instead of writing are constantly making their way into my brain. And I find I really have to structure my days so that I can be more efficient and productive. It’s all up to me, which can sometimes be more difficult.
I don’t think there’s any right formula to finding time to do our work, whatever it is. The bottom line for me is that I have to discipline myself to use the time I have wisely. I find that difficult to do some days!
LikeLike
Teri, yes, I remember that scene when he and his wife lived a meager life and got the news about Carrie. I also remember after his accident when he had a hard time getting into his writing again. So many life things can take us off the track.
I think that was the time he started out in a humble desk under the stairs? If I’m remembering correctly, it was his wife that helped him set up a space that was comfortable for his ailing body and encouraged him to start writing again. I wonder if everything surrounding the accident changed his world view completely. Hard to imagine.
LikeLike
Yes, I think you’ve got it right, QuoinMonkey. The humble desk after the accident. And Carrie (as I recall) was written in the laundry room of (was it?) a trailer house? I think he was teaching high school English to make ends meet.
LikeLike
Ah, Carrie. Remember that movie with Sissy Spacek as Carrie? Sometimes in the 70’s. I think horror movies have gotten a lot stranger since then. The thing about King, he wasn’t just about the blood and gore. There was always a plot behind his horror. And the strangeness of the human mind and the things people do to each other.
I like the element of mystery surrounding the motives he presents in his books. And Stand By Me was a great coming of age movie. Like ybonesy mentions, whether you like his books or writing or the genre or not, he was a good writer. There are things to be learned from someone who is that successful at his craft.
LikeLike
I wasn’t allowed to see Carrie when it came out in the theater (strict parents), though I heard a lot about it from my friends. The boys all talked about the opening shower scene with fascination and excitement, the girls talked about the graveyard scene.
Would you believe I just saw Carrie for the first time this year? 2009? It must have come out in 1977 or ’78. I’m crazy about Sissy Spacek, and she didn’t disappoint as Carrie White.
I forgot that Stephen King wrote Stand By Me. That sounds like a great summer read.
LikeLike
I loved that movie, Teri. It is amazing that you didn’t see it until this year. We rewatched it not too long ago, and it was just as bizarre as it was the first time. Some of the scenes are just plain disgusting, including the opening shower scene.
LikeLike
Teri, it would be great to read Stand By Me. I loved the movie when I saw it. A good summer read, too. I used to love Sissy Spacek but can’t remember seeing her in anything lately. It’s true though, that I don’t get to movies most times until at least a year later. Rarely see them when they hit the theaters.
ybonesy, what possessed you to rent Carrie again? Just curious. I do think I’ve seen it a couple of times. But only because it came on TV when I happened to be watching. Have your girls seen it? Or too young?
LikeLike
At the 11th hour, QuoinMonkey and I have secured tickets to hear Stephen King tonight at the Fitzgerald! When tickets went on sale last summer, they sold out in 30 minutes. We’re both bringing our copies of “On Writing” for a Stephen King signature. Will he let QM take his photo? Will he be able to stop her? He doesn’t know about QM and her camera. He may as well give into it. Oh….I can’t wait to be in row DD, Seat 3.
LikeLike
Not a lot of time to elaborate this morning as I get ready to head into work, but I was delighted to see Stephen King and Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler’s Wife) at the Fitzgerald Theater with Teri last night. They were interviewed by Kerri Miller. Now I’m on fire to write!
Teri, thanks for getting tickets at the last minute. Must have been synchronicity. Enjoyed the evening and being a part of a packed audience event. Am still processing everything I learned.
One thing Teri and I were talking about when we were processing after the event was that after seeing so many writers over the last 4 or 5 years, and practicing and making our own way with our writing lives, we feel more in tune with the writers we see, like they are our tribe. Not people on the outside. I guess that happens over time.
I left hopeful. And also aware that though there is plenty of room for every writer to be published, every writer may not make the millions that Stephen King has made. Or the reported $5 million advance that Audrey Niffenegger received for her second book. But…they might. Neither of them was expecting it when it happened to them.
What I like about King is that he talks about how much he struggled in the beginning of his career. He doesn’t forget. Anyone who hasn’t read On Writing and wants to write, read King.
What I liked about Audrey is that she is a Midwesterner, an artist, too, and has an art degree from the Art Institute of Chicago. She has the sensibility of an artist and a writer (she’s into the book arts and also still does letter press). It’s a unique combination. I think art and writing can feed each other, though they are very different processes.
Teri, would love to hear some of the things you learned last night when you get a chance to chime in again. And thanks!
LikeLike
A few fun facts from the Q & A:
Q: Stephen, which character in your books is most like you?
A: Gordy in “Stand By Me.” I was sort of the dopey writer who hung on the edges of the group.
****
Q: Stephen, which movie adaptation of one of your books is your favorite?
A: Shawshank Redemption
LikeLike
I am so happy I got to see Stephen King. We heard last night he rarely speaks in public any longer, so it’s sort of like seeing a rock star on their farewell tour. We snuck in under the wire.
Stephen was really funny, animated. I didn’t expect that. He referred lovingly to his wife many times. He came out in jeans, tennis shoes, and a red t-shirt. He could have picked up his clothing at a discount store on the way over to the Fitzgerald. He was very sensible, very practical. When a question was asked of him, he didn’t go all mystical about it. When he said he listens to pounding rock music when he writes his second draft, people wanted to know why. Why Black Sabbath? Why? Does it mean something? Silence on the first draft and pounding music on the second? He looked at us like we were nuts. “I listen to music because I like it.”
He was open about money, and how poor he was before “Carrie” was published. “We lived in a dump and drove a Ford Pinto.” It’s helpful to hear about the struggle, to know we’re not alone in that. And it’s refreshing to hear someone who has made it really big, and hasn’t gone crazy with the money or had their personal life blow up.
LikeLike
I didn’t realize that you two had gotten these comments in this morning. (Well, I didn’t check the blog until tonight, so I guess that’s why.) I had wondered all day, though, how the event went. QM, I almost even sent you a text message. How cool is that, to get two tickets at the last minute and be able to see Stephen King in a rare public appearance! Teri, you should mention how you got the tickets; I know because I asked you on your FB wall, but it’s pretty amazing that you found them and didn’t have to pay that arm and leg that they had been going for earlier.
I can’t wait to see a post (how about a joint post from Teri and QM??) on the talk. BTW, The Time Traveler’s Wife was a big hit for my oldest daughter and some of her friends. I think it’s because they also saw the movie and so read the book as well. I haven’t read it but would like to. We have a copy, I think.
The way you describe King, Teri, sounds very much like his writing style. What you see is what you get.
LikeLike
How I got the Stephen King tickets:
Like I said, when they went on sale last summer ($20 per seat at the Fitz), they sold out in 30 minutes. I’ve gone on Craigslist every few weeks since then, and people were selling them for $300/ticket. Way too much for my blood.
The morning of the event, I checked Craigslist again, and someone’s ad said, “Make me an offer on my two tickets.” I emailed him an offer of $30/ticket, and told him I could meet him in a shot with the cash. He called me, we met, and the rest is history. He was young (maybe 22), and had bought the tickets to take his dad, a Stephen King fan. His dad had injured his knee and couldn’t walk. He wanted to linger a bit, find out why I wanted to go, who I’d invite, etc. It was sweet. He was a good kid.
QuoinMonkey and I exchanged a few phone calls. She kept saying, “I can’t believe you got tickets! You got tickets? Really? We’re going to hear Stephen King?”
LikeLike
It was meant to be, wasn’t it? I wonder if the young man who had to sell the tickets was a bit lamenting having to give them up, or do you think it was really something he was doing more for his dad than himself? I can just hear QM saying that…”We’re going to hear Stephen King?” 8)
LikeLike
[…] he was editor of The Best American Short Stories 2007, Stephen King declared that short stories were alive but not well. Literary magazines have over time been […]
LikeLike
[…] Half is one of my favorite books by Stephen King, along with his nonfiction work, On Writing (see 10 Tips From Stephen King On The Craft Of Writing). I even went to see him at the Fitzgerald Theater in November 2009. So when I saw the Mirado Black […]
LikeLike