Stephen King Writing Style

In his article “Reading to Write” Stephen King uses various rhetorical strategies to persuade his audience that reading is necessary to writing. Rhetorical strategies are used as tools to strengthen an argument. These literary tools could be used to establish credibility, create emotional ties, or maintain a connection with the reader. Throughout his article “Reading to Write” Stephen King uses multiple rhetorical strategies and literary tools such as his unique use of diction, personal anecdote, and rhetorical questioning to persuade his audience that reading well is imperative to writing well.

Stephen King is a very complex, experienced writer. He has elaborate stories that catch any type of reader. In the book Stephen King On Writing he teaches us his experiences with writing and in his own opinion how writing works, from the inside out. He shares that the editor or person revising your page may not always be correct but to take the advice given and use it to your best in your writing. Imagination is only as far as we let it go and that we can stretch our brains to reach boundaries there were thought unapproachable. Although being descriptive is the ideal way to write, being too descriptive can prevent you from actually getting your point across.

Stephen King’s “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” is a marvelous and unusual text. Within the first part of his book, also called C.V., he explains his life experience up to the day he finishes the book. King expresses his life with multiple literary elements that assist the readers on imagining his life of adventures, catastrophes, fears, and loves. Following are three of my favorite passages that caught my attention.

Lamott compares the process of writing with the painful process of pulling the teeth. She believes that in order to produce a high quality writing, the author must first put together all their ideas and thoughts in form of the “child draft”. This draft determines the flow and dimension

It is essential to understand that classes taken in grade school do not give students a full understanding of each subject. With the topic of writing, there will always be a new lesson to learn, an aspect to improve, or a differing way to explain. Author Craig Vetter states in Bonehead Writing, “This is your enemy: a perfectly empty sheet of paper. Nothing will ever happen here except what you make happen.” Each story, essay, or response comes from a writer’s experiences. With each attempt at a new piece comes an underlying story of emotions the writer is facing. Each person’s writing is unique and the ideas people have are related to their past experiences and what they believe to be familiar with when deciding which writing style to use. As a high school student, I have learned many things about writing that helped me become the improved writer I am today, but the most essential advice I have received is practice makes perfect. Although there is no actual perfect way of writing, I have discovered that each essay I write, my writing improves. It is easier to spot mistakes, find areas to improve, and ponder elevated word choice to use.

Authors use literary elements and techniques as tools to convey meaning. These devices are the means by which authors bring richness and clarity to a text. They express moods or feelings that allow the reader to connect with the writing. In On Writing, the author, Stephen King makes use of literary elements to tell his story. The techniques King uses are effective in portraying vivid images and feelings in the reader’s mind.

Stephen King, in his chapter titled “Toolbox” in On Writing, aims to convince the struggling writer that taking simple steps to organize a metaphorical box of writing tools will improve their writing. He does so through the use of organization, substance, and style and by appealing to his audience with logical examples to support his claims. “Toolbox” is, in summary, a crash course given by King on writing improvement. He depicts the fundamentals of good writing as levels of a toolbox then demonstrates how and when each writing tool should be used (King 106-107). The chapter is a veritable response to the question, “How can I improve my writing?” which one can imagine King is routinely asked as a world-renowned author. He already enjoyed an immensely successful writing career when Hodder published On Writing in 2012, so King wrote the chapter “Toolbox” as literary advice to fellow writers by drawing from his own success (“Stephen King”).

King utilizes ethos and pathos effectively throughout his book “On Writing” in order to progress his thoughts and experiences to make his argument stronger. The author makes some notable points in each section of the book by implementing rhetoric to accomplish the purpose, which is to get across to the reader’s minds what they must do in order to better themselves as writers and become successful in the writing world. King’s paramount argument was that writing isn’t about the materialistic rewards you will receive, such as money, getting famous, etc.; it is about bettering yourself and inspiring others who read your work as well as yourself as you journey the wonders of your mind.

The nonfiction piece, On Writing, by Stephen King, that is often told in a form that

Everyone knows what writing is to one extent or another, but we all have different definitions of how it should be done and varying degrees of seriousness about the art. We all have a process of writing, but each is unique to ourselves and our own experiences. Annie Dillard and Stephen King are two well known authors who have published many pieces, two of which describe how they view the writing process and let their readers get a peek of what goes on through their minds when they write. These two pieces are Dillard’s The Writing Life and King’s “What Writing Is.”

It is hard to do simple things anymore like read and write thoughtfully. In a world of distractions and the constant need to be socializing with people, it is a rare that many read or writing for pleasure or to get thoughts out. Two excerpts, “What Writing Is” and “Toolbox”, in Stephen King’s book, On Writing, talks to this trouble many face today. Although the writings aren’t specifically about people being too busy and having no time to read or write, but more of how writing should be done. Good writing leads to more enjoyed reading.

One key passage where King defines writing is when he is describing the revising process. King writes,

Stephen King is a wise man who has lived a lot longer than I have, therefore, he carries much more wisdom with him about writing and what it takes to be one. King tells of why he writes and his experiences with bad writing in books he had read in his younger years, which made him a better writer. He also gives advice to those who wish to write and how they could be better. These are just a few things King shares in his work On Writing.

Before I came to college, I felt my writing had to follow a certain pattern and be fixated around one way of thinking. What I was fortunate to learn was quite the opposite. Writing does not have to follow any certain pattern, but can rather be structured through many different possibilities. I was also told in high school that my papers either had to agree or disagree with the given topic, even if I believed otherwise. This formulated a very one-track way of thinking when it came to my papers. Now I know that I can let my mind explore new and exciting ideas. I can agree, disagree, compliment, criticize, and question the author however my heart desires, as long as I have the evidence to back myself up. Many authors in the book, Writing About Writing, explain their processes as well as the processes of others when it comes to writing. As a writer, I can draw on my own processes and relate them to the authors, as well as use their ideas and apply them to myself. Through reading, I have learned new methods of invention, planning and revising, and incubation when it comes to writing. All ways I can use to create more meaningful and creative work.

Writing has always been something I dread. It’s weird because I love talking and telling stories, but the moment I have to write it all down on paper, I become frantic. It’s almost as if a horse race just begun in my mind, with hundreds of horses, or words, running through my mind, unable to place them in chronological order. Because I struggle to form satisfying sentence structure, it takes me hours, sometimes even days, to write one paper. It’s not that I think I’m a “bad writer,” I just get discouraged easily. Needless to say, I don’t think highly of my writing skills. When I was little I loved to both read and write. I read just about any book I could get my hands on, and my journal was my go to for my daily adventures. Although it’s