Stephen King's Writings

Bit of rain and rainbows here on Kauai. I've been reading Stephen King's "On Writing." Specific, clear, candid, no baloney. (He would use another word) This is simple but beautiful advice for writers--hard-won ideas, attitudes and daily work-systems that can in many cases be effectively applied by visual artists. My daughter Sara and I write in the margins of our
books. Here's what I wrote in the margins of this one:

A lousy upbringing doesn't curse you for life.
Having a distasteful job can be used to fire ambition.
Find a place where you can comfortably work.
Have a work-room door and the willingness to close it.
Have a window with no view.
Make your attainable daily quota come rain or shine.
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
Value your core personal relationship.
Play loud music while working.
A challenge works better than mollycoddling.
Good lessons are learned from busy professionals.
The most valuable lessons are the ones you teach yourself.
Quality work doesn't come from "out there."
Marathon so motifs and inspiration don't become stale.
Pay little or no attention to chronic naysayers.
Value fellowship; brotherhood and sisterhood.
That which you can conceive, you can do.
You can move objects just by thinking about them.
Finish the job at hand, then get on with the next.
Do not come lightly to the blank page.
Keep the tools of your trade close and ready.
Be particular, even obsessed, with your craft.
Be aware of poor quality work: yours, and others.
Let your work come out of what you know and feel.
Look around at the end. See if you can add another layer.
Figure it out for yourself.
Live in your head.
Do it your way.
And also, by self-management, focussing and knowing where you're going, it's possible to be highly successful by working four hours a day.

Best regards,

Robert

PS: "It is, after all, the dab of grit that seeps into an oyster's shell that makes the pearl, not
pearl-making seminars with other oysters." (Stephen King)

Esoterica: If you're interested I've copied twenty-seven more of my marginal notes from King's
book. Please go to the current clickback (Selected responses to "That's all I need")
http://www.painterskeys.com/clickbacks/need.htm and scroll down to "Stephen King's Creative Ideas." There were too many to include in a normal sized letter.

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