King is so right. I tell this to anyone who tells me they want to write. I ask them what was the last book they read, when did they read it, and what are they reading now. If they don't have an answer I tel them they have to eat, sleep and breath books 24/7. You have to keep the DNA of story healthy. We're all born with the DNA of story, but a writer is innately aware and in tune with it.
This is true, but also bull shit. You can build up a library of reading but if you are working full time (as most authors are) with a family, you have to make tough choices. Reading is essential, but if you have two hours a day - write first.
The books that exist will stick around, if they're cared for, and there's some masterpieces already; whether or not they'll print new works on paper in the future remains to be seen. They'll probably do collector's editions etc. I can't see it dying out completely. Until, that is, the sun implodes ...
William Gaule Well hopefully by then we'll have evacuated all of King's books to another planet. Maybe Stephen Hawking will find a way to save the works of Stephen King.
William Gaule I have some 200 year old Wordsworth and Shelly etc, the binds are falling to pieces - however the pages are perfect. One's collection of books will last them not just their life time but for centuries.
Books will never die, as long as there's people willing to pay money for the physical copies they will continue to be produced. Just like vinyl disks are still around despite musical download being a thing that exists.
You’re probably right,the written page is the original and most of us love books plus the shelves,libraries and nooks they’re associated with. The smartwatch is around,but then again so too are the analogue watches and indeed the sundial.
People will still buy paper books. UK were I'm from has the book store chain Waterstones and it's always popular. I'm a reader and I see the benefits of ebooks, having books without the weight etc. But I find reading books on phone or kindle start to hurt the eyes. So that's why I like paper books.
My favorite Stephen King Novels 1.) The Dark Tower Series 2.) Insomnia 3.) IT 4.) Salem's Lot 5.) Pet Cemmetary 6.) The Stand 7.) Carrie 8.) Desperation 9.) Christine 10.) Cell 11.) Cujo 12.) The Skeleton Crew 13.) Cycle Of The Werewolf 14.) Night Shift 15.) The Shining 16.) The Dead Zone 17.) Thinner 18.) A Car from Buick 8 19.) Misery 20.) A Bizzar of Bad Dreams
0:47 "I think that writing is self-hypnosis, and you fall into a kind of trance if you do the same passes over an over." I love the quick bit where he talks about his writing routine. He makes it sound so simple! He gets up, watches CNN, makes a pot of tea, and writes for 3 1/2 hours.
I have a Kindle...but a book gives you are geography. It gives you a spacial recognition of where you are in the book and that is important to me for some reason. Not nostalgia, but I actually need to know where in the book is something so I can put it in order in my head. When I read in a kindle, the words end up all jumbled together.
A good thought. A minor thing that bites. Also, if you have a whole library inside, there is nearly no border between one book and another, so no room for reflection if you don't force it yourself. If you read two similar books in a row, they will get mixed too.
I couldn't agree more about writing being a form of self hypnosis: One of the great pleasures of writing fiction is, I think, the opportunity to go to another place in your mind, interact with some fascinating characters and simply enjoy them.
Writers & writing are fascinating! The value of writing is found in reflection; that is that the best chapters, paragraphs & sentences can be tested & perfected for coherence, economy, logic, originality & relevance before being shared. This discipline in writing often extends to speaking, both of which benefit from sharing thought from a clarified mind. Evolution has uniquely given us complex language that we are remiss to ignore in our betterment.
And if you do it right, your characters will start to boss you around. This is a sign that you are tapped into what's normally below the conscious level, and it's a priceless state.
I love the fact that Stephen King himself appreciates books, e-books and audiobooks. I kept waiting for him to say it's all about the story, and I was very happy when he did. I applaud his logic.
I'm not a literary critic - I just like to read. The first of his books I bought (1975-76) I was dubious until I read the first page! I couldn't put the book down and read the entire book non-stop - all 500+ pages. Stephen King is the most talented writer around. What an imagination,vocabulary and command of words he has. Good video.
this guy has entertained me for so many hours through his fantastic books, thank you Mr. King. :) And I love that his views on e-books are so rational, clearheaded, and wise, instead of a lot of the hand wringing and fear mongering everyone else seems to be doing.
you have to teach yourself to appreciate every form --- yes! Because I never listened to audiobooks before I had a baby. Then I needed to be hands free or read while multitasking. And now I do audiobooks and its great.
I love the smell, the look, and the memories that are evoked when I am reading a book, placing the book down for the night, and eventually putting the book away in my library where a mere glance of it will help capture some memory during the time I was reading it. But, as King suggests, it's not the medium the book is presented but the story itself that is important.
I know this will sound weird to some people and to some they will sadly know where I'm coming from. Stephen King saved my sanity as a teenager. When i read his books i could leave my horrible home life for a few chapters at a time. When people talk about his drug/alcohol abuse. He's human. Shit happens. Mr. King is the one who told us He had a problem. He's overcome His addictions and is a better man for it. Be like Stephen King!
I agree. Books are great because if the power goes out during a storm, they still work (assuming you have daylight or a candle or something). Or, say you're an outdoorsy type of person, and you want to read on your camping trip or something along those lines. I really enjoy the simplicity of a paper book and I hope there is always some option for people who prefer it over electronics.
I agree that "presentation is everything", though I have never used an e-book reader. How do you feel about audiobooks? I'm a big fan. With audio, I am better at following the story and retaining more information. I become engaged in the story.
When you can carry thousands of ebooks around with you it doesn't make sense to carry a paper book, unless it's just something you're used to and it gives you a nostalgic comfortable feeling.
I have ebooks, I enjoy them but sometimes a real book is better for several things. First textbooks are generally better in printed form, second the ebook loses all of the romance of a book. The feel of paper, the smell of the book, the slow slight yellowing of the pages from the outside in. I think these are wonderful.
The story is the most important, sure, but presentation matters too. I prefer a physical copy, but still have a kindle I read a lot on. They both have their advantages, and I appreciate both, really.
A kindle vs a book really comes down to the idea of Physical media vs digital. Some people would rather have a physical copy of a book, movie, game, ect. because it's something you can actually hold, valuate, and maybe even get nostalgia from. Digital gives you the same thing, but won't have the same type of value associated with it.
I would like to see writers try an ongoing series like comic books but in novel form. Release a segment of the story every month like comic books or TV shows and have it ongoing. That would be interesting to see. We need to experiment more now that we have the internet. Stories don't always need to be long either, if the story is 125 pages make it 125 pages dont stretch a short story out into 300+ pages with fluff when theres not enough content. We don't need to print books out anymore to sell them. The other thing is you don't need to get into writing as a career. You can write as a hobby and still take it seriously. Everyone is so worried about being able to pay the bills with writing and being famous they forget to just get passionate about storytelling. I'm not a writer but I read a couple of hours a day and I'm excited about how the industry is going to be changing.
I love writers where I get the sense that they wrote it just for the passion of storytelling and not just for the money. But I'm also trying to write stories and if you ever tried that you will know that it takes up a lot of time and work etc Not everyone can even take time out of their daily lives to do that. And the work should also be rewarded in some ways. I still love the idea that there's the possibility to just write yourself out of poverty like jk rowling did.
Serialized novels only went out of fashion fairly recently. King himself serialized the first Dark Tower novel. Each chapter was it's own "segment" that came out once every now and then until the whole thing was completed. I'm pretty sure George RR Martin's first novel was initially published the same way. Even if he didn't, his 1886 novel Tuf Voyaging is what's called a "fix-up", meaning that it's short stories that come together to form a novel. Meaning it was serialized, too.
Serialism is good for plot-driven prose. But when it comes serious - final become one of the most valuable elements. Even if there is none. I've wrote an episode-to-episode story for about a year and what I can recall - there isn't any advantage. It's a challenge, visible only for your. Great narrative dies here, cliff-hangers arose, and difficulty of world\characters\plot\meaning should be therefore decreased to a little frame - an ability to recognize it and keep in mind when the next issue comes available. For the last one - a hobby - writing is a hard thing to do. I will not bother you with "it's like an engineering", but when it comes to art-jobs, like professional painters - you can only become good after years of hardcore practice. You can paint a good dog for your friend with a digitaliser you've bought on a sale, you can even sell it, but to be able to paint all the freaking zoo in a chain, and make them somehow not an eye-bleeding crap, is a skill. And skill is based on practice. Taking money as a final goal is a mistake, but having a wide-spread and a slice of bread for hours you invest in, mastering your art - is a thing to hope for.
There's still nothing like getting a fresh new book with the pages untouched, just waiting for you to dive into them. Even the smell of a new book is great... but it's the old books I love, looking through second hand book sellers stock, I dunno about kindle, but you can give Me a book anyday. I love to hear people sit and tell a story also, one on one or in a group setting, with nice atmosphere. I agree on the writing being self hpynosis, I write and never know what I've written till it's done
Authors and books are the true teachers, and books hold hidden knowledge even thier authors aren't aware of during and after they have written them. Books are strange mediums and Stephen King often talk about good books and bad books too, which is one of the reasons he is one of my most favourite authors. Other than Stephen King and Dean Koontz, i like almost every other bestselling authors and classic authors are my most favourite too.
One Kindle charge can last two months of pretty consistent use. During that time, I can have 500 books all available at the tip of my fingers, digital bookmarks and footnotes can be added to any page, and I can't lose them. Newer models have backlights, internet searches. I can hear about a book and buy it and be reading it in less than 2 minutes and it will cost less. Then, when it runs out of batteries, I can charge it in three hours and then do it all again. Also, I can search digitally.
Those people who have owned ebooks for nook, kindle et al, have by now - in 2021 - discovered that you really do not own the "book." Those things can be (and have been) taken away. The devices themselves update, change, and cost money. When you buy a printed version of the book, unless you lose it, burn it, or whatever, you will ALWAYS own it. And, THIS is why I always buy books in print.
This is all true. And I love the smell of paper books. But I can remember decades ago being annoyed at trying to hold a paper book open, turning the pages, and wondering if there would ever be a device so I didn't have wrestle with a paper book (and the older style books with cut pages made it even more difficult to get ahold of the next page to turn it, disrupting my reading rhythm on every page). My Kindles over the last 11 years have made it easier to reach that "hypnosis", and given me access to many books instantly that I wouldn't have bothered tracking down otherwise (and may not have been able to track down at all). Still, I kind of miss reading random books in the college library (decades ago), imagining those who read that copy previously, how that circular cup stain got on the back cover, why someone wrote a small, red heart on page 166...
You’re all free to like books. Books are great. However I’m glad that kindles exist. Reading is very difficult for me for disability purposes and having an e reader really helps. I read more because of it.
I disagree with your last point. The pages and the cover of a wet book can become quite warped. A book can also be hard to hold when it's had water damage. On the other hand, when you destroy a kindle, you just get a new one and download all your books again. Once that's done, even if the kindle was completely destroyed, you simply go back to where you left off, with no warped pages!
Books will never go away for the simple fact that publishing companies make far too much money selling tangible "hardcover" and "paperback" versions of a story. Too much money in that "delivery system" for it to just go away. NOTHING CAN REPLACE AN ACTUAL BOOK!
I used to be a staunch supporter of e-books and my mother was the traditional paper book reader. Now I only read paper books and she's the one always borrowing my nook.
When I write I write from my subconscious mind with a subconscious flow. Never do I have writers block. It takes me around 20 days to write 300 pages. In the winter I work on cases, doing original research, making connections and I write book at the same time with evidence.
You're right, the fact that he's being interviewed by CNN and is so deliberate is only a coincidence. I mean you heard him say "make my Folger's" and "turn on my Sony Trinitron" too, right. Now that's great story telling.
When my cat was a kitten she batted an oil-based candle off our table and it splashed all over my “vintage” copy of Jurassic Park- the pages were sticky as anything but I cleaned it off best I could... though it may not be akin to dropping it in the toilet as King muses here, I certainly couldn’t imagine parting with my precious copy of the Chrichton novel! So now I have the only vanilla scented copy of Jurassic Park in print!
@JOEtheHOE28 RUclips is own by Google. Most of the time, when you see an ad on a video, its because of A) the user is a youtube partner, B) theres copywrighted material on the video(music), I think its A in this case.
stephen king's entire acclaim has been a beautiful exercise in the art of marketing. if anything, it is an experiment to show just how effective marketing is on the american consumer public. i could give you a narrative of my criticisms, but there wouldn't be enough room here to do so with sufficient detail, so i am going to leave it at this : "salem's lot" 'nuff said
Thats true but then you have to factor in shipping and wait times as oppose to just going to the store and picking up the book.Stores like B&N or Chapters here in Canada also have that whole "Starbucks while you read" dynamic that draws a lot of ppl in just for that warm experience so I don't think they'll be going away anytime soon.
ebooksare great because many platforms (kindle, nook) can be shared across their namesake devices and apps forpc, mac, phones and tablets.They are stored in the cloud so if the device breaks,you still have the book.
There will always be a demand for physical books. People want to hold it in their hand, they want to smell them, turn the pages, have a collection. A book's battery never dies. Books will be around forever. Just as tv didn't kill radio, CD didn't kill vinyl, digital didn't kill CD.
With all the time he had to have spent in his life writing all of his books; where does he or did he find the time to read or do just about anything else?
+nofap bro - In more than one interview, he has mentioned he has read over 17,000 books throughout his life and has kept every one. In one video profile of him, they showed his personal library, I believe at his home in Maine. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves surround the room with a large, double-sided book cabinet in the center of the library. He and his wife explained that all the books on the built-ins had been read and that the center bookshelf/cabinet usually hold about 200-300 books - new purchases he hasn't read yet. Yeah, I'd call that a bibliophile. He also used to read books while he did his daily walks. Don't know personally how one can read while walking, but hey, he did it. He was actually reading a book during the walk where he was hit.
It's a question of book. I suggest he has favorite places to sit or stand in on his walk, and turn some dozens of pages. But when the book catch you it pays no fucks whatever you need to go home, or you are in a public transport, or you are in another place not meant to, so he should have been walking blindly with a book in hand a thousand of times on that 17k lifespan.
Mr. King was right on the money about writing being a form of self hypnosis. My God, you completely give yourself over to that alternate realm when you are writing the story.
Why would the existence of bookstores be limited?... How else would I know I want to buy a random book if I'm not able to at least skim through the pages first?
King mentioned that he was reading "Infinite Jest" by David Foster Wallace, which is an AMAZING read. Very very scary. I recommend it if you like Huxley or Orwell. It's sad to think that David F Wallace committed suicide. Such a bright, brilliant writer.
The paper book was ideal in a time when most people never moved from the house they were born let alone travelled. The Kindle is ideal today when most people travel to other countries to work & live, not knowing when or if they will ever return to their birthplace. I would keep the classics in bound book form & get the newer stories on Kindle.
Not true! My Kindle went through the wash. I bought a new battery off ebay, replaced it, works good as new (and is cleaner)! Now, if they'd address the price fixing publishers have engaged in (and been convicted of), I'd actually buy a book on Kindle.
This is how I see a Kindle and Nook. Much like in the music and movie industry, you can rip the CD unto your computer, they are a backup. I think there is a lot of good in a Nook and a Kindle, as well as a book. The Kindle and the Nook, just backup the book and you have it if the hard copy ever disappears.
Id really say that depends. If the medium itself changes, the form of writing may change or evolve into something different. And this may not always be for the better based on present values. Or reading (fiction) books as we know it may fall out of favor with the younger generation as fewer and fewer people read for pleasure, the demand for such books may disappear; being instead replaced by other genres. I did a survey of random people and found that very few people actually read for fun.
My concern about paper books is that they have become harder to read. In order to reduce production costs, the paper is now gossamer thin and the type face a robust 6 point! Unless the reader is in ideal conditions, such books don't deliver nearly the pleasure of those more substantial volumes of years past.
My favorite is his earlier work, especially anything he did as Bachman,,,like "The Long Walk", liked "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" LONG before everybody knew what it was,,,,
hahah! yeah I agree 100%. Misery is another one I enjoyed immensely - and quite a bit more than the movie (despite it being a classic). The only story by King where I can actually recall enjoying the movie more than the novel was probably with 'The Mist'... which is kind of weird because that seems to be one where most people thought the book was far better. With SK's stories, some are better than others - but his characters never fail to be unique and always show raw emotion.
"If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that." -Stephen King
King is so right. I tell this to anyone who tells me they want to write. I ask them what was the last book they read, when did they read it, and what are they reading now. If they don't have an answer I tel them they have to eat, sleep and breath books 24/7. You have to keep the DNA of story healthy. We're all born with the DNA of story, but a writer is innately aware and in tune with it.
I love Kings works and he gives such great advice!
@Santana Cooper No one cares, so shut up
But John Irving said, if you wanna write, you don't have time to read. Works different for everyone.
This is true, but also bull shit. You can build up a library of reading but if you are working full time (as most authors are) with a family, you have to make tough choices. Reading is essential, but if you have two hours a day - write first.
I really hope paper books never become obsolete. Reading electronic screens for too long gives me headaches, and it's just not the same.
I agree!
The books that exist will stick around, if they're cared for, and there's some masterpieces already; whether or not they'll print new works on paper in the future remains to be seen. They'll probably do collector's editions etc. I can't see it dying out completely. Until, that is, the sun implodes ...
That's only because you haven't used an e-ink screen like on a Kindle.
William Gaule
Well hopefully by then we'll have evacuated all of King's books to another planet. Maybe Stephen Hawking will find a way to save the works of Stephen King.
William Gaule I have some 200 year old Wordsworth and Shelly etc, the binds are falling to pieces - however the pages are perfect. One's collection of books will last them not just their life time but for centuries.
Books will never die, as long as there's people willing to pay money for the physical copies they will continue to be produced. Just like vinyl disks are still around despite musical download being a thing that exists.
difference is books use up paper
@Eric Franco true
You’re probably right,the written page is the original and most of us love books plus the shelves,libraries and nooks they’re associated with.
The smartwatch is around,but then again so too are the analogue watches and indeed the sundial.
People will still buy paper books. UK were I'm from has the book store chain Waterstones and it's always popular.
I'm a reader and I see the benefits of ebooks, having books without the weight etc. But I find reading books on phone or kindle start to hurt the eyes. So that's why I like paper books.
Are you saying that just for the record?
My favorite Stephen King Novels
1.) The Dark Tower Series
2.) Insomnia
3.) IT
4.) Salem's Lot
5.) Pet Cemmetary
6.) The Stand
7.) Carrie
8.) Desperation
9.) Christine
10.) Cell
11.) Cujo
12.) The Skeleton Crew
13.) Cycle Of The Werewolf
14.) Night Shift
15.) The Shining
16.) The Dead Zone
17.) Thinner
18.) A Car from Buick 8
19.) Misery
20.) A Bizzar of Bad Dreams
0:47 "I think that writing is self-hypnosis, and you fall into a kind of trance if you do the same passes over an over."
I love the quick bit where he talks about his writing routine. He makes it sound so simple! He gets up, watches CNN, makes a pot of tea, and writes for 3 1/2 hours.
I like how he plugs CNN
He probably doesn't even think about it by this point.
I have a Kindle...but a book gives you are geography. It gives you a spacial recognition of where you are in the book and that is important to me for some reason. Not nostalgia, but I actually need to know where in the book is something so I can put it in order in my head. When I read in a kindle, the words end up all jumbled together.
A good thought. A minor thing that bites.
Also, if you have a whole library inside, there is nearly no border between one book and another, so no room for reflection if you don't force it yourself. If you read two similar books in a row, they will get mixed too.
Like how the sound from vinyl is better. (This is actually scientifically true lol.)
'The book is the delivery system' - I've been saying this for so long. I love how down to earth he is.
I love my Kindle but I'd rather have the printed version..just watching the cover for a few seconds bring about feelings you can't get with e-books
I couldn't agree more about writing being a form of self hypnosis: One of the great pleasures of writing fiction is, I think, the opportunity to go to another place in your mind, interact with some fascinating characters and simply enjoy them.
I love how it immediately cuts off at "you're done."
It really is a trance which is why when the ideas for stories hit me I HAVE get them out onto pages.
Writers & writing are fascinating! The value of writing is found in reflection; that is that the best chapters, paragraphs & sentences can be tested & perfected for coherence, economy, logic, originality & relevance before being shared. This discipline in writing often extends to speaking, both of which benefit from sharing thought from a clarified mind. Evolution has uniquely given us complex language that we are remiss to ignore in our betterment.
It is always enjoyable to hear him talk about writing and reading
STEPHEN KING!!!!!
kept me alive during high school :'(
Also, The Green Mile... WOW. A lot of people say they preferred the movie, but King's attention to detail and emotion was seriously above and beyond.
And if you do it right, your characters will start to boss you around. This is a sign that you are tapped into what's normally below the conscious level, and it's a priceless state.
What a wonderful guy. I love hearing about his morning routine.
One of the great things about owning books is displaying them on bookshelves so that friends and visitors can see what's in your head.
Reading is hypnotic too. Your eyes left and right like EMDR
Stephen King is such a smart and down-to-earth guy. I just like listening to what he has to say.
I love the fact that Stephen King himself appreciates books, e-books and audiobooks. I kept waiting for him to say it's all about the story, and I was very happy when he did. I applaud his logic.
I'm not a literary critic - I just like to read. The first of his books I bought (1975-76) I was dubious until I read the first page! I couldn't put the book down and read the entire book non-stop - all 500+ pages. Stephen King is the most talented writer around. What an imagination,vocabulary and command of words he has. Good video.
this guy has entertained me for so many hours through his fantastic books, thank you Mr. King. :) And I love that his views on e-books are so rational, clearheaded, and wise, instead of a lot of the hand wringing and fear mongering everyone else seems to be doing.
you have to teach yourself to appreciate every form --- yes! Because I never listened to audiobooks before I had a baby. Then I needed to be hands free or read while multitasking. And now I do audiobooks and its great.
I love the smell, the look, and the memories that are evoked when I am reading a book, placing the book down for the night, and eventually putting the book away in my library where a mere glance of it will help capture some memory during the time I was reading it. But, as King suggests, it's not the medium the book is presented but the story itself that is important.
I know this will sound weird to some people and to some they will sadly know where I'm coming from. Stephen King saved my sanity as a teenager. When i read his books i could leave my horrible home life for a few chapters at a time. When people talk about his drug/alcohol abuse. He's human. Shit happens. Mr. King is the one who told us He had a problem. He's overcome His addictions and is a better man for it. Be like Stephen King!
“If you drop a kindle in the toilet, you’re done.”
Well, the Kindle's done anyway.
Nothing hurts my being quite like when books meet water
I agree. Books are great because if the power goes out during a storm, they still work (assuming you have daylight or a candle or something). Or, say you're an outdoorsy type of person, and you want to read on your camping trip or something along those lines. I really enjoy the simplicity of a paper book and I hope there is always some option for people who prefer it over electronics.
Stephen King reading and loving Infinite Jest is the last thing I would have expected
Perhaps he was just jesting?
Writing and reading puts me into a trance. I love paperbacks so they'll always exist
That last bit XD
Cool to see. So true for me, when I put pen to paper, the words, characters and story come to life.
AMEN!
I agree that "presentation is everything", though I have never used an e-book reader. How do you feel about audiobooks? I'm a big fan. With audio, I am better at following the story and retaining more information. I become engaged in the story.
I hear the third part of this interview will come out in his next book. What a genius!
Nothing quite like holding that book in your hand, though.
When you can carry thousands of ebooks around with you it doesn't make sense to carry a paper book, unless it's just something you're used to and it gives you a nostalgic comfortable feeling.
I'm 21 years old, I have seen many of Stephen King's movies growing up. But this is my FIRST TIME seeing who Stephen King is, Wow!
I have ebooks, I enjoy them but sometimes a real book is better for several things. First textbooks are generally better in printed form, second the ebook loses all of the romance of a book. The feel of paper, the smell of the book, the slow slight yellowing of the pages from the outside in. I think these are wonderful.
Sorry Stephen, but if i drop a book in the toilet, its done lol. I'll buy a new one before i dry it off and touch it again.
i'd rather pay for a new book than a new kindle though...
Well, why not let the library decide that...
Yeah, that was the only piece of shitty advice he gave.
Kindle paperwhite is water proof now. So are the Kobo e-readers. You can submerge them in water and nothing will happen.
The story is the most important, sure, but presentation matters too. I prefer a physical copy, but still have a kindle I read a lot on. They both have their advantages, and I appreciate both, really.
A kindle vs a book really comes down to the idea of Physical media vs digital.
Some people would rather have a physical copy of a book, movie, game, ect. because it's something you can actually hold, valuate, and maybe even get nostalgia from.
Digital gives you the same thing, but won't have the same type of value associated with it.
I would like to see writers try an ongoing series like comic books but in novel form. Release a segment of the story every month like comic books or TV shows and have it ongoing. That would be interesting to see. We need to experiment more now that we have the internet. Stories don't always need to be long either, if the story is 125 pages make it 125 pages dont stretch a short story out into 300+ pages with fluff when theres not enough content. We don't need to print books out anymore to sell them. The other thing is you don't need to get into writing as a career. You can write as a hobby and still take it seriously. Everyone is so worried about being able to pay the bills with writing and being famous they forget to just get passionate about storytelling. I'm not a writer but I read a couple of hours a day and I'm excited about how the industry is going to be changing.
+littleripper312 Good idea. But I really dislike reading on the pc.
I love writers where I get the sense that they wrote it just for the passion of storytelling and not just for the money. But I'm also trying to write stories and if you ever tried that you will know that it takes up a lot of time and work etc
Not everyone can even take time out of their daily lives to do that. And the work should also be rewarded in some ways. I still love the idea that there's the possibility to just write yourself out of poverty like jk rowling did.
That's how a lot of novelists got their start. Charles Dickens, for example. Mark Twain also.
Serialized novels only went out of fashion fairly recently. King himself serialized the first Dark Tower novel. Each chapter was it's own "segment" that came out once every now and then until the whole thing was completed. I'm pretty sure George RR Martin's first novel was initially published the same way. Even if he didn't, his 1886 novel Tuf Voyaging is what's called a "fix-up", meaning that it's short stories that come together to form a novel. Meaning it was serialized, too.
Serialism is good for plot-driven prose. But when it comes serious - final become one of the most valuable elements. Even if there is none.
I've wrote an episode-to-episode story for about a year and what I can recall - there isn't any advantage. It's a challenge, visible only for your. Great narrative dies here, cliff-hangers arose, and difficulty of world\characters\plot\meaning should be therefore decreased to a little frame - an ability to recognize it and keep in mind when the next issue comes available.
For the last one - a hobby - writing is a hard thing to do. I will not bother you with "it's like an engineering", but when it comes to art-jobs, like professional painters - you can only become good after years of hardcore practice. You can paint a good dog for your friend with a digitaliser you've bought on a sale, you can even sell it, but to be able to paint all the freaking zoo in a chain, and make them somehow not an eye-bleeding crap, is a skill. And skill is based on practice. Taking money as a final goal is a mistake, but having a wide-spread and a slice of bread for hours you invest in, mastering your art - is a thing to hope for.
There's still nothing like getting a fresh new book with the pages untouched, just waiting for you to dive into them. Even the smell of a new book is great... but it's the old books I love, looking through second hand book sellers stock, I dunno about kindle, but you can give Me a book anyday. I love to hear people sit and tell a story also, one on one or in a group setting, with nice atmosphere.
I agree on the writing being self hpynosis, I write and never know what I've written till it's done
Authors and books are the true teachers, and books hold hidden knowledge even thier authors aren't aware of during and after they have written them. Books are strange mediums and Stephen King often talk about good books and bad books too, which is one of the reasons he is one of my most favourite authors. Other than Stephen King and Dean Koontz, i like almost every other bestselling authors and classic authors are my most favourite too.
One Kindle charge can last two months of pretty consistent use. During that time, I can have 500 books all available at the tip of my fingers, digital bookmarks and footnotes can be added to any page, and I can't lose them. Newer models have backlights, internet searches. I can hear about a book and buy it and be reading it in less than 2 minutes and it will cost less. Then, when it runs out of batteries, I can charge it in three hours and then do it all again. Also, I can search digitally.
Exactly! Give me a real book, anyday.
Those people who have owned ebooks for nook, kindle et al, have by now - in 2021 - discovered that you really do not own the "book." Those things can be (and have been) taken away. The devices themselves update, change, and cost money. When you buy a printed version of the book, unless you lose it, burn it, or whatever, you will ALWAYS own it. And, THIS is why I always buy books in print.
This is all true. And I love the smell of paper books. But I can remember decades ago being annoyed at trying to hold a paper book open, turning the pages, and wondering if there would ever be a device so I didn't have wrestle with a paper book (and the older style books with cut pages made it even more difficult to get ahold of the next page to turn it, disrupting my reading rhythm on every page). My Kindles over the last 11 years have made it easier to reach that "hypnosis", and given me access to many books instantly that I wouldn't have bothered tracking down otherwise (and may not have been able to track down at all). Still, I kind of miss reading random books in the college library (decades ago), imagining those who read that copy previously, how that circular cup stain got on the back cover, why someone wrote a small, red heart on page 166...
You’re all free to like books. Books are great. However I’m glad that kindles exist.
Reading is very difficult for me for disability purposes and having an e reader really helps. I read more because of it.
I disagree with your last point. The pages and the cover of a wet book can become quite warped. A book can also be hard to hold when it's had water damage. On the other hand, when you destroy a kindle, you just get a new one and download all your books again. Once that's done, even if the kindle was completely destroyed, you simply go back to where you left off, with no warped pages!
Books will never go away for the simple fact that publishing companies make far too much money selling tangible "hardcover" and "paperback" versions of a story. Too much money in that "delivery system" for it to just go away. NOTHING CAN REPLACE AN ACTUAL BOOK!
I used to be a staunch supporter of e-books and my mother was the traditional paper book reader. Now I only read paper books and she's the one always borrowing my nook.
Great interview as always from Stephen King.
Printed books will always be an option for popular books but digital will grow because theres no barrier to entry for writers.
So many young people who have never read Stephen King, he's a great writer. Don't believe me? Check out the Dark Tower Series. It's absolutely great.
When I write I write from my subconscious mind with a subconscious flow. Never do I have writers block. It takes me around 20 days to write 300 pages. In the winter I work on cases, doing original research, making connections and I write book at the same time with evidence.
my dream is to become another stephen king type of writer
Cant agree with the last part. You can always get another kindle and that will have your purchase and progress saved with your Amazon account.
You're right, the fact that he's being interviewed by CNN and is so deliberate is only a coincidence. I mean you heard him say "make my Folger's" and "turn on my Sony Trinitron" too, right. Now that's great story telling.
When my cat was a kitten she batted an oil-based candle off our table and it splashed all over my “vintage” copy of Jurassic Park- the pages were sticky as anything but I cleaned it off best I could... though it may not be akin to dropping it in the toilet as King muses here, I certainly couldn’t imagine parting with my precious copy of the Chrichton novel! So now I have the only vanilla scented copy of Jurassic Park in print!
@JOEtheHOE28 RUclips is own by Google. Most of the time, when you see an ad on a video, its because of A) the user is a youtube partner, B) theres copywrighted material on the video(music), I think its A in this case.
There is still nothing better than buying a used book at a local bookshop and smelling the pages which haven't been cracked open for a few years.
I wish I was more into fiction. I love his books Faithful and On writing. I’m writing a book now and he & hank moody are my inspirations!
Just saying thanks, for your comments there. I am wondering how books in the virtual world are going to feel?
stephen king's entire acclaim has been a beautiful exercise in the art of marketing. if anything, it is an experiment to show just how effective marketing is on the american consumer public.
i could give you a narrative of my criticisms, but there wouldn't be enough room here to do so with sufficient detail, so i am going to leave it at this : "salem's lot"
'nuff said
Thats true but then you have to factor in shipping and wait times as oppose to just going to the store and picking up the book.Stores like B&N or Chapters here in Canada also have that whole "Starbucks while you read" dynamic that draws a lot of ppl in just for that warm experience so I don't think they'll be going away anytime soon.
And that's one of the reasons I love this guy. Also his opinion on Twilight helps.
ebooksare great because many platforms (kindle, nook) can be shared across their namesake devices and apps forpc, mac, phones and tablets.They are stored in the cloud so if the device breaks,you still have the book.
Writing is absence. Reading is gratifying.
There will always be a demand for physical books. People want to hold it in their hand, they want to smell them, turn the pages, have a collection. A book's battery never dies. Books will be around forever. Just as tv didn't kill radio, CD didn't kill vinyl, digital didn't kill CD.
@WinterGirl Vinyl is still around, actually it has a renaissance, CD exists as well, digital couldn't kill either one of them.
With all the time he had to have spent in his life writing all of his books; where does he or did he find the time to read or do just about anything else?
+nofap bro - In more than one interview, he has mentioned he has read over 17,000 books throughout his life and has kept every one. In one video profile of him, they showed his personal library, I believe at his home in Maine.
Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves surround the room with a large, double-sided book cabinet in the center of the library. He and his wife explained that all the books on the built-ins had been read and that the center bookshelf/cabinet usually hold about 200-300 books - new purchases he hasn't read yet. Yeah, I'd call that a bibliophile.
He also used to read books while he did his daily walks. Don't know personally how one can read while walking, but hey, he did it. He was actually reading a book during the walk where he was hit.
It's a question of book. I suggest he has favorite places to sit or stand in on his walk, and turn some dozens of pages. But when the book catch you it pays no fucks whatever you need to go home, or you are in a public transport, or you are in another place not meant to, so he should have been walking blindly with a book in hand a thousand of times on that 17k lifespan.
Does the shift from paper books to e-books mean that writing books will be less profitable for authors?
excellent point about kindle vis a vis toilets. insights like that are what make king americas greatest writer
wow this ending makes me as mad as a man who thinks the world is ending and kills his son, then realizes the world isnt over.
Have you read the Mist lately?
I love Barnes N Noble and here in Los Angeles. they're disappearing quick. Borders is gone. Used to be all over the valley.
Mr. King was right on the money about writing being a form of self hypnosis. My God, you completely give yourself over to that alternate realm when you are writing the story.
Why would the existence of bookstores be limited?...
How else would I know I want to buy a random book if I'm not able to at least skim through the pages first?
King mentioned that he was reading "Infinite Jest" by David Foster Wallace, which is an AMAZING read. Very very scary. I recommend it if you like Huxley or Orwell. It's sad to think that David F Wallace committed suicide. Such a bright, brilliant writer.
I was talking in terms of percentage of people. Most people now only read for educational purposes or read because their work or school demands it.
Favourite writer , his books are awesome
I prefer hardcover editions myself. But that's just me.
The paper book was ideal in a time when most people never moved from the house they were born let alone travelled. The Kindle is ideal today when most people travel to other countries to work & live, not knowing when or if they will ever return to their birthplace. I would keep the classics in bound book form & get the newer stories on Kindle.
Does he still write or did he retire? Gerald's Game was really good.
I will always prefer having a paper book over an ebook.
"The important part is the story."
yeah i like audiobooks too. but i have to like the narrator. im listening to perdido street station right now, very well done.
Not true! My Kindle went through the wash. I bought a new battery off ebay, replaced it, works good as new (and is cleaner)!
Now, if they'd address the price fixing publishers have engaged in (and been convicted of), I'd actually buy a book on Kindle.
This is how I see a Kindle and Nook. Much like in the music and movie industry, you can rip the CD unto your computer, they are a backup. I think there is a lot of good in a Nook and a Kindle, as well as a book. The Kindle and the Nook, just backup the book and you have it if the hard copy ever disappears.
Id really say that depends. If the medium itself changes, the form of writing may change or evolve into something different. And this may not always be for the better based on present values.
Or reading (fiction) books as we know it may fall out of favor with the younger generation as fewer and fewer people read for pleasure, the demand for such books may disappear; being instead replaced by other genres. I did a survey of random people and found that very few people actually read for fun.
whats up with all the damn spam bots?!
anywho, great point, the story is what matters, not the delivery system
Thanks so much!!
My concern about paper books is that they have become harder to read. In order to reduce production costs, the paper is now gossamer thin and the type face a robust 6 point! Unless the reader is in ideal conditions, such books don't deliver nearly the pleasure of those more substantial volumes of years past.
I love this man! He's the best!
My hero since age 9! Keep going Steve!
pretty accurate, really. boops and beeps= 0's and 1's.
Get AdBlock for Chrome from the Chrome Web Store (it's free). Happy watching.
are boops and beeps like bytes and bits?
I prefer the physical book over the Kindle.
Love him and Dan brown
My favorite is his earlier work, especially anything he did as Bachman,,,like "The Long Walk", liked "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" LONG before everybody knew what it was,,,,
hahah! yeah I agree 100%. Misery is another one I enjoyed immensely - and quite a bit more than the movie (despite it being a classic). The only story by King where I can actually recall enjoying the movie more than the novel was probably with 'The Mist'... which is kind of weird because that seems to be one where most people thought the book was far better. With SK's stories, some are better than others - but his characters never fail to be unique and always show raw emotion.