Comments on: On writer’s block: how to write past the suck http://trueslant.com/lisacullen/2009/11/12/on-writers-block-how-to-write-past-the-suck/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:17:08 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: <fb:name linked="false" useyou="false" uid="1">SteveInTransit</fb:name> http://trueslant.com/lisacullen/2009/11/12/on-writers-block-how-to-write-past-the-suck/comment-page-1/#comment-779 SteveInTransit Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:35:27 +0000 http://trueslant.com/lisacullen/?p=1552#comment-779 Sounds like the quality vs. quantity debate: those poorly written sentences that somehow collect into self-turning pages and self-written books. The books are clearly far more than the sum of the sentences composing them. Which leads me to wonder: what if Stephen King and Dan Brown could write fewer books and edit more? Or in the case of King, I suspect he has more ideas than he can physically capture on paper, and this is the best the process allows? Sounds like the quality vs. quantity debate: those poorly written sentences that somehow collect into self-turning pages and self-written books. The books are clearly far more than the sum of the sentences composing them.
Which leads me to wonder: what if Stephen King and Dan Brown could write fewer books and edit more?
Or in the case of King, I suspect he has more ideas than he can physically capture on paper, and this is the best the process allows?

]]> By: gerry http://trueslant.com/lisacullen/2009/11/12/on-writers-block-how-to-write-past-the-suck/comment-page-1/#comment-777 gerry Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:35:26 +0000 http://trueslant.com/lisacullen/?p=1552#comment-777 I think it's becaue while King is a great storyteller and can keep you turning pages, he's kind of a bad writer on a sentence-by-sentence level. I'm not sure how that exactly works, but it's true. He's not as bad as Dan Brown--although I loved The DaVinci Code, which I always refer to as the best worst-written book I've ever read. And King just churns it out. He wrote one book in a day. A day! (It was Road Work, if I recall. One of the Bachman books.) Everyone knows that to be a serious novelist at least three year must pass between books. On his Wikipedia bibliography I counted over 70 published novels and short story collections since 1974, an average of 2 a year. That's a lot of writing. I think it’s becaue while King is a great storyteller and can keep you turning pages, he’s kind of a bad writer on a sentence-by-sentence level. I’m not sure how that exactly works, but it’s true. He’s not as bad as Dan Brown–although I loved The DaVinci Code, which I always refer to as the best worst-written book I’ve ever read.

And King just churns it out. He wrote one book in a day. A day! (It was Road Work, if I recall. One of the Bachman books.) Everyone knows that to be a serious novelist at least three year must pass between books. On his Wikipedia bibliography I counted over 70 published novels and short story collections since 1974, an average of 2 a year. That’s a lot of writing.

]]> By: Lisa Takeuchi Cullen http://trueslant.com/lisacullen/2009/11/12/on-writers-block-how-to-write-past-the-suck/comment-page-1/#comment-776 Lisa Takeuchi Cullen Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:24:32 +0000 http://trueslant.com/lisacullen/?p=1552#comment-776 Why are smart people so embarrassed to admit they take Stephen King's advice? We should all be so successful, right? Why are smart people so embarrassed to admit they take Stephen King’s advice? We should all be so successful, right?

]]> By: Todd Essig http://trueslant.com/lisacullen/2009/11/12/on-writers-block-how-to-write-past-the-suck/comment-page-1/#comment-775 Todd Essig Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:22:09 +0000 http://trueslant.com/lisacullen/?p=1552#comment-775 I'm as surprised as anyone that after more years of post-graduate education than anyone thought possible the one person I keep turning to to help me over those frozen-finger moments (OK, hours .. no days ... OK, OK, weeks) is Stephen King and his book <i> On Writing </i>. Tell the truth of the story and that's it! I look forward to renting your movie on Netflix ... or the next one, or the one after that, or.... I’m as surprised as anyone that after more years of post-graduate education than anyone thought possible the one person I keep turning to to help me over those frozen-finger moments (OK, hours .. no days … OK, OK, weeks) is Stephen King and his book On Writing . Tell the truth of the story and that’s it!

I look forward to renting your movie on Netflix … or the next one, or the one after that, or….

]]> By: <fb:name linked="false" useyou="false" uid="1">SteveInTransit</fb:name> http://trueslant.com/lisacullen/2009/11/12/on-writers-block-how-to-write-past-the-suck/comment-page-1/#comment-774 SteveInTransit Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:37:34 +0000 http://trueslant.com/lisacullen/?p=1552#comment-774 Is he channeling Woody Allen? Still I object to the notion of "nerd genocide" for no particular reason. But- if ya wanna read/write crap, try a PhD dissertation on for size... Is he channeling Woody Allen? Still I object to the notion of “nerd genocide” for no particular reason. But- if ya wanna read/write crap, try a PhD dissertation on for size…

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