Re: Stephen King "On Writing" -- no plot
-- The purpose of that section of King's book is to explain why he doesn't like to outline the plot of his stories before he writes.
To get across his point, King refers to stories like they are fossils in the ground. He says, the writer's job is to use the tools in his toolbox to get as much of each one out of the ground intact as possible.
King believes plotting is equivalent to a jackhammer. He says, plot is a good writer's last resort and the dullard's first choice. (I think King just called me dull.) King says the story that results from plotting is apt to feel artificial and labored.
King says he's able to lean heavily on intuition because his books tend to be based on situations. He puts his characters in some sort of predicament and then watch them try to work themselves free.
King says his job isn't to help them work their way free, or manipulate them to safety -- those are jobs which require the noisy jackhammer of plot -- but to watch what happens and then write it down.
King says, "Why worry about the ending anyway? Why be such a control freak?"
jonpiper, to answer your question "What does he mean by, 'Sooner or later every story comes out somewhere,'" King is implying that the ending of the story will evolve organically, naturally from its characters and situations sooner or later.
Whereas, King believes if the story was plotted the end result would be artificial and labored.
Centos believes King's book passage was not about outlining. I believe otherwise and posted accordingly.
There are key words that King used i.e., spontaneity, artificial, watch what happens, etc. that I always hear in the outline, or not outline debates from those writers explaining why they don't like to outline.
King articulated why he doesn't like to plot out his story. This is what's best for him to deliver a powerful story.
As a writer striving to write a clear, strong and compelling screenplay, you (general writer) must decide what's the best way for you in accomplishing that: outlining, or not outlining.
Originally posted by jonpiper
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To get across his point, King refers to stories like they are fossils in the ground. He says, the writer's job is to use the tools in his toolbox to get as much of each one out of the ground intact as possible.
King believes plotting is equivalent to a jackhammer. He says, plot is a good writer's last resort and the dullard's first choice. (I think King just called me dull.) King says the story that results from plotting is apt to feel artificial and labored.
King says he's able to lean heavily on intuition because his books tend to be based on situations. He puts his characters in some sort of predicament and then watch them try to work themselves free.
King says his job isn't to help them work their way free, or manipulate them to safety -- those are jobs which require the noisy jackhammer of plot -- but to watch what happens and then write it down.
King says, "Why worry about the ending anyway? Why be such a control freak?"
jonpiper, to answer your question "What does he mean by, 'Sooner or later every story comes out somewhere,'" King is implying that the ending of the story will evolve organically, naturally from its characters and situations sooner or later.
Whereas, King believes if the story was plotted the end result would be artificial and labored.
Centos believes King's book passage was not about outlining. I believe otherwise and posted accordingly.
There are key words that King used i.e., spontaneity, artificial, watch what happens, etc. that I always hear in the outline, or not outline debates from those writers explaining why they don't like to outline.
King articulated why he doesn't like to plot out his story. This is what's best for him to deliver a powerful story.
As a writer striving to write a clear, strong and compelling screenplay, you (general writer) must decide what's the best way for you in accomplishing that: outlining, or not outlining.
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