What Stephen King Taught Me

I must admit, when I first opened "On Writing," by Stephen King, I dreaded the amount of time 50 pages would take to read. I was wrong.

Not only did my time seem to fly, but the years of King's childhood flew by like a maniac driver on rough road. The hard life experiences that shaped his writing were complimented by his unwavering persistence.

Perhaps because of persistence, difficulties in King's life were conquered. His endurance paid off at home and in his writing. This is a good lesson for myself and any writer to learn: don't give up.

When haunted by rejections over and over, King simply used his disappointment to better himself. It is easy for me to put down the pen at the first sign of failure and give up, but this book is a good reminder to keep going. When I can't think of where to start and when I can't think of how to finish. Keep going.

"Come to it any way but lightly. Let me say it again: you must not come lightly to the blank page."

These words from his story are a plea to give all or nothing. There's no middle ground, no halftime commitment. It's a serious endeavor that takes serious action.

I've read and I've thought. Now, my action will show how much I've really learned.