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Is Stephen King a great writer? I enjoy reading his novels, I find his stories compelling and suspensful, but his writing seems to be fairly simplistic. Is he actually really good or just a Pop writer?
>>8105645
He's a good storyteller for the most part IMO. My favorite by him was Carrie and IT. Which I thought were written very well.
But I do like his advice on not keeping a notebook for writing ideas.
>>8105645
He admits himself he's a pop writer. Though most of the time, he's not even a very good pop writer. His plots always disappoint, he reuses characters, and his actual writing is slipshod and full of cliches. He can be quite good and avoid these if he takes his time, but he doesn't do that too often.
r l stein for grownups
He's very good at elucidating what he sees in the hellscape that his imagination must be.
I think he's very good at setting a mood and beginning stories. But he's really awful at ending them.
Stephen King has two things going for him:
1) he is prolific
2) he is not boring
It's fine to enjoy him, it's fine to think he's clever, it's even fine to be influenced by him.
After all, he's 300% better than 90% of whatever else you find in the grocery store.
>>8105645
He has a tendency to fail to keep the threads on longer stories going until the finish. I cannot really think of a single one of his books that didn't leave me a bit disappointed in the end. And as another anon said, the writing is indeed relatively simple. This is not necessarily a bad thing though.
To be honest, his short stories are way better than the books. Some of them are downright brilliant (The Body, The Mist, Shawshank Redemption). If he should be remembered for anything it's those.
A lot of his recent stuff has been very meh to me. Not terrible by any means and almost always interesting at some level, but the overall story falls apart at the end, another deus ex machina out of nowhere to euthanize the meandering narrative and start on his next paycheck.
Though every now and then he does surprise with an all-around excellent book. Revival comes to mind.
>>8105700
Yeah, I don't think I've read a good SK ending.
I enjoyed The Dark Tower series. Come at me, /lit/!
>>8105722
>After all, he's 300% better than 90% of whatever else you find in the grocery store.
Absolutely savage.
>>8105659
I disagree. Although his build-ups are good, his endings are almost always shit.
What's more difficult?
Being a good storyteller, or being a good writer with good prose?
>>8105862
Being a good writer with good prose, obviously.
His good writing is behind him.
>>8105833
The Stand is his best work but the ending is horrible. It's a G Martin level of letdown. All this build up for this.
>>8105645
Maybe just form your own opinion instead of asking /lit/
I enjoy his writing.
Sometimes all you need is an easy enjoyable read.
The Gunslinger is one of my favourite books for instance, and I couldn't give a fuck what anyone thinks of me for that.
There's something about it that has held a spell over me since I read it years back.
>>8106166
I agree. I've gone from being very snobby and dismissive about King to admiring his gifts, such as they are.
IMO the Dark Tower stuff contains his best writing, no question.
>>8105649
>But I do like his advice on not keeping a notebook for writing ideas.
Can you elaborate on this? Why does he give this advice?
>>8105645
>good premises
>actual story and endings wary way too much to be considered "great"
King is a career writer. He had some good stories, but most are just a way for him to pay the bills.
>>8107375
*vary
>>8107339
if the idea doesn't stick with you naturally, inspire you to expand on it and get writing, then it's not worth shit
it's terrible advice though bc what you write in notebooks usually isn't grand plot ideas but little bits of life characters dialogue etc stuff you can potentially work into anything
>>8107339
It has an uncanny ability to discourage you from pursuing it.
You need to let the thought develop free-form in your mind, when you start trying to take notes on it before you know what it is you get frustrated with it.
Plus for some reason you always end up writing down your worst ideas, your best ones stick with you and then you have to start writing them.
>>8105649
>>8107339
>>8107412
>>8107541
Keep in Mind that King writes a minimum of 1k words a day, including Christmas. He used to tell interviewers the only time he didn't write was Christmas and his birthday, but this was a lie, and he only told them that so he wouldn't look like a psycho.
If you're writing 1k words a day, I suppose a notebook is kind of redundant. I think a notebook is good for normal writers.
He's great in terms of quantity over quality.
>>8107375
>most are just a way for him to pay the bills
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDii69YCh_Q
