Try any goddam thing you like, no matter how boringly normal or outrageous. If it works, fine. If it doesn't, toss it. Toss it even if you love it.
Stephen KingRead
The important question has nothing to do with whether the talk in your story is sacred or profane; the only question is how it rings on the page and in your ear. If you expect it to ring true, then you must talk yourself. Even more important, you must shut up and listen to others talk.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The essence of writing lies in authenticity and attentiveness to others' voices.
In this quote, Stephen King emphasizes the significance of genuine expression in storytelling, underscoring that the quality of dialogue is not defined by its categorization as sacred or profane. Instead, writers should focus on how their words resonate with readers and listeners, advocating for self-expression while also encouraging the importance of active listening to capture the richness of human experiences and voices.
Themes
WritingStorytellingDialogueListeningAuthenticity
In practice
Example use cases
In a creative writing workshop, a facilitator might quote this to encourage students to practice both writing and listening.
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All quotes →Eddie discovered one of his childhood's great truths. Grownups are the real monsters, he thought.
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Hairstyles change, and skirt lengths, and slang, but high school administrations? Never.
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Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.
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That's the day's business. Thinking. Thinking and isolation, because it doesn't matter if you pass the time of day with someone or not; in the end, you're alone. He seemed to have put in as many miles in his brain as he had with his feet. The thoughts kept coming and there was no way to deny them.
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Late last night and the night before, tommyknockers, tommyknockers knocking on my door. I wanna go out, don't know if I can 'cuz I'm so afraid of the tommyknocker man.
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