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
Writers remember everything...especially the hurts. Strip a writer to the buff, point to the scars, and he'll tell you the story of each small one. From the big ones you get novels. A little talent is a nice thing to have if you want to be a writer, but the only real requirement is the ability to remember the story of every scar. Art consists of the persistence of memory.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of personal experiences and memories in the creative process of writing.
Stephen King highlights that writers draw heavily from their personal experiences, especially painful ones, to create compelling stories. He suggests that the essence of a writer lies not just in talent but in the ability to remember and narrate their life's scars, which form the foundation of authentic storytelling and artistic expression.
Themes
WritingMemoryExperienceArtScarsStories
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be shared during a creative writing workshop to inspire participants to draw from their personal experiences.
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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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