The worst writer in the world - CrimeSpace2024-03-29T08:01:29Zhttps://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/537324:Topic:79360?commentId=537324%3AComment%3A80442&x=1&feed=yes&xn_auth=noHi Keith!! This is Burl! I lo…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-10-11:537324:Comment:804422007-10-11T05:58:54.654ZBurl Barerhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BurlBarer
Hi Keith!! This is Burl! I loved The Stand, although King admitted it was his Apocalypse Now -- he didnt know how to end it. If you want a real treat, I strongly suggest TALISMAN. Meanwhile, watch out for Randal Flagg!<br />
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Best<br />
Burl
Hi Keith!! This is Burl! I loved The Stand, although King admitted it was his Apocalypse Now -- he didnt know how to end it. If you want a real treat, I strongly suggest TALISMAN. Meanwhile, watch out for Randal Flagg!<br />
<br />
Best<br />
Burl I'm reading my first Stephen…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-10-11:537324:Comment:803902007-10-11T01:09:34.308ZKeith Snyderhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/noteon
I'm reading my first Stephen King novel now--the expanded version of THE STAND.<br />
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Just a few pages in, I was thinking <i>Wait a minute... he doesn't suck!</i><br />
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A few more pages, and I was thinking <i>This guy's really good!</i><br />
<br />
He doesn't always get the perfect word, but he regularly nails the perfect thought.
I'm reading my first Stephen King novel now--the expanded version of THE STAND.<br />
<br />
Just a few pages in, I was thinking <i>Wait a minute... he doesn't suck!</i><br />
<br />
A few more pages, and I was thinking <i>This guy's really good!</i><br />
<br />
He doesn't always get the perfect word, but he regularly nails the perfect thought. You could do a lot worse than…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-10-10:537324:Comment:802802007-10-10T17:05:18.247ZJeremy Jameshttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JeremyJames
You could do a lot worse than Stephen King. My only two complaints about his writing are his endings and his occasional wordiness. But when he's on, like THE SHINING for example (not the movie, the book!), he is amazing.<br />
<br />
BAG OF BONES is another well told tale.<br />
<br />
The guy has range, too. What <i>can't</i> he write better than most people?<br />
<br />
He says he gets 2,000 words a day. I think if he slowed down to 1,000--or at least edited more thoroughly, he'd be even better.<br />
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The "worst writer in the…
You could do a lot worse than Stephen King. My only two complaints about his writing are his endings and his occasional wordiness. But when he's on, like THE SHINING for example (not the movie, the book!), he is amazing.<br />
<br />
BAG OF BONES is another well told tale.<br />
<br />
The guy has range, too. What <i>can't</i> he write better than most people?<br />
<br />
He says he gets 2,000 words a day. I think if he slowed down to 1,000--or at least edited more thoroughly, he'd be even better.<br />
<br />
The "worst writer in the world" is probably someone sitting in the slush pile, and we'll never hear about them. Someone once said that if you…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-10-10:537324:Comment:801772007-10-10T11:55:07.848ZBurl Barerhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/BurlBarer
Someone once said that if you want to write a best seller, write it for people whose lips move when they read.<br />
I thought that TALISMAN by King and Straub was fabulous. If i read it before I went to sleep, I would have the most incredible dreams. I don't know if I am getting better -- I go back and read some of my earlier books and find them much better than I thought they were when I wrote them. I have the dubious distinction of having won an Edgar on my first book -- a tough debut to follow. I…
Someone once said that if you want to write a best seller, write it for people whose lips move when they read.<br />
I thought that TALISMAN by King and Straub was fabulous. If i read it before I went to sleep, I would have the most incredible dreams. I don't know if I am getting better -- I go back and read some of my earlier books and find them much better than I thought they were when I wrote them. I have the dubious distinction of having won an Edgar on my first book -- a tough debut to follow. I always wanted to do something "new" with every genre attempted, but that is difficult when writing "true crime" within the contraints of my the mass market formatics. I agree with the others about…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-10-10:537324:Comment:800932007-10-10T02:47:21.315ZEDWARD C MORGANhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/ECMorgan
I agree with the others about King. I like some of his writing — particularly his short stories.<br />
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I also agree about American Psycho, and pretty much anything by Bret Easton Ellis.<br />
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A writer I've always had trouble with is Frank Herbert. Don't know why, but I've started Dune four or five times and never finished.<br />
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There are also certain mystery writers, generally regarded as good authors, whose books I just can't get through.
I agree with the others about King. I like some of his writing — particularly his short stories.<br />
<br />
I also agree about American Psycho, and pretty much anything by Bret Easton Ellis.<br />
<br />
A writer I've always had trouble with is Frank Herbert. Don't know why, but I've started Dune four or five times and never finished.<br />
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There are also certain mystery writers, generally regarded as good authors, whose books I just can't get through. I agree with J.D., Stephen Ki…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-10-09:537324:Comment:798972007-10-09T13:31:38.393ZJohn McFetridgehttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JohnMcF
I agree with J.D., Stephen King has some great strengths as a writer. A couple weeks ago I read Hearts in Atlantis, which not many people (probably not even King himself) would put in his top ten, but there were sections of that book that were incredibly good. The part that took place at the University of Maine in 1966 is some of the best writing about the emergence of new ideas in young people (hey, you could almost call it coming of age) The beginnings of the turbulent "sixties" on…
I agree with J.D., Stephen King has some great strengths as a writer. A couple weeks ago I read Hearts in Atlantis, which not many people (probably not even King himself) would put in his top ten, but there were sections of that book that were incredibly good. The part that took place at the University of Maine in 1966 is some of the best writing about the emergence of new ideas in young people (hey, you could almost call it coming of age) The beginnings of the turbulent "sixties" on campus.<br />
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Also, the way he uses dialogue, and local expressions and jargon, is great.<br />
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Now, American Psycho is whole other discussion. Just remember, all the action in the book takes place inside tha character's head and doesn't really happen -- just like the movie Barton Fink (and maybe Taxi Driver, but that's a WHOLE other discussion). Over on DorothyL someone said…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-10-09:537324:Comment:798452007-10-09T03:07:12.267ZVicki Delanyhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/VickiDelany
Over on DorothyL someone said that there is a difference between King's writing before he quit drinking and after. I've read one or two of his books and liked them very much (Bag of Bones sticks in my mind) but several others turned me off. However, I love his book, On Writing, and I quote it a lot when I speak to writers groups or schools.
Over on DorothyL someone said that there is a difference between King's writing before he quit drinking and after. I've read one or two of his books and liked them very much (Bag of Bones sticks in my mind) but several others turned me off. However, I love his book, On Writing, and I quote it a lot when I speak to writers groups or schools. Don't sell King short. He has…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-10-09:537324:Comment:798182007-10-09T02:48:19.435ZJ.D. Rhoadeshttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JDRhoades
Don't sell King short. He has some formidable strengths, most notably his eye for the perfect detail--the one that brings a scene or a character alive, or the one that goes straight into the reptile brain and sends the fear right into you.
Don't sell King short. He has some formidable strengths, most notably his eye for the perfect detail--the one that brings a scene or a character alive, or the one that goes straight into the reptile brain and sends the fear right into you. It's hard to judge because on…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-10-09:537324:Comment:797852007-10-09T01:30:05.952ZKaryn J. Powershttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/karyning
It's hard to judge because once it gets past the editors and published, the value is in the eye and the pocketbook of the beholder. Some readers live for the formula series, others for cozy passive/agressive, do-gooding vampires. And the reality of making a living by the key stroke is that writers who produce one seminnal work every ten years have to be independently wealthy or live in their parents basement.
It's hard to judge because once it gets past the editors and published, the value is in the eye and the pocketbook of the beholder. Some readers live for the formula series, others for cozy passive/agressive, do-gooding vampires. And the reality of making a living by the key stroke is that writers who produce one seminnal work every ten years have to be independently wealthy or live in their parents basement. Best sellers are not always g…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2007-10-08:537324:Comment:794032007-10-08T17:45:23.427ZI. J. Parkerhttps://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
Best sellers are not always good books, but Stephen King is good at what he does. A lot of people will tell you so and many of them are writers.
Best sellers are not always good books, but Stephen King is good at what he does. A lot of people will tell you so and many of them are writers.