A writer friend of mine posted an old infographic on her Twitter account last week: "10 Writing Tips from Stephen King's Book: On Writing -- A Memoir of the Craft."
Before we go any further, here's the most important link I can provide you. Seriously, if you're a writer (or want to be), buy this book. Because if you're a writer, you need this book. (It's not just for fiction writers.)
And here's a link to the infographic my friend posted on Twitter. Although I have to warn you that this whole blog post is dedicated to what I consider to be the most important piece of advice from King's amazing book. Funny enough, it's NOT on the infographic.
The best writing advice I ever got -- right here in Stephen King's book -- is simple, but not always easy. "Just tell the truth." (It's from page 158 of the original trade paperback version.)
Just tell the truth. Think about that. This is advice from Stephen King, the most famous horror writer in the USA. You mean he's been telling the truth in all those scary books??? Randall Flagg (from The Stand) is REAL?
No, of course not. But if you've read The Stand, you'd have to agree that Randall Flagg is believable. In fact, the realness of King's characters has always been my favorite thing about his novels. Whether they turn out to be good people, bad people, real people, or illusions, they all have true character. They are all people. This is because King follows his own advice and tells the truth about his characters. He finds them inside himself.
He also tells the truth in this book, in a more conventional way. It's part personal memoir, part writer's guide, and part philosophical treatise. As always, his writing is warm and personal. This is what makes it so easy to read and so useful.
It's true that my own career is that of a business writing trainer, not a fiction writer. But the advice to "just tell the truth" is as important in our world as it is in King's world. Just tell the truth by writing in your own conversational vocabulary. Just tell the truth by focusing on the most important aspects of your message. And certainly, just tell the truth by (yes) telling the truth in all the writing you do in your workplace.
Telling the truth in these ways builds your credibility in your readers' eyes. And it is your credibility that will ultimately persuade your readers of your ideas.
Let me know below what you like best about On Writing. Or, if you have any questions about business writing, you are welcome to leave them here. We'll be checking back. (-: