A few weeks ago someone popped up in my Twitter timeline asking whether or not they should buy a book about how to write called “On Writing” by Stephen King. As you could imagine the question was met by tons of affirmative responses. It’s like the preeminent book that people point you to in writing circles. After all, Stephen King’s not only prolific, he’s also a highly acclaimed writer.
I’ve never read anything by Stephen King, personally. I’ve seen several movies based off of his work, but that’s about it. I have no doubt he’s probably a decent writer who knows a thing or two on the subject matter at hand. Yet I have no…okay little desire to read On Writing.
Why, you may ask.
It’s not that I think that I’m better than him, or that I know more about writing than him. It’s the same reason why I haven’t taken any creative writing classes, and have no aspirations of participating in any formal training when it comes to creative writing. And that’s simply, when it comes to being creative, I don’t like to follow rules.
I mean, what exactly are you creating if you’re going by rules someone else made up? Are you really creating, or simply mastering someone else’s formula?
Hmmmm.
And yeah, I know there’s nothing new under the sun, but I want it to be new to me, through my own discovery, not dictated by someone who’s supposed to be an authority on the matter. Because, the fact is, when it comes to one’s own creativity, you’re the only true authority on the matter. Everyone else? Mere observers.
That’s not to say that I’m not influenced by other writers. I’m influenced by other writers, for sure. But I don’t study their work in the sense that I dissect every little thing they do. I simply admire it, if that makes sense.
In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing with you other people’s work that has influenced me.
Of course there’s nothing wrong with studying creative writing in a formal setting, you know, if that’s what you want to do. But as for me, I just want to be guided, as much as possible solely by my imagination, my ability to create things, and the Force that has called me forth to write, that has infused me with creativity, and allow It to take me…there.
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