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First Published: July 13, 2025 Paul W. Romero
Preface: This was originally written on July 27, 2022 for an assignment at the start of my MFA Creative Writing program. I added an additional note in brackets from today, July 13, 2025.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King has influenced my approach to writing by allowing me to become more experimental. There are rules to every craft, and once we know what those rules are, we can use them to our advantage, and we can change them to suit our creative needs. However, these rules are not set in stone. As Stephen King has shown me, try anything and never be afraid to ask, “what if?” As kids we used to use that phrase.
What if Cindy Porter doesn’t like me? What if I get in trouble for bringing mud into the house? What if my teacher Mrs. Blackburn is a monster from outer space?
Imagination is a fun and magical thing to have, but as we grow up, many of us lose our imagination and become shackled to the never-ending routine of daily life. When did we lose sight of our imagination?
King states, “What are you going to write about? Anything you damn well want. Anything at all…as long as you tell the truth” (158). He goes on to state, “What would be very wrong, I think, is to turn away from what you know and like in favor of things you believe will impress your friends, relatives, and writing-circle colleagues” (159). So, after reading, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, I’ve decided to pursue the escape of my own judgment and just start writing…anything I damn well want to.
Pantsing vs. Plotting
With “pantsing,” the writer can just go with the flow and see where the story takes them, and it helps them avoid getting stuck by plot points and how to make them connect to one another. However, there is a drawback to “pantsing.” Despite not being stuck with where to start, I get stuck on how to end the story. Stephen King believes that the story will tell you when it should end and I suppose that’s why his books are like bricks, but for me this doesn’t work. I don’t mind seeing where the writing takes me, but I at least want some sense of structure, a small blueprint, so I know where I’m going with the story rather than just letting it go in various directions. To each their own, some enjoy “pantsing” while others prefer plotting. I prefer a mixture of both, especially when it comes to mysteries and puzzles, I don’t think creating a great mystery subplot would be best served by just “winging it.”
[A quick note added on July 13, 2025 as I upload this blog: There is a great video on YouTube by Carl Duncan, “How to Find the Best Novel Writing Method For You,” that discusses these writing methods and what works best for the story being told.]
The most important takeaway from King’s book is to just do things and see what works and throw away what doesn’t. We can sit back and never finish things, or we can face the world, finish what we believe to be our story and let the world take it how it may.
Don’t let perfection paralyze you. It doesn’t exist. Get it out of your head and just write.
“Love what is true and the world will come to you,” Michael Bublé sings in “Hollywood.” We can sit idle and dream of what an amazing book we will write someday, but that day may never come. Or we can write whatever we desire, and let the world decided if they like it or not. Even then, someone will. That’s a small step closer to freedom than just sitting and dreaming without executing.
Any decision is better than no decision. We worry so much about doing things wrong, but by doing nothing and becoming paralyzed with fear, that is the worst decision. What I take away from King is be true to myself, write whatever I want so long as it is what I love (this is called telling the truth), and never stop reading, never stop learning, and never stop writing.
Write what you love. It will reflect in your work and others will be drawn to it.
Works Cited
Bublé, Michael. “Hollywood.” AZLyrics, 2022, https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/michaelbuble/hollywood.html
Duncan, Carl. “How To Find the Best Novel Writing Method For You.” YouTube, uploaded by Carl Duncan, 11 July 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcxLuPzoafs.
King, Stephen. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. New York, Scribner, 2000.
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Paul W Romero 