It’s funny. I’ve barely read any Stephen King before (exceptions being It and Different Seasons way back in high school) and never really thought of myself as a huge fan of his work (I can be a snob), but his memoir on the craft of writing (aptly named On Writing) is amazing. Hey, if you can’t take advice from someone who has churned out the amount of best-selling works he has, who can you take advice from?

King still writes 2,000 words per day no matter what. Every single day. Even on his birthday. Even on Christmas. Even after he got hit by a car in 1999 and almost died. Woah.

For writers just starting out, King recommends writing 1,000 words per day (OK, check), giving yourself just one day a week off (OK, not exactly done), and taking no longer than three months to write your first draft (definitely not done).

I’m also blown away to find out that he doesn’t plot his books. If anyone remembers from blogs past, I started out not plotting, got stuck, then read The 90-Day Novel (review on that to come), plotted everything out, then threw that out the window when I started my new point of view. He describes the process as just finding out where to go, as you go—letting the story take you there. And that’s exactly how it’s been for me lately. I’m all of a sudden taken down one path to the next. And it’s working. I feel more inspired, less boxed-in, and creative again. 

Thanks for the tip Stephen, I’m trusting you on this one. 

When I got back to the kitchen, Helen was still in one of the back rooms, attending to her mother I supposed. I placed the kettle on the stove and lit the flame. I sat back on my stool and waited for it to boil. I heard murmuring coming from the other side of the plaster wall.

In the morning, I stare at where I left off for a good five minutes. The plot lines are out the window now, but feeling like I have more direction than ever. Now to get going for the new day.