How to Get ‘Scary Good’ at Writing
By Ben Potter, ACN Byline Editor, and Senior Editor, Farm Futures
Who inspires you as a writer? I’ve discussed two of my own recently – Elmore Leonard and Anne Lamott. Here’s one more that I wanted to share.
Surely you all have heard of Stephen King. The prolific novelist has sold more than 300 million copies of his works during his career. Many of these have been adopted into movies like Carrie, The Shining, IT, and many others.
King has also occasionally dabbled in nonfiction over the years. I was lucky enough to devour On Writing right as I was finishing college.
If you are a King aficionado, you may recall that his magnum opus (the Dark Tower series) had largely stalled by the late 1990s. In 1999, King was walking near his home in Maine when he was struck by a minivan. He nearly died.
On Writing was pretty much the first thing he finished after the accident. It is a memoir of his life, and about the craft of his profession. And you don’t have to be a fan of horror to gather some incredible insights by reading it. Here are four takeaways to consider:
- Emphasize clarity. King stresses how important it is to write clearly and concisely. (To hear someone who is known for his scary stories praise The Elements of Style over and over was pleasantly shocking!) As ag journalists, we often have to convey complex information to our readers in a way that they can easily digest it. Threading that needle can be tricky.
- Pay attention to detail. Interesting details are the seasoning for every great story. Do your best to salt them (pun intended) into everything that you write.
- Understand your audience. You have to write in a way that connects with a specific set of readers.
- Remember that writing is a craft. It may be easy to get lost sometimes in the day-to-day grind of work. Stop for a minute and think about the importance of your job. You will produce better work if you approach it with discipline and dedication.
King concludes:
“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates … or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy.”
King has served up numerous thrills and chills over the years, and I’m grateful that he pushed pause on those efforts to make sure On Writing also made it into the world.