why Stephen king is not a horror writer
why he is more than that. what his secret is. how you can learn from his writing to be better.
Is it possible to write like Stephen King? Many have tried but they fail, how is this? What does Stephen King that so many miss out on? Is there a secret that most are missing out on?
What would happen to your writing if you could tap into this?
in this blog, we will talk about why Stephen King is not a horror writer…
WHY STEPHEN KING IS NOT A HORROR WRITER
Table of Contents
Ask anyone who’s the greatest horror writer today and pretty much everyone will say, Stephen King. His books sell in the millions and movies are made of them.
Countless new writers have set out to write like him. Wanting the same success to come their way.
They fill their novels with ghosts and evil demons, people getting killed thinking they’re following in the same steps as Stephen King and millions of dollars will come their way.
But something odd happens. Their books don’t sell as much, movies are not made.
THEN WHAT DOES STEPHEN KING WRITE?
Leaving the author wondering why. even literary critics can’t understand why Stephen King’s books sell in the millions but other horror novels do not.
The reason why is Stephen King is not a horror writer, as strange as that sounds. But that leaves the question, if Stephen King is not a horror writer, then what is he?
The truth is Stephen King writes about people. Middle-class people, the type an average reader can relate to.
He pulls you into the novel. He has said in interviews he comes up with the “scary problem” first, then creates regular every day and places them into the novel and sees how they will get out of it.
WE CARE ABOUT PEOPLE
However, your average horror writer will focus on the demons the ghost and have flat boring characters dealing with the problem. Leaving the reader not caring about anyone.
We read because we care about people dealing with a problem, not the problem itself.
Some writers will focus on location, like a haunted house, with long detailed descriptions of the house which lasts for pages on end. Believing this is what the reader wants.
But in reality, your average reader likes reading about people and how they deal with problems.
READERS RELATE TO FAMILIES
Even other successful authors who write different genres do the same thing. They write about people. When you read “terms of endearment” it’s about a family. trying to get along.
The reader relates to the family, they can see themselves in it.
The same thing happens in a Stephen King novel. He writes about people and families dealing with problems. You can take the problem out of his novel and you’d still have a novel because you still have the real complex characters.
THE PIG THAT COULD FLY
There was a teacher who on a Friday afternoon told his students to write a story over the weekend about a pig that could fly. On Monday he asked the class if they had written a story.
They all said yes, he then said now take the flying pig out of the story. The kids were surprised saying if they did they would not have a story left. Only one student still had a story with the pig taken out. Because she also wrote about the family who lived on a farm that owned the flying pig.
She created a world on the farm with the people.
When you look at Stephen King’s novel “Cujo,” it’s not about a rabid dog.
But it’s more about a mother and her son trapped in a car with a rabid massive Saint Bernard outside waiting for her to come out. Your average amateur writer would focus on the dog while ignoring the thoughts and emotions of the characters inside.
Turning the characters boring and lifeless. Leaving the reader feeling bored.
STEPHEN KING MAKES US CARE
But Stephen King makes us care about the woman in the car by first letting us get to know her at home before getting into the car. We see how her marriage is doing.
We are given insight into her mind where she is in life. How she is as a mother. We see things from her point of view.
We understand how she feels. It’s as though we are seeing through her eyes. By the time we reach the farm where the rabid dog is we already know her. we can relate.
We care and worry for her and her son.
OTHER WRITERS WOULD SKIP IT
Other writers would’ve skipped it all and focused on the dog. Had the woman pull into the farm looking for car repairs and having the rabid dog come after her in the first chapter.
But we would not have cared about her. Or known anything about her. Making us not care about turning the page. When we read Cujo we do care about turning the page because we care about the woman and her son in the car.
Stephen King also wants us to see the dog before it got rabies. We see it running around being innocent, friendly, nice. overall a cute lovable dog.
This way when we see the dog acting weird we know it’s rabies causing it. So when the woman tries to reason with the dog we know it won’t help because the dog’s brain is affected.
CREATES A STRONG RICH STORY
The first few chapters paint a complex picture. We see things from the dog’s point of view along with the woman’s. This creates a strong rich story.
But another writer would’ve just given us a play-by-play of the events of a woman trapped in a car with a rabid dog outside. Stephen King lets us have access in to the woman’s mind. Making it more real and suspenseful.
When you read any Stephen King novel you’re pulled into the character’s mind. You feel as though the story is happening to you; you are not safe when reading.
When reading other novels you feel the story is happening to the characters in the book. As though there’s a wall between you and the story.
WHERE HE DIDN’T WRITE ABOUT HORROR
But with Stephen King, you feel you are pulled into it. As though the villain is after you. When reading Cujo you feel you’re in the car. When you read “Misery” you feel you’re trapped in the cottage with Anne Wilkes.
The crazy fan who won’t free Paul Sheldon. It’s not the character trapped, you’re trapped.
One of Stephen King’s most powerful novels is the collection of stories in “Different Seasons.” It was the first time we saw Stephen King not write horror. A collection of 4 stories.
But what these stories did not have was a monster. It was about people.
YOU CAN’T HELP BUT RELATE
Stephen King has proven he can write about characters without a haunting ghost in the story. When you read “The Body” ( later titled “stand by me” for the movie).
You can see how the whole story is driven by character. there is nothing evil. But everyone loves reading it. Proving he didn’t need to write about horror.
As you read it you can’t help but feel you’re walking with those kids along the train tracks. As though you’re reliving your childhood. When Stephen King finishes the story with the line.
“You never have friends like you did when you were twelve years old.” you can’t help but relate.
THE HORROR COMES FROM REAL LIFE
It leaves you wondering how could Stephen King be a horror writer if he writes a story like “the body.” He proves he is more than horror.
He can write powerful dramas anytime he wants.
Even in “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” about a man in prison who thinks about escaping. There is no evil demon or horror. The horror comes from real life.
About prison life. The struggle within, hope. He could’ve written about demons and ghosts in a prison, but by making it real. made it scarier.
HE WRITES ABOUT MIDDLE-CLASS PEOPLE
When other writers set out to copy Stephen King they try to copy novels like “The Shining” or “Carrie” or “Salem’s Lot”. Believing they have to write about scary events.
But very few try to write a drama novel using stories like “Shawshank Redemption or “the Body” as reference.
He puts middle-class people into scary situations and sees how they will get out. And the whole time the focus is on the characters. If you were to add up how much time is dedicated to the “scary monster” in his books you’d find it takes up very little.
But what does take up the most amount of time are the characters interacting with each other in an honest way, for good or bad.
THIS DOES NOT SELL NOVELS
When you read the story “The Mist” the focus is on the people trapped in the grocery store. There is very little description of the monsters outside in the mist.
The tension comes from the people. An average writer would make the creatures outside in the mist the focus with empty characters within. But Stephen King makes us care about the people, who they are, and the lives they live.
Look at stories like “The Green Mile” and “The Woman in the Room”. These two stories are about people, real life. There are no monsters in “The Green Mile”.
It’s about life and death within a prison. There are no monsters within “The Woman in the Room” it is a moving and powerful story about a man dealing with his ill mother. He might have scary elements within his stories but it’s not what sells his novels.
HE COULD WRITE DRAMATIC ANY TIME
If he wanted to, he could write dramatic novels any time he wanted to and have them successful. It’s important for new writers to remember demons don’t sell.
It’s the people dealing with the demons the reader cares about.
When you watch some of the greatest horror movies ever made you’ll notice the villain appears very little (only for a few minutes at most). But what we care about are actors and how they deal with the problem.
YOU’D THINK HOLLYWOOD WOULD LEARN
But if a sequel is made the monster becomes the star as the characters take a back seat. You’d think Hollywood would learn from this and make us care about the people as they did in the first movie.
In the original black and white movie “Night of the Living Dead,” the biggest problem wasn’t the zombies, it was the humans fighting in the house about what to do with the zombies.
It drew the audience in, making us care.
IT LEFT THE AUDIENCE FEELING BORED
The moviemakers did not have the money to spend on the zombie’s special effects. They had to focus on something else. So they focused on the actors.
The movie was successful, everyone loved it. Down the road, other zombie movies were made. However, these ones focused on the zombies too much. Leaving the characters secondary. Leaving the audience bored.
The movie “Poltergeist” was all about family. It’s not about the haunted house, but the family within the house. We care and feel stressed about the parents trying to get their daughter back.
The audience loved it. They were pulled in wanting to know what was going to happen next, would they be safe.
NEW WRITERS FOCUS TOO MUCH ON THE HORROR
However, by the time we got around to “Poltergeist 3,” the audience no longer cared about the family because the movie didn’t care about the family.
The movie’s only selling point where the special effects. the characters were no longer important. They were only there to call out Carol Anne’s name. (which they did 121 times)
The audience did not care to see it because there was nothing to care about. In the end, it’s important for new writers to remember readers are drawn in by characters. Stephen King might be labeled a “horror writer” but in reality, he writes about people dealing with a horrible situation. there is a difference.
New writers focus on horror and their books are not read. Stephen King writes about people dealing with horror and makes the characters relatable. He creates middle-class people living a middle-class life dealing with the paranormal.
None of his characters are superheroes.
THE READER WILL STOP READING
This can apply to any novel, be it science fiction, comedy, drama. When the focus is on character you appeal to the reader.
However, if you write science fiction and focus on the technical side of things you bore the reader. And they’ll stop reading. character sells in any genre, including horror.
you might be interested in these blogs…
HOW TO MAKE YOUR NOVEL IRRESISTIBLE TO ALL READERS
WHO’S WRITING STYLE SHOULD YOU COPY?
IS STEPHEN KING A PLANNER OR PANSTER?
