Here’s how my crush on Stephen King got started.

Alys (Alys in Underland) wrote a review of The Shining. I had to read pieces of Shawshank Redemption in a film class I took forever ago, but I’d never read anything by Stephen King.  Most of his books are creaky door scary and I don’t like to be scared.

Stephen and I parted ways after my class, but Alys’s review was interesting.  I decided to put on the big girl pants and give The Shining a try.

I’m half way through it and scared out of my mind.  I tend to read a lot at night after everyone’s gone to bed and I just can’t do it.  I sit there with my Nook, covers pulled high.  I look at the little cover icon, get a chill or convince myself that the cat is looking at me funny, and choose something else to read.  The Shining a creepy crawly in my head story.

I may never finish it, but one thing is for certain, Stephen King is an exceptional writer, a master of his craft.

His books are almost impossible for me to get through, but I know he wrote Stand By Me and The Green Mile.  He wrote Shawshank.  He also wrote Carrie and all the crazy dog, psycho nurse, insanity that came after that.  A fascinating spectrum of stories.  I was intrigued, so I Googled and searched Barnes and Nobel and found his book on writing.

It’s called On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft and it’s brilliant.

I’m listening to it on Audible because he reads it himself.  Part biography and part writer’s tool box, the book is so good that I can’t stop listening.

At this point it’s not a palm sweaty, join my first fan club kind of crush, but I will say that I like his voice.  Maybe even when I’m in my car I feel like he’s sitting next to me, smiling his non-sinister smile, and telling me we have so much in common…maybe.

The stories of his childhood are rich and woven.  They show how he became the person he is and in turn how that shapes his writing.  There’s nothing pretentious or smoking jacket wearing writer about this book.  He talks about his life and I truly can relate to some of his life and his passion for the work of writing.

Isn’t that interesting that I can relate to someone with such very different stuff rolling around in his head?  I may never have the nerve to finish The Shining, but I like the stories in his writing book.  I like the way he talks about his wife, his sense of humor, and I like him.

My thoughts from the laundry room.  Please Keep the Lights On.

Books meaning people Reading work writers writing Art Books Fiction life men Shawshank Redemption Stephen King The Shining thoughts Words work Writing