Try any goddam thing you like, no matter how boringly normal or outrageous. If it works, fine. If it doesn't, toss it. Toss it even if you love it.
Stephen KingRead
When asked, "How do you write?" I invariably answer, "One word at a time," and the answer is invariably dismissed. But that is all it is. It sounds too simple to be true, but consider the Great Wall of China, if you will: one stone at a time, man. That's all. One stone at a time. But I've read you can see that motherfucker from space without a telescope.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writing is a simple process that consists of small, manageable steps.
In this quote, Stephen King emphasizes the importance of breaking down the writing process into small, actionable steps. He compares writing to the construction of the Great Wall of China, which was built one stone at a time, illustrating that significant achievements often arise from simple, consistent efforts despite their eventual greatness being undervalued or overlooked.
Themes
WritingProcessStepsEffortConsistency
In practice
Example use cases
In a workshop on writing, I might use this quote to inspire participants to focus on writing one word at a time rather than feeling overwhelmed.
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That's the day's business. Thinking. Thinking and isolation, because it doesn't matter if you pass the time of day with someone or not; in the end, you're alone. He seemed to have put in as many miles in his brain as he had with his feet. The thoughts kept coming and there was no way to deny them.
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Late last night and the night before, tommyknockers, tommyknockers knocking on my door. I wanna go out, don't know if I can 'cuz I'm so afraid of the tommyknocker man.
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