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
I try to create sympathy for my characters, then turn the monsters loose.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the writer's process of developing empathy for even the darkest characters before revealing their true nature.
Stephen King's quote emphasizes the importance of understanding complex characters in storytelling, particularly those who exhibit monstrous traits. By creating sympathy for these characters, the writer adds depth to their narratives, allowing readers to engage with the characters' struggles and ultimately showcasing the duality of human nature—the capacity for both goodness and evil.
Themes
SympathyCharactersMonstersStorytellingEmpathy
In practice
Example use cases
In a writing workshop, I might quote King to emphasize the importance of character development.
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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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