Bestselling Novelist Stephen King Discusses the Art of Storytelling

[bccdddeef]

lol. Stephen King high-browing "mediocrity."

[Rizen018]

misleading title of vid

[DBoz47]

Anybody else read Skeleton Crew? That collection was incredible.

[Victoryisoursindeed]

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[nofofouu]

DoomzdaySayer you are right on! Just after Sunset is worth every cent, even if you only buy it for N.

[bloodynoise666]

somewhere in youtube there must be a video called "Why people don't read short stories anymore?" where Stephen King talks about the art of storytelling

[potatochipXL]

well, i don't know about the short stories thing. i think a lot of people these days read to escape reality. and you don't want to escape for only 5 minutes.

[DarkSecret48]

HEAR, HEAR....!!!!

[DoomzdaySayer]

Amen King! Short but sweet. I couldn't have said it better myself. People are too God damn lazy when it comes down to reading. I love short stories. Every one of them is different and it brings something new to the table every time. Stephen King's JUST AFTER SUNSET is a perfect example of short stories done right. The story "N." alone if worth the price! Also, his"FULL DARK, NO STARS is just about as good as FOUR PAST MIDNIGHT.

They don't call him "King" for nothing!

[tmoseley67]

i love short stories most definitly stephen kings short stories. in most of his short stories he jumps straight into the action and its awesome. short stories are for the people who love the action and the thrills.

[canto1408]

And the Langoliers eat lazy children.

[MoviesinMaking]

Pennywise disliked this.

[xxxDrDEWofCovtownxxx]

@MoviesinMaking uhhhhhhh pretty sure it was the man in black who disliked this, duh. :)

[890slay]

@xxxDrDEWofCovtownxxx Nah, it was George Stark!

[MrRemorseless]

I have a short attention span, so I much prefer short stories over longer works. Short stories also have the tendency to get away with much stranger things. It's more acceptable to end a short with a cliffhanger, as opposed to a novel, where the reader thinks they deserve a full-circle ending. King is absolute right, though. It's a shame people are too fucking lazy to bother with quality; they put nothing in, and they'll get nothing out in return as well.

[MindStateProdNorway]

nice speech

[MisterAmerican650]

The biggest question is, Why are or what made people so god dam lazy nowadays?

[PatrickLars]

@MisterAmerican650 technology my friend it is a symbol of gratification but the dichotomy of it is its own opposite stratum

[MrRemorseless]

@MisterAmerican650 The digital era. Television being at the forefront.

[MisterAmerican650]

@MrRemorseless What's funny is that I agree with him. And I'm only 20. I guess you could say, that makes me the grandpa of my generation ha ha.

If only there was a way that people weren't so lazy

[MrRemorseless]

@MisterAmerican650 Lol I'm 20 as well! It seems the only way people can learn to avoid the thing they've grown up with is to force that enlightenment down their throats; that there's more to the box. Look at how passionate Harlan Ellison is towards dragging people away from the TV set. I'm yet to read The Glass Teat, but I know I'm going to like it ;}

[joshordan]

Philip K Dick short stories lack chapters, hence short stories... Speaking from experience, I can handle a story split by 6 pages or so... You gotta get to the end of a short story to complete it!, Sick of putting a bookmark after reading 6 or so pages... Guess that's me but not to disrespect the author.

[kasheajt]

"And you're like whoah shit, though" = the best.

[lordmontya]

The scariest horror book ever published is 'Thirteen Volume One' by Andrew Hannon.

Google it.

[BigLebowski2000]

I like his short story; The Raft! That was a shivering story....

[mjt1517]

@BigLebowski2000 If that's the same one I'm thinking of, it was published in Twilight Zone magazine in the '80s. I read it then when I was just a kid.

It became one of the stories in Creepshow 2.

[BigLebowski2000]

@mjt1517 Correct! ;-)

[thekev506]

0 dislikes. I can't remember the last time I saw a vid with more than 1000 views that had 0 dislikes

[GavnerWinterLuver]

@thekev506 OMG!!!! I just relized that! It proves that he's THE KING! =)

[MCRmyMexicoOficial]

im a big fan of Mr. King he´s the best novelist of our times

[TheCrazyplaying]

I love King's novels but I must say I like his short stories more. I like that his novels build suspense, but I love how his short stories get right to the point and scare the shit out of you! "Children of the Corn" was a great short story, and "The Boogeyman" was probably (in my opinion) his best. I also liked "1922" In his newest short story book, "Full dark, no stars" Either way, King is a brilliant writer...

[DarkKnightShawe]

@TheCrazyplaying agreed.

Check out this FB page about the new 'The Boogeyman' adaptation. It has promised to stick to the source material! :D

[DarkKnightShawe]

@TheCrazyplaying the FB page is called: Stephen King's, The Boogeyman, (2011) A Dollar Baby :D

[TheCrazyplaying]

@DarkKnightShawe Thanks, I will definatly check it out :)

[ShortStoryAddicts]

surprised he didn't mention YouTube, though I love me some mind numbing YouTube

[schlumbl84]

Would I be the ONLY person who'd loooove to read a new book with short stories from our good old Stevie??? His short stories are just amazing (like "Nightshift", I love it) and I think that his opinion of people being lazy is just half true. There are a LOT of King fans who don't care if he's selling a new novel or a book with short stories - they read just every single word he writes. That's MY opinion.

[Jacksragingbileduct4]

@schlumbl84 I feel the same way. His novels are like a feast and his short stories are like snacks but they're all amazing! Haven't ran into a story of his I didn't like yet!

[ShalomDove]

@schlumbl84 Amen--in fact, I actually like his short fiction even better than his novels a lot of the time. He has a real feel for how short stories should be done, and even when they're a little off-kilter, they're a fun ride. I really enjoyed "Everything is Eventual" and "Just After Sunset." I know he's written more short fiction--I just haven't found it yet...

[schlumbl84]

@ShalomDove Yeah, I heard about that. Don't remember the name... But I wouldn't care if he would write for a traveller's guide - I would still read every single word :) His way of using words is very unique and like you said it's always fun to enjoy his stories. I wonder how his new Dark Tower novel will be...

[0TheStrangerSide0]

@ShalomDove One For The Road and The Boogeyman are two of my favs. Both have tremendous endings.

[Doggieworld3]

I think the frustration of reading comes from exhaustion, re-reading the same sentences, and/or not fully understanding what you're reading. Or gettign stumped on a vocabulary word. The atmosphere you're reading in affect you too. Haha, was reading a reference book and felt asleep couple days ago ^^;

[JVDK1000]

"Well, shit though! That was only 18 pages!"

[roobbiinn]

My new hero

[myassin2009]

This video's title is misleading.

[gojewla]

I think it takes more attention span (certainly more time) to read a novel than a short story and more people seem to like to read novels. Maybe they just like that sort of plot development better?

[esca8652]

I don't think I would like short stories though. I think it goes a lot by the question of why I read books. I read to be taken away somewhere else, the longer the book is the more atmosphere, the more character bonding, and the more emotion builds up. So if I'm reading several short stories, I'll be constantly having to rebuild this structure. However, sometimes I do read for the sole purpose to be entertained. Even then, I probably wouldn't pick up a book full of short stories.

[esca8652]

Just got back into reading about 3 weeks ago... Read Lifegurard by James Patterson, a decent book. Read Misery by Stephen King, amazing book. I am now inspired to keep reading, as I can say that reading Misery was enthralling and by no means boring. The book wovens you into Paul Sheldon's mind and it is quite an adventure. I watched the movie today, book was waaaaaay more entertaining. Oooh the emotion and intensity is just beautiful (in the book).

[TheBurbyGirl]

It's sad few people read short stories anymore. I LOVE short stories. Stephen King's are some of the best ones out there.

[Pivosquash]

STEPHEN KING IS A KING

[MDubBeezy]

So the art of storytelling is...?

[inaworldwithinaworld]

@MDubBeezy people are lazy

[leocage99]

there are only about five people in my class who enjoy reading books, including myself.

all the others make fun of us for doing so

[sgtmcwallace]

well said

[imaball]

i love how he just randomly fucking cusses :P thumbs up bitches!

[ihopeutubedies]

It's true what he's saying. Which is why I'm writing my own horror short stories.

[spinningsilence]

I agree far too much with this man!

[UnionKid15]

thanks for posting this.

[Tyrfingr]

Exposed to the same comforting level of mediocraty week in and week out. Not surprisingly the King tells it how it is shortly, concisely and precisely.

[Tyrfingr]

"Then you realize oh shit though that was only 18 pages" hahaha, so true but hilariously put.

[zendojo3]

I love short stories!!!!

[dorsalwhistle]

Like always, he's right!

[Gandalfgrey93]

He's the Fucking Boss!

[etrle]

ha ha, ride on mr king

[martygwest]

i know people don't wanna hear my opinion, so I'll just tell them the facts. These are the facts. J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer and Danielle Steel all sell more books than King does. He's becoming a hasbeen. It's sad cuz he's not even dead yet. He really has to stop trashing people who are more successful than he is.  It's a sign of jealousy. It's also very unprofessional.

[poeticmurder911]

@martygwest king still makes millions from his old books that were written 20 years ago. Your an idiot.

[Jonnern72]

@martygwest Check your facts, dude. King at his worst is still ten times better than Meyer at her best, and his books, both his new material and his old, are still selling by the millions. And besides, he's right.

[Kleehv]

Some of you are blending his comments on why people don't read Short Stories, with why people don't read. What he is saying about playing it safe and feeling lost after reading a good short story is spot on. How many of us look for a series to read for just this reason? It's a safe world for 5+ books. No chances taken. Read a book of short stories is like watching 6 TV Pilots back to back and never seeing another episode of any of them. Brilliant insight Mr. King.

[knightsintodreams]

@Kleehv he mentioned magazeens. do you know of any writing mags or blogs that we could loo into?

[Kleehv]

@knightsintodreams I'm looking at an issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction right now. Easy way to find other mags is lookup Writers Markets for the type of short fiction you are interested in.

[ProudAtheist90]

I don't know who will ever replace King after he is gone. He just keeps putting out these amazing books.

[TheGamerLand]

@ProudAtheist90 ikr

[angie22d]

Short stories require less time to read than whole novels... I dont know why people dont read them.

[Jester2415]

I blame the school systems in America... they've turned reading into work... they take the fun out of literature and wonder why kids don't read... another big reason is parents have stopped reading to their kids... in the old days people would sit around the fireplace and read to each other... every night... what family does that now?

[ideagirlconsulting]

i like short chapters for breakfast lunch dinner and tv commercials during american idol lol

[bttalbot]

I think his writing is only outdone by his brutal honesty.

[SpeCulaTionS101]

@bttalbot: Yeah, I've always thought he had balls of steel, both in writing and speaking. He just doesn't give a fuck if he offends you or the rest of this politically correct country. King kicks major league ass.

[meeene4]

@SpeCulaTionS101 I loved his quote that said "Sometimes being a bitch is all a woman can hold onto."

[MrSatan666ism]

F**k American idol, Stephen King is a God amongst writers. His short stories are some of the best reading I have ever done. Everythings Eventual wame book, s an awesome book, in particular, lunch at the Gotham Cafe. I wish there where more people out there that wrote horror short stories.

[MrSatan666ism]

@MrSatan666ism Sorry about the spelling error, I have an annoying glich in my computer. F---ing labtop.

[KikimoLie]

I'm actually picking up books again. I'm going to try to get Under the Dome ASAP because I've read most of his short stories all ready.

[5163plus9279]

I wish I could thank him for his book On Writing. It gave me courage and scared me senseless all at once. I kept the courage. Thanks Stephen!

[KurtsABCs]

You are the king. I swear, he seems like a really cool guy.

[ZachClooney]

"People are lazy". Yes, most would rather watch American Idol than read.

[hanshotfirst1138]

There's a great bumper sticker that says "Fight prime time. Read a book."

[ZachClooney]

Thanks for that bumper sticker slogan! I'll quote it to people here in Britain. They also need it!

[lonkavhobune]

@hanshotfirst1138 I have a T-shirt with same message.

[Aluenvey]

@ZachClooney I'd definitly rather read. Then again I'm also an author.XD

[Premiess80]

@ZachClooney Very true yup. This is America:)

[noveltycrusade]

I know he's heard it plenty, but he just does it so good

[smjjohnson]

LOL at 0:32

[smjjohnson]

Stephen King is a writing god

[MekaGojira3k]

I like short stories, but I typically just deal with anthologies. I love short story anthologies because you just keep reading and reading. It's also nice to occasionally not make my way through some epic 600page story.