Stephen King - On Writing - Descriptive Writing
King Discusses the Process of Becoming Better Descriptive Writers
Feb 2, 2009
In Stephen King’s On Writing, a section is devoted to the technique and style of good descriptive writing. King begins his essay by asserting that good description is a “learned skill” that must be acquired through the actual process of writing:
Good description is a learned skill, one of the prime reasons why you cannot succeed unless you read a lot and write a lot. Reading will help you answer how much, and only reams of writing will help you with the how. You can learn only by doing (King, 173; emphasis added).
Keep Writing
Thus, King seems to believe that we can only “learn” to be good writers by the very act of writing and rewriting. It appears that what is most important in understanding King’s technique for descriptive writing is the ability to learn an effective style through the process of writing and revision. However, while he emphasizes the importance of learning through experience, King’s essay is silent on the rules of engagement for descriptive writers.
Descriptive Text
King designates two kinds of descriptive writing in his essay: the physical description of characters and the description of “locale and texture” (King, 175). Both of these concepts deal with the manner in which the writer describes material objects and things.
In particular, King asserts that descriptions of “locale and texture” are somehow more important to good writing than are descriptions of people and characters. But the significance of this distinction is not explained. That is, using King’s own suggestions for what writers should avoid: one could over describe the setting of a place (eating steaks with good friends at The Palm Too Steakhouse) just as much as over describing the hero of the story (someone who has sharply intelligent blue eyes).
In short, while King emphasizes the importance of avoiding over-description and under-description when describing details and images, he does not explain why “locale and texture” are of great significance in descriptive writing.
Creativity
Toward the end of his essay, King does shed some light on the creative aspect of descriptive writing:
For me, good description usually consists of a few well-chosen details that will stand for everything else. In most cases, these details will be the first ones that come to mind…before beginning to write, I’ll take a moment to call up an image of the place, drawing from my memory and filling my mind’s eye, an eye whose vision grows sharper the more it is used (King, 175).
In other words, Stephen King believes that any good written prose originates from the author’s creative thought process. That is, good description can be conveyed simply by expressing a “few well-chosen details” that are drawn on from the creative imagination of the author, and then written in a sense that will bring the reader into the story. King’s main point throughout his essay is that good writing will result in a mutual connection between the author and the reader such that they both become part of the written word and the story being told.
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