On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

by Stephen King

‘When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story,’ he said. ‘When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story.’

write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open. Your stuff starts out being just for you, in other words, but then it goes out. Once you know what the story is and get it right – as right as you can, anyway – it belongs to anyone who wants to read it. Or criticize it.

Remember that the basic rule of vocabulary is use the first word that comes to your mind, if it is appropriate and colorful.