One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you're maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones. This is like dressing up a household pet in evening clothes. The pet is embarrassed and the person who committed this act of premeditated cuteness should be even more embarrassed.
Stephen KingAnimals don't know as much about jealousy as people, but they're not ignorant of it, either.
Stephen KingNo writer, painter, or actor - no artist - is ever handed a sharp knife (although a few people are handed almighty big ones; the name we give to the artist with the big knife is 'genius'), and we hone with varying degrees of zeal and aptitude.
Stephen KingCut him. Cut him while I stand here and watch. I want to see the blood flow. Don't make me tell you twice.
Stephen KingI don't ask myself, "Well, does God exist or does God not exist?" I choose to believe that God exists, and therefore I can say, "God, I can't do this by myself. Help me not to take a drink today. Help me not to take a drug today." And that works fine for me.
Stephen KingYou know, small children take it as a matter of course that things will change every day and grown-ups understand that things change sooner or later and their job is to keep them from changing as long as possible. Itโs only kids in high school who are convinced theyโre never going to change. Thereโs always going to be a pep rally and thereโs always going to be a spectator bus, somewhere out there in their future.
Stephen King