Carrie Green

  • Meet Me
  • Roses Are Red
  • Violets Are Blue
  • Sugar Is Sweet
  • Blog
  • News
  • Contact
  • review request

Thank You, Stephen King!

11/21/2011

13 Comments

 
Picture
_ As a writer, there are many people that I'd like to say thanks—readers, of course, are first and foremost.  Thank you for buying my books and for taking the time to post reviews.  Next, like any good acceptance speech, I'd acknowledge family, friends, teachers, and lastly, a shout out to the super supportive community of authors & bloggers that I have discovered online. 

My deepest debt of gratitude, however, actually goes to the horror maestro, Stephen King. 

King was the author, beyond all others, who showcased the versatility of the horror genre to me, which forever shaped my path as a writer.  At an early stage in every writer's career, it becomes necessary to select a genre.  This is the decision which will define you, as an author, and your books, as a product, from that point forward, as you strive to build an audience.

Throughout my childhood, starting around third grade, I was a voracious reader and I devoured my books, en masse by genre.  I went through periods where I read every book that I could find in a specific genre and nothing else, until I grew bored with repetitive themes, characters and plots.  I would then switch to a new genre. 

In this fashion, I went from reading westerns to spy adventures, mysteries, celebrity bios, science fiction, detective, romance and horror novels.  I'd bravely walk pass the main librarian's desk, so that I could enter the Adult section (there was one dour old librarian who'd bark that I should stay in the children's area, if she saw me), passionate on my crusade to explore of all these different genres.

There were certainly some great books that I encountered—the hard-boiled detective novels of the 1940's were one particular stand-out, but when I finally embraced the Stephen King collection, it was like a shining beacon went on.  I had avoided King, due to reading Carrie at the tender age of eight (since it kept coming up during recess).  That novel was the bane of my adolescence. 

Whenever a prom or school dance was scheduled, some smart mouth would ask if I was intending to run for prom queen and wouldn't it be funny to toss pig's blood at me.  Ha. Ha.  I recall while reading that book my dismay at finding out that Carrie was such a total social outcast.  She had no redeeming traits—no charm, no good looks, no intellect and she hurt the very people who tried to help her. 

I couldn't appreciate, at the time, the tragedy and horror that was being depicted in this tale of bullies, victims, and the not-so-innocent bystanders who allowed this cycle of abuse to continue.  My main take-away was that it would be fool-hardy for me to ever run for prom queen.  I knew that it would be too tempting for my peers.  After reading Carrie, I hated Stephen King.

Only when I was in college, during a writing workshop where other people kept comparing my writing to King's, did I become curious enough to try his books, again.  It was a revelation.  Once I was no longer reading about characters named Carrie, I found him vastly entertaining! 

King showcased for me the endless possibilities, flexibility, and originality of the horror genre.  A villain can be a serial killer (Firestarter), a loving father and husband (The Shining and Pet Sematary), a classic car (Christine) or a clown (It).  Heroes can be just as unexpected—children, an average joe, or even a prisoner on death row as in The Green Mile series. 

One of my favorites from his more recent works has to be the untrustworthy narrator of Blaze, a petty criminal who kidnaps a baby, who is both the hero and the villain in the novel.  It's an elegant exercise on the duality of human nature.  I also adore Misery.  It is both a great horror novel and a wonderful stand-alone romance (in the chapters that resurrect the character of Misery).  I could not imagine a more unlikely genre coupling, but King appeared to pull it off with ease.

I must sincerely thank King for teaching me, through his published works, that the horror genre, above all others, can be any genre.  It offers the greatest flexibility, since horror can be found in any situation and seen through the eyes of any character.  It offers infinite freedom.  I am only limited by my own imagination!

Note--this blog was actually a guest posting on Depression Cookies, but it was so perfect for Thanksgiving that I had to post it again on my own blog to celebrate the holiday.  Be sure to visit the original posting to read the more than 40 comments that it received.  You'll also want to check out Tia Bach's warm and witty blog entries!


Photo credit: Shane Leonard
13 Comments
Mark Souza link
11/21/2011 10:45:03 am

I completely agree, Carrie. I came to King very late. I first heard of him from my brother. His book shelve were stuffed with Stephen King titles, and dragon fantasy novels I considered crap. I thought my brother's taste questionable, and lumped King in with all the other stuff on his shelves.

I can't remember when I bought my Stephen King, or why. It was at least a decade later and the raves about King were widespread. What I remember was that my introduction was Misery, and I was hooked.

I realized then what a bullheaded idiot I was. Genre isn't important, talent is important. It wouldn't matter if King put his hand to regency romance, he'd still be the top author in the world. Ditka!Yeah, I sound like one of those guys, but I read a lot of genres, and King is the prime reason I read and write horror.

Happy Thanksgiving Mr. King, and you too, Carrie.

Reply
Carrie Green link
11/21/2011 11:53:38 am

Mark, thanks for your thoughtful comments. I do believe that those readers who did not discover King later in life are spoiled. They do not realize how good he really is as a writer. He's a great talent and I'm thankful that I finally did learn to appreciate him!
Cheers, Carrie

Reply
August McLaughlin link
11/21/2011 01:25:11 pm

A touching tribute to a brilliant man! King is definitely among my "people I'm most thankful for" list... Love his book "ON WRITING," such a fantastic resource for us all.

Reply
Nikki link
11/21/2011 09:25:32 pm

I absolutely agree about Stephen King. It was MISERY that made me realize I was a writer. That those stories I created in my head were books that had yet to be put on paper (yes, it was a while ago--I first wrote on actual paper). His talent for creating characters who are complex and flawed even if they're heroes, and the dialogue that is so real, pull you into each novel's world. And of course he's creepier than virtually anyone.

Reply
Carrie Green link
11/22/2011 02:21:08 am

Delighted that two of the commentators loved Misery as much as I did. It was such a standout book for me... I also checked out his On Writing guide, but I really learned the most by his example.

Reply
Daniel Coffman link
11/22/2011 01:11:55 pm

My wife and I, both aspiring authors, love Steven King. On Writing is an invaluable resource for any budding writer. His greatest strength, in my opinion, are his characters. The story is secondary; but the people who populate them are rich, have great depth, and I care what happens to them. No matter if you love or hate the character, you turn the page to see what they'll do, and what will be done to them.

Reply
Meghan Ward link
11/22/2011 01:48:53 pm

Carrie - I love all of Stephen King's movies (I was Carrie for Halloween a few years ago, too), but I confess, the only book I've read of his is On Writing. That will change soon, though, because I really want to read 11/22/63. Very excited about that!

Reply
Carrie Green link
11/22/2011 11:22:11 pm

Without a doubt, characterization is one of Stephen King's greatest strengths. Too many writers want to focus on just the plot, but if you don't have compelling characters, all the clever plot twists in the world won't keep us reading. Meghan, pick up a King novel, The Green Mile series is especially approachable for folks who may not normally enjoy horror.

Reply
Jaclyn link
11/23/2011 12:25:44 am

I'm so happy to read this!! I've been hooked on King since my freshman year of college, when I read "Hearts in Atlantis." ((swoon!))

Reply
Tracee Orman link
11/23/2011 05:43:21 am

I completely agree! I love Stephen King. I teach high school English and we do a short story unit using many of King's stories. if I had time, I'd do a novel unit...but too many to choose from. As a concession, I have shelves of his books in my class library that students can check out for free reading & student-choice novels. His are among the favorites, year after year. Those who write him off as a literary hack fail to see the importance of entertaining your reader in literature. Thanks for this lovely post!

Reply
Carrie Green link
11/23/2011 06:02:24 am

Delighted hear from all the King fans and even happier to hear that one is a high school English teacher! Tracee makes a great point, good writing should actually interest and perhaps even entertain the reader. It's not a crime, it's a goal for all authors!

Reply
Oceanside webcams link
9/11/2012 03:03:03 am

Love this Weebly site, I had no idea I could make a free blog so easily, thanks!

Reply
Alan Toner, Author of HORROR STORIES (on Amazon Kindle) link
12/25/2012 11:12:54 pm

Great post about Stephen King. I totally agree with all the comments here - he is indeed a fine writer, and has been a great influence on my own writing. I especially love his character-driven plots, where you really care what happens to the people who populate his many books. I also love the fact that he is very prolific, regularly hammering out big chunky novels and short story collections. The man is a literary genius, and long may he continue to write those fantastic horror books!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.