Completed in a blind heat—The Running Man was written in a mere 72 hours—it was declined by at least two New York publishers before consignment to the desk drawer that would later spawn four [Richard] Bachman novels. "It's nothing but story," says [Stephen] King. "It moves with the goofy speed of a silent movie, and anything which is not story is cheerfully thrown over the side.—Douglas E. Winter, Appendix A to Stephen King: The Art of Darkness
(Third in a series.)
8 comments:
On the flip side of the coin, it's taken Thomas Harris about four-to-five years to write each of his "Hannibal Lector" novels. It's also taken author, John Irving (The World According to Garp), two-to-three years to write each of his books. Some writers just work damn fast, while others seem to take forever with each novel.
Duane,
When is your next novel coming out?
Aaah...more proof that caffeine really DOES improve productivity and mental stamina!!!
And yet this became one of the most shining examples of the eighties' cinema!
(slightly off-topic) but Doug E. Winter --of course-- wrote the AMAZING 'Run'
Wayne - that's something I've been wondering too!
(God, I used to love the Bachman books as a kid. I have a very vivid recollection of 'Thinner', for some reason.)
Wayne, Gordon: It's too early to spill details, but I've been working on a novel collaboration due out this fall (can't say with who yet), and a solo novel this coming winter. I'll spill soon...
Duane,
Doesn't it sometimes drive you nuts in that it takes weeks or months to write a novel, then a fan reads it in one day and immediately wants another one by you? Of course, that's better than a fan NOT wanting one! LOL When you say that you have a solo novel coming out this coming winter, do you mean like in February or March of this year? If so, YEEAAAA!
Gordon,
You must be a young man if you remember the "Bachman" books as a child. I think I was thirty-four or so when I read Thinner, which makes me...uh, damn, I forgot my age! That's what happens when you get old. I do know that I've been a fan of Uncle Stevie since Salem's Lot came out in paperback, which should've been around 1978 or so. He's still the Maestro of Horror, and Duane, of course, is the Maestro of In-Your-Face Suspense Thrillers!!!!
You know, it's hard to imagine having the talent and speed to right a novel in one day. It takes me two hours just to write a book review. Now, I'm totally depressed and can't write at all.
Wayne:
Not THAT young --I’m 33 now-- and I was in my early teens when King was huge (or I became aware he was huge, not necessarily the same thing.) but I was obsessive about both King and Bachman at around fifthteen, sixteen.
(I seem to remember being very offended by the Running Man movie and going out and buying/borrowing the book because I was convinced that it couldn’t be as shit and, waddayaknow, I was right!)
Duane:
That’s good to hear, I thought there was a chance that your abundance of work for Marvel might distract you for awhile but I guess if you can establish a writing career from being a newspaper editors desk, you can juggle multiple projects.
Cool news about the co-writing gig, too. It’s not with a hipper than thou imprint that already has a dynamic co-writing team on roster, is it? (sorry, I realize that you can’t answer but THAT’s where my head gravitated.)
Gordon.
Wayne: Alas, the solo novel will be next winter... but hopefully worth waiting for.
Gordon: Excellent guess, but no. I wish!
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