Stephen King quotes

„I dreamed of you. I dreamed you were wandering in the dark, and so was I. We found each other. We found each other in the dark.“

—  Stephen King

„But people love a hypocrite, you know——they recognize one of their own, and it always feels so good when someone gets caught with his pants down and his dick up and it isn't you.“

—  Stephen King, book The Green Mile

Source: The Green Mile

„Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.“

—  Stephen King

Source: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

„Books are a uniquely portable magic.“

—  Stephen King, book On Writing

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Variant: Books are a uniquely portable magic

„If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.“

—  Stephen King

Variant: Can I be blunt on this subject? If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.
Source: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

„Books are the perfect entertainment: no commercials, no batteries, hours of enjoyment for each dollar spent. What I wonder is why everybody doesn't carry a book around for those inevitable dead spots in life.“

—  Stephen King

„When his life was ruined, his family killed, his farm destroyed, Job knelt down on the ground and yelled up to the heavens, "Why God? Why me?" and the thundering voice of God answered, "There's just something about you that pisses me off".“

—  Stephen King, Storm of the Century

Storm of the Century (1999)
Source: Storm of the Century: An Original Screenplay

„Good books don't give up all their secrets at once.“

—  Stephen King

„The road to hell is paved with adverbs.“

—  Stephen King

Source: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

„Fiction is the truth inside the lie.“

—  Stephen King

„Both Rowling and Meyer, they’re speaking directly to young people. … The real difference is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good.“

—  Stephen King

„The scariest moment is always just before you start.“

—  Stephen King

Variant: The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.
Source: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

„If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.“

—  Stephen King

„You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.“

—  Stephen King

Source: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

„I think that we're all mentally ill. Those of us outside the asylums only hide it a little better - and maybe not all that much better after all.“

—  Stephen King

„If you liked being a teenager, there's something really wrong with you.“

—  Stephen King

„A short story is a different thing altogether – a short story is like a quick kiss in the dark from a stranger.“

—  Stephen King, book Skeleton Crew

Source: Skeleton Crew

„Alone. Yes, that's the key word, the most awful word in the English tongue. Murder doesn't hold a candle to it and hell is only a poor synonym.“

—  Stephen King, book 'Salem's Lot

Variant: Alone. Yes, that’s the key word, the most awful word in the English tongue. Murder doesn’t hold a candle to it and hell is only a poor synonym…
Source: 'Salem's Lot

„Speaking personally, you can have my gun, but you'll take my book when you pry my cold, dead fingers off of the binding.“

—  Stephen King