King’s strongest belief in On Writing was simple: the best way to write was to write with the door closed. And while writing with a closed door is a clever way of maintaining focus, it’s no sure-fire way to craft the country’s next bestseller, but rather is a way to make progress. Early criticism kills motivation. In the words of King’s mentor, “when you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story,” (King 57). Authors unearth stories from ideas which therein are weaved into unpolished works of text called drafts. Much like how a painting cannot be judged when it’s only half finished, neither can these drafts. How are authors supposed to respond to criticism while drafting, when they don’t have the full picture of the story themselves? …show more content…
Instead, they are usually looking to better themselves and refine their craft, or they stretch to meet a deadline. In the words of King, “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” (57). He doesn’t say to seek out help at the first offer, but rather, to wait until the author him or herself decides it is right and their draft is ready. What he doesn’t mention here, however, is the possible cure to the urge to share work: the Ideal Reader, the one so-called person a striving writer can let