Stephen King and the Decision That Makes a Writer

I probably shouldn’t share this kind of secret on a blog or anywhere public because it’s too valuable.

Yet here we are.

And I’m willing to risk it because what follows is one of the most important truths an aspiring or seasoned writer can learn.

It comes from Stephen King — yes, that Stephen King — the most famous horror writer of our generation and one of the bestselling American novelists of the last century. And the crazy thing? He’s been giving this secret away for decades.

It hides in plain sight… if we have eyes to see.

Before I tell you, two disclaimers:

1. I do not know Stephen King.

2. Everything here is already public knowledge if you dig into his interviews, his lectures, or his book On Writing.

But most writers miss it. So let’s fix that.

The Secret to Becoming a Writer

Here it is: you decide to become one.

Simple, right?

Simple — and terrifying.

Because there’s no magic spell. No talisman. No MFA passport that transforms you into a writer. The transformation happens the moment you decide, this is who I am, and begin acting accordingly.

When you listen to people who knew King early in his career, one truth keeps surfacing: he wanted to be a writer, and he refused to let anything stop him.

• He wrote hundreds of short stories.

• He collected rejection slips like trophies.

• He drafted four novels in high school and college that went unpublished (one would later be released as Rage, though even King admits it wasn’t his best).

• He read voraciously.

• He worked on craft with professors and peers.

• He wrote when no one was watching — and no one cared.

King didn’t write because someone guaranteed him fame or money. He wrote because he loved writing. He would have kept going even if he’d never made a dime.

King calls it writing for the buzz.

That’s the real secret: Stephen King determined he was a writer long before anyone else agreed.

The Noisy Distractions from This Truth

Let me be honest.

There’s too much chatter online about writing technique, Amazon algorithms, newsletter strategies, BookTok tricks, and the next “perfect” marketing formula. None of these are wrong — they just aren’t the foundation.

Writing is art.

Writing is communication.

Writing is meaning-making.

We write for the buzz.

Something much more soul-stirring than how many KU page reads we had this month.

But somewhere along the way, we swallowed the lie that success equals a publishing contract, a bestseller badge, or a royalties screenshot on Instagram.

When external validation becomes the definition of a writer, the art collapses under the weight of it. King reminds us of a healthier benchmark:

Love the work.

Love the process.

Love the words.

Love the stories and worlds you create.

In On Writing, he boils the writing craft down to two essential habits:

1. Read a lot.

2. Write a lot.

Not complicated. Not glamorous. But entirely effective.

Because people who love the art form will keep showing up. They can’t help themselves.

Childlike Joy Is the Fuel

Watch King in interviews. Listen to his lectures. There’s a childlike spark in the way he talks about writing. He still seems delighted that he gets to sit at a desk, make things up, and call it a job.

That joy?

That affection?

That commitment?

It’s rare in many writing circles today. Instead, you often hear:

• “Writing is so hard.”

• “Books don’t sell anymore.”

• “The algorithms killed my books.”

• “What’s the latest trick to get 100,000 sales?”

Complaints will not sustain you in the writing-mines. None of that helps you write when you’re discouraged, tired, or unsure. Marketing might sell the book, but identity writes it.

You must determine to be a writer.

It’s who you are.

It’s what you do.

Everything flows from that decision.

The Line That Divides Writers From Non-Writers

Let’s make this painfully clear:

If you don’t write, you’re not a writer.

If you do write — consistently, courageously, imperfectly — you are.

There is no secret handshake.

There is no gatekeeper.

There is only the decision.

And once you make it?

Watch out.

You might not become the next Stephen King, but you will become the writer you were always meant to be.

And that’s more than enough.

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Hey, I’m Ryan J. Pelton.

I’m a #1 bestseller on Amazon, and I have written and published 23+ books (fiction and nonfiction).

If you want more writing, publishing, and creative-business strategies, subscribe to my Substack.

And if you’re ready to write, publish, edit, and market your first novel, or tenth, my 45 Day Novel course is helpful.