The Secret of Stephen King

[ToddPartain]

The secret to Stephen King is acclimation, he describes things we all remember in some way from childhood to develop the characters and pull you into the world he creates. Then, when you are comfortable, he throws the weird, unbelievable things at you and you swallow them because the foundation was laid so well. You buy the house, crazy neon paint and all, because when he showed you the lot it would be built on, you remembered you had played there as a child.- Todd Partain

anyone to add something?

[michal]

I like his detail work. It's like a lie -if it's very detailed it makes it more believable. I went on the bus to see my mom is an obvious lie. I went on the bust to see my mom and the driver kept arguing with this old lady who was dressed in an ancient blue gown that smelled like fried potatoes and had a small dog in her hands... that's more believable. In Mr King's stories the seemingly unnecessary details - the color of her blouse, the memory sprung to his mind when he eats, make the story more realistic to me, and so when the monsters appear they too seem quite real...

[Jack Roman]

The secret to Stephen King is acclimation, he describes things we all remember in some way from childhood to develop the characters and pull you into the world he creates. Then, when you are comfortable, he throws the weird, unbelievable things at you and you swallow them because the foundation was laid so well. You buy the house, crazy neon paint and all, because when he showed you the lot it would be built on, you remembered you had played there as a child.- Todd Partain

anyone to add something?

You hit the nail right on the head! I could not have explained it better myself. Some times I get so into the characters I feel like I know them personally. Also sometimes I don't want the book to come to an end.

[Leighjavu]

I love the reality He gives to each character using dialect and describing all 5 and often 6 senses. The descriptive details that go beyond any simple, normal authoring. He would turn that 2 sentance bus scene into something more like this, (if I may play)
The 1952 Riggermeyer brass hinged doors with the steamy glass panels reeled open with a slow squeak, like the high pitched shriek his mum, Ella Rose herself would squall out everytime a t.v. commercial for female hygiene dared to enter her den. Her sterile den where all things about sexuality and reproduction were to remain unspoken. "Blastfeemis shemful harlots! " She piped out each time. The smell of exhaust and steam ushered him onto the bus faster, no friendly looking faces here today. 3 rows down, was the first open seat. The bus seats were a thick faux bumpy textured coat . His targeted seat bore a patch of the same cold , stiff material only red..not a square shaped patch, but a torn, shoddy looking piece of scrap splaying in several directions. He flung his L.L. bean backpack onto the floor space and spun his levi red tag jeans clad asp to the seat letting the sore throbbing knee of his left leg ( which was 1" shorter than his other leg) keep a toe-hold in the aisle.
Okay, I stop there..see what He's done to me?! I find it hard to accept any less than details of everything a character feels and says , why and how.
Of course, Steve would take us further on a tour of the bus and some of its riders! and the coke they spilled!

[djbeilstein]

Quentin Tarantino commented on this a couple years back. I'd argue this is what makes King – a celebrated "horror novelist" – a very good writer regardless of idiom. And I do believe this is what he'll most be remembered for - giving the "entertainment novel" in this case "horror" a quality written bridge to march across.