You know that old meme with the angry-looking little kid standing behind the words, “Congratulations”; “happy for you”; “Good”? That’s me reading Caroline Bix’ Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King. Here’s an excerpt from the summary: “After Caroline Bix was named to the University of Maine’s inaugural Stephen E. King Chair of Literature, she became the first scholar granted expanded access by King to his private archives, a treasure trove of manuscripts that document the famed author’s creative process – most of them never before studied or published.”
You hate to see someone else living your dream. (Just kidding). In all seriousness, as a lifelong fan of Stephen King and as a writer who is always fascinated by how great people approach their art, this book was an absolute joy to read. Bix differentiates the initial functions – Pet Sematary, The Shining, Night Shift, ‘Salem’s Lot And carry – comparing changes across multiple drafts for each, and highlighting King’s notes and correspondence with editors that shaped these drafts into the famous horror stories we know today.
monsters in the archives Makes an insightful companion to King On Writing: A Memoir of the CraftAnd while you don’t need to be a superfan to enjoy it, anyone Is Will definitely eat it.
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