Welcome to the chilling and captivating universe of Stephen King – the master of horror and imagination! With his eerie tales and uncanny ability to keep readers up at night, King has become a literary legend. In this article, we’re delving into 20 fascinating facts that open the pages to the life, the works, and the dark brilliance of this prolific author. From his writing rituals to his impact on pop culture, get ready to journey through the spine-tingling world of Stephen King!
1-5 Fun Facts About Stephen King
1. Stephen King initially discarded the first few pages of his novel “Carrie” but was encouraged by his wife, who fished them out of the trash and offered to help with the female perspective. This led to the publication of his first novel, launching his successful career as a writer.
2. As a child, Stephen King witnessed the death of a friend who was hit by a train, though he has no memory of the event. He returned from playing with the boy in shock.
3. Stephen King struggled with substance abuse, including cocaine use, during certain periods of his life. There were instances when he used cotton to stop blood from dripping onto his typewriter due to the effects of cocaine.
4. Author Joe Hill, who is Stephen King’s son, kept his relationship to his famous father a secret for ten years while establishing his own writing career. Even his agent was unaware of the connection.
5. Stephen King allows aspiring filmmakers and students to adapt some of his short stories into movies by selling the rights for just $1. This arrangement is known as the “Dollar Baby.”
6-10 Interesting Facts About Stephen King
6. King’s writing routine is as precise as his horror plots. Clocking in at four to six hours a day, he hits a daily word quota of 2000. He won’t stop until it’s achieved, proving the pen is indeed mightier than the snooze button.
7. Despite being known for his horror novels, Stephen King has admitted to sleeping with the lights on.
8. He considers “Dolores Umbridge” from “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” to be one of the greatest fictional villains since Hannibal Lecter.
9. King has made significant charitable donations without publicizing them, as he believes in giving without seeking recognition. He was raised with the idea that making a big deal about giving away money is considered hubris.
10. After receiving a $5000 check for the rights to turn “Shawshank Redemption” into a movie, Stephen King never cashed the check. Instead, he framed it and later returned it to the film’s director, Frank Darabont, with a note suggesting it could be used for bail money if needed.
11-15 Surprising Facts About Stephen King
11. Stephen King once had a humorous encounter with a woman in a supermarket. An old woman approached Stephen King in a supermarket and said “You are the horror writer. I don’t read anything that you do. I just like things more genuine, like that Shawshank Redemption.” He said, “I wrote that”. And she said, “No you didn’t”. And she walked off and went on her way.
12. When life imitates art, sometimes you’ve got to get creative. Stephen King’s lawyers took an unexpected detour and purchased the van that hit him in 1999. Why? To prevent it from becoming an eerie eBay auction.
13. Stephen King is a big fan of the Star Wars series and even visited the set of “The Empire Strikes Back” as it was being filmed in the same studio as “The Shining.”
14. During the time he was writing “Cujo,” Stephen King struggled with substance abuse, including cocaine, Xanax, Valium, NyQuil, Robitussin, and mouthwash, which resulted in him having little memory of writing the book.
15. Stephen King’s first professionally published story was titled “The Glass Floor,” and it appeared in a collection called “Startling Mystery Stories” when he was 20 years old in 1967.
16-20 Awesome Facts About Stephen King
16. King’s opinion on Kubrick’s “The Shining” wasn’t shining. He expressed dissatisfaction with Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of his novel “The Shining,” particularly with Jack Nicholson’s interpretation of the main character. King felt the character’s descent into madness should have been more gradual.
17. While best known for his novels in the thriller, horror, and mystery genres, Stephen King has written backup stories for the comic book series “American Vampire.”
18. King enjoyed the television series – Lost.
19. As of 2023, Stephen King’s net worth is estimated to be over $500 million.
20. In the literary kingdom, King’s ruling the riches. He’s the ninth wealthiest author in the world, proving that his stories aren’t just captivating; they’re gold mines.
That’s it for this post guys, I hope you had fun while reading about 20 Facts About Stephen King.
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