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Stephen King Facts

Stephen King Facts
Stephen King is an American writer best known for his horror, supernatural, and suspense novels and movies. He was born Stephen Edwin King on September 21st, 1947 in Portland, Maine to Nellie Ruth and Donald Edwin King, a merchant seaman. His father abandoned the family when Stephen was two years old and his mother struggled to raise him and his adopted brother David. Stephen developed a love for horror writing while in school, and his first published short story titled I Was a Teenage Grave Robber was serialized in Comics Review in 1965. Stephen went on to study at the University of Maine, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English. He published stories in several magazines and also earned a teaching certificate. He continued to write professionally while he worked at Hampden Academy.
Interesting Stephen King Facts:
Stephen King is believed to have witness the death of a friend when he was a child. The friend was struck by a train. Stephen has no recollection of the incident.
Stephen's decision to write horror came when he found an old book of his fathers titled The Lurker in the Shadows by H.P. Lovecraft, in the attic when he was boy.
The same year that Stephen King graduated from university his daughter Naomi Rachel was born.
Stephen King married Tabitha Spruce in 1971.
Stephen Kings book Carrie was accepted by Doubleday & Company in 1973 for a $2,500 advance. The paperback rights earned him $400,000. This made it possible for Stephen to quit teaching and write full time.
Salem's Lot was published in 1975. The Shining was published in 1977, and The Stand was published in 1978.
By 1977 Stephen and Tabitha had all three children including Naomi, Joe and Owen.
Stephen King taught creative writing at the University of Maine in 1977.
Stephen King has written under the pen names Richard Bachman and John Swithen.
Stephen King suffered from alcoholism and drug abuse in the 70s and 80s and has remained sober since the late 80s.
Stephen King wrote under the name Bachman to test whether his success was because of his popularity or because of his writing. Those books sold just as well, proving to him that he was worthy of his success.
Stephen King tries to write a minimum number of words each day, estimated to be 2000. He prefers writing with a fountain pen and paper.
Beginning in 2003 Stephen King began writing for Entertainment Weekly as a pop culture journalist.
Of his novels adapted to screen, Stephen King's favorites are Stand By Me, The Mist and The Shawshank Redemption.
Stephen King has written more than 54 novels beginning with Carrie (1974). His latest novel (as of this writing) is Finders Keepers scheduled to be released in 2015.
Stephen King has published 11 collections of stories including Night Shift (1978), Nightmares and Dreamscapes (1993), and The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015).
Stephen King has also published 5 non-fiction books, 7 novellas, and 9 other works.
Many of Stephen King's books have been adapted for film and TV movies.
Stephen King has won many prestigious awards for his work and continues to write to this day.


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