8 Fun Facts About Stephen King
Stephen King is an American author, most well known for his horror novels and even earning the nickname “King of Horror.” King also has suspense, crime, science-fiction, fantasy, and mystery novels and over 200 short stories published. He has won several awards over his career, including the O. Henry Award, the 2003 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, the 2007 Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America, and the 2014 National Medal of Arts.
Stephen King has had a prolific career in writing, but there are plenty of other things to learn about the horror author. Check out these six fun facts about Stephen King and learn more about the man behind the words.
8. Edits his novels while listening to rock music
While everyone has their methods to stay focused while writing, Stephen King’s is memorable. Earning the seventh spot on our fun facts about Stephen King list, the seasoned author often listens to rock music while he writes. Favorite bands include AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, and others. The type of music shifted a little during particular scenes, for instance, King usually blasts Metallica as he pens an intense part of the plot.
7. King was declared unfit for military service
Our sixth selection for fun facts about Stephen King has to do with war. Born in 1947, Stephen King came of age for military service during the Vietnam War in the 1960s. He reported to his local draft board, later being declared unfit for military service, or “4F.” This was due to King’s terrible vision, punctured eardrums, flat feet, and high blood pressure. Not too bothered by the refusal, King would return to the University of Maine and continue working towards his writing dreams.
6. King nearly died in 1999 when he was hit by a car
Our sixth selection of fun facts about Stephen King concerns one of the scariest moments of his life. On June 19, 1999, King went for a walk near his house, and as he was climbing up a hill, a van came racing down. The driver was distracted and struck King and nearly killed him, with injuries including a collapsed lung, multiple leg fractures, a broken hip, and a scalp laceration. This impacted his life and writing and is discussed extensively in his novel On Writing.
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5. Started writing for a adult magazine
Everyone’s first job can be a little odd, but King’s experience was even more so. In the fifth selection for fun facts about Stephen King, the author started getting payment for his writing from adult magazines like Playboy and Cavalier. These two magazines bought and published some of King’s first short stories, paying him less than $100 apiece. While some writers may balk at writing for adult magazines, King was proud to see his work published, no matter what the publication was. These short stories now appear in Night Shift.
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4. King is in the Guinness Book of World Records
Earning the fourth spot on our fun facts about Stephen King list is the author’s surprising reason for being in the Guinness Book of World Records. According to the experts behind the records, more of Stephen King’s novels have been made into movies than any other living author. Among those adapted are Carrie, Christine, The Shining, Misery, and The Shawshank Redemption. King has also made surprise cameos in several of these films and shows, including Pet Semetary, and Needful Things.
3. He once wrote a musical with John Mellencamp
Our third selection of fun facts about Stephen King may seem unrealistic, but there is some musical background in King’s life. Stephen King is a huge music fan, often quoting lyrics from his favorite songs in his books and even editing his work to rock music. What is not as well-known is his collaboration with singer/songwriter John Mellencamp in creating a musical called Ghost Brothers of Darkland County. The musical was a tale of two brothers who hate one another that must spend time in a haunted cabin, where they are visited by ghosts of dead brothers who also hated each other. You can find the soundtrack online.
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2. King hated the film version of The Shining
One of the most surprising fun facts about Stephen King on this list is about the film adaptation of The Shining. While the 1980 film version directed by Stanley Kubrick is considered one of the best adaptations of a Stephen King novel and one of the best horror movies of all time, there is one critic. To this day, King has repeatedly told people about his dislike for the movie, referring not only to turning Wendy’s character weak and weepy but also to making Jack crazy right from the beginning. King instead prefers the 1997 TV miniseries, which he scripted himself.
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1. He is afraid of the number 13
Last but not least on our list of fun facts about Stephen King is his unusual aversion to the number 13. While King has written more horror novels than people will read in their lives, he holds superstitions just like we do. One of his biggest concerns is the fabled number 13, and King takes his fear seriously. He once explained “The number 13 never fails to trace that old icy finger up and down my spine. When I’m writing, I’ll never stop work if the page number is 13 or a multiple of 13; I’ll just keep typing till I get to a safe number.”
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