Before Goosebumps terrified a generation, R.L. Stine was just a kid from Ohio who wanted to be funny. He started writing joke books and humor magazines before pivoting—almost accidentally—into horror.With over 300 books to his name, including Fear Street, Goosebumps, and other spine-tingling hits, Stine has sold more than 400 million copies worldwide.But what sets him apart isn’t just volume or popularity. It’s how simple he makes writing sound. No tortured genius act. No talk of muses. Just outlines, deadlines, and a lot of jokes, many of them at his own expense.His advice to young writers is surprisingly down-to-earth: write fast, have fun, and know your ending before you even begin. For anyone staring down a blinking cursor, Stine’s no-frills playbook is refreshingly doable.So, let’s see what Mr. Goosebumps has to say to aspiring writers. - YouTubeAlways Know the Ending FirstStine doesn’t leave endings to fate. He believes in knowing how the story ends before writing the first sentence. “I always try to come up with the ending first because then I know how to keep the readers from guessing the ending,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.It also helps keep everything on track. Knowing the ending gives him a target to aim for, helping him avoid those dreaded middle-of-the-book meltdowns. The tension builds logically, the twists make sense, and nothing feels tacked on.Take Welcome to Dead House, for instance. The eerie payoff—that the entire town is full of ghosts—colors every creepy moment leading up to it.Write Like You’re Running Out...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Yesterday