The bizarre events of Stephen King’s childhood that turned him into today’s successful writer

Stephen King is, at the moment, one of the most prolific writers of the present. In other words, when we talk about his ability to write books, we can say that everything refers to the “year and the newly released book”.

But where do so many ideas come from for King?

From what he himself would tell, for various sources, but also in his autobiographical book “The Mystery of the King. About Writing ”(which I recommend to any fan of the author), many of his fiction books are inspired by real life, however absurd this statement may seem, in the context in which most of Stephen King’s writings fall rather , in the thriller and horror categories, often even fantasy.

Obviously, we are talking about a seed of truth, mixed with very, very much writing imagination, as we will see in the following.

More or less strange events from the life of Stephen King and the influence of reality on the most interesting horror, thriller and fantasy novels

He saw one of his friends being trampled by a train

For example, at the age of four, little Stephen King had the misfortune to see one of his friends while on the train. Although he doesn’t remember anything else from this terrible incident, it’s easy to understand that such an image can’t easily disappear from your memory. The scene materialized in one of his short stories, “The Body,” which later turned into “Stand By Me” (1986), one of the most beloved films of all time.

“The event took place when I was just four years old… According to my mother, I had gone to play at a neighbor’s house – a house that was next to a railway line. About an hour after I left, I returned home and she said, “You’re white as a ghost.” I didn’t want to talk for the rest of the day. It turned out that a child I was playing with was hit by a freight train while crossing the rails… My mother never knew if I was next to him when it happened. I don’t remember the incident at all, I was told about it later, “said Stephen King.

King’s father left his family when Stephen was very young

According to the writer, his father left his family in 1949, when King was only two years old. The situation quickly became quite tragic, since the father’s departure marked the beginning of financial problems for his family. This theme, of single-parent families, in financial difficulty, is often found in his books, being almost a leitmotif.

Stephen King’s childhood nanny, inspiration for “Misery”

The famous author also said that in his childhood, when he was about four years old, his mother would have brought him a rather scary nanny who used to physically assault him, just for the sake of his own funny . Moreover, one morning, the nanny would have fried an egg for little Stephen, and then the child would ask for more. Eventually, he would have eaten about seven eggs, causing him to vomit on the floor. Not only did the nanny not warn him about these risks, but it made his life an ordeal immediately after.

It is suspected that this story is the basis of one of his most popular novels, “Misery”. The novel was adapted in 1990 into a highly acclaimed feature film, in which the lead actress, Kathy Bates, received the Oscar for Best Actress.

He was stung by a wasp when he was two years old

At the age of two, Stephen King was stung by a wasp as he rummaged in a pile of petrified ash on the street in an attempt to find new ways to play and have fun. Wasp also appears in many of his novels.

“I did not know that the wasps had built a small nest in there. One of them, maybe upset that she was moved, flew out and stabbed me in the ear. The pain was awful. It was the biggest pain I’ve ever had in my short life. But when I dropped the pile on my bare foot, crushing all five of my toes, I completely forgot about the wasp that had stung me, “King said.

His father instilled in Stephen King a love of horror and thriller

Although, as I said earlier, King’s father abandoned them in the author’s early childhood, many of the “head of the family’s” personal belongings remained in his family, being moved around each time his mother he decided to change his destination. According to a passage from the book mentioned at the beginning of this material, at one point, little “Stevie” would have dared to look in a box, in the attic, where his father’s things were. In it he found a lot of horror books, which fueled the child’s passion for this niche.

“In the box I found that day was the entire collection of the 1947 HP Lovecraft, called The Lurking Fear and Other Stories. I took the books with me. I didn’t stop until I finished reading everything, “he said.

He was different from any child of his generation

If most children couldn’t stand the feeling of fear, things were completely upside down in Stephen King’s case. In fact, the author confesses, his nature was totally opposite to the children of his generation. He really liked to be scared. No wonder, by the way.

“Of course, I had enough friends to spend time with. However, I had many moments when I felt terribly unhappy and incomprehensible. I felt different and most likely I was. I was a fat, or “well-made” child, as they tried to caress me in the clothing stores when my mother bought me clothes. I didn’t feel well with the orientation either, often with my head in the clouds. In short, when teams were formed, I always happened to be the last one to be chosen, “said Stephen King, about his childhood.

It should also be noted that in many of his writings, the theme of social maladaptation is predominant, Stephen King giving you the feeling that in all his books there is, albeit in small quantities, a variant of it.