Q. Where did you acquire your sense of story, Mr. King? Your mastery of forward movement in your stories puts you into a class above most other writers, many of whom take years to determine what their books are about, how their characters will operate within their given environment, and where the events ultimately lead? Do you meticulously plan your books, or are they ideas that you flesh out as you are creating? — Stephen Beard, Troy, OH

A. I start with an interesting situation, and watch it develop — that’s the fun of it. In most cases I have an idea of the outcome, but I’m often wrong about that. Which is good. If I don’t know where the story is going, the reader won’t, either. As for acquiring a sense of story … man, it just came with the package. I take no credit for it.

Image Richard Matheson, the prolific sci-fi and fantasy writer. Credit... Beatrice De Gea/Los Angeles Times, via Associated Press

Q. To what extent would you say that there is a literary tradition in which you participate? If there is one, is it solely American, and how far back can you trace its roots (what would you say its origins are)? I’ve heard Poe suggested as a progenitor of the genre in which you often write. I believe you yourself have suggested that Ray Bradbury and H.P. Lovecraft are predecessors of yours. It would be interesting to know (and I mean genuinely interesting) whether there are any other than white male authors who might be considered participants in this tradition. — Brad Rappaport

A. There is a horror lineage that I can trace back as far as Bram Stoker, but I never cared all that much for Poe. Lovecraft was an influence, but I lost interest in his “nameless horrors” during my 20s. The biggest influence on my work was Richard Matheson, who put horror in the suburbs, with people I knew. That was a huge deal for me. And yes, I’d consider myself more an American writer than a horror or suspense writer. I’m in love with the American language, and have been ever since I heard my grandfather say that ne’er do well who lived up the road “wasn’t worth a hang in a hangnail.” I’m not one to think about legacy, but I would like it if people said of me, “His writing faithfully reflected the America he lived in.”