Stephen King can easily be described as the maestro of horror fiction, with his writings continuing to shock and spook people of all ages. Not only have his works and novels gained popularity among readers, but they have also been adapted for television in a number of ways.
While the general audience would easily identify one or two of his novels with storylines that are far too frightening and unpredictable, the author, on the other hand, is also terrified of a particular novel storyline that couldn’t take shape.
Horror story that even terrified Stephen King
While Stephen King’s horror and spine-chilling books and prose may scare the general public, the author himself outlined a story concept that gave him the creeps. Furthermore, he was so spooked out that he couldn’t figure out how to get a conclusion for the same and ultimately had to leave the idea altogether.
During a 1995 interview with Conan O’Brien, King described a story concept centered on the ladies’ bathroom at Stapleton Airport in Denver, Colorado. He further explained:
What the story was going to be was this guy and his wife are on their way to their plane, and the woman says, ‘Hun, I gotta use the ladies’ room.’ (Husband replies) ‘Okay, but remember, five minutes, and we gotta be at the gate.’
Stephen King further elaborates that the woman gets into the washroom, and it’s been some time, but she hasn’t come out. The husband, on the other hand, is standing outside and waiting for her to come out. After a while the atmosphere surrounding the airport feels “strange” and bizarre. Adding to the fear, another couple walks in with the lady going inside the washroom and not returning. Further, the writer added:
Soon, there’s a third guy and a fourth guy, and finally, one of them says, ‘Well, screw it, I’m gonna go in there and get her’, and just as he goes, this thing slides closed, this pneumatic door, and he hears screams from inside.
During the writing process, King told himself that this story had the potential to be something very big. Further, as the narrative progressed, additional women became trapped inside the restroom, prompting the state militia, FBI, army, and even the governor to intervene. However, even they couldn’t solve the riddle surrounding the restroom.
While Stephen King’s narrative could be significant, the largest hurdle was that no matter how many people went inside the restroom, he couldn’t figure out “what the hell was going on in there.” Furthermore, even for King, the story appeared frightening, so he left it at that and did not continue with it.
The eerie novel wasn’t completed, but if it had, then horror fanatics might have gotten their sequel to Kings: The Shining.
Stephen King feels Hollywood writers should give authors their due credit
Given that series and movies are based on the stories that an author writes, it’s only fair that he or she get all the proper credit for them. The same emotion that even Stephen King expressed during an interview with Deadline.
When asked what he looks at when entrusting a company to generate content based on his writings, to this, King added:
I want a dollar, and I want approvals over the screenwriter, the director and the principal cast.
His reasoning for this was that he wanted to be a part of the solution rather than the problem itself, as his suggestions might be useful. Further, he’s not a difficult person to get along with, and everyone’s creative ideas are always welcomed at his door.
Stephen King’s statement could also be attributed to his dislike of Standley Kubrick’s The Shinning (1980), which was based on his novel of the same title. In the same Deadline interview, the writer revealed that Jack Torrance’s plot arc was lost in the film. Furthermore, the character appeared unbalanced from the start. The character in the book was tragic because he struggled with his sanity and eventually lost it, but in the film version, there is no true sorrow since “there is no real change.”
While both geniuses have their own vision for exhibiting their work, what matters is that, despite these worries and creative differences, the film has continued to evoke a sense of horror among the fans.
The Shining is currently available to stream on Max.
