Write The Same Way John Wick Loved His Dog

Or, What Do Stephen King and John Wick Have In Common?

Here’s what you might be thinking.

“What does good writing have to do with perhaps the most hyper-lethal assassin of all time?”

Possibly nothing. But hear me out. I’ve got a theory.

Question: What is John known for throughout the mob world?

Answer: His work with writing utensils.

In a bar, I once saw him kill three men… with a pencil. With a f***in pencil! — Viggo Tarasov.

Think about it. John’s not even a writer. He used to kill people for money. Or for those fancy gold coins he’s always giving people. Three movies into the franchise, and the economics are still fuzzy. There’s no way a drink costs the same as getting rid of twelve bloody and very dead bodies.

Before I lose the point, we were discussing John’s skill.

I know the pen is mightier than a sword and all, but this was a pencil. And that’s not even what pencils are for! If a hitman can take out three grown people with a writing utensil, imagine what a writer could accomplish. What you could do?

Or to put it another way, when all you have is a pencil, everything looks like a blank page.

Okay, this article’s motivational part is over — time to move on to the practical advice. Are you not feeling motivated yet? If not, I’m sure you’re the one doing it wrong. Try going back and rereading the first part, only slower.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the story, here’s a recap. John Wick’s wife, Helen, died. He loved her very much. Also, he loved his car. But mostly his wife.

Helen knew John would be lonely after her death. Or maybe she couldn’t stand the thought of him moving on. For all we know, she was a passive-aggressive control freak.

I mean, who gifts a dog from beyond the grave? Especially to that person? Remember, John didn’t even know that dogs have to go to the bathroom or eat in the first film. He’s not exactly a pet kind of person.

John came to love the dog. Shortly after, a Russian mobster killed the poor thing and stole John’s car. Like they do.

What’s a killer supposed to do? Well, through three films, he’s killed 299 people. All were directly, or indirectly, related to the death of his dog. Well, that and the car theft, too. But mostly the dog.

How does one man accomplish this?

By realizing that there is no spoon.

Wait. Sorry. Wrong franchise.

One man does it by being the best he is at what he does, even if what he does is… no, that’s Wolverine. By understanding that with great power comes great responsibility? Crap. That’s not it either. Pretty sure I’ve heard that from somewhere, too.

No. It’s by not giving up.

If John has a superpower, it’s a superhuman dose of perseverance. When he has a goal, nothing will stand in his way. For John Wick, that means shooting lots of people, most of them bad. For us, hopefully, it means writing more content and improving our skills.

Let’s take a closer look.

How does John Wick accomplish his goals? By single-minded focus and sheer determination. But don’t listen to me. Listen to Viggo Tarasov.

John is a man of focus, commitment, sheer will… something you know very little about. I once saw him kill three men in a bar, with a pencil. With a f***ing… pencil. Then suddenly one day, he asked to leave. It’s over a woman, of course. So I made a deal with him. I gave him an impossible task. A job no one could have pulled off. The bodies he buried that day laid the foundation of what we are now. And then my son, a few days after his wife died, you steal his car and kill his f***in’ dog.

See? The writing applications are clear. Did you miss them? There are four.

Focus. Commitment. Sheer Will.

(No, I haven’t forgotten how to count. The fourth one is coming. Or is that what she said?)

Focus.

Do you want to be a writer? Do you want it as badly as John wanted his dog back?

Focus on that goal. Become a writer. Make it your driving ambition, not matter how many people you have to go through. Er, I mean, how many manuscripts.

Spend your time honing your skills, reading, writing, editing, and writing some more.

Commitment

Hone your skills. Commit to learning new ones.

Look at John’s fighting style. According to the franchise’s creators, it’s “a combination of Japanese jiu-jitsu, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, tactical three-gun, and standing Judo.”

Did he learn all of that overnight? Of course not. He practiced. And he tried new things.

There’s a motivational book in there somewhere. “The Assassin’s Guide To Self-Improvement.” It practically writes itself. I can’t wait for the royalty checks to start pouring in from Amazon.

Sheer will.

Sometimes, you just have to put your butt in the seat and write. Finding something you’re passionate about helps. It worked for John. He was passionate about killing the m*****-f***er that killed his dog.

Wait. Can you say m*****-f***er on here?

I’m still new. Just in case, pretend I said *other-*uck**.

And the fourth thing? That brings us to what Stephen King and John Wick have in common.

King is famous for the advice to, “Kill your darlings.”

This means to get rid of the parts of your story that don’t benefit it, no matter how hard it hurts. And adverbs. Stephen hates adverbs passionately, much like John Wick hates m*****-f***er’s that kill dogs.

Kill them all. What did Wick say when he learned all the assassins were coming after him?

Winston…tell them… all… Whoever comes, whoever it is…I’ll kill them all.

Do the same to the parts of your stories that don’t work. Do it, if you must, to your adverbs. And do it to any obstacle standing in the way of good writing.

Kill them if until they’re dead. If this writing thing is going to work, let nothing stand in your way.

• Paralyzed by doubt? Shoot it in its metaphorical face.
• Experiencing crippling writer's block? Sorry, but there’s no time for writer’s block. Reload and get back to work.
• Do loved ones tell you that you’re neglecting them? Do they say they’re not so sure about that crazed twitch in your eyes? Or would you please come to bed and stop muttering, “Blood, kill, everything has a price,” under your breath?

Okay. Maybe the analogy breaks down at some point.

It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive to overcome. Do so at the cost of everything else in this life. Learn from John Wick.

He killed three men in a bar with a pencil.

Surely, as writers, we can write a few stories with one. And if you don’t like handwriting, just imagine what John could have done with a keyboard.

Scott Hughey would like to take his own advice and get back to work. He would too, except he’s got one more movie left in his John Wick marathon.

More humor in The Haven by Scott Hughey