How Stephen King Almost Threw Carrie in the Trash Before It Changed Everything
A writer under financial strain
In the early 1970s, King taught at Hampden Academy in Maine while trying to build a writing career. He was supporting his wife and two young children, and the family was struggling with bills.
He wrote short stories and horror pieces for magazines including Cavalier and Adam. King said his usual payment was $200, while a $500 fee felt like a major payday; the family did not even have a telephone.
The idea behind Carrie
King started developing Carrie in 1972. The story follows a bullied teenager whose telekinetic powers give her a way to fight back against classmates and a deeply religious mother.
King said he had not been bullied much himself, but recalled that the girls were harshly targeted for their clothes, hair and social awkwardness. He said attempts to change their appearance only brought more bullying.
A novel becomes a film landmark
The 1976 adaptation made Sissy Spacek a star and gave director Brian De Palma his first box-office hit. The film also reached the Oscars, an uncommon achievement for horror movies, according to the account.
Carrie began a long run of King stories adapted for film and television, with more than 60 screen adaptations. The story has since had remakes, a Broadway musical and a new Prime Video series, keeping Carrie White in public view 50 years later.
Key points
- King began writing Carrie in 1972 while working as a teacher in Maine.
- The story drew on memories of bullied girls, a school janitor’s work and telekinesis.
- The 1976 film helped launch Sissy Spacek and gave Brian De Palma his first box-office hit.
- King’s stories have been adapted for the screen more than 60 times.