Stephen King's brand of authorship may be the farthest from romance writing, but the king of horror has written about romance to great effect. One of King's most famous works, "Lise's Story," " is inspired by deeply personal circumstances. It revolves around the titular Lisi mourning the death of her husband as she examines their intense, complex relationship. This is the story of a dead writer, who valued the world only for his literary contributions, with Lise being the only person capable of dissecting the full picture of the man he was. Although a romance, the book ventures into dark, surreal recesses of the psyche, along with the very real threat of parasocial relationships taken a step too far.

The romantic element in King's novels is not always this twisted or bitter in taste. In fact, "11/22/63" - Quasi-historical time travel fantasy that takes some wild swings - presents its central love story as the only silver lining in a hopelessly dark world. That said, King has never stuck strictly to romantic comedies, so the idea of ​​him appearing for a cameo in such a genre film might seem odd at first glance. After all, Stephen King's smattering of cameos have been in adaptations of his own work, including his appearance as a minister in 1989's Pet Seminary and the most recent liquor store in IT: Chapter Two. However, King has done some classic homes just a reason (Bachman in Sons of Anarchy and my favorite, Hoagie Man in George A. Romero's Knightriders.) He's, well, himself, like in season 12 of The Simpsons.

In keeping with this sentiment, King impersonates himself in the 2012 romantic comedy-drama For Love, where his voice can be heard during a phone call with a character. What exactly is this understated flutter about, and how is the king connected to the plot? Let's find out.

Spoilers for "stuck in love" to follow.

In the film, novelist Bill Borgens (Greg Kinnear) struggles with terrible writer's block thanks to the hyper-fixation of his ex-wife Erica (Enennifer Connelly), who has happily moved in with her new partner. The blow of unrequited love (once wanted) brings Bill down, and the exhaustion he experiences as a writer adds to his discontent. In contrast, his daughter Samantha (Lily Collins) begins her journey as a writer with her first novel set for publication, while purposefully avoiding romance to avoid getting hurt like her father. Although Samantha firmly keeps her sexual relationships casual, fellow writer Lou (Logan Lerman) gently coaxes her to open up to the possibility of a long-term dynamic. As you might have guessed by now, Stuck in Love is an exploration of the kinds of love we experience in our lives—whether it's through the lens of a hopeless romantic (who rejects who moves on) or that of a stuck-up cynic.

Meanwhile, Bill's teenage son Rusty (Nat Wolff) is caught between emulating these extremes while having a lightbulb on one of his classmates. These attitudes toward love spill over into family dynamics; Rusty witnesses his father's obsessive need for validation from his ex-wife, while his sister treats Erica with cold indifference. As a child navigates these intense emotions, Rusty struggles to formulate his own perspectives on relationships, which he intends to use to write fantasy novels.

After committing a messy relationship that opens up a world of intense pain for him, Rusty is finally able to write a story that feels authentic. When he is at his lowest, his favorite author, Stephen King calls him and congratulates himas the story is published in a prestigious fantasy/science magazine. The context for this King Kimo makes perfect sense, as Rusty is established as an avid fan pretty early on, and it's a pretty sweet moment that gives him the courage to keep writing against all odds.