On Writing by Stephen King
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Book Reviews of On Writing
Book Review: A Brilliant Inspiration for writers everywhere
Summary: 5 Stars
If you have a dream of becoming a writer then I suggest you pick up this book. There is much to learn from this book (if you haven't picked up many books on writing already). But lets be forewarned here. This is a "Memoir" of the craft, not just a "This is how to write" book, which several people seem to overlook.
As the book begins he talks about his childhood and his adult life. "What does this have to do with writing?" you'll probably ask yourself. Then you'll remember that along with talking about the craft, he's creating a memoir. Even in his childhood and early adulthood he was a writer. The purpose of the first half of the book is for him to explain how he got to where he is today and where some of his inspiration came from. In the first half he mentions several of his books and where the inspiration for those books came from.
But the real meat is after the C.V. in which King talks about the Toolbox and truly begins what the book is about. On Writing.
The entire section on writing has helped me a lot. He has some pretty useful tips for anyone who dreams of writing. He talks about how the first important thing should be the story and to take out what isn't the story.
It's amazing how brutally honest King can be. But brutal honesty is always the greatest (and often times most helpful) truth. From reading this book I've been able to back and see what I've been doing wrong. Out go those clumsy and redundant adverbs. Out goes all that "telling". Out go the needless (and often times only flavoring) words. Through this book I've learned how to connect with the reader, as well as the text.
The book has also answered several questions about grammar, character development and even why you have paragraphs that are as short as one sentence, and sometimes even one word.
King even goes as far as to show us an unedited copy from one of his stories (1408) and the changes made to it. You'll see that even King makes a lot of errors and that he's only human.
Will this book make you a better writer? The answer is simply that it can. It won't "make" you a better writer unless you WANT to be a better writer. If you "want" to be a better writer but you're not willing to take tips outlined in this book or any other book, then you obviously don't care to be a better writer.
Now then. A lot of people think this book is nothing more than an ego trip. This isn't entirely true, but it isn't too far off. A lot of people say these tips are useless and couldn't possibly be of any use.
To those readers I ask this. Are YOU a published author? Are YOU the world's best-selling novelist? Are people standing in lines and rushing off to read YOUR books and stories? And most importantly, are you a SUCCESSFUL writer, doing what you love? If the answer to these questions is "no" then you've no right to say these tips aren't helpful. Maybe you should actually try them before you jump to conclusions.
After the writing King talks about his accident in the summer of 1999. This is perhaps my only problem with the book. It was great to hear insight on the accident and all, but the book (throughout the memoir and the craft) talks about the van several times! It's almost redundant how often he mentions he was struck by a van in the summer 1999 when on a walk in Maine.
I was also saddened that throughout the entire Memoir and craft he never mentions a thing about "The Dark Tower" series. This is often said to be one of his greatest achievements as an author but he never once mentions The Dark Tower books. He mentions "The Stand" (often said to be his greatest work). Not only did he neglect the Dark Tower series, but he also never touches base with writing as Richard Bachman. In the memoir it would've been nice if he had been able to tell us a few things such as what really inspired the Dark Tower books or even why he wrote under the name Richard Bachman for a few years.
Anyway, this is a worthwhile read. Any die-hard fan of Stephen King owes it to himself/herself to pick up this book and read it.
Book Review: STEPHEN KING ON WRITER
Summary: 5 Stars
Stephen King's book "On Writing" is somewhat a biography and a writers guide all combined in one nice wrapped box. Just in this case would be considered between two cardboard book covers. Stephen King brings a very interesting but not uncommon among the American Population, in fact, it brings that unprovided light from the unfortunate children to the blue and white collared children. Which to me is a very well thought aspect that should and was considered when writing this book. His high school career is somewhat interesting, it's not as typical as one may think, Stephen King didn't go out for sports, and instead he went to school and then to work. However, the time frame does set itself for the modern day, he'd get up at 5am and wouldn't get home till 12am. Now, he would do the common homework in school stuff, but when he describes it, he describes it in such a way that you feel like your there, right where he is at the moment. When he discusses college, you can almost sense that he was not serious about it and he wasn't, like most Americans, like myself do give a serious sense about post high school. I believe Stephen King did an excellent job researching that aspect and unitized it so it would give the correct vibes.
Now after his childhood and high school career and his college days, there is only one thing to do, and that is not to party. But in fact to settle down, Stephen King did that by actually checking out a young lady in a yellow turtleneck with a black skirt and nice panty hose. The word choice he uses shows the love that he has between his wife and himself in their relationship and now marriage is unconditional. He also mentions that starting a family is never an easy task, because of the factors surrounding work, money and stuff, just not enough time to make and rise kids. In today's hustling and bustling society that is very true, because as a society we have grown, shall we say?
He touches base on the fact that only 5 percent of writers in America only make enough to support themselves and a family, nicely. He does show fabulous proof that indeed you have to, because his first deal was only for 50 bucks, not much, but he didn't have a family then, so it wasn't bad. But then when the seventies hit and when playboy Magazine came a knocking for Stephen King to write for them, he would and the best offer he got was for $28,000 buckaroos, and of course he took it. The best deal he had ever gotten in the beginning of the times was the book he wrote, the publishing company wanted to pay him $400,000 thousand dollars to publish it, and such, and mind you, it still was the seventies. He also says when you go and write you must be committed when you are trying to make it big, it's not something for someone to go do for one day and expect to be golden. Not by a long shot and not only does that rule apply to that, but it applies to many aspects of something we call, life. To even make this so-called boring part of the book, he uses attention grabbers and such to keep the parts moving and to me, it's a good thing.
He speaks of a subject that a young guy like myself dreams about, but for many, it's a reality. Retirement and a house without the little ones, which to me, although I'm 17, it's a good thing to think about...but to some I would be jumping the gun a bit and I can understand, we all have different opinions on different subjects. By what Stephen King is talking about, it almost sounds like you need to plan for the retirement of you and your partner in crime, as soon as you leave college, which is scary. But in closing, The book, for the price that I paid was not as bad as it sounded, because if you believe the phrase" Judge a Book by it's cover" then you may not want to read this. The fact, the cover serves as a liberally sounded cover and some people don't like that. But to me you are fools, because the book is and could be considered another masterpiece by Stephen King.
Book Review: On Writing, by Stephen King
Summary: 5 Stars
So you've finally come to it: you wake up in the morning, and decide to heck with this nine to five job, bills, and a squinty-eyed boss that smells like old tobacco - you want something better out of life. You've decided to do what you always wanted to do; become a writer, and create worlds and whole universes for a living.
Great. Now what?
After such a momentous decision - and a hearty breakfast of course, writing is hard work after all, requiring a satisfied stomach - you sit down in front of your Dell, Gateway, or Apple Ibook, open Word, and begin work on the masterpiece that will make millions, stun the world, and turn your name into a household word over night.
After five paragraphs, three writing breaks, four plot changes and the inevitable writer's block, you're faced with the daunting reality that writing something coherent - much less a best-selling novel - is a lot harder than you thought.
On a burst of inspiration, you troll down to the local Barnes & Noble and find your way to the Self-Help aisle, in search of Writing Bestselling Novels for Dummies. What you encounter is a dizzying array of "how to write novels" - how to write in every genre known to man; how to write the short story, novel, novella, poetry, market your book, make an author website, and sell your book.
You grab a whole armful, settle down in one of those nice comfy chairs by the coffee shop, get a cappuccino and donut, and plug away.
Ten minutes later, the drink and the pastry were great: but now what? Most of these books are boring, hard to read, and leave you no closer to your publication dreams than before.
With the exception of such fine tomes as the Literary Marketplace, toss all those others in the trash. If you're looking to learn more about the craft of writing and the writing world, look no further than On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by fiction great Stephen King.
On Writing succeeds were so many writing "how-to" books fail: it focuses first on the `why' and the passion of writing. It does spend some time on technical issues - its advice on grammar, characterization and plot is top notch - but the memoir's main focus is the soul of writing itself.
In usual King fashion, On Writing seamlessly interweaves snapshots of Stephen King's life with the development of his craft, and while acknowledging his own success, he avoids positioning himself as a master who knows all the answers, but rather as a storyteller willing to share all he knows about telling stories to those who would listen.
On Writing is also unflinchingly direct: there is no "push-button" answer to literary success, no set-in-stone "path to publication". The process is equal parts hard work, dedication, and uncontrollable, often unpredictable doors of opportunity.
King's approach is casual, realistic, irreverent and many times knee-slappingly funny. At times his language is coarse, but if overlooked, what he's given us is invaluable: an inside look into what makes him `tick' as a writer, and an invitation - perhaps even a challenge - to look inside ourselves for the same things.
So leave the "How to Write the Western" to others, get the cappuccino and donut to go, and order On Writing from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. Go home, enjoy - in some parts wince or grimace in empathy - the life of Stephen King, and begin writing what's lurking inside of you.
5 out of 5 stars
For more reviews, please visit <a href="http://www.kevinlucia.net/bookreviews">The Bookshelf Reviews</a>.
Book Review: Insights from a Master
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been a writer since I was in my teens. I've studied the craft and I have a shelf full of books on writing. This book is one of the best.The subtitle of the book is telling. King called this "a Memoir of the Craft." He is an excellent memoirist.
The memoir part is fascinating. King tells us about his life and it's quite an interesting one. He talks about his youth, about meeting his wife, about his early years and his writing, about his alcoholism, about his near-fatal accident, all enriched with a myriad of details. This is the stuff of which of which good memoirs are made.
Throughout the book, King throws off little droplets of observation about writing and the writer's life. For example, "Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference. They don't have to make speeches. Just believing is usually enough."
That line comes amidst the discussion of meeting his wife and what she's meant to him. As someone who's been in relationships that were both helpful and not, it resonated with me. There are insights like that sprinkled throughout the book. Some of them are about writing. Others are not.
All of this is fascinating, more so because King is an excellent writer, and he conveys a lot with very little verbiage. But the core of the book is about the craft of writing. King leads into it in this way. "What follows is everything I know about how to write good fiction."
As the subtitle says this is about the craft of writing. It is about craft, not art, not inspiration, not "being a writer." It is about craft - the work of writing and how to do it well.
King lets us in on this hard-core craft focus early on. "There is a muse, but he's not going to come fluttering down to your writing room and scatter creative fairy dust all over your typewriter or the computer station."
In other words, folks, King is saying that it is up to you. Then he gets down to some practical nuts and bolts. "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot."
We find out how much King likes to write. We find out what his rhythm is, and how he alternates periods of intense work with lying fallow. We find out how important he thinks health and the support of his wife are. We find out where he thinks you should work.
Some of this is very directive. "You need the room, you need the door, and you need the determination to shut the door. You need a concrete goal, as well. The longer you keep to these basics, the easier the act of writing will become. Don't wait for the Muse."
While King is specifically directive on some things, his overall tone is quite different. He tells you what works for him and suggests that you might want to consider it for you.
Here's a brief part where King talks about symbolism and theme and how he gets them into his work. "Mostly I don't see stuff like that until the story's done. Once it is, I'm able to kick back, read over what I've written, and look for underlying patterns. If I see some (and I almost always do), I can work at bringing them out in a second, more fully realized draft of the story."
If you are a working writer, or if you would like to be, this is a great book to read and to return to. There is a wealth of unvarnished advice from a master writer. Of all the craft books on my writing shelves, this is the most readable book and it is one of the most helpful.
What if you're not interested in writing? Well, if you read a lot, even if you don't read Stephen King's work, but you're fascinated by the sounds coming out of that writing workshop out back, you'll find this a great read, too.
Book Review: Probably the best writing primer available.
Summary: 5 Stars
Before I discuss this book, readers should know I have probably read fewer Stephen King Horror novels than any living American. I have little time for his epics - I prefer to watch the movie versions.Why? Most novels I read need to be less than 150 pages or I lose interest. I see a 300 page novel and I fear I'll get bogged down with descriptions of yet another unique acacia tree or that sun's ray with some peculiar glow. I'm not accusing King of having done so in his novels, it is just that I remember too many of those books from when I was a youth in the 60s.
Besides, I am more of a non-fiction buff. That was why the first Stephen King book I have ever read cover-to-cover is On Writing - A Memoir Of The Craft.
This is a terrific book that honestly discusses the inner needs a budding author must have without wasting too much time discussing the nuts and bolts.
King once wrote, "I write because I cannot not write." This has always stuck in my mind.
In On Writing King mentions that good writers are good readers. The man goes nowhere without a book close at hand and an audiobook in his car.
That comment is worth reams of advice. I know far too many writers who seldom read even one book a year but think they are qualified to write a best-selling novel. Whatever your interest, it can't but make for a more compelling book if you have read a dozen or more similar books.
His advice on how to write active, instead of passive was also beneficial. Just as does King confess, I tend to be unsure as to whether I am understood and thusly(!), revert to the "ly" verb. If you're confused by this line you won't be after reading On Writing.
His frank discussion of telepathy and comparison to the same is a breath of fresh air. In many ways writing is telepathy. Some will scoff at his free acceptance of telepathy and the psychic phenomena. Not me though. I know for a fact it is for real. At least sometimes for some of us.
Still, even if readers don't ascribe to esp, if they can imagine that they are sending their thoughts into the future to someone thousands of miles away, they will then have the necessary imagination to convey their musings with just the right amount of description.
I appreciate that King did not bog us down with the discussion of how to plot a story. Good stories are usually what-ifs and King points this out. He also opens us to how most good stories are inspired by blending two or more common but isolated observations. Carrie was such a story.
Within 288 pages King has masterfully shown aspiring writers how to:
1 - Write an autobiography (his, with just the right amount of humor and tragedy).
2 - How to develop idea-driven fiction not overladen with detail and description.
3 - How to write a concise article in reverse pyramid style (his encounter with a van that nearly killed him.
The man did this without preaching and without overly stressing the value of this secret or that secret.
No aspiring fiction writer should be without this book. No journalist should fail to keep it in his or her personal library.
King does not claim to be a genius. Nor, probably, is he. His ability to simply explain the basics of the craft and to provide simple examples without preaching and without mind-boggling details proves that.
For those of us who want to write but are intimidated by the brilliance of writing geniuses, a simple discussion and down-to-earth advice is what we need.
King's On Writing is precisely the book we need.
I have both the print version and the audio narrated by Stephen King. And I will not part with either.