Ratings364
Average rating4.4
Found him so clear. I whipped through the book and learned tons about writing.
‰ЫПI like to work longhand, actually; the only problem is that, once I get jazzed, I can‰ЫЄt keep up with the lines forming in my head and I get frazzled.‰Ыќ
‰ЫПSomeone ... once wrote that all novels are really letters aimed at one person. As it happens, I believe this. I think that every novelist has a single ideal reader; that at various points during the composition of the story, the writer is thinking, ‰ЫчI wonder what he/she will think when he/she reads this part?‰ЫЄ‰Ыќ
On Writing resided on our shelf for some time before I had the chance to read it. Peg Boyle-Single cited it in her guidance for writing doctoral dissertations, which was the kick-in-the-pants I needed to pick it up.
I'm glad I did.
For one, this book reminded me how much I like King's writing. His prose is easy to read, conversational almost, but not in the ways we typically mean. “Conversational” is code for “not well done” or “amateurish,” which does not apply to King. His writing communicates in a way a friend would, supporting comprehension when necessary and encouraging progress.
I appreciate King's writing advice. He celebrates the basic rules of grammar and reminds us that brevity can be beautiful. Most applicable to my own writing were his notes on adverbs and revision. I have applied those in much of what I have written since finishing the book. In a world that seems to be removing the need to learn and internalize grammar (reference text and Twitter speak), King does not apologize when he says that our writing is judged and, by extension, we are critiqued by those judgments of our writing.
I enjoyed the opening passages, all of which are autobiographical. I will admit to not knowing much about Stephen King the man. There are, of course, numerous websites with all the facts you would ever want to know. Few, though, dig into why and how he became a writer. Interesting stuff, to say the least.
I recommend this book, but I will not go so far as to say it will substantially change one's writing. As King says, several times, this is not a textbook. To me, its intent is not how-to; rather, it prompts reflection. It encourages the writer to undertake the hard work of improving his/her own writing.
Now, get to work.
Fantastic! King's love for writing really shines through. I wish I could hang out with him and discuss.
I really enjoyed Stephen King's book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, because it's a good primer on becoming a better writer. But I also liked it because the author manages to be straightforward about the odds against a person joining the elite few literary geniuses developing exceptional writing skills. He also simultaneously shows how to elevate one's game.
And I got a lot out of this book because the author makes the entire experience a joy, and concludes with a chilling tale of how he's survived a terrible, real-life accident to persevere and triumph as an author and a human being.
It was also neat to hear about his family and how he has a successful, lifelong marriage, with kids, and imperfections and all.
Finally, his sense of spiritual matters might diverge from mine somewhat, but he seems a fine person and has an admirable grasp of the principals of faith.
Kudos to Stephen King. You were effective, entertaining, and moving in this clever and homey volume. I could have consumed this read in a day or two, but my busy, demanding life expanded my enjoyment over about two weeks' time.
Is it strange that I loved this book more than any of King's other books?
Not that I mean I disliked the others – there are quite a few I really enjoyed! – but I genuinely loved the matter-of-fact way King talked about his life, writing, and publishing back in the day.
As silly as it might be to say, I'd love to see a “sequel” to this. I'm curious how his thoughts have changed, if at all, and how he feels about the publishing industry now.
As someone who has only read one of King's books (the one on JFK's assassination) and is currently not aspiring to be a fiction author, I don't think I was the target reader for this book.
Some of the writing tips from King:
* Read a lot (King reads 70 - 80 books a year) especially in the genre that you want to write in
* Write a lot. King was submitting short stories from a young age.
Note that for both of the above points, the author doesn't consider them to be “chores” but finds them genuinely enjoyable (i.e. don't become a fiction author if you don't love every minute of it).
* Have a set schedule - King spends each morning writing until he is finished
* Write in a room with the door. The room should be free of distractions, and you shouldn't leave the room until you've reached your goal e.g. 1000 words.
* The second draft should be 10% shorter than the first draft.
* Have an “ideal reader” in mind when writing. King uses his wife.
* Steer clear of adverbs and try and use mainly “he said, she said” in dialogue. The context should be what's getting your point across and thus making the additional adverbs/ different verbs redundant.
* Use active voice, not a passive voice, because it sounds better.
Originally posted at www.emgoto.com.
Contains spoilers
Good advice for aspiring writers such as myself. Has a fair bit of his history to start it off and the second half is chock full of solid bits of advice alongside his particular methods for approaching writing.