Customer Reviews

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

5 star:		(406)
4 star:		(118)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

To start, I'm an author. I need to preface this review with that fact, as I don't know how engaging this may have been, had I not had such an investment in the topic myself.

That being said, anyone with absolutely any interest in the craft of writing can surely benefit from the wisdom between these pages. Much less a 'how to write' book and so much more, as it says, 'a memoir of the craft,' King comes off as nuturing rather than preachy, and entertaining rather than dry.

His advice is sound. Think of the last book you read that left you feeling a little less than satisfied. After reading On Writing, I promise you can pick out exactly what made that book lackluster, as King is a master of analyzing not only the faults of others, but his own as well.

A window into King's otherwise fairly unobserved writing life, I highly reccomend this to any writers, King fans, or anyone just looking for a good non-fiction read.

Overall, 5/5.

There's no point in explaining how terrific this book is. Other reviews have already covered it. Still... don't waste extra money on the newest edition. Nothing of consequence has been added. Thus 4 stars.

On Writing by Stephen King starts out as a slight autobiography but then slowly leads up to all the details about writing and becoming a writer. He goes into detail about childhood instances, plagiarizing as a kid, going to high school, getting in trouble with the school newspaper, working terrible jobs while trying to make it as a writer, marrying his wife, having children, and finally becoming a successful fiction writer. All the while, he shows how certain things in his lifetime have helped him to become the writer he is today. On Writing can be seen as two books in one. He, at first, writes about himself, and then writes on the basics of writing. He slowly, but surely eases from one to the other with grace. He sets the reader up for a quick, fast-paced lesson on the basics of writing and how to become a writer, not a great writer, or a good writer, but just a writer. If a person wanted to know strictly how to write and what Stephen King had to say about writing they could pretty much skip the entire first half of the book without missing much. The first half is for those who have the extra time and want to read about things that went on in Stephen King's life that influenced his writing and wanting to be a writer. The second half is written in a clever manner that makes it easier to actually learn about writing rather than get bored with it and throw the book out the window (which is something I felt like doing many a time because I don't find books on writing interesting, but that's just me) King's use of crude language and funny stories helps to keep the reader involved and awake. The language kept the book real and made it believable that it was from him, about his actual life and wasn't written by another person, in a nice, nobody will be offended way.

I overall didn't enjoy the book. The first half of it was quite entertaining I will admit. Reading about experiences of a person's childhood is always entertaining. But once King got into the fundamentals of writing, it started to dull out. I never found books on writing to be that particularly interesting, so this was no exception. The basics of writing don't throw me into frenzy. So I wouldn't recommend this book to a person who wants to read a random book by Stephen King. I would recommend this book to a person who is trying to learn the basics of writing though. This book is definitely a must for a person wanting to become a writer or at least add to their writing. Stephen King hasn't written just a step-by-step handout for people to become bored with. He goes into detail about parts of writing: narration, description, and dialogue. He sights what makes a writer. He makes it clear that it is impossible for a bad writer to become a good one, and that it is also impossible for a good writer to become a great writer. But he states that a mediocre writer can become a good one with the right discipline and the will power. If you want to become a writer, and want to do what it takes to become a writer, than you will succeed. In order to be a writer, King states that you must read a lot, and write a lot. Whenever you get the chance, read. Whether it is at home in your free time, or in a line at the grocery store, or at the gym while you're on the treadmill, you should read. Reading, he believes, is one of the best things a person can do. The more you read, the more you know; and you know what they say, knowledge is power! Stephen King gives it to the reader straight; he gives his opinion and fact, which is the best combination for a book. The second half on writing is split up into sections that makes it even easier to follow and continue with. The book really works as a learning tool for the reader and isn't tedious and boring. For any aspiring writer, this is a must for their collection. The greatness in Stephen King's horror and mystery books has crossed over into an articulate and humorous book on helping the average man or woman to become the best writer they can.

This book by Stephen King is part autobiography (good) and part writing masterclass (bad). If he had written his autobiography in more detail we would have had an engrossing read. As it is, King glosses over the horrors of alcoholism and hit and runs, giving us the very barest of bones about issues and incidents that shaped his interesting life. He seems in a rush to get to the "masterclass" section of the book which is a great pity, as the bits of his life we do hear about are written in such a way that only King can. Even when only briefly touching upon some incidents, he still manages to illicit revulsion and disgust from the smallest detail. What did come across as really interesting, however, were the accounts of his early writing and the way in which he got his big break. I felt there was far more information for the budding writer in these early parts than in the second half of the book, which was actually "On Writing"

King makes an attempt to explain to any budding writer what to write, what not to write and when to do it. His advice on adverbs and tenses and how to plot (or not) in his case came across as unhelpful. I accept that Stephen King may have told us what worked for him, but I do not believe many people can simply begin with an incident to write an entire book without plotting. I feel that if he had to write a masterclass on the writing craft, he should have made it more textbook like and less personal. I do not feel that too many people (of which surely all of them will never be as a good a writer as King himself) will have gained much help from this book.

It is my thought there there was two books to be written here and the autobiography in particular should have been a really good read. As it is, King has rushed out a book that comes across as ill thought out and clumsy.

Practical and entertaining. Makes me want to read more King. Makes me want to get back to my computer. Keep writing.

I'm a writer, struggling to improve my craft. Stephen King' On Writing, part biography, part guide to writing well, encouraged, instructed and inspired me. His writing makes me feel involved in a conversation with him, at times frustratingly so, one-sided as it is.

Early in this book Stephen King recounts a discussion with a fellow author. They laugh about how often fans ask them where they get story ideas. "But they never ask about the language," muses King. This book is his answer to that oft-unasked question.

The first section of the book describes King's childhood fascination with horror and early writing experiences--including articles in a newsletter his brother "published" from their garage. In the second section King gets down to business, providing practical advice ranging from word choices to editing practices and how to pace the long-term work of writing. King returns the book's focus to his own life in the final section. He describes being hit by a car while walking along the road and the challenges and insights of his recovery.

This book is recommended not just for Stephen King fans, but for anyone who wants to improve their writing. After enjoying it myself, I convinced two of my children to read it. Both found it a helpful perspective on their writing, in school and out in the world. Satisfied readers may also want to try Danse Macabre, Kings exploration of what makes us afraid, and Secret Windows, his collection of short stories and essays on writing.

Aside from the excellent advice on writing fiction, Stephen King proves to be highly interesting, witty and entertaining when writing about himself.

This book tells a story about a guy learning how to write. The guy is Stephen King. It's a very good story. And best of all, its Stephen King who explains why.

The second greatest book I have ever read on the greatness of writing is actually the more practical of the two. While Zen in the Art of Writing provides the motivational jumpstart you require to get the creative juices flowing, this volume, also a collection of previously published essays, is the more nitty gritty one.

For On Writing by Stephen King paints a vivid picture of the how's and why's of his creative process. And when he explores all the facets he has gone through, you will walk away with a very profound feeling inside.

In the beginning, King gives you his autobiography, a cleansing of his soul, so we can understand the man he was, the man he became, and the man he is now. The earliest childhood recollections do possess a certain Stand By Me vibe, with some memorable traumas evoking sympathy for the man who scares us so much. After all these decades, it always felt like nothing could terrorize the horror master. But now we learn different.

On Writing churns through the rest of King's life. His first foray into alcohol, starting when he was a teen, with brutal effects. The massive love and admiration for his wife Tabitha, right from the moment he locked eyes on her. His first rocky years of adulthood and marriage and having children and low wage soul-sapping menial jobs. Poverty and misery was his existence. Pounding out story after story was his future.

At this point, the tangential connection of two very disparate ideas collide in Stephen King's mind. This spark of a random comment combined with an obscure article he remembered brings forth a few typed pages, which he then promptly tossed into the trash. Tabitha fished them out. Told him to finish it. To get it out of his system. Upon completion, he submitted the manuscript, and waited. The mounting bills and disconnected phone plague them as time rolls on. Then one day King receives a telegram. His first book has been bought by a major publisher. For $2,500. And this was 1973. The book was Carrie.

At this point, after Carrie finally saw publication, King's career skyrockets and the legend is born. But while the sales and his life radically improve, his alcoholism grows exponentially as well. By the late eighties, after numerous interventions, he finally swears off booze and drugs forever. What ruins this renaissance is when King almost dies after being hit by a van in 1999. A long painful recovery culminates in his finally taking back the keyboard, and storming up the bestseller lists as if he never left.

When you hit the second part of his testament, King dwells into all his sundry ideas and thoughts on the actual craft of writing. Working religiously all mourning, pounding out page after page till he meets a certain goal. It it takes three hours, fine, if it takes six hours, okay. It takes what it takes. The rest of the day is spent consuming hours of various reading materials of all types and styles. King goes everywhere with something tucked away to read. You must feed the engine. And along the way, he embarks on a walk in order to clear his head and let ideas simmer and ruminate. The ending for The Stand came about from one of these wanderings.

King also mentions repeatably early advice he trusted. Make your second draft ten percent shorter. And the next draft even shorter. And so on. And so on. Get the idea? How this is done is up to you, but one of King's favourite methods is by changing characters names, making them shorter. Details are included with one short story being dissected quite mercilessly. Learning how to be cold-blooded with your pet, your wonderful story, is not easy, but King shows you how with startling results.

One of his final steps is to show his finished offering to a few trusted confidantes. As he puts it, if they find a logic hole, then everyone else will find the same hole. Many more great concepts of how to get your idea out are included, and all creative folks should pick and choose and try out what suits them. But this volume is filled with a metric ton of thoughts to keep you moving, so their should be no shortage of tricks to try.

On Writing is the second best book I have ever read on the art and craft of writing. And it was incredibly well worth the read. King plums his own past, showcases his career, admits to his foibles and failures, and lets us peek into his personal comebacks. And how ideas, large and small, can be found anywhere and anytime. While it sounds all so simple, it took lots of hard work of the actual doing for King to succeed.

So now we switch from the earthly to the practical.

So get writing. Start right now. And keep going. Stephen says so.

Scoopriches

P.S. All images are copyright 2012 to Stephen King. And like all Stephen King books, it is rated R for language and subject matter. All those easily offended should avoid.