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Summary: Best book on writing I have ever read. Inspirational.
Review: When I finish grad school and start teaching composition and linguistics, this is going to be one of my required texts.
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Summary: Have coffee with Stephen King
Review: I just finished this book, and I recommend it to all (except my mother, because it has strong language). Whether you are a writer or not, this book is touching and heartwarming. As you read, you will probably feel as I did; I felt as though Steve and I were at Starbucks, gabbing over a macchiato. He speaks honestly and frankly about his life, the good and the bad, and offers up real, practical, and encouraging advice for writers. The back features a list of suggested reading, which I have attacked furiously. (Please see my website for more info). I highly recommend that you read this book, and share it with a friend. Although I -am not- a fan of most of Stephen King's work (except the Green Mile and the Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon), I treasured the encouragement and advice therein. I have a newfound respect and admiration for him and his work. A mandatory summer read.
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Summary: If Stephen King Could Teach...
Review: This is the first book by Stephen King I have read and I have to admit I am disappointed. On Writing is written as two books: an autobiography and a writing primer. The autobiographical information was interesting and helped explain the latter. On the writing side, I came away felling I might have been better off if I had read The Elements of Style, King's favorite Style book. His sections on description, dialogue, narration and editing earned the book my three star rating. The examples cited and King's commentaries were great. I guess I expected more from such a prolific writer. The book's fault probably lies more in my expectations, than King's ability to communicate.
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Summary: Wit, Wisdom, & Wonder
Review: Writers are notoriously fickle and impatient. We don't like anyone to tell us how to do our job, and we especially don't like to read so-called "experts" figuratively shouting at us from up on high about things like "proper characterization, the importance of theme, the over-(or under-) use of adverbs. It's just annoying, and it can also sap what little confidence a budding writer has. But, when Stephen King tells us these things in "On Writing", it feels more intimate...like an old friend who has been there with us when we have had those incredible bursts of creativity, and perhaps more important, when we have struggled with single sentences (and indeed, single words), looking for that perfect shade of meaning into the wee hours of the morning. He's like the little angel AND the little devil who sit on your shoulders, whispering the finer points of right and wrong just when you need a healthy dose of both. As always, King injects his writing with humor and warmth, while managing to sound urgent when urgency is appropriate and humble when humility is appropriate. This is perhaps one of the greatest strengths of "On Writing". King, as knowledgable and wise as he is on the subject of writing, knows he is not the "final word" on the subject. He simply and without arrogance or pretense eschews his experiences and, in many cases, a few personal embarrasments, in order to enrich the writing experience of his fellow creatures. He recognizes, in fact, that writers are unique creatures, and he is one of them along with anyone who has ever been committed to putting ink on a page. We are unique, fickle, and impatient creatures indeed, and when we need a little bit of inspiration (strike that, a LOT of inspiration), King is there to walk with us on our journey into writing. Hail to the King, he's done it once again, showing us that he is as comfortable writing clean, instructive prose as he is with tickling our funny bones and scaring the bejeezus out of us.
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Summary: Great Read for Writers and Readers!
Review: On Writing is a page turner from start to finish, just like Stephen King's fiction! For King fans, writers, or those who dream about becoming an author, this book describes King's life and his evolution as a writer in great detail. It provides you with a window into the life of a born writer. You can't help but evaluate your own potential as an author in comparison. A must read for anyone who loves to read!
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Summary: A Guide From the Master
Review: This book is part memoir and part writing manual. It's enormously satisfying and raises many questions. Would Steven King be Steven King if he hadn't been such a sickly little kid? If he hadn't taken that first drink back in high school or if he hadn't married Tabitha Spruce what would he be now? On the craft section of the book, King offers solid advice that every would be writer should follow. Most books on grammar and dialouge are so dry you miss half the wisdom but King's book is laced with so much humor that you get what he's saying. I love Stephen Kings horror and I've read my copy of his non-fiction, Danse Macabre to bits. This is a great addition to my collection.
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Summary: Some real insight here to the master!
Review: Superb little short read...that tells a whole lot about Stephen and how he has ascended to the top of the bestseller list with the variety of tales he's woven. Think of Green Mile, Shawshank Redemption, Storm of the Century, and The Stand....brilliant writer! And finally getting the acclaim he deserved so long ago. I'm pleased he's shared this bit of personal information with his avid reading fans...and I'm pleased he's on the road to recovery from the horrid accident and will write more and more to entertain us.
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Summary: Inspirational and enjoyable but doesn't teach you much
Review: It was a pleasure to read this book. It gave me some inspiration and more will to write. If this book was prose, I'd definately give it full 5 stars, but the fact is that this book doens't teach you almost anything about writing. Yes, it tells you to write each and every day, preferably at the same time and at least some specified amount of words, but who wouldn't figure it all out himself? Besides, the book tells in fact mostly about Stephen King himself; his past and stuff like that. What does it have to do with writing? If you're a fan of King and interested in writing, this book is for you. Otherwise, it's not worth the money. There are better books out there, just go and find them.
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Summary: A Book on Writing That's Fun and Inspiring to Read
Review: This is the first Stephen King book I've ever read. I was tremendously moved by the personal history he tells and thought it took a lot of guts for him to write it. But even more than that, it is a very down-to-earth guide to writing that is entertaining to read while offering very worthwhile advice. Like Bird by Bird, but more practical and concise. Outstanding!
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Summary: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Review: Wow! I could not put this book down until I have turned the last page and I still do walk with it. This book is now one of my "bibles" on the art and craft of writing. Stephen not only talks about his own writing and how he goes about it, he advises the beginning writer to "write every day no matter what." His account of the writing craft is both funny, sarcastic, witty and downright truthful. When I read the story of the author who was found sprawled out on his desk in despair because although he wrote only seven words, he did not know in which order they should go, I realized more than ever that I am not the first and certainly won't be the last of writer's who despair over their words. One of the other things Stephen mentioned is the undying love and respect he has for Tabiita which is by far a true plus. Thank you Stephen for handing me my very own secret weapon to writing. Bravo!
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