On Writing

Rating:
Summary: On writing and reading and living
Review: Having never read a Stephen King book reading this one may seem an odd choice but some of my favorite movies were first King stories and his ability to tell a good story can hardly be questioned. In the last couple months I've gone through several books on writing as I recently decided to try practicing the craft. I thoroughly enjoyed reading "The First Five Pages" by Lukeman and "How to write a Damn Good Novel" by Frey because it seemed that the authors weren't just explaining things like a teacher would, instead they sounded as if they were talking to a friend.

King does that and more in this; I felt as if he was talking to me and that we were old friends.
It takes a lot of skill to be able to enchant a reader, King has that quality in the fiction genre, and for any wondering if it that quality carried over to this work of nonfiction I respond with a loud yes.

I recall my favorite childhood reading and the juvenile series "Alfred Hitchcock's The Three Investigators" comes to mind. As I grew a little older I read "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" several times and also got hooked on Robert Heinlein. I bring this up to mention that King talks about some of his early reading and how it effected him and his writing. I would suspect that few if any good writers didn't fall in love with fiction at an early age. He also mentions the importance of and how much he currently reads including a long list of books that he had read in the three or four previous years in an attempt to answer the question; "And what do you read?". Other than extreme jealously, I was also feeling a bit guilty about not reading as much as I should. I'd kill the tv if I could, he refers to it as the "glass teat" and I concur. I'd get rid of it but I'd have to throw the wife out too...

There is a lot of gold here and I give it a strong recommendation.

Rating:
Summary: Dark Side of the Womb
Review: To the casual reader, it would appear as if Stephen King had produced the lazy, indulgent book about his experiences as a writer that one would eventually expect from an author of his celebrity. However, the more alert purveyor of ON WRITING will realize that Mr. King is, not very arguably, the most celebrated and commercially successful author of the last 30 years, one who certainly knows the value of backstory, foreshadowing, characterization and plot, and that, if he's giving way to indulgences, there's an ulterior motive that eventually pays in practical dividends.

This book starts off with King's earliest memories, which begin when his and his brother Dave's father had just abandoned the family and his mother had to struggle through one move and menial job after another to support her two troublesome boys. Reading of King's misfortunes with cribbing a Poe story and passing it off as his own (the fact that Poe's work was obviously already in the public domain notwithstanding and irrelevant), writing for a homemade newspaper masterminded by his restless brother Dave and creating a satirical version of the high school paper makes one marvel at how writers of all levels of success have common experiences. While in junior high, I had excoriated the student body and faculty alike with a multi-page document that almost gotten me mauled by a frighteningly large gym teacher who was one of the subjects of my alleged wit but who was not frightening enough to quench my instinct for satire (King assures us that he was cured of the Petronius Arbiter Bug). Anyone who's ever wanted to hack into their job's mainframe and sabotage the company's online newsletter will understand exactly where King is coming from. When admitting that people tell every creative being, including himself, that they're wasting their talent, King is immediately sharing a bond among the community of not just writers but all artists in general. On the flip side, King is also careful to tell us of the pearls of practical and seminal wisdom that he had likewise learned from his elders, including his supportive, if sometimes bewildered, mother.

The book continues with Uncle Fazza's handmade toolbox, which King uses as a metaphor or synecdoche for the tools of the writer. King advises, as did his uncle who'd dragged the heavy wooden toolbox outside only to use a screwdriver to fix a screen, that it's a good habit to get into because you never know when you'll need other tools. His other advice, such as attacking the white page aggressively and with feeling, even desperation, is not as innovative as the reader would hope but there are countless other nuggets of wisdom for which workshop students would pay hundreds of dollars with perhaps half the wisdom. King even gives the reader and aspiring writer an intriguing writing exercise and invites them to tell him the results on www.stephenking.com. In this section, King also gives us an indication of how he can turn a mildly interesting headline into an interesting storyline into then a great storyline with a simple twist of perception or a reversal of the facts.

At the end of the book, King lets us look over his shoulder while he's in his "closed door", or first draft, phase. First, he presents a rough draft of a short story followed by a holograph of the revised copy, handwritten interlineations and all, giving us a keyhole glimpse into the workings of his creative mind, something for which most other authors have too much hubris. King, however, gives the reader the impression that his self-deprecation and lack of artistic seriousness and high mindedness is sincere and he lets us see him first thing in the morning, unshaven, hair mussed, still wearing his droopy socks and wrinkled underwear.

ON WRITING is not to be mistaken for an autobiography or as a textbook on the craft of writing. It is both and neither. King did a masterful job in inextricably entwining and perfectly balancing the relationship between life and writing that makes this book, in some ways moreso than his earlier DANSE MACABRE, an invaluable document for both the novice and seasoned pro alike. It is a short, inspiring and humorous literary autobiography that generously allows us to see what the NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW and King's publicity agent does not, the failings, foulups, and foibles of who is perhaps the most lionized author of modern times.

Rating:
Summary: Let's Be Writin'
Review: This book got me to write again. It is the best writing book I have ever read in my life, period. 1 part memoir, 1 part instructional guide to writing, A Memoir of the Craft inspires and teaches at the same time with a no [nonsense] approach that once again inspired me to write again. It worked. Read this book.

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Summary: For those who love to read and/or desire to write--
Review: Except for the chapter about finding a publisher, the advice in this book can be applied to both an avid reader who will never attempt to publish and the new writer. My favorite piece of advice in this book is to read really good books and really bad books and read a lot of both. There are so many other pieces of advice for those who love to read and for those who want to write. I own both the unabridged CD and book (both are excellent). Learn about Stephen King--learn about writing.

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Summary: A glimmer of faith
Review: This is my first Stephen King book because I avoid horror novels. A friend recommended it to me and I was blown away. Not only did I get a well-crafted window into King's life, and a writing lesson that left me panting to write, but I also found a glimmer of faith in his writing as well. King writes like he wants to be my friend. Thank you, Stephen.

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Summary: This is why Stephen King is one of our favoirte authors
Review: On Writing is concise, interesting, informative and motivational. Instead of the usual lengthy autobiography, King centers his story on the pieces of his life that affected his writing ability. Next, King offers advice on writing, gives references on where to find more tips and information and even manages to inspire. The most amazing thing about this book is that Stephen King can even make a lesson on grammar fascinating.

Rating:
Summary: A must read for aspiring writers...
Review: This review is coming from someone who is not a Stephen King fan and let me tell you that this book is excellent. I'm enjoying every page. In fact, I'm reading it as slowly as possible to savor King's insight. He describes writing in a simple and direct way that is very profound. This is the best book I've bought in the past six months.

Rating:
Summary: ONE OF, IF NOT THE BEST IN THIS GENRE
Review: This Stephen King book is a must read for anyone wanting to write. This is an unusual recommendation from me, for I have never read one of Mr. King's novels. (His work is typically in a genre I avoid) but if "On Writing" is typical of his work, I may have to try a couple of his books. Even if you hate King's books, his advice is impossible to ignore, because it is coming from a man who has sold millions of books, so obviously he knows what he is talking about. About half this book is an autobiography, in which King talks about his life, his problems with alcohol and drugs, and the debt he owes to his wife (and fellow novelist) Tabitha,('Tabby' as he refers to her.) This takes roughly half the book, and his advice on writing is the other half.(The final chapters deal with his almost fatal accident in '99...) The 'how to write' portion is something like 150 pages but King crams more useful info in those 150 pages than many books of this nature twice as long, and since he IS Stephen King, he makes it stick. You also get an impression of man who, despite his success, still doesn't take himself too seriously, King defintely has a sense of humor...Wehn speaking of bad books, he says, "I should know. After all I'm the author of "Maximum Overdrive." (or words to that effect. the 'Overdrive' book apparently was not one of his better workds, as I said, I haven't read him..)If you want to write, or if you are a Stephen King fan who just wants to know more about your favorite author, you MUST have this book

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Summary: An Accident leads to the birth of this amazing book
Review: In June 1999, Stephen King met with an accident. Having stared at death right in the face, a lot of things came into perspective for this best-selling author. Among them, was a desire to complete his half-finished manuscripts. And so, On Writing was born.

King takes us on a journey through his childhood. The mischief, the romance, the tragedy, and the writing. He inspires the reader by talking about his childhood, fond memories of his brother, his mother who died of cancer, and his wife, who like him aspired to become a writer.

King especially talks about his life with Tabitha King, his wife, who helped him through all the rough phases of his life. When he had an alcohol problem, and was seriously in need of help, Tabitha King forced him to make the decision of whether he wanted family or what the bottomless bottle held inside it.

When King threw out the half-written manuscript of 'Carrie', she fished it out from the trash, and urged him to go on. It became his first published novel, and his ticket to fame.

The second half of the book is advice for writers. And the invaluable advice that King gives would be a boon for any writer who dreams of getting published. For novice to professional, he's got something for everyone. His cool, relaxed voice makes the reader personally connect to him. He offers crisp, clear advice that any writer would appreciate.

Finally, he talks about the life-changing accident, and how in spite of everything, he managed to make it through to the other side.

A must-have for every writer, and an excellent read, On Writing, is one of the best books written on the subject of writing. Stephen King's memoirs add to the charm of making it an absolutely essential book in the reader's and the writer's library.

Stephen King's 'On Writing', took a long time in the coming. But it was worth the wait.

Rating:
Summary: A Great Motivational Book for College Writers
Review: I use this book as the first reading assignment in my university composition classes, and my students always react very positively to it although I do forewarn them about some of King's profane language, even though many of them use the same language in private conversations. Our classroom discussions are lively, humorous, and thought-provoking, for most of my students are amazed that reading and writing can be rewarding. Most, I am sorry to say, were able to graduate from public schools-in every socioeconomic neighbor-without being required to read more than one or two books during their twelve-year tenure, nor were they usually required to write more than 500 words on any given assignment. King's book provides these novice readers and writers universal truths about writing, but because the information is coming from a published and popular writer, they absorb and accept those truths: good writing requires reading, reading, and more reading combined with writing, writing, and more writing. Stephen King's book makes the rest of my semester so much easier, for when I discuss revisions and other steps in the writing process, my students understand and accept the value of each. Thank you, Stephen King.