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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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Summary: King should have done things differently
Review: 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.
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Summary: The Master Magician Shows Us How He Does It
Review: In the spirit of Mr. King's admonition to follow Rule 17 of Strunk & White's Elements Of Style ("Omit needless words"), I'll try to keep this brief. Two main points, then: 1) THIS IS NOT A WORK OF FICTION. If you're purchasing this thinking it's Stephen King's new novel or short story collection, you will probably be disappointed. Which brings me to my next point. 2) Just because this isn't fiction doesn't mean it's not worth reading. No, sirree. Actually, it's one of only two or three King books that I read more or less in a sitting (the other two, I believe, were Carrie and Cycle Of The Werewolf). That's partly because it's so brief (less than 300 pages), & parly because I found it absolutely fascinating. If you're someone who doesn't want to know how the magician does his tricks, or how the magician became a magician, you'll probably want to steer clear of this one. Me, I'm always intrigued by that stuff. I loved On Writing. If you're like me, & want to know how one of our finest writers does what he does (& how, perhaps, to do it yourself), do yourself a favor & pick this one up.
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Summary: Surprising!
Review: Several things in this work caught my attention. 1) Stephen King is funny: he could've easily been a humour author and done just as well. 2) He doesn't believe in plot. Instead, he place real-to-life people in strange circumstances and let's the story unfold. 3) He opened my eyes to theme like no one else has. The first part of the book are parts of his life that he believes shaped him as a writer. The success story of it all is amazing and you see just how different a life Mr. King could've lived had his wife not dug through the trash (get the book, the story is great). In the 2nd part he gives his views on writing. These are priceless. Some of the stuff you've probably read before but King legitimizes it: he tells why he believes that. I briefly considered giving the book 4 stars because King believes that the genius writers are born not made. But, I decided not to because its an opinion that doesn't affect the real content of the book or his approach to teaching. I'll probably read this several times as I continue my writing.
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Summary: The Building Blocks of a Career in Fiction
Review: Every course I ever took about writing discouraged me from writing fiction. The process described seemed unnatural, uninteresting, and unbelievably complex. So I became a nonfiction writer. Mr. Stephen King's memoir and observations about his methods has totally turned that around. He proposes a method that works much like the way I write nonfiction. Following his advice, I feel like I can create and enjoy creating novels now. That is a wonderful gift, and I appreciate the insights very much. I also wondered how a novelist goes from aspiring to full-time writer. The detailed descriptions here gave me many "ah-ha" experiences. Mr. King's horrible accident made me curious about how his recovery was going. I was fascinated by the long postscript that describes how the "writing" part of the memoir was written during his painful rehabilitation and mending. This book should be read by everyone who loves fiction writing, whether as a reader or a writer. If salty language bothers you, that will be a drawback. I deliberately listened to the unabridged audiocassette so that I could hear the nuances of meaning from his voice and timing. I'm glad I did. Mr. King's great strength is that he tells it like it is, and does so as simply as possible. His description of letting a novel tell itself through the characters, starting from a fascinating situation, struck me as an enormous insight. In nonfiction, the equivalent is to start with a painful problem that almost everyone has. Then tell stories that take the reader inside the solution. Be honest and genuine in how you do it. I suddenly realized that nonfiction writers have an advantage because we can test our stories with those who lived them. The fiction writers have to use their own mental ear and those of readers to do the same thing. After you finish reading this book, you definitely should try out his suggestion to write a thousand words a day. I know it sounds like a lot, but your speed and facility will rapidly increase. And it really does feel like being more alive! Tell the truth!
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Summary: Funny in the beginning,preachy in middle and boring last
Review: King was at his funniest in the beginning when he mentioned yarking as he put it when he ate too many fried eggs as a kid I did feel extremely angry that he was one of those kids that tormented kids like Sandra and others that resembled Carrie White I can understand her and pity her,but I don't find her unlikable. Shame on you Steve. As for his addictions to alchol and drugs,I don't see how his wife put up with him for so long. I would have kicked this lazy,overbearing control freak out on his butt the first thing. Woman must be a saint to put up with that crap.
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Summary: On Writing is On Target
Review: If you have no interest in writing, you will probably get very little from this book. It will offer insight into King's accident in June 1999 and how it has impacted his life and work, but little else will interest you.
However, if writing is your bag, "On Writing," by Stephen King, contains a great deal of valuable advice. He pulls you away from the technique and into the mindset of a writer during the first section. Much of this is a memoir on his life, but there is a great deal that an inexperienced writer can draw from. If nothing else, you will marvel at King's humble beginnings and gain faith that if you are good, you can succeed. He will also inspire you to draw upon your experience. The second section reveals King's view of what writing is. This is a download of what the craft means to him as an individual. This may vary in impact for the reader, depending on how close his vision is to yours, but at minimum it offers a chance to peek into the mind of a legend. This is the kind of thinking that got him where he is today. The third section is the technical stuff, conversational Strunk and White (which he cites often). This material can never be repeated too many times to writers, and it offers insight and suggestions for work habits. It is very clear in this section that writing is as much a part of life as breathing for Stephen King. Overall, "On Writing" is valuable to anyone pursuing the craft. It reads like a lecture from a master writer, and its insightful, personal prose is sure to be cited for years to come.
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Summary: Okay for Stephen King Fans, But Don't Expect Too Much
Review: Stephen King has provided me with immense reading pleasure for more than twenty-five years. I remember first reading him while I was a graduate student in Ireland. I always loved horror, the macabre, and other ghoulish tales, so when I saw a paperback copy of "Salem's Lot" in a department store bookstand on O'Connell Street, I quickly bought it and spent a day in my room reading it beginning to end. I read "Carrie" shortly after that and even saw the heavily edited version of the movie in Dublin, where censors savagely brought scissors to celluloid. I became, in short, a Stephen King fan. After returning to the States, I continued as an avid King reader. The timing was usually convenient, since paperback editions of his novels appeared in the bookstores just around the time I was finishing my graduate school exams, or embarking on a summer vacation when I began working for a living, and provided a convenient escape from reality. I vividly remember, for example, lying in bed, the covers up to my chin, reading "The Shining" alone in the dark New York City night in my studio apartment. I still regard "The Shining" as King's finest novel. Over the years, I've continued to read and enjoy Stephen King, avoiding only his fantasy works (such as "The Dark Tower"). King knows how to tell a story and his ability to weave contemporary culture into his fiction is unsurpassed. He is, in short, one of the best of this generation's popular writers even though his work has often been relegated to the horror genre. Having read most of King's published fiction, I looked forward to reading "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft", hoping to gain insight into King's approach to writing and an understanding of how some of his novels have been written. I was, unfortunately, disappointed. "On Writing" is generally broken into four parts. The first part, covering approximately the first half of the book, is a loosely organized autobiographical sketch of King's life. For someone who has followed King's career, there is little new here and it's only value is as another short riff on King's life. The second part of the book, covering most of the second half of the book, provides King's insights on writing. King has little new to offer and, frankly, his suggestions are of little value to anyone who has actually engaged in the writing trade. It is helpful, if at all, only to the neophyte who has little or no knowledge of writing or useful writers' references (such as Strunk and White). The remaining two short sections contain a narrative of King's near-fatal 1999 accident (which has been published elsewhere) and a short section illustrating the rewrite of one of King's stories. If you're a Stephen King fan, then "On Writing" is probably worth the short investment of time it takes to read this somewhat disjointed book. If you're not, don't judge King by this book and don't expect to learn much about the craft of writing. It's an interesting insight into the author, but not an interesting insight into the author's craft.
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Summary: Absolute Perfection
Review: One part autobiography, one part writing guide. Stephen King answers the questions that most of his readers ask, like, "Where do you get your ideas?" A very good mix. If you would like background information about one of today's best authors, as well as a guide to make a good writer great, this is the book to read!
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Summary: Reviewed by WritersWeekly.com
Review: From 05/16/01 issue of WritersWeekly.com: Stephen King's On Writing is out in paperback, so I picked up a copy. After reading the last paragraph of page 20 out loud to Ali and Zach (ages 10 and 14), they started arguing over who gets to read the book next. I couldn't read it to Frank (age 8) because I didn't want to give him any ideas. The first part of the book is gut-tickling entertainment and the last part is Stephen's own hints on how to be a writer...a GOOD writer. I'm thoroughly enjoying it and I highly recommend you pick up a copy. It's worth every penny. I think if he'd not been a horror author, he'd have been a comedian. -Angela Adair-Hoy, WritersWeekly.com
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