On Writing

Rating:
Summary: Blah blah blah blah blah
Review: Just goes on and on about his childhood.

The guy's got a lot of nerve selling us a book designed to make us better writers, and then writing on and on about his childhood.

The stories are "wonder years"'ish except not as exciting.

Just blah blah blah

I've only finished half of it but so far it's been utter torture.

Rating:
Summary: A book about nothing?
Review: [e-mail]: Does Stephen King really expect anyone to believe that his books have no plot? There is very little of this Seinfeldian approach to writing in his work. All have an important plot that often keep the reader awake at night. His character developement is the key to his success and one would have to look to someone like Steinbeck to find an equal.

The greatest part about this book and his Danse Macabre is the feeling that he is a friend, and reading the book, you are simply listening to a friend.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful work
Review: I have only read half of Stephen King's The Stand; nevertheless I was reeled in by the wonderful excerpt on the back cover of the book and picked it up at my first opportunity. On Writing is a fantastic work which should be read by anyone who loves the art of reading and writing.

Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable read for those interested in fiction writing
Review: Stephen King has put together an honest, useful and entertaining 'memoir' on his experience along the life path of a writer. The initial autobiographical section is entertaining and indicates to me that Stephen King is a truely gifted writer -stepping out of his element as a horror/fiction writer and still creating an engaging page-turner of a story impressed me. There is also a helpful section of some basic do's and don'ts of fiction writing, as well as some pointers on starting points for getting published. There is a final section where he goes into the details of his recent run in with a Van in back country Maine which emphasized how writing can be a salve for those who truely have a passion for the craft.

Honest and entertaining, On Writing is an intelligent yet non-arrogant intro to the life of a fiction writer.

Rating:
Summary: Constant Reader Review
Review: Stephen King's, On Writing, Is the most interesting piece of work I have read in a long time. I have been a Constant Reader most of my life and finally there is a glimpse in to this brilliant mind.

I found this work to be most satisfying. This book gives the reader a picture of what life is like for Mr. King. He has great insight on how writing should be done. He did not go into detail with the boring aspects of grammar and gave insight on how to be an author of fine fiction. Even if you do not have any aspirations on being a writer, it still gives you an idea of how he writes.

For any Constant Reader of Stephen King, this book is a must read. My favorite aspects of the book is how he came up with his ideas for books like Carrie and The Shining. Also, how he struggled with writer's block while writing The Stand (My Favorite). I recommend this book to anyone who is a Constant Reader of Stephen King.

Rating:
Summary: King an Excellent Teacher
Review: I've just finished reeading Stephen King's On Writing. What an amazing book. Not only is this a memoir of King's life but a complete, though brief, guide to the whole novel writing process. King discusses character and plot, paragraph development, and basic grammer (to name a few). He gives advice on extra help, (The Elments of style, Strunk & White), and even sample writing to correct, which can be submitted on his website. It's an exciting, interesting, and quick read, (I finished in three days). You hear King's voice throughout the whole novel as if he were teaching a creative writing class. Not only will Stephen King fans love this book, but aspiring novelists, and writers alike. I reccomend tis book to any fan of reading or writing.

Rating:
Summary: Inspiring
Review: This book is delightful. King not only talks to you in a very down-to-earth manner, he makes the task of writing (which is like pulling teeth for some) appear as something more like a fun hobby or a relaxing pastime. Indeed, it is his favorite. He gives insightful information on events in his life (which in some way influenced him) as well as offers his own method for writing. He makes it quite clear that writing is a service, not a chore. He prepares the reader well, rendering him/her excited, anxious to write, even if he/she has never really written before (like myself). This book is short and an easy-read. Read it if you're a King fan and you're curious as to how the man does it, or read it (especially) if you're an aspiring writer.

Rating:
Summary: Anyone can write, says Stephen!
Review: Well, not exactly anyone, but it sure seems that the prolific "everyman" writer Mr. King does empower us all to grab a pen or a keyboard and make a go of it. The portioin of the book devoted to King's upbringing and book ideas is fun, sometimes humorous, but relatively banal compared to the "guts" of On Writing. That latter 1/2 is a plain brown wrapper full of great ideas, motivating thoughts, and a touch of reassurance. Unlike most "How to Write a Besteseller" books, many of which make the bestseller sound like a recipe for Grandma's Hard Cider, Stephen's says to, essentially, go for it. The most startling revelation is his dislike of "plotting".... he suggests simple letting the story develop itself, based on your "FEEL" for how it would play out in real life. Interject some action, write it well (lest one forget the meticulous errors of good scribe that King nails down for us... thank you), and vavoom, even you can write a book.

We doggie, I would jot more ditties about this trashy little pulp called "on Writing", but I am off to the keyboard. See you on the bestseller's list.

Rating:
Summary: Words of wisdom from the master of horror
Review: This memoir not only encouraged me in my writing efforts, it also revived my respect for Mr. King as a writer. I think most people - critics especially - see his novels as little more than popular "fluff" unworthy of serious consideration or discussion. Perhaps they think he "cranks them out" without any thought or consideration or craft. Perhaps I, too, thought the same but I don't anymore and the reason is that in this book, Mr. King opens his mind up to the reader and shows him or her how writing - HIS writing specifically - gets done. It's not magic; it doesn't happen when you sit around wishing it would happen or daydreaming about hitting the Best Seller list. It's craft, pure and simple, - craft, hard work and "doing the time" behind the desk or the computer or the legal pad.

I think it's also good for the reader of Mr. King's memoir to know the author's forthright opinions. He doesn't hold back on anything, from reading "The Elements of Style" by Strunk & White (and what benefits one will gain from doing so) to saying bluntly, "If you want to write, you do what you have to do to get the writing done."

Additionally, the book is an excellent (albeit short) autobiography of the writer himself. It made me think back on my childhood days and wonder, "What made me want to write or start to write those many years ago?"

Highly recommended for writers and non-writers alike.

Rating:
Summary: Not for the faint of heart
Review: I'll keep it short and try to be sweet: if you want helpful, therapeutic writing exercises, if you want an abstract lesson on creativity, this may not be the book for you. But I've got a shelf full of books of tricks, and my writing is none the better for them. I'll do an exercise or two, and continue with my morning (or afternoon, or sometimes even evening) pages, but the bottom line is that I'm still not writing the fiction I want to write. The stories are stuck, and the books and exercises don't touch why that might be.

But "On Writing" is not your average writing about writing. It operates differently on my mind; it puts me at center stage, and makes me into a writer, instead of some passive channel for a higher power. It takes the artistic truism about sacrificing life on the altar of art and reverses it, insisting that art support life, instead of the other way around. And then Mr. King gets right in my face and insists that there, buried right in my heart, is a story, quite possibly a novel, just waiting to be exhumed. Quite the terrifying thought; far scarier than ghosts and ghouls.

If you like King's writing, get the book for the stories he uses it to tell. If you want to write and can't figure out why you're not doing it, buy it (or borrow it) and let it inspire you. I say so for selfish reasons; in five or ten years, I want to read the writing that might result.