On Writing: A Memoir of The Craft ☑️ Recommended Book
On Writing Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This non-fiction memoir of the famous horror writer Stephen King is an interesting and informative read. The book is broken up into distinct parts that all relate to the craft of writing fiction but deal with different aspects of King’s life and how writing has influenced or impacted him in various ways. The first part is what he refers to as his C.V. (a resume of sorts) and is a much better account of King’s younger years then I’ve read or watched over the years. (Although the Biography channel’s episode on King is quite good.) It is the kind of information that would appeal to an aspiring writer as well as an avid fan because he talks about his inspiration, his goals, and his challenges with regards to writing starting from very young age. What surprised me a little was that King tells these stories with quite a lot of humour embedded; there were laugh out loud moments that got me strange looks from the people around me. The man is funny; I didn’t know that.
The second part of the book deals with the mechanics of being a writer and in King’s opinion, what it takes to be a good writer. He is confident in his knowledge and opinionated in his assertions even to the extent of using examples from other author’s works both good and bad to highlight a particular point. Although I don’t necessarily agree with everything he has to say, there some rules he insists on that make him sound preachy and outdated, as an aspiring writer myself I did find inspiration and encouragement in this book. There were times where I was torn between reading on and setting the book down to do some writing, because if you’re not writing then how can you call yourself a serious writer? I believe it is a “must read” for anyone even toying with the idea of chasing the dream of publication.
There is also a third part worth mentioning related to the car accident that nearly killed King in 1999. It was very interesting to hear his account of what happened when he was struck by a car while out for a walk. His account carried with it a valuable lesson about writing as well; it can help get things back into perspective, give you a kind of mental home to return to when everything has been lost and keep you going even when the worst of situations has sent you off course. If you are truly a writer, a serious writer, you should read this book.
ISBN-10 1982159375
ISBN-13 978-1982159375
Publisher: Scribner
On Writing Release Date: October 3, 2000
320 pages
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