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peterplaysguitar 's review for:
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
by Stephen King
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Recommended if you like: Creative writing; Insider information; Folksy, emotional, and funny memoirs
Avoid if you dislike: Crass language; Non-fiction; Writing advice
This book may turn out to be one of the best decisions I ever made when it comes to my hobby of creative writing. The worst decision I’ve made (so far) is waiting so long to read this thing. Calling this either a memoir or a writing manual is simply false. It’s both, and still more.
Imagine you’re sitting on a beach chair facing the ocean, sipping a cocktail with nothing on your schedule except to relax, and you look to your left and realize the guy sitting next to you is Stephen fucking King. You strike up a conversation and he accepts, being in a good mood as he is, and over the next few hours proceeds to tell you about his struggles growing up, how he broke into the writing business, and every bit of advice he can think to share about his livelihood (most of which is pretty solid). This is how On Writing reads. It’s folksy, honest, and drips with that personable, blunt charm of King for which so many either adore or despise him.
King doesn’t hold back when sharing his opinions, whether the topic is bad writers, the state of the entertainment industry, or the man who almost killed him with a van. My feeling while reading was, “damn, King is a really interesting guy, but I think he would hate me if we met.” And that’s fine. You may come to realize while reading this book that you lack the discipline, intelligence, or self-awareness that King claims a writer needs to succeed. If you’re trying to become a professional writer, that may be a gut punch. But King also offers some very useful tools and motivation for those who want them. Just don’t expect them to be set in front of you on a silver platter. King is more of a “here, catch!” type of guy.
If you have even a passing interest in writing, you must read this book. Skip over the sections about finding an agent and submitting manuscripts if you aren’t trying to get published. There’s more than enough to help and entertain you, no matter what your level of interest is in the craft.
Avoid if you dislike: Crass language; Non-fiction; Writing advice
This book may turn out to be one of the best decisions I ever made when it comes to my hobby of creative writing. The worst decision I’ve made (so far) is waiting so long to read this thing. Calling this either a memoir or a writing manual is simply false. It’s both, and still more.
Imagine you’re sitting on a beach chair facing the ocean, sipping a cocktail with nothing on your schedule except to relax, and you look to your left and realize the guy sitting next to you is Stephen fucking King. You strike up a conversation and he accepts, being in a good mood as he is, and over the next few hours proceeds to tell you about his struggles growing up, how he broke into the writing business, and every bit of advice he can think to share about his livelihood (most of which is pretty solid). This is how On Writing reads. It’s folksy, honest, and drips with that personable, blunt charm of King for which so many either adore or despise him.
King doesn’t hold back when sharing his opinions, whether the topic is bad writers, the state of the entertainment industry, or the man who almost killed him with a van. My feeling while reading was, “damn, King is a really interesting guy, but I think he would hate me if we met.” And that’s fine. You may come to realize while reading this book that you lack the discipline, intelligence, or self-awareness that King claims a writer needs to succeed. If you’re trying to become a professional writer, that may be a gut punch. But King also offers some very useful tools and motivation for those who want them. Just don’t expect them to be set in front of you on a silver platter. King is more of a “here, catch!” type of guy.
If you have even a passing interest in writing, you must read this book. Skip over the sections about finding an agent and submitting manuscripts if you aren’t trying to get published. There’s more than enough to help and entertain you, no matter what your level of interest is in the craft.