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Sunday, September 24, 2023

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King

On Writing: A Memoir of the CraftOn Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are many books about writing, some describing "how to" (with step-by-step rules), others more along the line of "how I did it," and some that fall somewhere in-between. If one were to choose which of these books to buy, whether for inspiration, as a guide, or simply to enjoy, which would be the best to buy?

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King is one of the two best books about writing that I have found. (The other is Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.) On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is part memoir (obviously), part guide to writing, and fully enjoyable, with useful information.

The first section deals with Stephen King's journey into writing. It is interesting reading, especially for anyone who wants to delve into this master story-teller's background. At one point, he mentions being totally frustrated with writing, throwing out what he had written for his first book. Thank goodness, his wife found the pages, read them, and encouraged King to continue writing. (Thanks, Tabitha!) He goes on to tell selling Carrie, including the advance for the paperback sale, which allowed him to leave his job (teaching), and writing full-time.

The second part of the book is a guide to writing. Whether one is planning to write full-time or not, it is definitely worth reading. There is no frilliness, nothing to distract, just simply great advice, skillfully written.

For anyone looking for a book about writing, or simply looking for the next good read, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King is well worth the time.

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