Book Review: On Writing
When I was a teenager, I picked up a copy of Stephen King’s Christine. I began reading and was instantly drawn to his writing style; there are very few that can create the images he creates with his words. By the time I finished the book, I was absolutely terrified of any old cars, and not just the 1958 Plymouth Fury. I slept with my light on for a couple weeks, all because the book scared the holy hell out of me.
When I finally came to the realization that Christine was fictional and wasn’t going to run me down in the middle of the street, I calmed down. And I thought, that was a damned good book! (Of course, as a 13-year-old, I didn’t say ‘damned’, but you get the idea). What impressed me the most was the fact that I, as the reader, was placed in every single scene. I mean, I could hear the ticking of Christine’s engine, could feel the cold leather of her bench seats, and smell the oil dripping from it’s underside. That is the beauty of Stephen King’s writing.
With the book, On Writing, King once again scores. There is no gore here; no scary thoughts. Well, except for one. If you want to be a writer, you must write. I am amazed at how many people, including myself, get hung up on this cardinal rule. This idea is pretty central in On Writing, and every bit of information that accompanies this central thought does an excellent job of supporting that theory.
On Writing is really two books in one: the first part being a semi-autobiographical account of how King honed his skills from a boy growing up in Maine to the writer he is today (and by today, I mean the year 2000). It is an interesting account; King uncovered his writing passion early and despite the rejections, kept writing. I think most writers can attest to this part; rejection is part of the game. But if writing is truly in your blood, truly something you dream, eat, and breathe for, then the rejection is not so bad.
The second part digs down into the nitty-gritty. There are certain things that writers need in order to write successfully. King does an excellent job of using his own experiences to dole out the wisdom of writing to those of us who aspire to become authors and novelists. This book helped me to build my ‘toolbox,’ and if even possible, become more and more committed to writing regularly.
The best piece of advice that I got from the book? Fear is at the root of bad writing. If a writer is timid, or writing for themselves, 9 out of 10 times the writing is going to suck, big time. If a writer writes for the pure enjoyment of it, for the state of euphoria they get from seeing words come together in sentences, the writing overcomes the fear, and wins.
My copy of On Writing, right now, is dog-eared and marked up with pencil and pen marks throughout. I purchased this book a month ago, and it has become one of those books that I keep on my desk, instead of propped up on my book shelf. The information contained is that valuable, that worthy.
If, however, you are looking for a book that gives you a step-by-step process to write the perfect novel, don’t read it. That is not what writing is about; each writer, if you ask them, has their own process, their own way of doing things that fits them and their personality. As a writer, you must decide what is best for you…and then just do it.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story, and to anyone who wants to be a writer. Like King says, “Writing is magic, as much as the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink.”¹
That pretty much sums it up.
Resources:
¹King, Stephen. (2000). On Writing. New York, NY: Pocket Books.
Tags: Book Review, On Writing, Stephen King
