On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Publisher: Scribner
Publication date: 2000
ISBN: 9781439156810
Source: Library
Acting as both a brief autobiography and as a guide for aspiring writers, King's book brings together anecdotes from his childhood and early career and tips for those seeking to get into writing.
Things I Liked:
I think this makes an appropriate NaNoWriMo book, for those who are trying to write a novel in a month (ok, confession: I'm unofficially trying this - yikes!) I really liked the sections on writing and the way King creates and crafts his works. I found a lot of what he said to be insightful and helpful for those struggling really in any part of the process from idea through revisions. Also, he really had a interestingly morbid childhood, which kind of explains some of his fascination with the macabre. Definitely a great book for anyone aspiring to write or just interested in improving their writing. I wish I'd written down more of his tips, but alas, I'll have to check it out again.
Things I Didn't Like:
It reminded me just why I'd never be interested in reading his books. I hate horror novels and some of his stories sound like they'd give me nightmares for weeks. Also, I really could have done without all the swearing. Yes, that's probably how he talks, but it would have been just as good with about 1/4 the number of f-words. I think a few of his tips or tricks might be a little outdated, possibly with the publishing contacts and stuff, but most of it will be true forever.
Read-alikes:
I've not read any other writing books, but try The Art of Fiction
by John Gardner or Aspects of the Novel
by E.M. Forster BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@#$%
lots and lots and lots of strong language (f-word all over)
mrg-factor: X
a little bit in passing
v-factor: ->
he does describe some of his books :)
Overall rating: ****
What are your writing book suggestions?
If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage
