On Writing by Stephen King
Written by Ashley Kelmore, Posted in Reviews
Four Stars
I didn’t realize that Stephen King had written a book on writing until someone in a class mentioned how much she loved it. I picked it up and I definitely enjoyed it, and recommend it to those who are interested in writing.
It focuses mostly on fiction, but I think the tips he offers are relevant to folks like me, who are mostly all about that non-fiction writing. The book starts with a brief memoir of his life in writing, starting as a very young kid. It then moves into more practical suggestions, although it never veers into textbook terriroty. Finally, it ends with a chapter that discusses the time he was nearly killed by a distracted driver, and how he was able to write as he recovered.
I like a lot of his suggestions about time management, and about what it takes to be a competent writer. He’s very realistic in his assessment that you can’t make a good writer great, and you can’t make a bad writer competent, but you can make a competent writer good.
One thing I realized as I finished this book is that it was the first Stephen King book I’d ever read. I’ve seen the Shining and Shawshank Redemption, but never read a word of his fiction. So at the airport yesterday I picked up one of his novels. Guys, I don’t know if you know, but this King guy can write.
