Stephen King On Writing
Stephen King On Writing by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Let’s get one thing clear right now, shall we? There is no Idea Dump, no Story central, no Island of the Buried Bestsellers; good story ideas seem to come quite literally from nowhere, sailing at you right out of the empty sky…” (37).
I picked up On Writing by Stephen King because when I looked up “best books on writing,” it was the most commonly suggested. I wasn’t sure if it would help; I write in the women’s fiction genre, a bit different from King’s genre to say the least. However, I thought I would give it a try. After all, I figured King had something to say about writing since he is so successful.
This book is, in actuality, a godsend. King’s frank, no fluff approach is direct and helpful. He gave me many things to think about as a new author. I love how he covered his own path to writing in the beginning of the book. He talks about all of his rejections and how rocky his start was in writing. This gave me hope for my own career. He also talks about the idea of the writer’s toolbox. He gives his ideas on everything from character development to description. I definitely learned many things that I will be applying when I write my next novel. I especially liked how he wrote, “Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.” This is an interesting approach to description in which King talks about not overdoing it; by giving only the necessary details about a character or scene, you enhance the opportunity for the reader to connect. I had never thought about it like this.
King unapologetically gives his strong opinions on what works and what doesn’t. There are some elements I disagree with. There are times that King comes off as a bit arrogant in his approach to writing; however, with his success in writing, I suppose he has a right to be a bit overly confident. Nonetheless, I would like to see recognition from him that his approach is not the end all, be all of writing.
Despite this criticism, the overall book is an insightful look into the mind of a successful writer. King helped me think about focusing on the storyline, overcoming rejection, and the true meaning of being a writer. I love his quote that says that writing “is about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well.”
I would recommend this book if you are considering a writing career or have one in the works. This book, at the very least, will help you determine your own writing philosophies and strengthen some of your writing skills.
