On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
I've never been fond of Stephen King's works.
That's not to say I don't have tremendous respect for the man. Heck, I'm green with envy over his success. I'm not quite as envious over his scriptwriting career, but that's still more produced scripts than I have (0). There are exactly two stories I've read that I actually enjoyed: the short story "The Cat from Hell" and the novel "The Eyes of the Dragon." A lot of people have read "The Eyes of the Dragon," so I won't dwell on it other than to say that it's a fantasy novel and not a bad one at that.
Virtually no one has heard of "The Cat from Hell," which I stumbled across as a child looking for short stories about fantastic characters. Boy did I get one, a terrifying tale of an assassin hired to execute a cute little kitty that turns out to be far more dangerous than anyone could ever imagine. I don't think Mr. King doesn't like cats.
Anyway, what I've since read from King since often seemed like it meandered. Where "The Cat from Hell" was a tight, gripping story, there has since been a lot of farting, nose picking, and other silliness interspersed through King's novels that turn me off. It's like a kid making farting sounds with his armpit during a scary movie...hard to be scared when someone's giggling behind you.
On Writing explains King's approach and more. It also sums up a lot of King's life, a life that would make exceptionally fertile material for his later horror movies. Most significantly, the book is refreshingly honest. King doesn't think his works are masterpieces, but he does believe he is an artist and a successful one. He talks about it like it is, explaining what it takes to be a writer and more significantly, what will make you a GOOD writer. King has little respect for writing classes. In fact, one could argue On Writing is the first and last book anyone needs about writing.
For King, the most important aspect of writing is telling the truth: about oneself, about what you know, about whom you know, and how you know it. His clear-minded approach cuts through the usual claptrap about high art, English teacher sophisms, and notions about what it means to be a "success." King really gives it his all, baring his heart and soul and admitting to some very nasty things in his life that nearly ended his career.
Then King was hit by a van.
That last chapter is riveting, not the least of which is because it is as if the book's wisdom is put to the test. King, in detail that only he can describe, explains just what happened. And it all seems a lot like his novels, a real life horror story.
The highest compliment I can give this book is that it sent me straight back to my writing, the "closed door" kind, the kind written for the Ideal Reader, the kind that is what I know not what I think I should know.
King inspires prospective authors to write the Truth. And that's more valuable than all his other books put together.
That's not to say I don't have tremendous respect for the man. Heck, I'm green with envy over his success. I'm not quite as envious over his scriptwriting career, but that's still more produced scripts than I have (0). There are exactly two stories I've read that I actually enjoyed: the short story "The Cat from Hell" and the novel "The Eyes of the Dragon." A lot of people have read "The Eyes of the Dragon," so I won't dwell on it other than to say that it's a fantasy novel and not a bad one at that.
Virtually no one has heard of "The Cat from Hell," which I stumbled across as a child looking for short stories about fantastic characters. Boy did I get one, a terrifying tale of an assassin hired to execute a cute little kitty that turns out to be far more dangerous than anyone could ever imagine. I don't think Mr. King doesn't like cats.
Anyway, what I've since read from King since often seemed like it meandered. Where "The Cat from Hell" was a tight, gripping story, there has since been a lot of farting, nose picking, and other silliness interspersed through King's novels that turn me off. It's like a kid making farting sounds with his armpit during a scary movie...hard to be scared when someone's giggling behind you.
On Writing explains King's approach and more. It also sums up a lot of King's life, a life that would make exceptionally fertile material for his later horror movies. Most significantly, the book is refreshingly honest. King doesn't think his works are masterpieces, but he does believe he is an artist and a successful one. He talks about it like it is, explaining what it takes to be a writer and more significantly, what will make you a GOOD writer. King has little respect for writing classes. In fact, one could argue On Writing is the first and last book anyone needs about writing.
For King, the most important aspect of writing is telling the truth: about oneself, about what you know, about whom you know, and how you know it. His clear-minded approach cuts through the usual claptrap about high art, English teacher sophisms, and notions about what it means to be a "success." King really gives it his all, baring his heart and soul and admitting to some very nasty things in his life that nearly ended his career.
Then King was hit by a van.
That last chapter is riveting, not the least of which is because it is as if the book's wisdom is put to the test. King, in detail that only he can describe, explains just what happened. And it all seems a lot like his novels, a real life horror story.
The highest compliment I can give this book is that it sent me straight back to my writing, the "closed door" kind, the kind written for the Ideal Reader, the kind that is what I know not what I think I should know.
King inspires prospective authors to write the Truth. And that's more valuable than all his other books put together.
Labels: Books, Non-Fiction
posted by talien | 5:40 PM
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