On Writing

On Writing by Stephen King (2000) This book is subtitled “A Memoir of the Craft” and is part memoir and part advice for young, new, or aspiring writers, as well as people like me, old, old, aspiring writers. There is a lot of plain advice in this book, stuff you might get from other books about writing, or good teachers of writing. Some of it is stuff I learned and forgot. You've got to keep relearning that stuff, like with any other activity, like brain surgery or baking—though, unlike, apparently, riding a bike. Besides this advice, and nuts and bolts stuff, he also talks about why he started writing, how things happened for him, his writing habits, and most significant of all, I feel, the joy he gets from it. Relating all this stuff—in writing, naturally—is easy to understand and compelling to read. I guess there's a reason he sells so many books—he's a really good writer. Also, pretty likable. That shouldn't be surprising necessarily, except that many, many people who are even near his level of success and wealth seem to be raging assholes. Oh, and the last part of the book is his account of this terrible accident he was in, and how it affected him. It sounds like he's lucky to be alive, and grateful to be alive, and grateful for all his success, too. I've never read a novel by Stephen King (generally horror is not my thing—I mean, it's not, at all), but I might read one now. I was happy to read this book, found it helpful and inspirational.