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Stephen King's "On Writing"

Chilari

Staff
Moderator
I skipped the whole first half about his life except a few paragraphs. The useful half however ...

Don't write off the first half as not being useful just because it's a memoir rather than a manual. It's worth reading, not least because it's well written. It acts as a reminder that this journey to become a great writer starts slowly, that you can't expect to break into the big leagues without a lot of hard work. But there are also little snippets, little things he says about life in general or writing, that get you thinking (or at least, got me thinking) - almost off-hand comments which, if you let them, can help change the attitude you have when writing.
 
Don't write off the first half as not being useful just because it's a memoir rather than a manual. It's worth reading, not least because it's well written. It acts as a reminder that this journey to become a great writer starts slowly, that you can't expect to break into the big leagues without a lot of hard work. But there are also little snippets, little things he says about life in general or writing, that get you thinking (or at least, got me thinking) - almost off-hand comments which, if you let them, can help change the attitude you have when writing.

Yeah the first half was of more use to me than the actual writing guide. Though I'm not trying to discredit the information he provides in the guide. It's still important. However, I find that a writer's life can tell more about their writing than the actual writing, and I take advice from life stories and experiences. In my opinion, Stephen King is one of the greatest writers ever, and his experiences and stories helped me understand that writing is never about the act of writing. It's about discovering something about yourself and being someone other than who you are. We spend a lot of time doing this. For some of us, it's merely a hobby. For others, it's much more than that. It's a way of life and a means of escape. That's what memoir part taught me. And if you ask me, that's the most important lesson I took away from that book.
 
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