At the end he relives a recent bone-crushing accident, precipitated by a character right out of one of his own novels. I enjoyed this book thoroughly, and took my time reading it. The first is that good writing consists of mastering the fundamentals (vocabulary, grammar, the elements of style) and then filling the third level of your toolbox with the right instruments. help you understand the book. Without one of each, no group of words can be a sentence, since a sentence is, by definition, a group of words containing a subject (noun) and a predicate (verb); these strings of words begin with a capital letter, end with a period, and combine to make a complete thought which starts in the writer’s head and then leaps to the reader’s.”, “Take any noun, put it with any verb, and you have a sentence. It never fails. He gives you a whole writer's "tool kit": a reading list, writing assignments, a corrected story, and nuts-and-bolts advice on dollars and cents, plot and character, the basic building block of the paragraph, and literary models.

For any writer, but for the beginning writer in particular, it’s wise to eliminate every possible distraction.”. The memoir is terrific stuff, a vivid description of how a writer grew out of a misbehaving kid. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. Fans will be eager to hear the master tell where his stories, his dialogue, his characters, and his language began.

Life isn’t a support-system for art. Eventually the situation became so difficult that Tabitha King gave her husband an ultimatum. As with physical exercise, it would be best to set this goal low at first, to avoid discouragement. I am approaching the heart of this book with two theses, both simple. The most important of these are grammar and vocabulary. It took some time to publish for money, but ever since. “[Writing] starts with this: put your desk in the corner, and every time you sit down there to write, remind yourself why it isn’t in the middle of the room. Jane transmits. Stephen King then moves into the mechanics of writing, offering advice and insight into a successful career that has worked so well for him but remains distant for thousands of others. Go with your gut. With a passive verb, something is being done to the subject of the sentence. His recent work includes, ""On Writing" had more useful and observant things to say about the craft than any book since Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style"." Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. Here, King tells the story of his childhood and early influences, describes his development as a writer, offers extensive advice on technique (read: write tight and no bullshit) and finally recounts his well-known experience of being hit by a drunk driver while walking on a country road in 1999 and the role that his work has played in his rehabilitation. That’s 180,000 words over a three-month span, a goodish length for a book—something in which the reader can get happily lost, if the tale is done well and stays fresh. Always a heavy drinker, Stephen King soon became an alcoholic, wrongly believing the alcohol helped his writing. The author/patient recounts his discovery that his passionate mania for writing helps mend both bones and heart. The rest is advice on writing, which he intertwines with his past and his own successes and pitfalls.

.orange-text-color {font-weight:bold; color: #FE971E;}Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more. 256pp, Hodder. .

Stephen King Lives and Writes Through Situations, Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2017.

Between drafts: “How long you let your book rest— sort of like bread dough between kneadings— is entirely up to you, but I think it should be a minimum of six weeks. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Thank you! At the same time, Stephen King met the woman who would be his wife.

Stopping a piece of work just because it’s hard, either emotionally or imaginatively, is a bad idea. King, Stephen, 1947– On writing : a memoir of the craft / by Stephen King.

One of my favorite authors is Stephen King, so I thought I would analyze one of his books as I read it to see what makes him and his writing so successful. Write what you like, then imbue it with life and make it unique by blending in your own personal knowledge of life, friendship, relationships, sex, and work. “Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open.”, “Writing is a lonely job.

Does this book contain quality or formatting issues? I breathed a sigh of relief when I got the feeling that writing classes and clubs are kind of a waste of time. Stephen King.

So what drives Stephen King to write? It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Please try again. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis … Or criticize it.”, “Writing is a lonely job. I would encourage any writer to pick a book by their favorite author and analyze it. Does this book contain inappropriate content? The most important thing you can do for yourself is read the market. It’s the other way around.”, “One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you’re maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones.”, “Remember that the basic rule of vocabulary is use the first word that comes to your mind, if it is appropriate and colorful.”. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” by Stephen King. I think that his directives about the "how-to's" and "don't do's" were very practical. Topic-sentence-followed-by-support-and-description insists that the writer organize his/her thoughts, and it also provides good insurance against wandering away from the topic. Review of On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. So drink.

Find a place and write. That’s 180,000 words over a three-month span, a goodish length for a book— something in which the reader can get happily lost, if the tale is done well and stays fresh.”, “I suggest a thousand words a day, and because I’m feeling magnanimous, I’ll also suggest that you can take one day a week off, at least to begin with.”, “If possible, there should be no telephone in your writing room, certainly no TV or videogames for you to fool around with. You can write about anything you want, so long as you tell the truth. I’m a fiction writer, and like many fiction writers out there I am always trying to refine my craft. It's a collection of fascinating finds from my week, usually about psychology, technology, health, philosophy, and whatever else catches my interest.


Getting happy, okay? production is working in a serene atmosphere.

Stephen King struggled as a child, missing a whole year of school due to chronic ear and throat problems.

Short and snappy as it is, Stephen King's On Writing really contains two books: a fondly sardonic autobiography and a tough-love lesson for aspiring novelists. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.

An entertaining mix of autobiography & guide to writing.

The second is that while it is impossible to make a competent writer out of a bad writer, and while it is equally impossible to make a great writer out of a good one, it is possible, with lots of hard work, dedication, and timely help, to make a good writer out of a merely competent one. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”, “Every book you pick up has its own lesson or lessons, and quite often the bad books have more to teach than the good ones.”, “Once I start work on a project, I don’t stop and I don’t slow down unless I absolutely have to. Based on the Scribner hardcover (Forecasts, July 31, 2000). Stephen King felt as though writing were an important aspect to his life, but that writing was not his life. I bought this book for my partner’s dad last Christmas to encourage him to write, and he also bought it for my partner (apparently it makes a great gift!) I could "hear" Mr. King's "voice" in my head as I read this on my iPad Kindle app. Don't share your stuff unless you share it with someone you can trust. He shows what you can learn from H.P.

Build a toolbox of your writing skills and keep refining the tools in your toolbox. Nor do I think that physical description should be a shortcut to character. Every January I start to look inward - thinking about what I achieve next year, and what I need to change to make it happen. I like to get ten pages a day, which amounts to 2,000 words. ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. However, during his recovery, Stephen King's wife, Tabitha, suggested that he get back to work. My only complaint is that the material of the cover shows fingerprints and smudges (I attempted to show in the picture), but it has no effect on the book, so it's really not a big deal. I’m a fiction writer, and like many fiction writers out there I am always trying to refine my craft.

My primary writing project during the past year has been to write a memoir. Unable to add item to List. King isn't just a writer, he's a true teacher. Now comes the big question: What are you going to write about? In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over.
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright? Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. But if you don’t want to work your ass off, you have no business trying to write well—settle back into competency and be grateful you have even that much to fall back on. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. On Writing by Stephen King. And, more than in any previous narration, King's energy and emotion radiate around his favorite subject, literature. I read End of Watch and took notes on every chapter. Good ideas appear out of nowhere, from seemingly unrelated concepts coming together and creating a new thought in your head. As his diehard fans know, King is a member of a writers-only rock 'n' roll band (Amy Tan is also a member), and this recording starts off with a sampling of their music. Most people have at least some talent as writers and storytellers, and that those talents can be strengthened and sharpened with practice. At first, the writing was a struggle, but soon Stephen King found that writing was like a soothing balm for his injured body. When Stephen King was hit by a blue Dodge van in 1999, he thought he might never write again. so I’ve snuck in there and read it first. Getting happy. Stephen King is a genius. People love to read about work. It’s the other way around.”, “One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you’re maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones. It is riveting, thanks to King's customary flair for the vernacular and conversational tone, and to the fact that he flanks his advice with two memoirs, the latter recalling his near-fatal 1999 stint as the victim of a bad driver. Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Stephen King then recommended putting the finished novel into a drawer for no less than six weeks in order to get some distance. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. On Writing is a poignant, educated, and inspiring book, a book that is sure to help hundreds of struggling writers and motivate still others who picked up the book not for inspiration, but curiosity. Stephen King threw the manuscript away.

Rocks explode. Use the first word that comes to mind, if it is appropriate and colorful.