Stephen King’s book, On Writing, isn't about gunslingers, murderous clowns, or haunted houses; it's about how to create them. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is part autobiography and part tutorial, an interesting look at King’s life and writing.Not only does King discuss the writing process, he explains what not to write. He keeps it simple, “because most books about writing are filled with bullshit." King amends this statement by praising Strunk and White's Elements of Style, honoring its brevity by following their 17th rule: "Omit needless words."
And maliciously omit them if they’re adverbs. King repeatedly enforces this point and fervently believes that "the road to hell is paved with adverbs." If anything is gleaned from King's book, other than reading enjoyment, it's that adverbs are evil. [Reread this paragraph, omitting the adverbs, and you'll find that it's true.]
In addition to adverbless prose, another of King's primary points is this: "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot."
King loves books and reads 70 or 80 a year; it's what he "does at night, kicked back in [his] blue chair." King respects other authors, and this is evident in his writing. He mentions numerous books throughout On Writing, ending it with a booklist.
Among King's recommendations are Mary Karr's The Liars' Club, Don DeLillo's Underworld, Kurt Vonnegut's Hocus Pocus, Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes, and John Irving's A Widow for One Year. Keep in mind, however, that Stephen King "is not Oprah and this isn't [his] book club."
In addition to rules about writing and discussions about plot and irony, King adds personal experiences and opinions. He writes about family and his struggles as a young writer; about college and meeting his wife Tabitha; about doing drugs and getting sober; and then he writes about the year when a van nearly killed him. King’s description of the accident is direct and poignant:
"I'm lying in a ditch and there's blood all over my face and my right leg hurts. I look down and see something I don't like: my lap now appears to be on sideways, as is my whole lower body had been wrenched half a turn to the right."
This violent misfortune changed King's life and interrupted the creation of On Writing. Half of the book was written before the accident and the other half after. When King resumed his work after months of rehab, just "sitting [to write] was torture.” King pushed through the pain, however, and writing helped recuperate his life.
Through addiction and recovery, through good times and bad, Stephen King has written, and On Writing tells us how we can do the same.
"It 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. Life isn't a support-system for art. It's the other way around."
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*Originally published in the Charleston City Paper on November 29, 2000.
Downloads:
The Bat Segundo Show | Interview with Jonathan Safran Foer [MP3]
The Bat Segundo Show | Interview with A.M. Homes [MP3]
