Poof! I'm A Writer
On Writing by Stephen King
I've been reading Stephen King since I was a junior in high school. Some day, I'll tell the story of how I was introduced to the author who has become one of my favorites, but that is a tale for another day.
I keep telling my husband that one of my reasons for reading and writing on epinions.com is to hone my writing skills. And after reading On Writing, Stephen King's part bio, part instruction manual, I can add to that "excuse" by saying, "Steve says that to write well, you have to read a lot and write a lot."
On Writing
I've always wanted to be a writer
Okay folks, be honest. How many of you have thought this to yourself? If I were a betting woman, I'd have to say quite a few, myself included. My first attempt (in second grade) was a ghost story called The Pink Lady; it was about 3 pages long, and involved a pink balloon that mysteriously appeared and disappeared. I still have a copy of it around somewhere.
King starts out with advice to read a lot and write a lot. A "practice makes perfect" philosophy. A suggestion is to carry a book with you at all times (and I would add a pad of paper and pen to write down story ideas). You might find time to read a couple of pages waiting in the doctor's office (better than an old issue of "Redbook"), while stuck in traffic (I personally can't do this; reading in the car makes me nauseous), etc.,.
Poof! I'm a writer.
Don't expect to find the magic formula that will make you a successful writer in On Writing. King gives out tips, and I think he is being honest in giving out what can be verbalized. But one major requirement to being a good writer is to have it in you from the beginning.in simpler terms, if you don't have talent, you can have fun writing, but you probably don't have a chance in hell of being very successful. Even if you have the talent, you need drive, some luck, and it helps to be in the right place at the right time.
I'm good, but not great.
King tells the reader that if you have some potential, you can work toward being better. He offers up some thoughts on how to do this, including my favorite: Second draft = First draft - 10%. In other words, don't be so damn wordy. Microsoft Word has a tool that counts words in a document; after your first draft, use the tool, and eliminate 10% of the text. Since I've been told that I'm a little verbose at times, I am consciously using this tip in all of my writing.
Another fine suggestion is to identify your Ideal Reader (IR), and write as if you are writing only for him/her. (King's IR is his wife, Tabby.) Since you can't please all of the people all of the time (that would be King's "Constant Reader" audience), you should write to please your IR. Allow this person to read a draft of your work, and LISTEN to what s/he has to say, as well as what s/he does not say.
Hey, I can write better than that guy.
Think you're the next John Steinbeck or Ayn Rand? King offers tips on how to get published, including some outside references that are essential for budding writers (getting an agent, cover letters, etc.,)
The before and after
He must be some kind of freak to be able to write like that.
Steve spends the first section of the book talking about his childhood and eventual development into a best-selling writer. It's an interesting story, and I have to say that some of his admissions came as a surprise. It's enlightening, and perhaps explains some of the weirdness of his early work.
What about that bozo in the van?
His name is Bryan Smith, and he's the idiot who almost ended our hope for a conclusion to the Dark Tower series. In the last section of the book, King tells us the story of that fateful day in 1999, his recovery and return to writing.
Final thoughts from Constant Reader
Is it worth the $25?
"Steve, please don't throw a curse my direction," I said.
No. The book is well written and offers some unique ideas on how to write better, but there's a long section on grammar, sentence construction and punctuation that I can find that in Strunk and White's Elements of Style (which King recommends). I enjoyed the bio sections, both before and after King's accident, and the personal tips which King peppers throughout the book. I earmarked some pages for future reference (one, which blasts the "Chicken Soup" series, made me laugh out loud), but the price is rather steep for a 288 page volume. I know size doesn't matter, but I bought Dreamcatcher (King's new fiction offering) a few days later for $15 (on sale).and I'm sure that I'll enjoy it as much as On Writing.
My recommendation is to buy the book - don't get it from the library; there are sections you'll want to refer back to. But Steve, if you're listening, talk to your publisher. I think it's a little pricey compared to your other works. Maybe I should have waited for the paperback version (due out in June 2001).
Oh, just in case you're wondering:
First draft: 1051 words
Second draft: 915 words
