Amazon.com ratings and reviews can be so misleading. I remember hearing about “on Writing” a while back and scanning for direction as to whether I should buy it or not. I got lost in comments that the book was more entertaining than useful. That’s not the case. While “On writing” is very entertaining (and even had me laughing at parts) it is also very useful. Be warned, those little writing gems (and they are write down worthy) are largely packed into the fourth quarter of the book however. I wonder if some reviewers even made it that far.
The front end is full of backstory and is where King ropes you in, like identifying with a character from a work of fiction. By the time you get into the applicable bits on writing, it feels more like a conversation than teaching. You won’t find list of writing do’s and don’ts listed in bold and in steps (Though there is a section of first draft to second draft changes of King’s “1408”). Mostly What you’ll find is an informal approach enriched with exampled of King’s experience and comes across as so personable that you may feel like you’re sharing stories by a fire.
It’s an easy read, and will have you reading it long into the night. I highly recommend this book and give it 5/5. I didn’t pick it up a few years back when I could have because of misleading reviews. Mistake. If you like writing, do go out and get a copy. It’s the “one-of-a-kind classic” “The wall Street Journal” says it is on the book’s back cover.
-Josh
The front end is full of backstory and is where King ropes you in, like identifying with a character from a work of fiction. By the time you get into the applicable bits on writing, it feels more like a conversation than teaching. You won’t find list of writing do’s and don’ts listed in bold and in steps (Though there is a section of first draft to second draft changes of King’s “1408”). Mostly What you’ll find is an informal approach enriched with exampled of King’s experience and comes across as so personable that you may feel like you’re sharing stories by a fire.
It’s an easy read, and will have you reading it long into the night. I highly recommend this book and give it 5/5. I didn’t pick it up a few years back when I could have because of misleading reviews. Mistake. If you like writing, do go out and get a copy. It’s the “one-of-a-kind classic” “The wall Street Journal” says it is on the book’s back cover.
-Josh
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