"On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft" by Stephen King

"On Writing"

I didn't know this book existed until one of my Facebook friends posted a quote from it.

"If you want to be a writer, you must do two things about all others:  read a lot and write a lot.  There's no way around these two things that I'm aware of, no shortcut."

This grabbed my attention.  I had never read Stephen King before; I just knew him as the guy who wrote scary stories which were often turned into scary movies (which I don't   watch--I'm nightmare-prone).  But a successful writer writing about writing?  I couldn't resist.

I got around to getting a copy from the library and devoured the book.  I love his voice.  I thought it started out with some colorful language, and that amused me.  I don't mind the occasional expletive--I think it peppers up a story.  But, King pushed my limit--at times the language surpassed colorful to simply gaudy (ironically, he addresses this very issue in one of his chapters).  But the voice he uses during his life narrative and wisdom-sharing really excited me.  It's a book I simply must own my own copy of to reference and reread again.  But when I have my own copy, I'll read it with a Sharpie in hand.  Yes, I'm sure this sounds prudish.  I believe that in life, as well as in writing, if you can't find a more polite word to use you lack a certain creativity.

BUT, all that aside, this was an excellent read.  He doesn't just dispense good advice, he does it beautifully.  You can tell what kind of human being he is.  He's honest, and he adores his wife.

Click here for more great quotes from Mr. King's book.