What I'm Reading: "On Writing" by Stephen King
I should have guessed King would surprise me with the book that sat on the shelf for years just collecting dust
I’m ashamed to admit I committed a cardinal sin as a writer and reader.
I judged a book by its cover.
No, I judged a book by its author.
In all fairness, the cover looks quite lovely. It added a nice touch of color to my black office bookshelf for years.
“On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” by Stephen King sat collecting dust next to me for years.
Now I’m questioning everything I assumed about his work.
Full disclosure: I’m a wuss. I avoid the horror or slasher genre. Too gory for me. Needless to say, based on his published works and his reputation, I avoided King on the bookshelves.
I made an exception when I saw this little volume years ago on a $5 shelf at Barnes & Noble. Other writers and book lovers sang its praises. And, as someone who likes to devour books about writing—and maybe not do enough of it herself—I picked it up.
It sat on my office bookshelf for years. Once in a while, I’d glance at it. I never picked it up because I didn’t think King would connect with me.
Wrong.
“This is a short book because most books about writing are filled with bullshit. I figured the shorter the book, the less bullshit.”
Yeah, I was hooked. And, if that didn’t convince me, this line did:
“Stories are found things, like fossils in the ground... Stories are relics, part of an undiscovered, pre-existing world.”
Too often, I try to force my writing—search for the best word or have a solid story in mind when I sit down to do my thing. The possibility of finding the stories and the words by being open to them just hit me in the gut.
King’s ability to blend his personal history and how it evolved into his craft transformed this book into more than a writing guide. It was as entertaining and insightful as it was instructional.
And the final part, where he presents an untouched first draft section and then a revision with explanation, opened my eyes to reality. Even a blockbuster author produces clunky prose with the first pass. He lets it go and then returns to it with ruthlessness.
That’s the lesson I hope to take from it.
After finishing the book earlier this week, I picked up King’s “Different Seasons” at a local bookstore. It’s a collection of short stories, and I’m eager to see how I like it. He convinced me to try something new.
Even if you’re not a writer, give “On Writing” a shot. It’s a fabulous look at what leads a skilled writer to create and draws back the curtain on how the words get onto a page.