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My Next Book In Progress
The "real" first book I read in high school, was Carrie by Stephen King. It got me hooked. Before then, I mostly read Lone Wolf game books by Joe Dever. I was still in primary school then, to tell the truth —if that counts for anything. Even though I enjoyed Joe's books immensely for what it was — an interactive adventure, Stephen's writing captivated me. The words just rolled off your tongue. But it was all about the fiction, the stories that excited me. "Boring" non-fiction books, or at least for me, belonged to a different crowd, so I never read On Writing by Stephen King. Why would I? It is not an interest of mine, or so I thought.
Little did I know that as much as I enjoyed stories through movies and books, I just as much enjoyed writing essays. But the penny never dropped until my late forties when I published my first novel: Owen Able and the Two-Headed Dragon. English is not my native tongue and I found it challenging to string the words in the correct order— I still do. Proud could not express how I felt seeing my book on Amazon. I thought it was pretty well written. But then I remembered Stephen's book On Writing, bought the eBook, and read it. My only regret was not reading it sooner. Now I know the quality of my writing can be much improved. Let me show you why, I believe, every author and expiring author should read this book.
On Writing by Stephen King - A Book Review
On Writing by Stephen King - A Book Review
Firstly, it is a delight to read. Stephen kicks off with a short biography. This gives great insight into who the man behind the celebrity name is. It surprised me how blatantly honest he is in his life story with the emphasis on being truthful. This included embarrassing moments, his addictions, misfortunes, joy, struggles and achievements. He uses his life experiences to refer back to lessons and what shaped him as a writer. There was no glamour, no exuberant lifestyle mentioned —something I expected from a heavy weight like himself. "Do you do this for the money, honey?" is one of the questions he answers along with other popular questions he is frequent with.
It does not matter if you are an author or not, everyone should read at least the first 37 chapters. The exceptional humor caught me off guard. Sure there are humor in his fiction books, but from this masterpiece —I would say, he will do well as a stand-up comedian too. Spit-your-coffee-over-your-Kindle funny moments. Enough to make people look at you sideways, wondering if they should start searching your body for the asthma pump. I, for one, did not know he had such funny bones. As a fly on the wall, looking in on his life, it is obvious that writing was always a part of who he is. It is more than just writing the odd story, but a way of life, the drug he cannot live without. You see an ordinary man going through the same struggles, fortunes, and misfortunes that we all face in life. He has been where every beginner author finds themselves with the exception that he overcame the obstacles in his path. Who better to take advice from?
What You Will Learn
What You Will Learn
Below I will list some of the highlights of the book. But I urge you to rather read it instead of just going according to my conclusion and summary. There are a lot of tasty nuggets that will help you endlessly.
What you should have in your toolbox. Like vocabulary.
Who should write.
Who should not write.
Common mistakes writers make.
Where to start.
How often and how long you should work on your first draft.
The editing process.
Conclusion
Conclusion
If you do not take writing lightly. If you do not do it just for the money. If you are dedicated to your craft. Then you should definitely write a book. Otherwise, you might waste your time and may find joy in something else that will serve you better.
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