On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

If you are going to learn writing, it might as well be from someone who has a lot of successful books out there. Stephen King is a literary genius, for sure. Much of his advice follows other main stream writers and coaches, but some of it seems to fly in the face of conventional wisdom. The magic of this book is Stephen’s way of tying the advice into his history of a writer and what led him to the conclusions he proposes as good writing.

What I loved about his presentation of the book is that his process of creating a book revolves more around creating memorable characters, putting them in specific situations, then letting the characters work their way out of the problems.

Emphasis on Character

I have been taught many times to focus on the plot and the flow of the book. Stephen King looks at it differently with a greater focus on character development and handling the situation that the character finds himself in.

War on Adverbs

I also love the all out war on Adverbs. Apparently Adverbs are superficial and extraneous. They really aren’t needed, and should be avoided, according to King.

Best One-Liners

I love his one-liners: “The scariest moment is always just before you start.” “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” “Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open.”

If I have ever read a book that was both informational and entertaining at the same time, this would be the book.