BOOK DETAILS
Title: On Writing
Author: Stephen King
Published Date: 2000
Publishing Company: Scribner Classics
Page Count: 291
Cover Type: Hardcover
Genre: Memoir
WHERE DID GABIE LEARN ABOUT THIS BOOK/PURCHASE IT?
Honestly, I can't remember where I learned about this boo. It was back in January 2020 that I purchased it off of Amazon. I do remember what I was preparing to do then: I was preparing to start a book about tea, and I probably was trying to brush up on my writing skills and solidify my writing style and do all sorts of other obsessive prep before I actually go to work on writing my book. Not too long after the purchase of this book, the pandemic hit, and I also was going through a divorce, so it makes sense that 3 years later is when I finally got back to original business.
WHAT DID GABIE LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK?
As small as the read is, it is packed with all the practical information a budding or inexperienced writer would need to know. If you are a writer since childhood (like me) and you have no formal education or academic accolades on writing (like me), then this read will be so validating for you!
I was so hung up on my writing style and trying to figure out what it would be before I really got knee-deep into writing, but King talks about how reading influences writing and so does life, so writing styles actually change and that's ok. Now, I'm less critical of my writing style, knowing that I will stay true to myself and whatever read inspires me at the moment.
On page 209, par. 2, King talks about insecurities, and I realized that we are all just people no matter how talented or famous we are. We will always have to battle self-doubt and so instead of focusing on this annoyance, we should really just create techniques to circumvent our doubt so we can get on with writing. King offers some great advice on this!
Additional Points...
I gleaned 4 practical tips from "On Writing" that I will endeavor to apply in all of my writing going forward. Here are the tips: Tip #1 - Always focus on and improve vocabulary, Tip #2 - Grammar is very important, so pay attention to it in books that you read and in your own writing, Tip #3 - Invest in reputable books on grammar and Tip #4 - When you edit your writing, check for an overuse of adverbs and passive verbs
A grammar book recommendation by Stephen King: Warriner's English Grammar
DID GABIE HATE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK?
What I did not like about the book actually ended up being one of the most inspiring things about the read. I didn't like, initially, the beginning where King takes the reader through his personal life story starting with his childhood. I didn't understand the point in all of the details and was intensely bored because my interest in King has never been in him but aways in his work. However, as I continued reading about the little boy who became a writer, I began to see similarities in his story and mine. I realized that everything that I have experienced and participated in has contributed to my being a writer. I am a writer because of all that I have lived, just like King. So, don't skip this part. It's good!
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