Stephen King's "On Writing"

I recently read Stephen King's "On Writing". It is quite different than any other writing book that I've read before. It is part memoir of a writer, part advice. When you first start reading "On Writing", you're not quite sure where it's going. Is Stephen King going to spend the entire book just talking about himself? Well, in a way yes, but it turns out it's not a bad thing. As you read on, you discover that each memory was specifically picked to build up to the picture of Stephen King the Writer, not Stephen King the Person, though obviously his writer-self is part of his person. But it is a distinct unit. The memoir becomes an encouraging and commiserating story that describes the struggles a writer can expect to find. Granted, his journey included writing short stories for magazines to work his way into the writing industry, a less defined or stable path than today where magazines and newspapers are dwindling and many a novel, let alone a short story, can be read online for free.

But even though his story will be different from any of his readers (because it is HIS story), it has a great amount of applicability for most writers. Most books on writing as a craft will tell you writing is not easy, getting published is a game of developing tough skin for the years of rejection to come, and it does not pay well with a few exceptions (many short-lived). Stephen King takes this Truth of the writer's life and that adds in the number one writing rule (in my opinion): Show, don't tell.

And that is why I recommend this book to any writer out there. It hits home where other books on writing fail: it shows how hard a writer's life can be, and also what rewards it can bring.

Of course, "On Writing" has more to offer than just that. The second half of the book delves into specific tools that Stephen King has found invaluable, the collection of which he calls the Toolbox. He also discusses what it means to write and what it means to be a writer. And this half of the book shouldn't be skipped over, particularly the inspirational post-script. In fact, the most memorable quote of the book for me belongs in the second half, which I will include here as it will explain many of my posts to come: "If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or tools) to write." This may seem fairly obvious, but for me it was a wake-up call. I've always loved to read, but as my classes became more and more challenging and time-consuming in college, I stopped reading for myself but on rare occasions and vacations. I treated reading as a rare dessert that I was always wanted to taste, but hadn't earn the right to, not until my next three books for class and next four research papers were finished. Stephen King made me realize that if I wanted to be a writer, I had to read. I didn't have to find an excuse to read: I should read. And he makes a point of saying one should read all kinds of books of all genres and qualities; sometimes we learn better from mistakes than a good example.


He recommends reading and writing 4-6 hours a day. You may say, "I have a job! I have kids! I have one hour in the morning to write and that's it." I don't know what to tell you. Though I don't have a job or kids, I know that life can take up a lot of time. The closest I can come to understanding having a job and raising a family while writing is through my college experiences of taking 18-hour honors semester and living with three roommates, while also trying to make time for my health (gym, cooking, grocery shopping) and the people in my life.


So no, I don't get what it's like to be a working parent who is a writer. But Stephen King does. He describes in his memoirs of working full-time, low-paying jobs while also juggling a family. He would spend his lunch breaks writing in the humid, cramped, laundry room. He stay up late, get up early, read while he stood in line or at the dinner table. I'm not suggesting one should copy him, but realize that you might be able to find a balance. Give it a shot. If not, can you change things around, even if it takes two years to get that less time-consuming job? If you love writing, you can stick it out for the long haul. Just don't forget you can do it.


P.S. If you're thinking, "I don't have the money to buy a book on writing," keep in mind public libraries, amazon.com, and used bookstores are wonderful. That's what I do.