I doubt I’m going to magic up a new angle on one of the most read self-help books for writers, and I know I’m very late to the party in reading it, but I got to it in the end, so stop shouting at me.
I’ve read quite a few of these writing guidebook-type books, so when I started the book and instantly felt I was reading Stephen King’s memoir, I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t feel like I was being subjected to the standard stuff these books usually churn out, like a chapter on “What is a noun?”, little activities and exercises to sharpen up your active voice, and a page of bullet points recapping each chapter. No. I was actually reading a story, Stephen King’s story.
Delivered in his easy-to-read style we all know so well, this book was more about how and why King got into writing than a textbook on writing itself. It is a book I would recommend my wife read (who isn’t a writer) because it is genuinely interesting, funny and emotional.
By the time we get to section two of the book (out of three), he begins to talk about the more technical elements of writing, or the tools in the toolbox, as he describes them. This part of the book is what I expected to read from the starting block. So, when this section arrived, I felt open to his advice based on now knowing him a little more. It was warmer than these other writing guides because it had a bit of King in it. I now trust the guy to tell me stuff about writing.
The final third of the book again moves away from the techy side of writing and back to the moment and aftermath of being hit by a truck, where he was obviously lucky to survive.
As a final treat, at the end of the book he offers a first draft version of a passage of his work and then an edited version, which does a great job of showing not only his process but the small edits that can make a big difference to the final product. It also gives us minnows faith that even one of the most successful writers makes his page messy with his pen just as we do.
And talking of pens, I plan to go back to section two and jot down the technical advice he provides to try and have it stick in my head for longer. I won’t need to re-read the entire book because a large portion is more about his life as a writer than technical knowledge, which makes my task far less like a university assignment and more like a quick review, which is way less daunting.
The book was not what I expected, which I loved. I find King so easy to read because he’s such a damn good writer that I read this book in a cinch. Upon first reading, I didn’t want to stop and take notes because King’s prose asks you to move along quickly and keep up with his pace, chatting to you like a pal.
As “self-help” books go, I love this style, where the hard data, information and bullet-point tips are nestled more subtly and rhythmically in the storytelling. Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking is a similar-ish book that springs to mind.
Whether you are a writer or not, I strongly recommend this book. Yes, it includes writing tips, but if you’ve ever written a word in your life, then a few tidbits of advice couldn’t go amiss.
So, off I go back into Stephen King’s toolbox to pick up on the best advice. Wish me luck!
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