Book Review Mondays

More information at Amazon.com No obligation to buy Click below:

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
by Stephen King

Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, PhD.

Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is about writing, his approach to it, and his advice to writers at all levels. It is not a boring, how-to manual. You get King's advice, taboos of writing, common tools, elements of grammar and style, and his understanding of the paragraph as the basic element of fiction. His essential advice, which I preach in my talks about writing to fourth and fifth graders: "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot." King calls reading the creative center of a writer's life. I was especially interested in King's book because he is a former English teacher, and I expected a unique perspective on the craft of writing, and through his pet peeves, insecurities, horrific experiences, and growth and maturity as a writer, I got exactly what I was looking for. I have read none of King's fiction, although my son is a fan, but I looked at this book as an opportunity to read his thoughts on writing and to get a glimpse of how he works. The book is full of good, simple, well-experienced insights (and suggestions) that will help all writers convey meaning.

-----

Through our reading, researching, and writing, And Then Some Publishing (and our extended family of readers) mine volumes of books representing a wide variety of tastes. We use the books in our writing, test and try suggested techniques, and we read for enjoyment as well. We wouldn't spend the time reviewing the books if we didn't get something out of it. Read more reviews on other fantastic books at our BookWorks website.