Stephen King and His Writing Advice

Horror. I love it.

It is my favorite genre and is pretty much the only medium that can really get my heart racing. Maybe it's because of my overactive imagination, i'm not sure. I know one thing is for sure, reading horror beats the socks off of watching a horror flick. I can only think of one movie that ever really gave me goosebumps and that was the original Exorcist. All of the others (including the poor adaptations of great books) are terrible. But that's off topic...

Because of my love for this genre, I made a decision a while back to try and learn from the best in this group (King, Koontz, Stoker, Lovecraft, etc). I have a particular fondness for Stephen King and have just about read every book he has available. Now, I can imagine some of you rolling your eyes. I'm not saying that he may be the best literary writer of all times, just that he sure as hell knows how to write a thriller.

Well, a little while ago (probably a little less than a year), I was at a book store and happened across a book of his that I've never seen before (*suprise* - *shock*).  The book i'm talking about is called "On Writing". Have you read it? You should if you like him and the genre.

So, what is it about? Well, i'm not going to spoil it for you, but there are two main "sections" of the book; one is a personal memoir from his earliest days (which I absolutely enjoyed) and the other is harsh (but good) advice on the craft of writing itself. Be warned, however...

If you bought the book then toss it, put it away, or get a refund. What?!

I remember taking it home that night, getting ready for my nightly read on my bed, opening the first page, and passing out from boredom in about 5 minutes. But, that didn't mean it wasn't good and that I didn't try again. The reasoning behind this is that reading Stephen King's memoir and listening to it are two VERY different experiences.

A few days later, after my lapse in conciousness, I happened across a site called Audible.com (no this is not a sales pitch, and no, i'm not affiliated in any way). Audible offers a ton of books via download that can be played through a portable audio player, burned to a CD, and some other listening methods. If you find that you are short on time, but still want to catch up on all of those books, then you should definitely check them out. The pricing is great as well.

So, I signed up and one of the first ones that I downloaded was a Stephen King audio book, On Writing. Needless to say, I was enthralled throughout pretty much the entire audio book. He has such a distinct personality, a voice, and a sense of humor that you will probably lose a lot of that by reading, instead of listening, to it. I think I ended up listening to the entire audio book about three times, finding a few more tidbits of information through each pass.

Anyway, that's about all i've got to say for tonight. It's not a huge book review, but I thought I would share my opinion with you in case you haven't read it (or listened to it). It is something I feel you should have in your collection if you're interested in this type of genre writing. Even if you're not, it still provides good information for writers in general.

Comments

[Steph]

Curious... I was actually thinking of getting a copy earlier. I lost mine years ago. I had it in my hands but didn't have enough cash. Shouldn't have had those two cups of coffee!

Have you read Ray Bradbury's 'Zen in the Art of Writing' (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1877741094/104-2381548-0176766?v=glance&n=283155)? He's one of my all time favorite authors. He constantly encourages me to "go panther-pawed where all the mined truths sleep." This book is valuable even if you are not a writer. It makes me want to shift careers, though! :)

[lil' sis]

Stephen King isn't one of my favorites, but this site is a great resource and well done. I've especially enjoyed your Writing to Improve series. Keep it up.

[1ConfusedWriter]

Thanks for the suggestion Eric! I'll check it out later on tonight.

Glad you like the blog, hopefully I can keep it interesting to keep you guys coming back.

Take care.

[Eric]

To too discovered King in highschool, and I too sometimes hate the endings but his characters are so well developed it astounds me.

Love your blog, am an Audible addict. Check out "In Bed with Susie Bright" It's a hilarious show that's also pretty informative too.

And no, I'm in no way affiliated with anyone mentioned previously.

[1ConfusedWriter]

Hi Angelle,

No, I can't say that I have read that one yet. However, I can say that I read the Art of War! :)

Thanks for the reference, I will have to check it out.

[Angelle]

I really enjoyed reading King's On Writing. Have you tried Pressfield's the War of Art? It's another fabulous book on writing, more on the creative / inspirational side.

[Fredcq]

As a writer, I have found Stephen King's On Writing to be one of the best books on the subject. I have read over 40+ books on writing but there is something about King's book that really hits home. I always recommmend it to anyone interested in writing.

[Orikinla Osinachi]

You did well by giving Stephen King a hearing. Otherwise your first impression from reading the book would have discouraged those reading your review.

Thanks for your patience.
Others would not have taken the trouble to get the audio version.

[WAT]

I discovered Stephen King back in high school, and I personally think he is a brilliant writer, with some lame endings at times, but always worth the read. I haven't read a book of his in years as I have gotten lazy, but hopefully will once again.