‘On Writing’ is a writer’s dream

Stephen King’s output is the definition of commercial fiction. His masterful horror novels have scaled the heights of bestseller lists for more than three decades. His books have become household names: Carrie, Cujo, The Shining, The Green Mile, The Stand, Misery.

What may be surprising to those who haven’t enjoyed a King novel is that the writer is actually quite good. Just because he sells a ton of books doesn’t mean he dumbs down his text for the masses. A well-crafted King novel is an enthralling read with fine character development and a clever choice of words.

Thankfully, the maestro has offered some of his best techniques to emerging (and perhaps even established) writers.

On Writing, his self-avowed memoir of the craft, serves as both a compass and a flashlight. It lets writers know the best direction to take their creativity and also shines a light on the common mistakes and difficult circumstances of the publishing world.

The first part of the book chronicles King’s own emergence as a writer. It’s a concise autobiography that will likely ring familiar to those who know the writer’s own back story. Whether it’s his college days, his time as a teacher or when that call came when he sold his first book, this first section of On Writing offers a portrait of the master of fiction as an average Joe: a man, with a talent for words, struggling to pay the rent.

It’s in the second part of the book where the advice enters the picture. King goes through everything a writer will face when they put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). From grammar (and those dreaded adverbs) to character development to plot to securing an agent, On Writing proves to be a handy compendium for those hoping to get published.

What’s unfortunately missing from the slim book (unlike typical King novels, On Writing clocks in at less than 300 pages) is the undeniable joy that many writers feel when they write. King makes the craft seem so mechanical that it’s almost difficult to see why anyone would want to be a writer. There’s a lot of slaving involved, to be sure. But there needs to be some satisfaction, both during the process and at the end of a story, which makes writing not only necessary, but transcendent. What about that feeling of joy?

King also offers an interesting thesis: bad writers will likely never become good writers, but competent writers can become good writers. I pondered this statement for some time, and realized that On Writing is a great compendium for those who want to get published. For those who simply write, either just for the heck of it or maybe for school assignments or job tasks, this may not be the best book to read. King is offering tips to the competent scribes, and if you unfortunately find yourself in the “bad” category, you need to look for advice elsewhere.

Still, most writers, both emerging and established, would do well to read On Writing. For a book about writing, it’s a great read — whether you’re interested in publication or not.

• On Writing

• By Stephen King

• Scribner, 288 pages

• Retail price: $16

• Bubble score: 3 out of 4

• Click here to purchase the 10th anniversary edition of On Writing.