In this unique volume, Stephen King combines a series of recollections from childhood through adulthood with a
practical
guide to the craft of writing. This is all put into perspective with his account of the accident that nearly claimed his life in 1999.
King begins with the story of his early years, when he moved from state to state with his single-parent mother and his brother, Dave. Brief memories of ear infections and needle-wielding doctors haunted those times. His attraction to writing revealed itself in numerous short stories that garnered enough rejection slips to fill a nail in his bedroom wall. His talents progressed from that point, and a basement printing business with his brother led to a position on his high school newspaper. Not all of his writing was met with encouragement, as he found when his parody, The Village Vomit, reaped him two weeks of detention for its portrayal of his teachers.
Proceeding through college and its aftermath, King tells of the jobs that paid the bills – janitor, laundry service, and English teacher. Through all this he kept writing, supported by his wife, Tabitha, and a habit for alcohol. His ideas and stories finally came to financial success with the publication of Carrie, and King continued to produce through an increasing alcohol and drug habit.
King begins the
practical section of this book with an interesting essay in which he compares the craft of writing to telepathy. He argues that he can communicate across space and time through his words, to convey an image or idea from his mind into that of the reader.
In the largest section, the writer’s toolbox is discussed, with vocabulary and grammar taking primary importance. King’s philosophy is interesting yet blatantly truthful when he
discusses the pyramid of writers. There are bad writers, competent writers, really good writers, and those great geniuses of language. One of his goals in this book is to show competent writers some tools that may make them good writers. At the same time, he emphasizes that no one can make a bad writer any better. Either you have the ability to write or you don't.
King’s advice on the profession of writing continues in a uniquely practical way that is not found in other books on the subject. He uses examples of what has worked for him and sets rules such as, “read a lot and write a lot.” King describes his writing space and his revision process, an area neglected in most texts. He discusses his methods for plotting, based on situation and characters, and how to write engaging description and dialogue. In all these things, King stresses that the writer must tell the truth, meaning that if his writing is true to life and his experiences, then the reader will be drawn into the world of his story. His final sections on symbolism, theme, agents, and writing seminars are invaluable advice from an expert in the field.
The final section of the book discusses the accident that nearly killed Stephen King in June of 1999. As the best-selling author took a walk along the back roads of Maine, a Dodge van swerved onto the shoulder, striking King, throwing his body into the air, puncturing a lung, and breaking his leg in nine places. His accident interrupted his work on this book, but after five weeks, he began writing through the pain.
Two final appendix-like sections give an example of King’s revision process and markings with numbered notations and explanations of his changes. The second section is a book list that includes his favorites over the past few years.
This book is something that every aspiring writer needs to read, especially those desiring to write in the horror, science fiction, fantasy, or mystery genres. King’s story and prose is inspiring and practical – an invaluable resource.