Steven King has gifted us with a compelling account of his development as a writer and with reams of sage advice about how to cultivate the writers in ourselves. The first half of the book details King's adolescence, education, adulthood and career, and his entry into the world of professional writing, starting with his submission of sci-fi short stories to novelty magazines and the thrills of eventually being paid for his work. He paints a vivid picture of his childhood and the experiences that shaped him, from drive-in theaters to babysitters, and in his adulthood, the life of a low-paid teacher, a husband, an alcoholic, a victim of a near-fatal car crash, an egotist, and always a nearly incomparably prolific writer. His observations of one unpopular, shabbily dressed girl in an English course he taught, he tells us, inspired the heroine of his first novel, Carrie; many such details are provided and give us a sense of the everyday people and events in his life that he transformed into elements of the supernatural and the frightful.
Click here to see the rest of this review...
The second half of the book is straight writing advice - always encouraging us to write constantly and read constantly, to record every idea, and, of key importance, not to place your writing desk in the center of your office. He gives us advice about working with agents, selling your work, fitting writing into your life, and challenging ourselves to explore the dark reaches of our imaginations and in so doing to give life to even the most mundane character and plot ideas.
Best part of story, including ending:
King's voice is generous, compassionate, and invigorating. He makes writing seem like the most natural and fulfilling thing in the world.
Best scene in story:
One favorite scene was King's realization as he detoxed from alcoholism that placing a huge writing desk in the center of his office was an exercise in egotism that was actually damaging his ability to see his writing in an honest, critical way, and represented the damaging spiral he'd allowed himself to fall into.
Opinion about the main character:
King is a genius with a vast set of pop culture references at his fingertips and a strong sense of self that's inspiring to readers.
