King puts horror on hold for ‘On Writing’

ON WRITING: A MEMOIR OF THE CRAFT By Stephen King, Scribner, New York, 2000, 288 pages, $25.

In the book’s foreword, Stephen King admits he had much trepidation before beginning a book on writing: “I didn’t want to write a book, even a short one like this, that would leave me feeling like either a literary gasbag or a transcendental asshole. There are enough of those books – and those writers – on the market already, thanks.”

That’s the King that millions around the world have grown to love: Plainspoken, to the point, unafraid to offend.

And that’s the side of the Bangor author that comes through in “On Writing,” released to stores today.

It’s a very personal book, and the first manuscript he set aside unfinished since “The Stand.” It’s interesting to see that even an author of King’s standing still wrestles with insecurity.

In the book, King doesn’t waste time with empty platitudes; rather he uses his life and works to show the journey a writer takes, then gives his thoughts on many of the skills that an author can use in his work. The result is a volume from which writers of all ages and ability levels can benefit.

The fascinating first section, “C.V.,” is the closest King has come to autobiography. In less than 100 pages, he covers his life, from growing up in a lower-middle-class, single-parent household led by his strong mother, Nellie, to his battle with alcohol and drug addiction in the ’80s. Throughout the section he covers his writerly development, passing along lessons he learned during years of struggle capped by the breakthrough of “Carrie” in 1974.

The book’s second section, “Toolbox,” covers the skills which every fledgling writer needs in order to have a chance to be successful. He writes, “You’ll find you have most of the tools you need already, but I advise you to look at each one again as you load it into your box. Try to see each one new, remind yourself of its function, and if some are rusty … clean them off.”

Next comes the meat of the book, also titled “On Writing.” First, King divides all writers into four types, bad, competent, really good and great. Only the second of these types may hope to transcend their station: “While it is impossible to make a competent writer out of a bad writer, and while it is equally impossible to make a great writer out of a good one, it is possible, with lots of hard work, dedication, and timely help, to make a good writer out of a merely competent one.”

King views a story as a found object that must be unearthed by the writer, much as an archaeologist excavates a fossil: “Stories are relics, part of an undiscovered pre-existing world. The writer’s job is to use the tools in his or her toolbox to get as much of each one out of the ground intact as possible.”

King’s main tenets are simple: read, in order to experience examples of both good and bad writing; and write, a certain amount every day, so the practice becomes something engrained that will be missed if skipped.

The former English major and English teacher goes on to dissect the various ingredients of fiction, offering his views on the best use and value of each. His thoughts are sure to tweak those in academic and literary circles who value form over function and who have viewed, with sniggering jealousy, the Maine author as an uncouth outsider.

King closes with the tale of his 1999 encounter with a Dodge van, his recovery, and his return to that which he truly loves: Writing.

“Writing did not save my life – Dr. David Brown’s skill and my wife’s loving care did that – but it has continued to do what it always has done: it makes my life a brighter and more pleasant place.”

The veteran author didn’t set out to create a writing primer, but rather, as its subtitle suggests, “A Memoir of the Craft.” Still “On Writing” is a book full of valuable advice for any who aspire to be professional writers.