Stephen King – On Writing Audiobook

You will find a wealth of books on writing out from the world, from the good to the bad about the complete crap and lots of these are by writers of speculative fiction. “Writers on Writing” is a short set of articles dedicated to reviewing and discussing books on the craft which were written by writers, from John Scalzi to Nancy Kress. Whether you are a beginning writer, a seasoned professional or a lover, these nonfiction excursions can be great reads.

As a text it serves several functions: it’s partially a collection of personal anecdotes, partially a candid memoir, partly a guidebook and partly a sort of information column for new authors. Where many craft manuals read like dry Faculties, On Writing is lavish. It pulls you in like you’re having a conversation with King about the job and his life in some quiet, pleasant place; possibly over java. Stephen King – On Writing Audiobook.

It is hard not to love a novel that feels both private and enlightening, that teaches while satisfying the reader on a deeper level. However you might think of King’s fiction, he’s got a gift for talking about the process.

I first struck On Writing when I was thirteen or fourteen years old. I’d hit the important point where I understood I did not just like telling tales, I adored it, and I wished to take action for a living one day. I was also a bit of a Stephen King junkie. I found him interesting because some of his novels where amazing, pumped right out of the park, but others wereand I say this with respect pretty damn awful. So I purchased his book about writing. I recall I read it in one sitting; this may or may not be appropriate, but it probably is. I do know I felt like I had learned more in that 1 day, in a way I could actually articulate, than I had in my whole life. The multi-layered toolbox remains how I picture the fundamental skills of this craft. On Writing Audio Book Free.

I’ve since owned about six copies of it in varying stages of disintegration, and it has never let me down. Which is not to say that it is ideal; there are a couple things inside I not only disagree with but that will seem vaguely crazy to anyone working in the publishing world right now, like his thoughts on manuscript length. On the flip side, those few things which are no longer very correct are almost trivial next to the wealth of great ideas and information. I can not guarantee objectivity when it comes to this publication. I really like it a lot.

As I said in the review of Scalzi’s You’re Not Fooling Anyone, biographical segments in these sorts of books do not necessarily offer any true advice regarding the craft. At first it sounds interesting but not terribly important (from a learning-about-writing perspective), before he begins to discuss his professional starts and the progress of his profession. Then the reader will notice that there’s advice concealed in the stories, which become more personal and reflective because the part goes on how to deal with rejection, how to control a lifetime with writing inside when you are working overtime in a tough job and don’t have the money to back up your loved ones, then the way to write if you are instructing and it seems like all of the soul has gone out of it those just to mention a couple. On Writing Audiobook Stephen King. The memoir section isn’t only a memoir, engrossing throughout the stories are, it is an illustration of how one man found himself that the writer he is today.

There is a gem at the memoir segment, as well: King’s destruction of this alcoholic-writer stereotype. He has been there, he has done that he will talk seriously about the consequences.

Hemingway and Fitzaudio bookld didn’t drink because they were inventive, alienated, or morally weak. They drank because it is what alkies are wired up to perform. Creative individuals likely do run a greater risk of alcoholism and addiction than those in other jobs, but what exactly? We all look pretty much the same when we are puking in the gutter.

The glamorous image of the distraught alcoholic author lingers in the corners of the literary world. It is intimate, but the real issue is not, and King puts that around as clearly as possible.

Then he gets to the meat of the book: the actual writing chapters. Stephen King On Writing Audiobook Download.

These figures alone justify the purchase of the book and multiple re-readings. Regardless of your “level,” you will benefit from King’s walkthrough of this craft from the simple grammatical toolbox to things like symbolism and theme. He starts at basic structure and works his way up piece by piece to the most abstract and difficult to grasp components of fiction without breaking stride. His illustrations are universally clear and often humorous, demonstrating how not to do certain things but also how to do them properly through contrast.

His admission he frequently falls short on all the principles, and so does everyone, is comforting.

The most obvious is that he comments offhand which 180,000 words is a reasonable length for a novel. As anybody who has done even the slightest amount of research to the upper limits of what an agent or editor will appear at will tell you, that is completely wrong. Promoting a tome that capable of murdering a little dog is almost impossible in today’s marketplace unless you are a wildly successful epic fantasy writer (or, Stephen King). Stephen King – On Writing Audiobook.

Not to mention, the notion of having to build a 180,000 word manuscript is sufficient to make most novices break out in terror-hives.

Another point I will disagree on is King’s dislike of outlining. He does not approve of or hope plotting and states that instead discovering a publication ought to be like unearthing a fossil one careful discovery at a time and that I do not find that final part. It will not make the process any less natural, as King asserts. It feels much the same as drafting the barbell off; actually, in my situation and that of other writers I know who summarize, the story remains a fossil. We are still gradually discovering the tale and participating with its expansion in the exact same style, it’s just that we aren’t putting the actual book into the exact words before we’re ready to do so. As for me, I find I like to have the story almost entirely written in my mind before I shoot it down on paper.

However, that is personal. Everyone writes another way and has a different favourite method, a different method to feel in your home and in love with their narrative. Stephen King – On Writing Audiobook Free. King’s is not to summarize , and mine is. I really don’t think that his insistence that plotting and outlining slip the joy of this job is accurate as information–it might be to him, but it isn’t universal.

The craft section is still almost perfect, despite those two points of contention. While he’s teaching grammar and explaining sentence variation, King never manages to sound like a textbook. His voice is always as clear as you can as personal as possible, no matter whether he is talk his addiction restoration or how to use dialog. That is invaluable since it makes the material easier to appreciate, and articles that’s easy to enjoy isn’t hard to remember. The classes of On Composing stick because they are well-told, not simply because they are great information.

The book rounds out on a discussion of King’s notorious injury and near-death. It’s a perfect bookend to the first third of this book, that dealt with the way he became the writer he was. The end is about how writing rewards the writer and how to live life as fully as possible regardless of the circumstances. It’s touching and real. The water is free of charge. So drink. Drink and be filled up.” Stephen King – On Writing Audiobook.

There are also codas to the text: a story pre- and post-revision to provide the reader an idea of how a revision must look along with a reading list of novels King enjoyed or believes demonstrate the craft particularly well. These objective portions really are a wonderful bonus accession to the central ideas of the book: read a lot, write a lot, and do not stop.

I cannot urge On Writing enough. It’s splendid. It is not the sole craft book I love, and a reader shouldn’t ever stop with you, but I personally, in my heart of hearts, so to speak–think this is definitely the most precious for a new author. Don’t skip On Writing.