‘What is the point of reading the Scriptures anymore, now that I have listened to the Sermon on the Mount?’
This exact line came to my mind when I finished reading this book. Who else can teach you the art of writing better, if not one of the best writers of our times? Now, Stephen King may not have won Nobel for literature, but tested in terms of the number of readers and monetary success, he is one of the top ten authors in the world currently. In fact, one of the recent issues of Forbes placed him fifth in the list of world’s highest paid authors for 2016.
I haven’t read even a single book of Stephen King prior to this nor am I a big fan of his brand of fiction. But that didn’t deter me from picking up this book, when it popped up in my Amazon recommendation list. I am glad that I did.
This exact line came to my mind when I finished reading this book. Who else can teach you the art of writing better, if not one of the best writers of our times? Now, Stephen King may not have won Nobel for literature, but tested in terms of the number of readers and monetary success, he is one of the top ten authors in the world currently. In fact, one of the recent issues of Forbes placed him fifth in the list of world’s highest paid authors for 2016.
I haven’t read even a single book of Stephen King prior to this nor am I a big fan of his brand of fiction. But that didn’t deter me from picking up this book, when it popped up in my Amazon recommendation list. I am glad that I did.
This book consists of three parts. The first part forms the memoirs of Stephen, starting from his not-so-happily-memorable childhood of having been raised by a single-mother struggling to make ends meet by doing every odd job available. Stephen’s love and admiration for his mother subtly shines throughout the book. His formative years as a writer and his journey towards the pinnacle have been captured in good measure as well. Any person who goes through all that Stephen has and still retains his passion for doing the thing that he loves deserves to win, I would say.
The second - and more important - part for which I picked the book is filled with suggestions and tips about the art of writing. I didn’t want to go through a formal, boring list of Do’s and Do Not’s that would make a dent in my natural flow as such and Stephen King has stayed true to his reputation. If you are looking for a formal course on the art of writing, sorry, this book is not for you. If, on the other hand, you want to listen to a senior and accomplished writer sitting by your side and sharing his wisdom with you in a matter-of-fact manner, then this is a book that you must read. I was really impressed going through the pages. Dreaming of becoming a writer myself, I could identify my flaws, ascertain my strengths and get some warm affirmation while reading through these pages.
In the last part Stephen shares his harrowing experience in a van accident that threatened to hamper his physical movement, and his recovery from it, both physical and mental. Aptly titled ‘On Living’, this chapter is a touching end to a lovely book. As I finished reading, I couldn’t help admire his ability to keep even a non-fiction book so riveting. An interesting book on the art of writing, starting from framing ideas in the mind to putting them on paper, to handling that dreaded disease called ‘writer’s block’ which every person successfully wielding the pen has gone through at least once in his/her writing career.
A must read, if you’re a budding writer or are wanting to become one!
The second - and more important - part for which I picked the book is filled with suggestions and tips about the art of writing. I didn’t want to go through a formal, boring list of Do’s and Do Not’s that would make a dent in my natural flow as such and Stephen King has stayed true to his reputation. If you are looking for a formal course on the art of writing, sorry, this book is not for you. If, on the other hand, you want to listen to a senior and accomplished writer sitting by your side and sharing his wisdom with you in a matter-of-fact manner, then this is a book that you must read. I was really impressed going through the pages. Dreaming of becoming a writer myself, I could identify my flaws, ascertain my strengths and get some warm affirmation while reading through these pages.
In the last part Stephen shares his harrowing experience in a van accident that threatened to hamper his physical movement, and his recovery from it, both physical and mental. Aptly titled ‘On Living’, this chapter is a touching end to a lovely book. As I finished reading, I couldn’t help admire his ability to keep even a non-fiction book so riveting. An interesting book on the art of writing, starting from framing ideas in the mind to putting them on paper, to handling that dreaded disease called ‘writer’s block’ which every person successfully wielding the pen has gone through at least once in his/her writing career.
A must read, if you’re a budding writer or are wanting to become one!
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