My favorite book on writing fiction is Stephen King’s aptly named On Writing. First published in 2000, it’s part memoir and part writer’s toolbox. The memoir is a review of King’s rise to success, with a postscript about his difficult recovery from being almost killed by a hit and run driver in rural Maine when he was out walking during June 1999. Both parts of the book are informal, humble and charming. Knowing my mother’s love of writing and my own desire to eventually write a novel, my elder son gave me a copy for Father’s Day in 2001. I have treasured it ever since. It sat on my desk as I wrote Intentional Consequences, my new political thriller about American politics and the 2020 presidential election.
King’s Second Foreword to the book is what lured me in. “This is a short book because most books about writing are filled with bullshit,” he said. “Fiction writers, present company included, don’t understand very much about what they do—not why it works when it’s good, not why it doesn’t when it’s bad. I figured the shorter the book, the less the bullshit.” I was hooked. The toolbox part of the book is only about 140 paperback pages, but what great pages!
As if that were not enough, then the Second Foreword goes on to praise The Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White as “one notable exception to the bullshit rule,” quoting its admonition to “omit needless words.” That classic book has been part of my writing bookshelf since high school. (Despite its invaluable guidance, I’m still working on getting rid of those needless words.)
Many of King’s suggestions are remarkably simple. Among them:
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”
“[T]he hours we spend talking about writing is time we don’t spend actually doing it.”
“Good writing…teaches the learning writer about style, graceful narration, plot development, the creation of believable characters, and truth-telling.”
“Once I start a project, I don’t stop and I don’t slow down unless I absolutely have to. If I don’t write everyday, the characters begin to stale off in my mind—they begin to seem like characters instead of real people.” When I experienced this myself, I knew I was on the right track.
Throughout the book, King reinforces these seminal points. He says he’s “doubtful about writing classes, but not entirely against them.” Faint praise, at best. He cautions aspiring writers not to think that classes or retreats will supply “secret ingredients or Dumbo’s magic feather.” His kindest words are that these events help writers make ends meet when their book royalties won’t.
In other words, quit looking for crutches, read everything you can and get on with writing.
The book covers a lot of the basic elements of good writing, with some helpful examples thrown in. But it avoids the lengthy catalog of writing rules that can paralyze a budding author. You can read the book without worrying that it will add paranoia to your writer’s block. You also don’t need to fear being intimidated by what King calls “the tireless tyranny of the outline and notebook filled with ‘Character Notes.’” He doesn’t require them.
King claims to start most of his books from a single situation, something as simple as a department store window where he puts his characters and watches them work themselves free. He likes situations that can be expressed as a What-if question: for example, “What if vampires invaded a small New England village?”
The situation comes first, then the characters, flat and unfeatured at first, then narration—giving the characters room to live their lives. King believes in his characters. “I often have an idea of what the outcome may be,” King says, “but I have never demanded of a set of characters that they do things my way. On the contrary, I want them to do things their way.” He says most of the time the outcome is something he never expected. I've experienced this and it's a wonderful high as an author.
King believes stories and novels consist of three parts: narration, description and dialogue. Plot is something that comes along the way, not something to be planned and organized from the start.
So come up with an interesting situation, sketch out a few characters and get them going, talking and living. They’ll help tell the story and help you add some description. You don’t need to create an outline or map out the plot at the outset because you can’t do it.
The book has some useful advice on the things that attract book buyers. King has no place for popular authors who take themselves and their work too seriously. Dissing best-selling novelists who think their success is based on literary merit, King says most book buyers simply want a good story to take on an airplane, “something that will first fascinate them, then pull them in and keep them turning the pages.” King claims this happens when readers “recognize the people in a book, their behaviors, their surroundings and their talk.” As King says, “When the reader hears strong echoes of his or her own life and beliefs, he or she is apt to be more invested in the story.”
King’s high-level recipe is simple: Write what you like, add your own personal knowledge of “life, friendship, relationships, sex and work” and bring it to life. King is especially fond about including work, which he says people love to read about. Above all, you must tell the truth. Or, to be more precise, allow your characters to speak the truth. You can’t hold them back!
I have often asked myself why I like this book so much more than other books on writing. Two reasons come to mind. First, King works hard to speak the truth about writing as he sees it. No BS, no suggestion writing is easy and no efforts to conjure up magic. Just short, refreshing, candid advice from a very successful guy. Second, I believe him, which may just be another way of saying I like what he says and I’ve found it useful as I have transitioned from writing nonfiction trade books to novels.
Some people may argue that King’s recipe is fine for him, but most of us will never have his brilliance or see his success. To those pundits, the rest of us need more tutoring, more guidance and more hand holding. Fair enough. But whether you feel you do or you don’t need more, this book is worth reading. It’s still on Amazon, with 3,461 reviews last I checked and a five-star rating. Apparently, I’m not the only one who likes it.
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