"Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well."

Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Chapters 10-16 On Writing; On Living: A Postscript;

And Furthermore, Part I: Door Shut, Door Open;

And Furthermore, Part II: A Book List;

Further to Furthermore, Part III

I finished the book! And I must say, it is a must read. In my first post, I said I was a reluctant fan of Stephen King. I still am. Mostly because I'm not a fan of the genre he normally writes. But writing -- something I relate to -- connected me to King. There are so many great quotes, tips, and enriching pieces that I plan to share with many people. I plan to use his techniques as I venture into AP English writing classes in high school and especially in college (where writing is inevitable).

On Writing

King opens this portion of the novel with theme.

"When writing a book, you spend day after day scanning and identifying the trees. When you're done, you have to step back and look at the forest."

He goes on to discuss the "norm" of writing: sybolism, imagery, irony, musical language. But it's up to me to discover what I want to write about. I love that. He's always so straight forward. So blunt.

"The vision was also strangely optimistic," King says while discussing the dreaded writer's block.

I am one who can definitely relate to this. As a newspaper reporter, creative writer, applicant for scholarships, and high school student, I often get in a jam with writing. But he says "boredom can be a good thing for someone in a creative jam." I like this. He gives wonderful advice on getting away from the desk, paper, and pencil. Take a break from you thoughts.

Using over-logic, or thinking above the curve, can be an amazing thing. It's "that sudden flash of insight when you see how everything connects." King's got some great quotes. I'm a fan of good quotes (if you can't tell!). I plan to add several (like this one) to my "collection". He is so articulate and knows exactly what he's trying to convey. He uses whatever word comes to mind -- sometimes a good thing. Sometimes not so much.

Instead of digging for answers in writing, sometimes the book gives you answers. Now, I don't know if I'll ever write a book. Well, I want to, but I'm not sure it'll be worth reading! But this portion of the book struck me. Find your answers in the book. From you characters. From their decisions. Where they'll end up next.

Thematic thinking, he says, is another handy gadget for the toolbox. Like a magnifying glass, it gives you a closer look into the character, setting, and events of writing.

"Good fiction always begins with story and progresses to theme; it almost never begins with theme and progresses to story. Starting with questions and thematic concerns is considered bad fiction."

This part of King's writing discusses enriching the draft. In revising your work, your first draft should not include help or interference with anyone. I really like this. It almost makes me feel like computers should not be allowed, for the Internet could be quite an interference. I imagine myself in a room with a note pad and pencil in hand. And that's it.

"Be cautious and give yourself a chance to think while your story is still like a field of freshly fallen snow, absent of any tracks save your own." Wonderfully said in my opinion. Don't expose your writing to the critical world until you have the chance to mull over, think, and enrich your draft.

After taking a 6-week break, it's time to read your manuscript. What?! Six weeks?! Aren't people on deadlines? This shocked me. But, hey! Apparently it works. He says to mundane over the housekeeping jobs -- tidy up your work with misspellings, punctuation, grammar, etc. Don't be lazy and leave that for the editor. BINGO. Thank you, Mr. King. I wish some members of our newspaper staff would read their work before turning them in to me. 

"Screw ups happen to the best of us. Someone did design the Titanic and then label it unsinkable."

This was funny to me. Very insightful.

During this time of re-reading, you begin to re-discover your own book. This is what I love about the 6-week break. It gives you the chance to almost see your book through someone else's eyes. Sort of. During your own "editing" process, knockout story and toolbox concerns: pronouns with unclear antecedents, deleting adverbs, coherence of your story. Look for resonance -- not necessarily morals.

The Ideal Reader -- all novels are really letters aimed at one person. I've never thought of it this way. Maybe it's because I don't write many short stories. But I imagine most writers and big time authors gearing their ideas toward their IR's. "He or she is going to be in your writing room all the time: in the flesh once you open the door and let the world back in to shine on the bubble of your dream, in spirit during the sometimes troubling and often exhilarating days of the first draft, when the door is closed."

Here's a funny line that I strongly agree with: "The truth is that most writers are needy. Especially between the first draft and the second, when the study door swings open and the light of the world shines in." This, I'm assuming, is why King believes authors rely so heavily on their IR's approval.

King goes on to discuss pace-- and how to keep your reader's attention. I can name quite a few authors who can lose an audience fast. But, he says, you can overdo the speed thing. Don't wear out your reader. But do keep him/her interested.

The formula: 2nd Draft = 1st Draft - 10%. Otherwise, cut out the boring parts, the lull in the text. He says the formula taught him that all stories and novels are collapsible to some degree. -- "The effect of judicious cutting is immediate and often amazing -- literary Viagra. You'll feel it, and your IR will, too." An odd way to put it but so true.

He uses great dialogue to teach backstory and its purpose. Clarify unclear things in your second draft. Use information to your advantage -- don't write an instruction manual. Great way to put it. Sometimes ideas can be cut from 2 pages to 2 paragraphs.This is a useful thought when it comes to backstory.

Although this may not exactly apply to me, King says -- "Remember you're writing a novel, not a research paper. The story always comes first." While I'll most likely be writing more research papers than novels, I do see where he's coming from.

Getting your first draft down, he brings up the fossil metaphor again. To write while it's bright and clear in your mind. I like how descriptive King is. He's engaging.

When submitting a story, King even describes how this should be done: attach a coversheet on top of your script, include where you've been published, briefly what your story is about, and an approximate word count. I'm glad he included this section. I don't think I would've thought of doing this.

He ends by saying that writing fulfills him. And he's convinced me that it does.

On Living: A Postscript

I never knew about King's awful accident in '99. But I felt like I was there after his graphic decription. He's pretty good at that, huh?! I do like though, that the glasses that flew into the van's front seat are the lenses he still wears today. The man is loaded -- he can obviously afford any pair he desires. But he kept these. It's a bit symbolic to me. After discussing every broken bone, surgery, and physical therapy session, he begins writing again. Picking up where he left off in this book. That's pretty cool to me. After five weeks, he was writing! He said that writing helped him forget himself, at least for awhile. I kind of wish I relied on writing that much in my life. It's a wonderful gift to have. And one that should be used if you possess the talent. He said "it's the work that bails him out." Sure, I like to write. But, I'm a bit jealous of King. Not because of his money, fame, or success. I'm jealous that he has writing, something he loves, to fall into and rely on when he's at his darkest or desperate hour.

He says the scariest part is always before you start. I think that's what stops me every time. I think I would enjoy writing those "2,000 words" he dedicates to every day. But beginning would get to me.

He sums up his book in this way:

"Some of this book -- perhaps too much -- has been about how I learned to do it. Much of it has been about how you can do it better. The rest of it -- and perhaps the best of it -- is a permission slip: you can, you should, and if you're brave enough to start, you will. Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink. Drink and be filled up."

Why does he have such a way with words?! That sums his book up perfectly. It makes me want to become a writer. Just to try all of his advice and calls to action. I need to stay focused. I'm going to pharmacy school. Although journalism and literature is calling my name!

And Furthermore Parts I, II, and III

In Part I, King shows just how he edits and cuts his draft. It's pretty cool, I must admit. "It's the story putting on its clothes, combing its hair, maybe adding just a small dash of cologne." He says most changes are cuts intended to speed up the story. Like Strunk said, "Omit needless words."

"It's about engine maintenance, not joyriding." I really love his metaphorical styles.

In Part II, he gives a booklist of what's worked for him. I'm ashamed to say, of the entire list, I've only read Lord of the Flies. Embarrassing, huh?! In Part III, he updates his list -- almost ten years later. Of both lists, I hope to read: Oliver Twist, To Kill a Mockingbird, Water for Elephants, Life of Pi, No Country for Old Men, Atonement, War and Peace, and Revolutionary Road. Although odd, I kind of like how he ended the book abruptly with a reading list. It's almost mysterious, almost.

"It's because of our people that our future is hopeful, our journey goes forward, and the state of our union is strong."

State of the Union Address

January 25th, 2011

Delivered by President Barack Obama

Although I was unable to watch the SOTU as a whole, I've heard and read the major points, opening statement, Republican responses, conclusion, news updates, and internet commentators. The address focused on more broad themes and less on a laundry list of policy proposals -- which, surprisingly, I liked.

The tone "after Tucson" was very appropriate as the President honored Congresswoman Giffords and recognized the empty chair in the chamber. Congress members wore black and white ribbons to honor her (loved that!). And President Obama called for the people to pray for "our colleague and friend." The Today Show reported that Giffords's husband held his wife's hand while watching the address live.

While President Obama did not mention gun control as expected, I'm satisfied that he didn't. I don't think it would've been appropriate to discuss that so close to the tragedy. And -- it would've most likely caused bipartisan bickering throughout Washington! Opposed to the President's neglect on the matter, Paul Helmke released this statement:

"How can President Obama tell us in his State of the Union speech tonight that 'the dreams of a little girl in Tucson are not so different than those of our own children, and that all deserve the chance to be fulfilled,' without talking about the gun violence that destroyed those dreams?

It wasn't the lack of innovation, education, or investment, too many regulations or too much debt that ended Christina's life and her dreams -- it was a clearly dangerous man who had way too easy access to a gun with a high-capacity ammunition magazine -- good only for killing many people quickly. We need the President to push for laws to reduce the gun violence that shattered Tucson, and Christina's family, and that shatters the lives of more than 100,000 Americans every year."

The First Lady Michelle Obama invited many high school students, researchers, CEO's, and small business owners to her guest box in the chamber. But the Green family were the guests who stood out last night. I really loved that they were invited in this difficult time.

On to his speech ---

It seemed that the President's theme of the evening was increase, increase, increase in spending -- which was not something "the people" necessarily wanted to hear. He believes our focus is to increase spending in energy infrastructure and innovation (with, of course, increasing jobs). But, sure that sounds good - to outbuild the world - but how exactly?! Who is he expecting to pay for this? He stated we need to outbuild the rest of the world, specifically naming India and China. Some good points included malpractice reform and the 1099 reform. He called for more civilty. But something I definitely noticed -- there was no leadership in the debt/deficit issue . . . that obviously needed to be dealt with. I'd guess his address was less than 10% deficit-driven. He also called for a 5-year freeze in the domestic non-security budget. But said he's willing to eliminate what we can always afford to do without. Good cover, Obama. BUT he made sure to say -- we won't be doing this on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens. Healthcare was another surprise at the address. He said instead or re-fighting the battles of the past two years, let's find ideas and work together. Woo-hoo, right?! Like people say - communism looks great on paper. So does healthcare. He says let's fix what needs fixin' and move on. This is when I began to wonder . . . is he just trying to appease his audience? I think so.

Aside from the address, the atmosphere of the room was awesome. It gave me chills to see Republicans paired up with Democrats instead of the common segregation. John McCain sat with John Kerry! And, a big surprise, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi sat with GOP leader Rusco Bartlett.

Here's proof:

Obama's comment on the comming together of parties: "What comes of this moment will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight, but whether we can work together tomorrow." Amen.

Another addition to the address -- Republican John Boehner . Boy, was I glad to see someone other than Nancy Pelosi sitting beside Joe Biden last night! As the new Speaker of the House, Boehner was brought in, like most recently elected Republicans, with a no-spending platform. Bad choice of words tonight, Obama. You didn't get much of a standing ovation on that one.

Matt Lauer interviewed former mayor of NYC and 2008 presidential candidate Republican Rudy Giuliani. I agreed with him -- he fell short and missed the opportunity of the deficit. Big government will continue. Really? Lauer asked Giuliani a trivial question about the Republican party: could American's see the party split as the 2012 election nears? While Giuliani was skeptical, it sure had me questioning the same thing as I thought about last night's Republican Responses.

 Paul Ryan of Wisconsin delivered the offical GOP response. Later, Michelle Bachmann, with a different twist, responded via internet. Although the two didn't verge on policy exactly, their styles differed greatly.

"We believe that in a country where every race and faith and point of view can be found, we are still bound together as one people; that we share common hopes and a common creed"

President Obama began his efforts to gain back Democratic control for 2012 in Wisconsin today (where he won by 14% in '08 but was recently turned over to the Republican party in this past election).

Stay tuned . . . this ought to be good!

The best thing about the SOTU?

Each year, one member of the President's cabinet is absent from the address, to maintain the line of succession in case of emergency.

Okay. How cool is that?!

"Words create sentences; sentences create paragraphs; sometimes paragraphs quicken and begin to breathe."

Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Toolbox and Chapters 1-9 On Writing

The Toolbox

The Toolbox has - by far - been my favorite portion of this novel. Beginning with Uncle Oren's toolbox metaphor, King begins to describe the shelves of one's writing toolbox. He begins with a very encouraging thought to the toolbox theory:

"I want to suggest that to write to your best abilities, it behooves you to construct your own toolbox and then build up enough muscle so you can carry it with you. Then, instead of looking at a hard job and getting discouraged, you will perhaps seize the correct tool and get immediately to work.

He goes on to show common tools on the top shelf, one of which -- vocabulary. I loved how he showed examples from different excerpts of good AND bad no-so-good writing. I've always thought I needed to impress my audience with my vocabulary. This is not so. (Which I was thankful to hear, considering my vocab isn't up to par with some of my peers!)

"Remember that the basic rule of vocabulary is use the first word that comes to you mind, if it is appropriate and colorful."

Another common tool for the top shelf is grammar. I noticed that King referenced William Strunk's The Elements of Style, and I'm considering reading it. (Not only for pleasure or even to improve my writing...but it sounds like it may improve an English ACT score!)

"Grammar is not just a pain in the a**; it's the pole you grab to get your thoughts up on their feet and walking."

Ten favorites in this section that I never want to forget include:

1. People who use the phrase "That's so cool" should have to stand in the corner.

2. The timid fellow writes in passive voice.

3. The adverb is NOT your friend except in dialogue attribution.

4. Fear is the root of most bad writing.

5. Good writing is often about letting go of affectation.

6. You always add 's, even when the word

you're modifying ends in s. (Love it! Sydney Sanders's!)

7. Informal essays are, by and large, silly and insubstantial things.

8. Paragraphs are less structured in fiction - it's the beat instead of the actual melody.

9. It is possible to overuse the well-turned fragment.

10. Make the reader feel welcome - then, tell them your story.

"For the paragraph, not the sentence, is the basic unit of writing."

The Toolbox taught me to be bold and go with what I know.

---- "We are talking about tools and carpentry, about words and style . . . but as we move along, you'd do well to remember that we are also talking about magic."

Chapter 1-9 On Writing

In this section, King digs deep into how to actually write from his POV. He begins by beating around the bush but finally confessing that there are lots of bad writers. "Writers form themselves into the pyramid we see in all areas of human talent and human creativity." This is so true. People thrive on others . . . that's why we constantly compare ourselves to others better than us and others beneath us.

Two of King's theses on writing are:

• Good writing consists of mastering the fundamentals (vocabulary, grammar, the elements of style) and then filling the third level of your toolbox with the right instruments.
• 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.

I love how he describes what he knows -- fiction. He states that in order to be a writer, you must first learn to read a lot and write a lot. His metaphor to the muses of Greek mythology was comical as well as logical.

I learned much as he taught the learning writer about style:

"Reading is the creative center of a writer's life."

A funny portion was the writer's concerns in the world: rudeness should be the second-to-least of your concerns. While the least of all should be polite society and what it expects. Very clever. A man of constant ridicule, King knows much about this reality!

King gives guidelines on where to write, when to write, and how long to write. What I loved -- you can read anywhere, but this is not so with writing. You need an inspiring, serene atmosphere for writing. Yes -- this means no phone, no T.V.

I've noticed that King loves imagery. What fiction writer doesn't? But King painted a deep incription in my mind when he said: "write what you love to read." Therefore, this girl won't be writing sci-fi novels!

Plot fits in nowhere. I'm not going to lie, this struck me as odd. But as I read on -- King had a point. His fossil metaphor on uncovering your seashell or, for some, T-Rex was invigorating.

Story is honorable and trustworthy, whereas plot is shifty.

Another thought -- don't describe everything to your reader. Open the door to audience imagination. Wow. I never thought of it that way. I've had details, details, details shoved down my throat all of my life. And, while details are necessary, mystery and imagination connects the writer to the subject and the subject to the reader. (Ahem...the rhetorical triangle!)

--- "Description should begin in the writer's imagination but finish in the reader's." Hello!

Practice makes perfect, right? Not to King.

"A man's got to know his limitations," Clint Eastwood sighted, full of underlying wisdom. King made a good choice in adding this to convey his meaning.

This is just another example of the countless times King has stirred up and made me question myself on the building blocks of what I've been taught for so many years.

On Writing has shown me great aspects into the field of writing.

--- "Practice is invaluable and should feel good, not like practice at all. And that honesty is indispensable."

Transcribe what you hear and feel and convey that to your readers.

"Don't bother trying to read between the lines, and don't look for a through-line. There are no lines -- only snapshots, most out of focus."

Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

C.V. & What Writing Is 

A reluctant fan of Stephen King, I was unsure of how I would view his "autobiography" and outline to the writer's world. But then I read the front matter reflection page:

"Honesty's the best policy.

"Liars prosper."

I immediately laughed and thought -- I may like this guy afterall. Then came his forewords (all three of them!) These explained how he came to writing about writing. "No one ever asks about language," his close friend, Amy said. And she was right. He says, "in our humble way, we care passionately about the art and craft [of writing].

I also love the way he explained the need for this to be short and prompt. "Omit needless words," he said. As the copy editor of the Warriot Beat newspaper, I loved reading that! Ask anyone on staff, I use that tip almost every day.

In the final foreword, he acknowledges his editor -- "to edit is divine."

(I loved that, too. Just glad someone appreciates the work of an editor!)

C.V.

In the opening of the book, I was drawn in and intrigued by his emphasis of words, hyphens, dashes, italics, description, detail, and asides. Remember: he said he would keep it concise. And he has. Using all of these devices has helped me as the reader -- it's kept me from wanting to put the book down! Even his crude humor has kept me hanging on every word.

I've also enjoyed reading about his "firsts" for everything from writing to life lessons. His earliest memory of imaging himself as someone else was at a young age of three. This embarked his journey into fiction, really. "Pow!" is used all throughout the book -- a reference to his ludicrous and grotesque mishaps throughout his childhood and early adulthood. Although dry, his sense of humor is daunting enthralling.

Another favorite, I enjoyed his seventh story of his discovery of meanings of words as a young child. I'm envious of how King can share so many tools for writing through his early memories. All I remember as a child are play dates, trick-or-treating, and time-out.

King is unafraid of others and their point-of-views. He says what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants. It's pretty ridiculous how he can convey something disastrous and make it seem optimistic. Take his first stories for example: rejection after rejection, he nailed the return slips to the wall and used those as his fire -- his drive to prove himself to the world (of writing, that is).

"Your job isn't to find these ideas but to recognize them when they show up." Here, King describes finding an original idea -- something to claim as your own.

"When you're still too young to shave, optimism is a perfectly legitimate response to failure." This has been, by far, my favorite quote (and I'm almost finished with the book!). He's so right -- optimism can be used for anything in life lessons.

From his stories about watching Poepictures at the Ritz theater to writing for Dave's Rag, you can see King's wit and way with words began at a young age. After a school incident when writing for The Drum, he soon realized he wouldn't "truck with satire" anymore.

I'm sure many of my classmates have similar stories they admire from the
curriculum vitae. Maybe it's his poison ivy incident after "pushing" outside. Maybe it's his story about Dodie (the pour soul who was ridiculed for wearing the same outfit day after day). But mine is most likely different from the rest of the students. His demonstration of editing on pages 55-58 was one of the better parts of the memoir. He conveyed a not-so-interesting subject and made it fascinating to read and learn!

As I turned the pages, I enjoyed watching his career grow from $200 to HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS!

A writer herself, his wife Tabitha encouraged him along the way. "You've got something here. I really think you do," she said as he threw away his first draft of Carrie.

Later in the earlier part of his career (did that make sense?), King faced alcoholism and other major addictions. But he kept on writing...and published many books in that time! Not that I condone the behavior...but hey! It worked. Through an intervention, King soon realized he never remembered writing some of his pieces.

 

He concludes his C.V. by discussing his desk and its importance -- "Life isn't a support system for art. It's the other way around."

What Writing Is

This short section on "meeting of the minds" blew my mind. It was such a great way to engage the reader, the subject, and the writer. With detail and a heck of an imagination, King prepared me for his view on writing...which is covered in the Toolbox in the next section.