On Writing: 10th Anniversary Edition: A Memoir Of The Craft Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work.“Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it—fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Scribner; 10 Anv edition (July 6, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439156816
ISBN-13: 978-1439156810
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2,605 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #794 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #6 in Books > Reference > Writing, Research & Publishing Guides > Writing > Fiction #17 in Books > Reference > Words, Language & Grammar #86 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Memoirs
For the legions of Stephen King fans out there (which is to say a lot), the first third of the book containing his short memoir is truly a gift. One can't help wanting to read about his/her favorite writer after being transported to fantastic worlds countless times in Mr. King's prolific career. Some fans would have paid... gladly for the first 101 pages of the memoir ("C.V." he calls it), which includes heartfelt tidbits about his brother, mother and his long battles with alcohol and drug addiction.The second part, "On Writing," is where the aspiring novelists will find inspiration. Assuming you're a serious writer (or wanting to be a published one), you'd no doubt would have read the countless manuals on the mechanics of writing. With Mr. King, you do get short lessons in the mechanics of prose here and there. What he mostly offers to the aspiring writer is the inspiration, the cheerleading, and as some have already suggested, after reading it makes you want to sit and write something. He actually allows you into his writing routine, when and where he writes, how many months it takes to write the first draft, and even how he goes about editing the second draft.Some very original thoughts I found quite interesting:1. Story is a fossil you find on the ground, and you gradually dig it out slowly.2. He doesn't plot his stories. He puts "a group of characters in some sort of predicament and then watch them try to work themselves free." In fact he even goes as far as to say, "plot is shift, and best kept under house arrest."3. Write first draft with the "door" closed, and the second draft with it open.There are truly gems here for writers, simple, direct, to the point. As always, he doesn't talk down to you.
The cover shows an inviting scene, a country house with a warm light glowing in the living room window, a set of double doors leading down to the cellar, the house lined with pink and white flowers. "Come on in," the picture seems to say. "I have a story to tell."It generally takes Stephen King about three months to finish the first draft of a book. He began "On Writing" at the end of 1997, but put it aside a few months later, unsure how to finish it. Over a year later, in mid-1999, King decided to spend the summer "finishing the damn writing book."The events of late-June, 1999 interfered with those plans. King spent three weeks in the hospital after he was struck by a van. In late July he decided it was time to start writing again, and it was "On Writing" that he chose for his return to work. The finished product, "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft" will be released by Scribner in early October, 2000.It was a discussion with Amy Tan while on tour with the Rock Bottom Remainders that inspired King to write this book. "No one ever asks about the language," Tan said in response to King's query about the sorts of questions that she doesn't get at author appearances. "Serious" authors get asked that but they don't ask the popular novelists who, he says "care about language in our humble way, and care passionately about the art and craft of telling stories on paper."King opens with a lengthy memoir that "attempted to show some of the incidents and life-situations which made me into the sort of writer I turned out to be." He calls this section "C.V," as in "curriculum vitae," his list of accomplishments and job skills. Some of the story is familiar, though many of the details are new.
On Writing: 10th Anniversary Edition: A Memoir of the Craft Writing: A Guide Revealing The Best Ways To Make Money Writing (Writing, Writing Skills, Writing Prompts Book 1) Worlds of Childhood: The Art and Craft of Writing for Children (The Writer's Craft) Writing Romance: The Top 100 Best Strategies For Writing Romance Stories (How To Write Romance Novels, Romance Writing Skills, Writing Romance Fiction Plots, Publishing Romance Books) On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing, 10th Anniversary Edition with a New CD of Meditations and Exercises The Success Principles(TM) - 10th Anniversary Edition: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be I'll Follow the Moon - 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition Marvel 1602: 10th Anniversary Edition The Cluetrain Manifesto: 10th Anniversary Edition Vegan with a Vengeance, 10th Anniversary Edition: Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother, 10th Anniversary Edition It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy, 10th Anniversary Edition Belly Laughs, 10th anniversary edition: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth Taking Charge of Your Fertility, 10th Anniversary Edition: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health Created To Be His Help Meet 10th Anniversary Edition- Revised, and Expanded Voices of a People's History of the United States, 10th Anniversary Edition The Art of Happiness, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Handbook for Living I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (10th Anniversary Edition) (Gallagher Girls) The Sunshine on My Face: A Read-Aloud Book for Memory-Challenged Adults, 10th Anniversary Edition
