2 posts tagged “writing for publication”
Title: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Writing for Publication
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Publishing Info: Pocket (July 1, 2002)
List Price: $7.99
ISBN: 0743455967
BINC: 6871921
Page Count: 291
*Note: When looking for this book in a bookstore, you will most likely find it in horror or fiction with King's other books, not in the writing section where it belongs.
Summary:
About half autobiography, half writing guide, the whole thing adds up into a neat look into one of my favorite writers (and I won't say guilty pleasure either, because I grew up on Stephen King books, just like he grew up on monster movies).
Best Bit:
While I enjoyed the look into his childhood and family life, his blunt but humorous advice on writing ("The adverb is not your friend," he says with great meaning) is spectacular. Surpassing even that is his frequent plea to stick to your guns, especially when it comes to something that, if published, could cause a stir: "If you substitute 'Oh sugar!' for 'Oh shit!' because you're thinking about the Legion of Decency, you are breaking the unspoken contract that exists between writer and reader -- your promise to express the truth of how people act and talk through the medium of a made up story."
Quick Review:
It's really a quick read (I picked it up while I was waiting for my new eyeglasses to come out from the back of my local Lenscrafters), but King's sense of humor shines through the whole book. He's made it quick because, in his words, the amount of time you spend reading this book about writing takes away from the time you could be writing. For someone who is accused of being a "popular fiction" writer (said with all the disdain of a literary critic), he knows what works, what sells, but above all, what people want to read. It's also fascinating to read his thoughts on individual novels (The Stand being of particular interest to me... and I have to admit what he says about that book surprised me quite a bit).
Final Grade: A
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Writing for Publication
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Publishing Info: Pocket (July 1, 2002)
List Price: $7.99
ISBN: 0743455967
BINC: 6871921
Page Count: 291
*Note: When looking for this book in a bookstore, you will most likely find it in horror or fiction with King's other books, not in the writing section where it belongs.
Summary:
About half autobiography, half writing guide, the whole thing adds up into a neat look into one of my favorite writers (and I won't say guilty pleasure either, because I grew up on Stephen King books, just like he grew up on monster movies).
Best Bit:
While I enjoyed the look into his childhood and family life, his blunt but humorous advice on writing ("The adverb is not your friend," he says with great meaning) is spectacular. Surpassing even that is his frequent plea to stick to your guns, especially when it comes to something that, if published, could cause a stir: "If you substitute 'Oh sugar!' for 'Oh shit!' because you're thinking about the Legion of Decency, you are breaking the unspoken contract that exists between writer and reader -- your promise to express the truth of how people act and talk through the medium of a made up story."
Quick Review:
It's really a quick read (I picked it up while I was waiting for my new eyeglasses to come out from the back of my local Lenscrafters), but King's sense of humor shines through the whole book. He's made it quick because, in his words, the amount of time you spend reading this book about writing takes away from the time you could be writing. For someone who is accused of being a "popular fiction" writer (said with all the disdain of a literary critic), he knows what works, what sells, but above all, what people want to read. It's also fascinating to read his thoughts on individual novels (The Stand being of particular interest to me... and I have to admit what he says about that book surprised me quite a bit).
Final Grade: A
Title: No Plot? No Problem! A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days
Author: Chris Baty
Genre: Writing for Publication
Format: Quality Paperback
Publishing Info: Chronicle Books (September 1, 2004)
List Price: $14.95
ISBN: 0811845052
BINC: 7596355
Page Count: 176
Summary:
Essentially a peptalk and guide to the fear-inducing and sanity-reducing National Novel Writing Month (well, at least in my case). Advice, tips, and fun stories from the founder of NaNoWriMo and various winners from previous years.
Best Bit:
While I don't have children or an office job, I was endlessly amused at advice on how to duck kids, household responsibilites, and snooping managers.
Quick Review:
It's a very fast read (I just finished at 2 AM and I think I started somewhere around 12:45 AM), but enjoyable nonetheless. Definitely got me in the mood for writing. One nitpick: the sections that are on the grey background are nigh on impossible to read without going blind. I also would have loved to see an appendix with resources and whatnot, but in this internet age, such things are easily found via Google (and also quickly outdated). Overall, if you have a few hours to read this in preparation of NaNoWriMo, it's well worth it.
Final Grade:
A
Author: Chris Baty
Genre: Writing for Publication
Format: Quality Paperback
Publishing Info: Chronicle Books (September 1, 2004)
List Price: $14.95
ISBN: 0811845052
BINC: 7596355
Page Count: 176
Summary:
Essentially a peptalk and guide to the fear-inducing and sanity-reducing National Novel Writing Month (well, at least in my case). Advice, tips, and fun stories from the founder of NaNoWriMo and various winners from previous years.
Best Bit:
While I don't have children or an office job, I was endlessly amused at advice on how to duck kids, household responsibilites, and snooping managers.
Quick Review:
It's a very fast read (I just finished at 2 AM and I think I started somewhere around 12:45 AM), but enjoyable nonetheless. Definitely got me in the mood for writing. One nitpick: the sections that are on the grey background are nigh on impossible to read without going blind. I also would have loved to see an appendix with resources and whatnot, but in this internet age, such things are easily found via Google (and also quickly outdated). Overall, if you have a few hours to read this in preparation of NaNoWriMo, it's well worth it.
Final Grade:
A
