All reviews are written by members of The H2G2 Bookworm's Club. We hope this review is helpful, and that we'll see you airing your views at the Club soon.

As Stephen King says, there are a lot of 'how to write' manuals already in existence. They tend to be dry, sequential texts, helpful, but not brilliantly inspiring. I think On Writing is different. Having heard good reports from another Bookworm, it cured their writer's block, I thought I had to give it a go. The Green Mile by Stephen King is one of my favourite books, so reading his views and partial life story was already of interest to me.

The autobiographical section focuses on those events which helped King to write, from school punishments for his satirical stories about his teachers, to the spike on his bedroom wall where he kept his early rejection slips. More poignantly, he tells of his alcohol and drug addiction, and how he can't remember writing some of his masterpieces. Threading through his explanation of his working passion is another passion, his wife Tabby. It is so refreshing in today's cynical sex obsessed media world to read of a marriage that is decades old and still rock solid.

So, was the advice helpful? Yes, very much so. King advises thinking of a toolbox, containing all the grammatical components with which to build your story. He also explains how he generally gets ideas, by answering 'what if' questions and by placing together two random thoughts. Some of his advice is original, and it is all presented with lashings of King's humour.

Halfway through writing On Writing, King was struck down by a van, leaving him unable to walk for months. Despite this, he continued doing what he does best, and the book ends with an account of these months. If in extreme pain, King can write his bestsellers a little at a time (I believe From A Buick 8 is from this period), then there really is no excuse for the rest of us would-be writers with a little spark of talent. I have a story idea. Reading On Writing helped me to fully form a re-working of an old short story idea. It may now become a proper book of my own. Keep your fingers crossed for me, and while you're at it, pick up a copy of On Writing, and see if you can't be spurred on.

The Bookworm Club Review Archive

Review written by Pinwheel Pearl

25.03.04 Front Page

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