ON WRITING is one of my favorite writing memoirs/guides and for the moment, it's aged pretty well over the years (except for his adulation for J.K. Rowling and his seeming disdain for romance novels). I love how despite his incredible success, Mr. King seems very humble and approachable and even a little bemused that his books are as popular as they are, and it was fun getting a glimpse into the 1950s childhood that clearly inspired IT, his clear passion for writing at a very young age, and how long and arduous his path to success was (I had no idea that three of his "Bachman" books had actually been written prior to Carrie).
I think King does fall into the trap of making excuses for his favorites but condemning those exact same qualities in the things he doesn't like. His love and fond remembrance for trash films and Z movies, and the entertainment they bring because of their camp, when paired with compelling stories and charismatic and attractive leads gets him so close to understanding why romance novels are so popular-- and yet he can't seem to get over his disdain of them, mocking the adverb-heavy bodice-ripper writing style, and romance phrases like "arrogant cheekbones." Sometimes when you pick up a book, you don't want it to be literary, you want it to be fun.
Anyway, apart from that one niggling issue, I did enjoy ON WRITING a lot. I've had the same copy since I was about fourteen years old and for the longest time, this was my writing bible. It is still treasured and holds pride of place with some of my other favorites, but I no longer believe his word is law.
4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars
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