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comment by OftenBen
OftenBen  ·  407 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: What are you Reading? Number who knows

I feel like I do enough short story stuff to merit a read of On Writing. It only seems to get positive responses from those who read it.





kleinbl00  ·  407 days ago  ·  link  ·  

King's On Writing is half memoir, half guide to music appreciation. It may have been written to help writers out but it's a better guide for people who enjoy reading to grasp why they enjoy reading. His instruction on how to write better won't hurt your writing, for sure, but is probably more intended for someone who is thinking of writing, not someone who has been at it and wishes to improve.

Stein's On Writing is okay bitch, you want to get paid for this shit? Here's how. It's much less entertaining, much more ruthless and much more insightful. Unfortunately it's also contemporary to John Grisham's breakout (Stein hated the fuck out of Grisham) so it's paleoinstruction, a guidepost from an era where there were dozens of publishing houses, books came on paper and cassette tape and vanity publishing meant driving around with a trunkful of paperbacks to sell city-to-city.

user-inactivated  ·  407 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I found it pretty entertaining even without the lessons it was imparting around writing. Doubled down on the enjoyment factor when I was able to apply a lot of what he was suggesting.