. A decent book, workmanship in nature - like his writing - and a combination of a lite autobiography and a how to and a philosophy of writing and an encouragement book.The book does not gel together very well, which is likely a result of how it was written - in chucks, well separated in time (which he warns against...), and finished while he mended from being hit by a truck. The autobiography starts the book, to tell the story of one writer. The one thing that stands out is how much is mom encouraged him - encouragement can go a long way.
The how too is short, but as far as it goes decent. He simply points to some simple guidebooks elsewhere, rails against common annoying habits [0], and makes some simple points such that a sentence is simply a verb + noun, and can even be stripped down to just two words: "Fluids flow." [1]
The final part of the book is a "I got hit by a truck and it sucked" discussion on life, why writing matters, what it means to King, and some details of his booze + drug problems [2].
All through the book words of encouragement for would be writers are scattered, and King also includes a program on "how to be a writer" in his section on how too (in a nutshell: read lots, write lots: 3-6 hrs a day of reading/writing, write 5 pp a day, everyday, read at every chance [3]).
The book is a quick and enjoyable read, its major flaw actually underscore one of his warnings (i.e. it not gelling together likely directly links to how the book is written [4], as discussed in the book...), and King encourages all the way through.
On writing is flawed, but cheap and quick. Well worth the effort.
Notes;
[0] Of the type railed against in Orwell's "Politics and the English Language".
[1] The simple aspects King discusses are actually pretty encouraging, as he strips down grammar to the simplest to show the heart of the situation. King once taught basic English, so he has the chops down.
[2] King states that booze does not an artist make, and that while many of his best works came out of a booze and coke fueled fire that... um... booze is bad, and it is a cop out to say an artist is more sensitive and thus needs to blunt life with booze/drugs. Though artists are more sensitive, don't get him wrong.
[3] King gives the would be a day off, but notes he takes no days off. No Christmas. No Halloween. No birthday. And he writes 10 pp a day. Included is a "decent books I've read" list.
[4] The book is somewhat repetitive at times...
