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Wynelda Shelton

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
by Stephen King
Pocket Books, Trade Paperback
ISBN 0-671-02425-6
$14.95 U.S./ $22.95 Canada

Striving

Almost everyone I know has heard about Stephen King's On Writing. It has great points in it, one of which is King’s writing voice. For those who are not familiar with the book, it is broken into three parts: Part One is a memoir of how he was shaped as a writer; Part Two has a "toolbox" for writers; Part Three is entitled "On Living, a Postscript" that deals with the accident in which King was struck by a vehicle. Part Three also contains a rough draft and edited version for those who would like to see how a pro does it.

Every time I have sat down to do a review on this piece, though, something doesn’t sit right with me. In reviewing my copy of the book (which I’ve taken notes in), I came across a passage that bothered me. In the margins I wrote: Do I Agree? The passage is on page 144 of the trade paperback, in the tools section. King states, "But before we go on, let me repeat my basic premise: if you’re a bad writer, no one can help you become a good one, or even a competent one. If you’re good and want to be great… fuhgeddaboudit."

That statement bothers me to no end. If there is no way to become a good writer, or to become great, what’s the point of reaching? Because I know I do try to write better. I know I’ll (probably) never be a Faulkner or Hemmingway. But I have the right, and the duty to myself, to strive for it.

I recently had the chance to look back on my early writing. My mother saved almost everything I had ever written. And let me tell you, some of that early stuff was H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E. The pacing was all wrong, not enough details or character definition. By King’s account, because I wasn’t particularly good at that stage I could never hope to become better. It would be hopeless to strive for and hit that next level. If that were true, I would never have had the courage to write this column. Apparently, I wouldn’t have the ability to make it readable.

As writers, I believe we need to strive for that next level. It’s a part of us, a part of what makes us tick. It is another aspect of the "What if" that we all live with. What if I could describe a sunset as beautifully and eloquently as Faulkner when he wrote "The sun set like a benediction"? What if I could tap into the energy of a generation? Or transport my readers into another world that feels more real than their own? What if I could experience greatness, if only for one paragraph?

On page 146, King seems to disagree with his earlier premise. He says, "A novel like the 'Grapes of Wrath' may fill a new writer with feelings of despair and old fashioned jealousy — 'I'll never be able to write that good, not if I live to be a thousand' - but such feelings can also serve as a spur, goading the writer to work harder and aim higher. Being swept away by a combination of great story and great writing — of being flattened, in fact — is part of every writer’s necessary formation."

It’s time for me to start striving again, to get back to my current work in progress. But I want to leave you with one thought: when reading about writing, remember that you are allowed to disagree with almost everything. Just about every editor will tell you that the stuff about grammar, spelling, and punctuation are non-negotiable, though. After all, we want to be readable!

Wynelda Shelton