Yes … that Stephen King… the one who writes books so scary I can’t read the first page. The one who’s movies are so scary I can’t watch them unless they come on during the day and on a channel that is ‘edited for content’. Call me crazy. Call me odd. Scaredy-cat. Chicken.

Yes. I am them all.

However, I finished, over two evenings, Mr. King’s On Writing. It’s something different. It’s something grand and boy did it resonate with me.

Wow.

No, double wow.

Can I just say I am now a HUGE Stephen King fan (though, sorry, I will never read one of his novels). 🙂

Why is this book so amazing?

I connected with it. Yessirre … what he wrote about writing, I felt in the tips of my fingers, at the base of my spine and in every synapse that linked in my head.

The book isn’t about ‘write like this’ … it’s King’s view of writing bookended by the story of his life. So little bit auto-biography and little bit on his process, methodology and the writer’s madness.

What resonated with me? Let’s see …
o King has a spot in which he loves to write … and which fuels his writing (so do I and I will share!)
o King has what he calls his Ideal Reader — someone whom he relies on for the good and bad of his story (I do too and will discuss how I found them)
o King relies on a core group of folks to read his 2nd drafts (I do to!)
o King has a muse! (I’ve already talked about mine — fickle as he/she may be!)
o King hates adverbs (I had to laugh, but I’m with him 100%)
o King’s wife is amazingly supportive. (She has my husband beat only in that she’s had a longer chance to be supportive.)
o King has a defined editing process for his novels. (I do too and have discussed them and will be modifying mine just a little bit)
o King writes shorts between his novels. (I’m about to do exactly that in a different … um … well … genre)
o King writes what he loves (scary stuff! — I write what I love — Romance)
o King doesn’t write for money. He writes for the love of writing and bringing enjoyment to his readers.

No matter what … in 2011 … publisher or not … my writing will be available to enjoy… for that is exactly why I write.

So to Stephen King … thank you for confirming my fears, igniting the fire and providing the writing encouragement that could only come from one who truly loves writing for the act of writing. ::cheers::

Budding writers : I highly recommend On Writing. Please take a few hours and indulge yourself in the book.