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Recently I’ve started writing again. In the last few years, all my writing was on screenplay style for short films. Some of these we actually shot and produced, most just sit on my computer in final PDF form. Writing in screenplay format is different than novel, novella, or short story forms. Screenplay is all about dialog and character actions. There is no exposition of character thoughts. I think this experience makes you a stronger dialog writer, when you switch to fiction. I decided to read a few books on the subject of writing fiction before starting up again. Seeing good reviews on Stephen King’s On Writing, I decided to read it. I’m glad I did.

The book is broken into a few sections: C.V., Toolbox, On Writing, On Living: A Postscript, and a final edit example. C.V. or Curriculum Vitae is normally a list of job experience and education for use in an interview. At first, this seemed like a strange title for the section. After I finished reading, it was a logical name. The section is split into 38 mini-chapters or “snapshots” of times in history, as Stephen puts it. Descriptions of points in his life, which influenced his focus and style as a writer, help give perspective on all the rest of the book. King is very open with his battles with drugs and alcohol over the years. He laments about those books written while under the influence, with no lasting memory of the creative process.
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