Besides being able to Philosophize (the other half of my degree) my degree is good for writing term papers that are the equivalent to sharks with frickin' laser beams.  They would blow my professors away before devouring the savory morsels left by their ruthless hunter instincts.  When I signed up for an English - Writing degree something I didn't foresee would be that I would learn to also grade those sleek hunters of high grades.  What I had missed was that while my degree claimed to be about writing, the reality was that more future teachers tried for this degree.  English - Writing had classes on grammar and vocabulary, a Basic B.A. in English did not.  Simple economics shaped the classes I took around these more numerous paying students.

When I entered the world as a Young Man Fully Formed (ha!) I quickly realized that not only did I know nothing about writing for anything outside of a school border, but I had no idea how to even find such a job.  My talents in other arenas have had to sustain me, but a small light now glitters into my cave in the form of a book. 

I had stumbled across On Writing, twice before I purchased it.  I read several good reviews on it, and a few weeks before I moved to Surprise, I purchased it second-hand.  I was selling heavy philosophy books that I didn't want to have to cart to my new house.  My store credit didn't cover my purchases, but then it never has - my thirst for story has always been more akin to an addiction.

After I moved I picked up and read the eight other books stuffed away in the box labeled "Current Reading."  I thought they all would be more memorable, but you can't blame my prejudice.  I have read plenty of books about writing.  They offer platitudes and ideals to strive for, but I've never read a single book that offered me a realistic look at what it takes to write and publish a novel.  While I'll remember Scaramouche, by Sabatini for many years - it's where Lucas bastardized his Star Wars characters from. I'll most likely forget the two adventures at sea I read (Bolitho and Ramage), and I cannot recall the five previous books I read before that.  Fortunately my instincts were wrong - I'll remember this book.

On Writing, is a complete reversal of all my expectations.  It is as humorous and easy as farting after beans.  King's book offers concrete guidelines to improve your writing and story creation.  There is an entire section devoted to breaking into writing professionally, and he doesn't spare the bleak outlook.  He not only gives the gritty details about the K2 like failure that looms over all aspiring writers, but he writes about how one would likely go about successfully entering the field.  That is if one were still crazy enough to desire the thin air of the professional writing summit.

If you have ever fancied yourself a writer go pick up this book and read it now.  Before I can bring myself to read a book a second time, I am notorious for putting it away for years.  I am reading On Writing, again for a second time and taking notes.  King's book is that good.  Without the final push that I received from wickedthought and memento_mori, On Writing, would have languished on my shelf for years - its wondrous knowledge secreted from me like the lost chants of the Hermetics.*


* - Unlike the Hermetics King doesn't offer any magic spells or secret knowledge to turn you into our generation's copy of him.  It's all blood, sweat, and tears piled on top of personal rejection, torturous hours, and no pay - a bit like K2.