Reflecting "On Writing"

“On Writing” by Stephen King is a very accessible book. King didn't write it like those overly wordy textbooks whose authors you'd swear were getting paid by the word, if not the letter. He advises people to write plainly and directly, and I'd say he definitely lives up to that here. In fact, my favorite part of this section, pages 103-137, would be the sample passage he wrote about how best to describe the scene of a rabbit in a cage that’s in turn on a table. In my notes, I actually transcribed the whole thing, and added his observations and my own after practically each sentence.

 King doesn't seek to instruct, so much as advise. In fact the whole section on "What Writing Is" could be seen as him covering a lengthy series of advice to become a better writer. The book overall feels like him telling people about the things he’s learned about writing, and that he wishes he’d known when he was first starting out. As for me, what I’ve learned is that “Practice makes perfect.” The impression I’ve gotten from the passage as a whole, and the “writing toolbox” section in particular, is that the best way to get better as a writer is to be constantly working on your writing. As opposed to just treating it as a day job.