On Writing

I love reading writers who write about writing. You follow? My favorite is Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird. It got me through a lot of tough writing and living situations over the years. I'm currently re-reading Stephen King's On Writing - A Memoir of the Craft. It's good stuff. A bit dated as it was published in 2000, but the writing on writing is great. My favorite line thus far is this: Life isn't a support system for art. It's the other way around. Yaassss! I hear you!

There is a weird backstory here, though. Back in 1986 or '87, I quit reading King. IT did it. I loved that book all the way through until just before the end.  My sister, who is a cat, finally found something to bond with me over, and King was responsible.  We exchanged his books back and forth, had long discussions about this book or that, but after IT, I was done with him. She, on the other hand, continued her obsession and kept asking if I'd read Tommyknockers or The Dark Half, and I'd smirk and say, "I'm done with that dude." The ending of IT was so thoroughly and completely disappointing to me that I dramatically slammed it shut and threw it across the room, mangling the Venetian blinds. I remember this so distinctly because I felt as if a love affair had come to a screeching halt. The ending of the book was a throwaway.  A giant effing space spider?! Come on! But, that was it for me and King. I took all of his books off my bookshelf and donated them to Goodwill. And subsequently, my sister and I, a dog, haven't had much to say to one another since.

Reading King's take on writing reminded me of all of the good times we had together. Me and King, not me and my sister. It reminded me that simple and straightforward create movement, something that's been missing in my life for a long, long while. If you're asking how I would have a book written by King if I'd sworn a blood oath never to read King again, let me tell you. I found it at Goodwill.