Analytical Essay Sample on the Importance of Reading for a Writer

Stephen Edwin King is a famous, prolific, and well-respected American author of science fiction, Suspense, horror, fantasy, and supernatural fiction novels. Of his 61 published novels is the On-Writing, which he published in the year 2000. The on-writing novel's critical assumption is that reading and writing a lot hold the key to becoming a great writer (King, 145). Stephen believes that the road to becoming a writer is exceptionally rough and has no shortcuts. Additionally, Stephen suggests that the only possibility that a competent writer can be made out of a bad writer or a great writer can be made out of a good writer is through relentless hard work, timely help, and dedication. What provoked Stephen to write the novel was first to respond to the American writing teacher's critiques who argued that writing ability is fixed and immutable. Additionally, he wanted the novel to motivate young professionals aspiring to join the writing field. This paper aims to critically analyze Stephen's coherent claims by Stephen that support his assumption that writers are made by lots of reading and writing.

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Potential writers should not only read good books from recognized authors but also they should read books or novels with "terrible" writing skills. As a writer there is always a lesson learned from every book read, "Every book you pick up has its own lesson or lessons, and quite often the bad books have more to teach than the good books" (King, 145). Bad books provide writers with a clear insight into mistakes they should avoid when writing. Also, bad books are of great motivation to potential new writers because they make them believe that they can do better than the writers of such a book. Their commitment to reading and writing should be at an extreme level nurtured by the tough schedule and targets of reading irrespective of how fast or slow they are in reading. Stephen King, the author of 'On Writing,' demonstrates this by acknowledging that he is a slow reader, but he manages to read more than seventy or eighty books every year. Bad books help new authors discover how other writers have a bad vocabulary, poor plot development, and poor narration. Good books are the center of perfection where new novelists or authors can learn how to catch their reader's attention with a good style, plot development, narration, and enticing vocabulary. Therefore, for aspiring writers to become best writers they need to read widely and write tirelessly for their work to be excellent, “you have to read widely, constantly refining and redefining your own work as you do so” (King, 147). These arguments substantiate the author's stand that reading a lot and writing a lot is the key to successful writing.

For new writers to succeed in writing novels and books, they should be ready to sacrifice most of their pleasures. Stephen articulates that writers should embrace reading at any place, even during meals which are considered as rude behaviour. The author values commitment to reading and writing more than societal values because he believes societal judgments never limit a good writer. Also, for potential writers to be successful and truthful novelists or authors, they should know that their relationships as affiliates of polite society will never last (King). The new authors or novelists should sacrifice personal pleasures such as watching news and sports, listening to music, watching beautiful roadsides when traveling, attending the stock market, etc. This is because Stephen believes that for a new novelist, each free chance should be used to read and write as part of improving their writing skills. Therefore, if one wants to be an excellent writer because of the good books or novels he has read, it will be difficult for them to match up with the commitments and hard work required. Just like Stephen’s son who liked playing the saxophone due to the influence of Clarence Clemons, a member of Bruce Springsteen's Band (King, 144). The son could not manage to be good at playing the saxophone because he could not work as hard as required. The same case with writers who want to be successful authors or novelists but cannot afford the sacrifices.

Stephen’s idea about writing is that one has to read and write a lot. This implies that everyone can become a prolific writer; all that matters is hard work, passion, and persistence. However, Stephen contradicts himself in the On-writing novel where he says; "if you are a bad writer, no one can help you become a good one, or even a competent one and if you are a good writer and you want to become a great one then you just have to fuggedaboudit" (King, 144). Thus, a contradiction from his previous claims suggested that reading and writing a lot makes one a good writer, and thus writers are not born but are made. Thus, arguing from the perspective that a lot of reading and writing results in improving and redefining his writing skills, Stephen's statement that a good writer should forget about becoming a great one is a total contradiction. By reading and writing a lot, one can gain the required experience, allowing the writer to improve gradually. Success through a lot of reading and writing is not exceptional for any person.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the ‘on writing’ novel is a guide to potential writers as it gives insights of a novelist's life. The novel articulates the key guides to successful writing such as reading of as many books and novels as possible and utilizing most of the time to read and write. The greatest commandment of all novelists or authors is that they should always read a lot and write a lot.

Works Cited

King, Stephen. On Writing: a Memoir of the Craft. Simon & Schuster, 2000.