Day: June 20, 2020

‘On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft’ by Stephen King – Twentieth Anniversary Edition

onwriting
The Twentieth Anniversary Edition of Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’ is now available. Photo: google

Stephen King is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, science fiction and fantasy. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and many of them have been adapted into feature films, miniseries, television shows and comic books. He is best known for “Carrie,” “It,” “The Green Mile” and the Dark Tower series. The twentieth anniversary edition of “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” is now out with contributions from Joe Hill and Owen King.  For those unaware, Joe Hill and Owen King are Stephen King’s sons, both writers, with Joe Hill being the author of “NOS4A2,” a best-selling horror novel whose second season returns tomorrow June 21 on AMC.

I have my own copy of “On Writing” and it is a must-read for writers.  The best advice I took from it is:

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that. Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life.  I take a book with me everywhere I go, and find there are all sorts of opportunities to dip in…Reading at meals is considered rude in polite society, but if you expect to succeed as a writer, rudeness should be the second-to-least of your concerns.  The least of all should be polite society and what it expects. If you intend to write as truthful as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered anyway.”

From amazon:
Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work.

Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, “On Writing” will empower and entertain everyone who reads it—fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.

Author Q & A: Ryan Gutierrez, Part II

scarsintime
Photo: google

With the formalities out of the way, it is time to get into the deeper topics of Ryan Gutierrez’ “Scars in Time: A Novel (The Nowhen Stories).” Here is the second and final part of my Q & A with the author.

Sandra Cruz:  Have you ever considered going back in time for purely altruistic reasons?
Ryan Gutierrez: You know, if I could, I think I would have to. When you talk about time-travel, people often go to the baby Hitler conundrum. Would you kill baby Hitler to stop the Holocaust? Well, perhaps I’d just kidnap baby Hitler and help him find a nice adoptive family in our time, but I would have to do something. You can’t not try to stop the heinous murder of millions of innocents.

That’s why it was so important for me to limit the time travel in my story to a micro and personal level. I wanted Brennan to be limited to what he could do within his own lifetime only. I didn’t want him getting sidetracked stopping the holocaust.

SC:  Your book reminds me of the movie The Butterfly Effect. Did it inspire your story?
RG: I haven’t actually seen that movie. I think it came out during this weird time when I was on an anti-Kutcher kick for some reason. I actually admire the heck out of him now and all he’s done for victims of the sex trade. I did, however, draw inspiration from the Butterfly Effect that is a part of chaos theory. Basically, a small change to proceeding events could have massive repercussions on the resulting consequences.

SC:  Is this the first book in a series? I would love to read more of Brennan’s travels.
RG: Yes and no. It is the first book of the Nowhen Stories, but Brennan will be taking a backseat role to let others shine. I wanted Brennan’s focus to return to his family and living life well. However, Brennan’s travels through time opened the world to the effects of the Nowhen, the realm that functioned as a sort of way-station between times. The Nowhen is going to be for South Texas, what the Hellmouth was for Sunnydale, what the meteor shower was for Smallville, or the particle accelerator explosion was for Central City. A catalyst for supernatural and extraordinary.

The Nowhen Stories will tell those tales.

SC:  Were you concerned that some readers might not understand some of the Spanish you used?
RG: I was. I decided to do it anyway because I wanted the book to reflect and connect to the heavily Latino roots of the RGV and South Texas in general. I wanted to tell a story that felt universal, but also felt close to the heart of Latinos who may feel underrepresented in pop-culture.

SC: Considering that it contains religious themes/topics, it is geared towards a Christian audience?
RG: Not really. I would love for Christian people to enjoy the book, though I think some of my fellow Christians might frown upon some of the language and the level of violence. I really want the book to express hope for people in general, whether they are or aren’t Christian. It’s a crazy and entertaining story, if I may say so myself, but it’s ultimately a story of hope and restoration. I think that’s a message we all need. It just so happens that in my experience, hope and restoration tend to be intricately woven up with God.