On Writing by Stephen King

Stephen Kings sub title is " A Memoir of the Craft". The book is written in two sections the second part is stuffed full of gems from the writer on the craft of writing. I would recommend you read the book cover to cover as you would a novel. Having enjoyed this then take the time to re-read the second section with a highlighter in hand. Doing this will highlight the gems of advice.

"If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others:read a lot and write a lot."

" Every book you pick up has its own lessons"

Common sense yes but when seen in black and white from as prolific a writer as Stephen King the snippets make sense.

Mr King also spreads a little comfort in " No one can be as intellectually slothful as a really smart person; give smart people half a chance and they will ship their oars and drift...dozing to Byzantium,you might say" So I am not lazy just really smart. Well that's my take on it anyway.

He goes on to say that stories and novels consist of three elements,narration,description and dialogue. Its hardly rocket science or anything mysterious. The method in which he lays out the book makes for a very informative and enjoyable read.

Highly recommended.

Latest update

Hello to anyone stopping by. If you take the time to stop by do me a favour and leave a comment good or bad so i know you have stopped by this way.

It is just over three weeks since I last updated the blog . Apologies to anyone who has been waiting on the update with bated breath. If this you, take it from me you need to get more. During that time I have been ill. What started as cold and chest infection turned into Bronchitis. Two antibiotics and a lot of drowning sensations later I am on the mend. As a result the blog shall now grow out of all recognition, allegedly.

During my forced absence I have read to keep myself occupied. I will recommend Stephen Kings book on writing. His honesty and irreverance make for both an enjoyable and educational read. My next blog may just be a review of this book.

In the past I have mentioned Julia Cameron I will review one of her books as well. I really like her easy style. The exercises she provides at the end of each chapter are worth following. Above all her greatest gift is her three pages a day philosophy. More of that in the review.

I have missed several classes as a result of the illness but have been keeping in touch by e-mail. The current exercise is to write a piece on a chance encounter. The resultant piece should be entered in a short story competition. More of that to follow on competion update.

So Loads to follow. if having read this blog there is something may like to see included or indeed have suggestions of any kind please leave a comment and contact details.

Future of the blog

It has been a few weeks since the last update of the blog. As I have said previously,this blog was established for the use of students attending the creative writing class in the Dunlewey Centre in Belfast. While the standard of writing is exceptional in some cases, the ability to commit to the blog is another issue. Some members have found the experience of going online a bit daunting. From this point I will continue the blog as a personal endevour. Should any of the class wish to have their writings posted I would be happy to do so.

The blog will be expanded to take in areas of interest to writers of all backgrounds. I will concentrate on literary events in Northern Ireland and ~Belfast in particular. It is my intention to attempt to establish a "Literary Trail" in Belfast for walkers and visitors to the city. The trail will combine areas of interest and have the walkers safety as one of the main criteria. Places like the Linenhall Library, Queens University, Ulster Museum, Queens Film Theatre will all be included. Places to stay along the route will also have their details included. ~If there is anything ~I have missed and you would like included please drop me a line on my email or leave a comment.

The Height of Nonsense

Paul Clements has now agreed to take classes at both Whiterock and Dunlewey Centre. Paul has also launched his personal blog/website at www.cocktailoftravel.com . This site includes some gems like the top ten book shops in the world(according to Paul of course). It would make an interesting travel article , travelling around the world visiting bookshops. I wonder if my good lady would let me away with it.

Paul has also included some lecture dates for 2007. I know its a personal opinion but I would highly recommend the events if you can manage it. Details on the site.

Paul is pictured at the summit of Slieve-na-Calliagh or Hill of the Witch. This is the highest point in County Meath and one of the sites visited in his book mentioned earlier "The Height of Nonsense".