Stephen King "On Writing"

I love this book, as I have read it before. One of my favorite parts is him telling the story of how the book "Carrie" came about. He didn't like the story, didn't like the characters, and originally threw it out not giving it another thought. If it had not been for his wife reading the original draft that he had thrown away, then he may still be another struggling writer.

If there is a feature story that you are struggling with, letting someone else read it may give you a fresh perspective on it. If you feel as though you are just plodding along and it isn't forming a point, someone else with "fresh eyes" can give you a hint of where a reader would like the story to go. This way you have a story that is a little more agreeable with readers.

One of my favorite quotes from the book is after the paperback version of "Carrie" sold, and his wife Tabitha had come back from her mom's house with the kids. Stephen said, "I took her by the shoulders. I told her about the paperback sale. She didn't appear to understand. I told her again. Tabby looked over my shoulder at our shitty little four-room apartment, just as I had, and began to cry." I like this quote because it shows the emotion that each one of them was feeling. Through all the struggling and trying to raise two kids with not much more than two pennies to rub together, they would never have to set foot in that little apartment again.