The Memoir On Writing By Stephen King

In King’s essay, he uses many rhetorical devices to get his point across to the reader. For example, he uses repetition to emphasize the importance of being a writer. “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others:read a lot and write a lot”(210), shows repetition when using the word “alot” twice in the same sentence. He also uses imagery in his writing stating, “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. The trick is to teach yourself to read in small sips as well as in long swallows”(212). This paints an image in the reader’s head when to read. Lastly, he uses syntax. Syntax is when a statement is a straightforward message such as,”If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time to write. Simple as that”(212). He says it clear what he

William Zinsser is the person that wrote “How To Write A Memoir ”. William Zinsser gave us some advice to write a memoir. These specific advices are “Be Yourself”,” Speak Freely”, and “Think Small”. In Bad Boy, Walter Dean Myer memoir uses Zinsser advice but not in a exact way Zinsser wrote his memoir. Zinsser give us suggestions such as “Be Yourself” , ”It Your Story”, and “Think Small”.

When written properly, memoirs can tell life stories in interesting ways. William Zinsser wrote an informative essay called "How to write a memoir" which gives tips and guidelines on its namesake. The book, Boy Tales of Childhood, follows a multitude of Zinsser's tenance from "How to Write a Memoir" because Roald Dahl writes from one perspective and tells his true opinions about people, but he does not center the story around solely himself.

Throughout his article “Reading to Write” Stephen King uses his own distinct use of diction to create a comfortable and natural rhythm. King uses diction to his advantage in multiple instances. When describing his own

King utilizes ethos and pathos effectively throughout his book “On Writing” in order to progress his thoughts and experiences to make his argument stronger. The author makes some notable points in each section of the book by implementing rhetoric to accomplish the purpose, which is to get across to the reader’s minds what they must do in order to better themselves as writers and become successful in the writing world. King’s paramount argument was that writing isn’t about the materialistic rewards you will receive, such as money, getting famous, etc.; it is about bettering yourself and inspiring others who read your work as well as yourself as you journey the wonders of your mind.

In Zinsser’s “How to Write a Memoir” he gives you three pieces of advice, be yourself, speak freely, and think small. I’m going to be comparing these three pieces of advice to my memoir I’ve read ”Guts”. I will be writing at least 5 paragraphs minimum for my essay. Now that I told you what I’m going to be doing, lets get right to it!

Now before you get too comfortable with the simple little title listen up buttercup and allow me to let you in on a little secret. I’m not what you would call a nice guy I might walk the walk, but deep down once you get to know me on a comfortable level I can come off as a dick and often times I don’t think before I talk. It’s good that I’m getting this out of the way because according to Mary Karr in her book titled “The Art of Memoir” she mentions that “the best writers make you feel they’ve disclosed their soft underbellies." Which I believe highly qualifies my memory as a memoir due to the fact that I’m being honest and I’m being myself. I believe that I have given my all into this paper disclosing to you about my personal love life. Now before you read on into my so called “exciting” life allow me to give you a bit of a warning I may or may not say something that might offend you and if you are one of those that gets easily offended, I highly advice you to put this paper down and walk away just pretend you never even laid eyes on it. Now for you brave souls that are still reading this then congratulations, you have passed and you are ready to read about my dysfunctional life.

I felt that King brought out the emotions of his audience. This too got the reader listening to his words. King was able to accomplish this by using the persuasive strategy,

King uses allusion like the Declaration of Independence and references famous American Idols like James Meredith and T.S. Elliot. This not only helps King’s credibility, but also for the ideals he stands for. He also masterfully uses rhetorical questions like, “but what else is there to do when you are alone for days in the dull monotony of a narrow jail cell, other then write long letters, and pray long prayers” (Paragraph, 5). King also asks the question, “or should I say book?” (Paragraph, 5). King is using imagery in his rhetorical questions to illustrate his dull and desolate surroundings. He says he is writing a book because he is implying that there are a lot of civil rights issues that he would like to

Final minutes of the first half winding down, my team was marching down the field with a purpose. Across the gridiron was our rival team, Mayfield, who we had beat the previous year in the state championship game. It was a cold November night and the stage was set, playing on their home field, “The Field of Dreams,” in Las Cruses, New Mexico in the semi-finals of the state tournament. Up 14-0, we had the ball and were trying to score before going into halftime. I was handed the ball for a running play and then it happened. Falling to the ground as if I had been shot, I had completely torn my hamstring. I was in complete shock as I lay on the ground. As the pain

He chose this style to show that he was a real person going through that time, not just a historian, or a random onlooker. He wanted to ask questions, and to answer a few that people may have had. His style also influences the speaker's point of view, which points out that he himself is the speaker. The speaker is often referred to as "I", which proves that King, in that time, is the speaker. He was actually going through what he wrote about, which makes his book much more meaningful. It shows the raw human emotions that were contained in someone truly affected by the events of this period in

Dr. King used two kinds of tactics of writing, one appealing to emotions and the other appealing to logics. The two appeals allow the audience to connect to the situation and help relate each other’s stories.

King, Stephen E. Stephen King On Writing: A Memoir of The Craft. NY, Scribner, 2000.

The author uses the narrative style of writing in this text. Narrative non-fiction is character-driven storytelling. Steve Lillebuen firmly believed that the victim, Johnny Altinger, deserved to be a major focus in the text. The author focused on how he lived including his tragic death. Narrative requires more research than traditional reportage, for writers cannot simply tell what they learn and know; rather, they must show it.

A memoir is based on a specific and significant memory of the author’s choosing. In How to Write a Memoir by William Zinsser, Zinsser advocates those who are planning to write a memoir themselves and many of the suggestions given relate to Frank McCourt’s memoir Angela’s Ashes. Zinsser motivates the writers to be honest with their memories, to use their memoir as a way of healing, and to recapture their past in great depth.