Informational Books

Book/Artwork by Kate Dorsey

            

              I love learning and have always enjoyed seeing how things are made.  So, it shouldn’t come as any surprise I read informational books from time to time.  Below are three books I have found especially interesting.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Stephen King

                On Writing is my absolutely favorite book about writing.  It is a mix of things: autobiography, writing tools, thoughts on writing, and advice.  This is a good book for both those who are interested in writing and for those who like Stephen King.

                For the autobiography part, I found it fascinating how important Mr. King’s wife, Tabby, is to his writing career.  Even while her writing career struggled (she writes as Tabitha King), she supported her husband’s.  Now, she is one of the first people, if not the first, to read his work.  Her opinion matters strongly and most importantly to Mr. King.  As it should.  Not only is she a fellow writer and his wife, Tabitha King is the one who saved Carrie from the trash.

                As for the writing part, Mr. King is very opinionated, but not in a lecture-like way.  He simply states what he likes and does not like when it comes to writing.  Do I agree with everything he wrote?  No.  But then who truly agrees with someone 100% of the time; especially with someone they have never met?

                Still, I believe all the thoughts and advice Mr. King gave are things to consider.  Even the few things I didn’t agree with.  By considering, you can figure out what truly works for you.  Something that isn’t right for me could be the exact thing someone else needs to move their writing to where they want it to go.  One never knows until they try.

                There is one final thing I have to say about this book; and that is you can tell it was written a while ago.  There is talk about submitting a manuscript on paper, and Mr. King lists only the first three Harry Potter books as books to read.  I think that’s because those were the only three Harry Potter books published at the time On Writing was published.  Still, despite the age of this book, all the information and thoughts apply to today.  Some may need a little tweaking, such as with the paper submission (the importance of presentation that goes with this discussion is still advice to follow), but it is all still good advice, and can be applied to writing at any time. 

So You Want to Start a Podcast

Kristen Meinzer

                It’s kind of odd how I came to read this book.  I have never listened to a podcast in my life, yet when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it.  The feeling I needed to read this was to the point that when I passed it up the first time I saw it at the library, I went back to get it because I could not get it out of my mind.  Let me tell you, if you want to start a podcast, read this book!

                So You Want to Start a Podcast is full of good information.  From deciding what to talk about, to the relationship between co-hosts, and advice on how to conduct interviews (including how to get interviewees), this book covers pretty much every part of what you need to do to create a podcast.  There were so many topics in it; many most people probably never even think of when starting out; such as having a good relationship with your co-host.  This probably sounds like an obvious statement, to get along with who you’re working with, but it is often surprising what happens between two people once they get into a working relationship.  Sometimes everything works beautifully.  Other times it is a disaster.

                While this book is about starting a podcast, I found a lot of good information in it that can be applied to all sorts of careers and projects.  Some of the tips and suggestions Ms. Meinzer made I can easily apply to my own creative endeavors, none of which at the moment involve the airwaves. 

Also, everything is presented in a light and fun way.  This makes it an enjoyable read for whatever reason someone picks it up.  Whether someone actually wants to start a podcast or only wants to know how one is made, they will be well on their way with the information in this book.          

The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide

Jenna Fischer

                This book, I must admit, I am torn on.  The lying in it really bothered me.  Despite this, I am writing about The Actor’s Life because there was a lot of good information in it.  Information probably a lot of people don’t think about.  Like the importance of not gorging on food in a scene because of retakes.  Or how you need to have the proper measurements for the costume departments.  Also, be on time!

                Again, like On Writing, The Actor’s Life is a mix of autobiography and information.  Actress Jenna Fischer goes through her life and the lessons she has learned while pursuing her acting career.  Throughout this, she gives advice from her own experiences (like the food gorging), and lets the reader know what is really going on behind the scenes that an actor needs to know.  Let me tell you, there is a lot.

                While I am not looking to act (but, hey, you never know where life will take you), I have always found behind the scenes of the entertainment industry fascinating.  To learn all the little things actors need to know and keep into account through their career, I found really interesting.  Some of the lessons I found can be applied to people in other creative careers, as well. 

One of the biggest lessons, and possibly the most important of this book, was everyone in the arts takes their own path to success.  It is often very hard.  But no matter how long or hard the path is, it is worth it in the end.