On Writing

by A.L. Kennedy

After six novels, five story collections and two books of non-fiction, and countless international prizes, A.L. Kennedy certainly has the authority to talk about the craft of writing books – it’s just a wonder she’s found the time. These are missives from the authorial front line – urgent and vivid, full of the excitement, fury and frustration of trying to make thousands of words into a publishable book. At the core of On Writing is the hugely popular blog that Kennedy writes for the Guardian – and we follow her during a three-year period when she finished one collection of stories and started another, and wrote a novel in between. Readers and aspiring writers will have almost everything they need to know about the complexities of researching, writing and publishing fiction, but they will be receiving this wisdom conversationally, from one of the funniest and most alert of our contemporary authors.Alongside the blogs are brilliant essays on character, voice, writers’ workshops and writers’ health and the book ends with the transcript of Kennedy’s celebrated one-person show about writing and language that she has performed round the world to huge acclaim. Read together, all these pieces add up to the most intimate master-class imaginable from one of the finest – and most humane – writers in our language.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 7, 2013

About the author

Alison Louise Kennedy is a Scottish writer of novels, short stories and non-fiction. She is known for a characteristically dark tone, a blending of realism and fantasy, and for her serious approach to her work. She occasionally contributes columns and reviews to UK and European newspapers including the fictional diary of her pet parrot named Charlie.

Reviews

[Antonomasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4.5] ... A few paragraphs added at the end since I first posted this.

In the blog posts which make up most of this book Ms Kennedy is very chatty and funny and good company. In moderation. The most I can manage of this book is 25% in a day. For even though I am a bit of a miserable cow already, her frequent asides about constant nagging minor illness and appearance-based low self-esteem drag me down. (Or perhaps they drag me down because I am a bit of a miserable cow already... and a sensitive narcissistic chameleon-thing who finds the best way to recover from - which partly means 'feel more attractive again' after - reading this is to lounge about with French symbolist poetry and ... clothing to which I will not allude directly because I'm really not one of those people who's on here to flirt. That still doesn't work as definitely-not-flirting. Anyway, I must hop out of this pit I've started to dig for myself...)

Alison does have a few useful things to say about honing one's sentences, but this book isn't about writing as such, it's about the lifestyle of a moderately successful novelist and workaholic who lives out of a suitcase between literary festivals and bouts of flu. Doesn't sound like it pays any better than being a middle manager for the local council - and the hours are longer - though your boss is at least yourself, rather than Brian from Corporate Services.

De-glamourise. That's a good word for it.

You can of course read these columns online for free as mentioned here, which most sensible people will do. I just wanted to avoid the Guardian website.

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However, if you only read those, you would miss out on the essays which take up the final 100 pages or so. These might just be the most inspiring pieces. Especially...
'To Save Our Lives'. It's the best explanation and justification for community arts work I've ever read and excellent on the importance of art in society too.I always used to be so glad I didn't work in community arts - as a few people I knew did - and instead did something almost everyone considered an essential service. (I've always been afflicted with an underlying feeling of having to justify myself, but if my job was unquestionably justifiable that helped a great deal.) But if I'd read this I think I would have been able to feel just as good about arts work.
In 'Character Building' Kennedy showed me for the first time ever that it might actually be interesting and enjoyable to make up characters and their stories which aren't basically people you know. I've always been able to think of stuff flippantly in response to set writing exercises, but anything I truly wanted to write for myself, from the heart, from the soul, whatever you like to call it, has been about variations of real people I wanted to immortalise. (But never got round to.) The exercise in this was so involving I started to resent it for distracting me from old ideas and people I couldn't previously be distracted from.
There is a good essay here on speech and drama and how speaking voice is related to how you feel about yourself (familiar ideas for me but very well expressed), and the text of a show which is part "how i became a writer", part standup comedy. (I see also that work with disadvantaged people also gave her a disdain for certain academic philosophies which really do start to look like nonsense outside the ivory tower.)

A companionable book if you like Kennedy as a non-fiction writer or blogger.

[MJ Nicholls]

As entertaining and informative as AL Kennedy’s Guardian blogs are, releasing them in hardback alongside a few mishmash essays wasn’t really necessary. These pieces work well when doing the morning’s online rounds at your laptop, but sitting in a chair reading these blogs simply feels wrong—like wellingtons on a summer day or a grape in a curry. Guardian material is archived here.

[Falynn - the TyGrammarSaurus Rex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting collection of blogs & essays about writing, & the process of writing, & the importance of the arts.

I always love to glimpse the inside of other writers' brains & this is well worth a read if you are a writer, at any level.

I feel seen & heard & inspired to return to my own work & my own words.

[Michael Lovell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A laconic look at writing. Honest. Personal.
Each chapter stands alone. Read as much or as little as you find helpful.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book to be returned to time and again to graze among its wisdoms, especially the chapters on workshops and building character.
The blogs really needs several dozen sticky tabs to mark places of especial interest and A L Kennedy's dedication to her craft is such that I imagine many writers will feel inadequate, especially given the peripheral activities needed to supplement income earned from writing.
So much to ponder on, and those of her books I've not read for a while to return to.

[Martin Raybould · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mostly a collection of blog entries but also some down to earth essays on being a writer & teaching writing to others. A honest insight into the process of putting words on the page as a kind of compulsive obsessive disorder. This is a condition that can't be cured but can be understood and, with perseverance, may even lead to success. Failing that it might at least result in the personal satisfaction of getting ideas out of your head and into the world.

[Caroline Deacon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been dipping into this book for a long time now. Part of it is the reproduction of her blog which was funny, interesting but ultimately a bit repetitive as is to be expected. Then there was a collection of talks - again interesting- particularly recommend the one on character - but again some repetition.
Finished it now but probably won’t dip in again

[F.K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read! So relatable for any creative types, hilarious in parts and very moving in others.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Up there with Stephen King's On Writing for pure goodness and the thrill of wordsmithing

[Ali Chakir · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was expecting something else so this book was a huge disappointment to me. If you want to read about the life of a writer it's fine.

[Tim Pieraccini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely superb - humane, helpful and hilarious. Not to mention inspirational.

[Hendrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Auf eher unkonventionelle Weise bin ich zu diesem Buch gekommen, nämlich mittels eines Gewinnspiels. Als Bonus ziert mein Exemplar eine aufmunternde Widmung der Autorin (sogar auf Deutsch!). Jedenfalls berichtet A. L. Kennedy über ihre seltsame Existenz als Schriftstellerin. Keine so romantische Form des Broterwerbs wie gängige Klischees suggerieren. Mit diesen Vorstellungen räumt sie auf gewitzte Art gründlich auf. Der größere Teil des Buchs besteht aus gesammelten Blog-Beiträgen, die über einen längeren Zeitraum veröffentlicht wurden. Entsprechend sollte man die Kapitel häppchenweise konsumieren, so funktionieren die Texte für mich am Besten. Ironischerweise spricht sie in einem Kapitel auch über Signierstunden und die Absurdität des Büchersignierens:

Da sitze ich in meinem eigenen Heim und produziere gute Wünsche, Gratulationen und Kommentare für Menschen, von den ich absolut nichts weiß, und versuche, so zu tun, als würde mein Buch durch die Zugabe meines gequetschten und kindlichen Gekritzels schöner.

(Schöner vielleicht nicht, aber ich habe mich trotzdem sehr darüber gefreut.)
Für angehende Schriftsteller, wie reine Leser ein interessanter Blick hinter die Kulissen des Literaturbetriebs.

[Julie Hartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most honest and interesting books on the craft of writing - and life as a writer - that I have read in a very long time. For readers who love A. L. Kennedy's work, this book offers insight into the experiences and ideas that have shaped her fiction. For readers interested in the writing life, A L. Kennedy is incredibly honest about the reality of writing as a career. Finally, the book explores what it means to be a creative artist, and why the arts matter so much in our world. There are essays in this collection that would form excellent fodder for teachers working with high school students, and for anyone wondering why a career in the arts is worth pursuing.

[Lee Kofman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kennedy is a highly respected, very successful novelist and a stand-up comedian too. At the start of the book I was utterly taken by her quirky voice and hilarious sense of humour. But as the book progressed, more and more the tone changed into angry, simplistic tirades on politics. She began sounding overly self-righteous. Then the bitterness and sentimentality unfortunately overpowered the brilliance of her wit. Ah… and I learned very little about writing itself from this book, more about how to be a touring public author.

[Mark Donnelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend this book to anyone. Why?

Because I loved it.

I love it more than books that bored me to tears;
Dearer than Xbox, Everybody loves Raymond and cricket;
Beyond what can be valued, priceless and timeless;
No less than a walk on the beach and a cup of hot chocolate;
As much as anyone as ever loved or been loved;
A love that makes me change careers and cry poor;
Beyond all manner of design and divine words, I love you.

Well done.

[Jer Hogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a slow burner with the blogs first giving a negative view of the life of a writer - and it does sound tough. In the later essays there are more positive aspects discussed and overall there are some interesting insights into the life of a writer. I will definitely check out her novels.

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.nudgemenow.com/article/wri...

[Rob Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best kind of book. You learn without realising it. She's a damn fine writer.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A.L. Kennedy hat eine intensive, fast körperliche Beziehung zum Schreiben, die sie in den Blogposts in The Guardian vor den Leserinnen und Lesern offenlegt. Was macht Recherche mit einem oder Signierstunden. Sie spricht alles an, was zum Leben einer schreibenden und veröffentlichenden Person gehört. Das Buch enthält zu den Blogposts noch Essay über das Handwerk des Schreiben und die Textfassung ihrer Performance Words.

Die Autorin gibt in diesen Text viel von sich preis. Sie lässt uns ziemlich nahe kommen. Krankheiten, seelische Untiefen, finanzielle Ängste, alles spricht sie an und aus.

Diese Ehrlichkeit und Offenheit hat mich beim Lesen des Buches am meisten berührt.