Sample answer – Attempt 2
King and Steinbeck both contrast writing with the life that goes on around it. Both are using first person narrative, although Steinbeck is writing a diary, just for himself, whereas King is writing a text which advises people about the ‘job’ of writing.
Both of the writers discuss the furniture needed to be a writer. For both of them the desk seems to be central, although King has more of a focus on the ‘massive oak slab’ which dominated his view of the writing life in the same way that it dominates the room he places it into. For Steinbeck the chair and desk combination is also important. He also mentions another option - writing in bed like Mark Twain – but he is rather suspicious of the results of writing in bed.
Both writers mention their family as being important in their writing life. For Steinbeck it is his wife Elaine who is important, because she takes care of all the details which provides him with ‘free untroubled time’ to write. King, on the other hand, seems to like having his family around him, and to have ‘life’ in the midst of his writing.
To conclude, both texts present the life of a writer as being part of a bigger story.
Feedback - Improving
This answer is improving because:
- it compares both texts throughout, and moves from one writer to the other
- it has an introduction and a conclusion which returns to the question, even if it’s very short
- it picks two important points which appear in both texts – the desk and the family – to compare the texts on
It could improve by:
- using more quotations and developing points relating to the language
- commenting on the structures of the texts
- using more varied introductions to points