On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Stephen King

Oct 2000 · Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

"If you don't have the time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write."

In 1999, Stephen King began to write about his craft -- and his life. By midyear, a widely reported accident jeopardized the survival of both. And in his months of recovery, the link between writing and living became more crucial than ever.

Rarely has a book on writing been so clear, so useful, and so revealing. On Writing begins with a mesmerizing account of King's childhood and his uncannily early focus on writing to tell a story. A series of vivid memories from adolescence, college, and the struggling years that led up to his first novel, Carrie, will afford readers a fresh and often very funny perspective on the formation of a writer. King next turns to the basic tools of his trade -- how to sharpen and multiply them through use, and how the writer must always have them close at hand. He takes the reader through crucial aspects of the writer's art and life, offering practical and inspiring advice on everything from plot and character development to work habits and rejection.

Serialized in the New Yorker to vivid acclaim, On Writing culminates with a profoundly moving account of how King's overwhelming need to write spurred him toward recovery, and brought him back to his life.

Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower -- and entertain -- everyone who reads it.

Ratings and reviews

Before you get too excited about some of the stories in King's book, check them out. For example, his story about writing at the same desk where Rudyard Kipling died is a little loose with the facts. Kipling did not die at his desk of a stroke, as King would have it. He died at Middlesex Hospital of a perforated ulcer. Also, before you get too excited about learning the deep secrets of the master craftsman, do be aware that you're not going to hear a thing about how to write until well past page 100. Once you get to that point, the things you're going to hear about how to write are very much the same things you will hear from any other established writer who ever wrote a how-to-write book. I would sum it up this way: if you haven't ready any how-to-write books, this one has the virtue of being entertaining and it does say the standard things clearly and memorably. If you've already read at least one how-to-write book, this one will reinforce what the other one said, and do so in an amusing way. If you've already read two other how-to-write books, the only reason to read this one is curiosity about what King has to say and how he says it, as well as the fun of reading his biographical tidbits, which are interesting even if one has to wonder about their veracity.

If you're thinking about becoming a writer and are searching for a nice reference, this is the one. On Writing will give you excellent advices and hints to improve your writing skills. I'm not the best person to say that "this is the best book about writing that I've ever read" because... well, this is the first one of the style that I read. Alas, I must say that I learned lots of useful things with it and also had loads of fun. On Writing is not just another tutorial, nor a manual that teaches rules. Disguised as Stephen King's biography, it is really motivational and fast paced. A good book for future writers and regular readers.

It was very different, of course, from Mr King's normal works but it gives what many new writers desire. A way to get started. He's very open and clear in his presentation making it easy for the reader to connect with him. As a new writer this has helped me tremendously!

About the author

Stephen King is the author of more than thirty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. Among his most recent are Hearts in Atlantis, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Bag of Bones, and The Green Mile. On Writing is his first book of nonfiction since Danse Macabre, published in 1981. He served as a judge for Prize Stories: The Best of 1999, The O. Henry Awards. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.