Twentieth Anniversary Edition with Contributions from Joe Hill and Owen KingONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S TOP 100 NONFICTION BOOKS OF ALL TIME Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work. “Long live the King” hailed …
“Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer’s craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it—fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.
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It’s easy to assume (and maybe even hope) that Stephen King isn’t a good writer—surely someone so prolific, popular, and obsessed with the supernatural can’t be much of an artist, right? But he is. He really is.
I was reminded of this several times while reading On Writing, King’s autobiographical musings on how to author quality fiction. Some of the book’s more memorable lines:
– (On his uncle’s toolbox) “Inside the top was a silk lining, rather odd in such a context and made more striking still by the pattern, which was pinkish-red cabbage roses fading into a smog of grease and dirt.”
– (On recovering from alcoholism) “I came back to [normal life] the way folks come back to a summer cottage after a long winter, checking first to make sure nothing had been stolen or broken during the cold season. It was still all there, still all whole. Once the pipes were thawed out and the electricity was turned on, everything worked fine.”
– (On the need for a support network) “Writing is a lonely job. Having someone who believes in you makes a lot of difference. They don’t have to make speeches. Just believing is usually enough.”
– (On nearly dying after being hit by a car) “I realize that I am actually lying in death’s doorway. Someone is going to pull me one way or the other pretty soon; it’s mostly out of my hands.”
– (On why the book is—by King’s standards—relatively brief) “This is a short book because most books about writing are filled with bullshit.”
King uses such prose to sketch how he was “formed” as a writer, a journey that included working several dead-end jobs (like washing maggot-filled hospital sheets) before he finally sold the paperback rights to Carrie. This was probably my favorite part of On Writing; his advice on the nuts and bolts of crafting fiction is less original. Read widely, write daily, tell the truth, limit descriptions to a few significant details, minimize adverbs (because “the road to hell is paved with adverbs”), etc.
King’s description of his writing process is intriguing, though. He’s firmly in the no-outline camp, and compares drafting a story to excavating a fossil: for him, the fossil already exists; he’s just unearthing it. To do so, he simply starts with a situation, places his characters in it, and sees where they take matters. As King admits, this approach “has more to do with instinct than with anything resembling ‘higher thought.’” I’m not sure I could pull it off—it’s the polar opposite of Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method, a technique I’m currently trying and enjoying.
But relying on intuition obviously works for King. I imagine he wrote On Writing in this fashion, which is probably why it’s a bit wandering and thoroughly readable.
(For more reviews like this one, see http://www.nickwisseman.com)
You don’t have to be a writer to appreciate Stephen King’s life and writing advice. It’s a fun read and makes me admire the writer even more.
Yes, this book is written by Stephen King but it is NOT a horror. On Writing was given to me by a friend years ago before I wrote my debut memoir, The Colour of the Sun. What an absolute treasure! For anyone who wishes to learn the craft of writing, pick this book up. On Writing is part memoir (King has a very interesting past) and part advice on writing for those wishing to learn the craft. It is also hilarious! Love this book. A favorite on my shelf!
This is an engaging look at process from a compelling author who knows his stuff.
Interesting take on the writer’s process.
Should you read this book?
Are you a writer? Then yes, definitely you should read this book. Are you someone who is offended by profanity? Then no, maybe this book isn’t for you.
Do I read a lot of Stephen King?
No. This and 11/22/63 are actually the only books by King that I’ve read. I really like them both, but his books are not my usual reading fare. That being said, since I’ve loved both of the books I read of his I probably should try another one sometime.
What was my least favorite part of the book?
Reading about King’s injuries after he was run over by a van. I’ve got a weak stomach, and I digested most of this as an audiobook (with a little bit of ebook thrown in) and just happened to get to this part while I was driving down the road. I spent a few minutes nervously checking for vans being driven recklessly.
Do I have a favorite quote from the book?
I’m tempted to go with, “The road to hell is paved with adverbs,” but that’s a lesson I’m still trying to take to hear so these two are probably my favorites:
“Reading at meals is considered rude in polite society, but if you expect to succeed as a writer, rudeness should be the second-to-least of your concerns. The least of all should be polite society and what it expects. If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered, anyway.”
&
“If God gives you something you can do, why in God’s name wouldn’t you do it?”
Will IOn Writing ever read this book again?
Definitely. There’s so much good stuff about writing this will probably be a regular reread for me.
Very personal, no-nonsense-but entertaining, get-down honesty, and absolutely helpful book by an iconic, master writer! It’s a keeper that I have read and recommended to many others!
I was surprised that I liked this book as much as I did, given the language issues. I am not a horror fiction fan and so I’ve never read any other works by Stephen King, but as this was recommended by my editor, and she happens to be very good at what she does, I thought I’d take a chance. Mr. King has some excellent insight into the writing craft. Though there is more biography here than I expected, it was an insightful look into the forces, if you will, that formed such a man, such an author, like Stephen King. He is very good at honestly depicting what writing, as a profession, means to him and some of the pitfalls a person can fall into. He also has some real gems in terms of taking an honest look at what writing classes can teach you. Overall, I found this book to be an excellent resource, and I am praying I may come away, as Mr. King himself would wish, a better writer for his efforts.
Definitely written for other writers. Highlyenjoyable and insightful.
The King of Horror is whispering some surprising secrets about his lovely life behind the keyboard.
Steven King’s On Writing came to me highly recommended by more than one person, and I found it well-written and entertaining. Part auto-biography and part how-to guide, and all readable. Alas, like pretty much every writing book I’ve ever read (Strunk & White being the one exception) there wasn’t a whole lot of advice I found useful.
Read a lot. Write a lot. Know your grammar. Have a place set aside. All good recommendations, all familiar to any writer whose read more than one of these books.
There were two things in the book I did find helpful, one a piece of advice, one a bit from his biography. The advice bit was that you should write your rough draft all the way through before going back to edit. He’s not the first person I’ve heard this from, but I’ve decided to follow this with my current WiP. It’s always tempting to go back and edit before you’re really done with the first draft, but it’s probably faster his way. Might help make some of the middle part of the book (always my least favorite part) less of a slog if I’m not writing and editing at the same time.
The biography bit was finding out the he’d written three books before his first, Carrie, was published. Stephen King himself, the man with seeming 1000 books on the shelves, didn’t get a bite from a publisher until book #4! And once he was well-known, he was able to go back and sell two of the earlier ones, which actually weren’t that bad. It’s just that selling anything as a first-time author is tough to do.
Gives me hope–just keep on writing, and if the current book I’m shopping around doesn’t attract an agent, it may still end up published later on. Perhaps as part of a package deal? Actually, if it keeps me writing and upbeat, I suppose On Writing did exactly what is was supposed to.
This book isn’t at all what I thought it’d be. I went in expecting an English lesson, like a classroom style tutorial, and that wasn’t at all what it’s like. I suppose I should have known better, given King’s snarky attitude and approach of opinionated characters with completely out of the box (yet relatable) thought processes… I should have known that his own outlook would reflect such an angle to writing!
I listened to the book on Audible, which he actually read himself which I thought was pretty cool. He actually has a good voice, so it was a breeze to listen to. Even sped up a bit.
The first section of the book was all about his life growing up, in school, in his first jobs, the beginning of his relationship with his wife and more. I really enjoyed getting to know King’s back story! He also talks a lot about his first books, and all of the small writing jobs he had on the side along with his job as a teacher before his writing career really took off. King’s wife is an absolute pillar of support, from beginning to date. He mentioned at one point her pulling his book Carrie from the depths of a discard pile and encouraging him to keep writing it, which is awesome as this is one of my all time favorites of his books. He also mentions that every time he reads a dedication to spouses in other books, he smiles and is grateful for her. There’s a large section dedicated to his addictions. His family and friends intervene and basically saved him from himself. I always knew that he once had a problem, but until this book I had no idea about just how bad his problem was.
The later portion of the book dives into writing. This is where it gets technical, but it really isn’t a play by play how to write. It’s more like opinions that have always worked very well for him, along with tips and tricks along the way that help to make your book successful. He tells LOTS of what to do and what not to do – and then references examples from his own books. This was a really awesome approach because even though it doesn’t read like a sales pitch at all, I still want to read a few books that he mentioned continuously that have been on my to- read list already. I’ll surely be bumping them up!!
King talks about writing content first, he doesn’t plot (which works for some and not for others). He focuses on getting the content out fast and fresh all in one pop. Then he’ll take breaks to revise and rewrite along the way. One full round is for removing adjectives and adverbs, which is awesome. He also recommends taking a super long break before the final round of edits and revisions before passing it off to an editor. I want to say he recommends 6 months, but don’t quote me on it! I loved this approach as I too wait to do a final round with fresh eyes. There were several times that I wished I was reading rather than listening, just so that I could highlight and save some of the advice. I highly recommend this book for both seasoned and new writers (and everyone in between). I also recommend forking out the cash for a paperback so that you CAN highlight for real and reference it! I personally will be buying an actual copy soon and re-reading it so that I can do just that!
As a book lover, I’ve always wondered ‘how they do it’. King’s book is a wonderful insight into his own work, and full of invaluable advice for anyone who appreciates a well turned sentence. I thoroughly recommend.
I’m not fond of reading memoirs or how-to books. Yet, this one was so well written that I literally had to read it in one go. Totally recommended, even if you are not aspiring author or not a fan of King’s.
A look at the world and practice of a prize author.
-Love this book, great read.: informative, thought-provoking
– author has a great sense of humor.
-Enjoyed reading about his beginning years as a writer and his perspective on the craft of writing.
A must-read for authors of any genre.
King’s story of his own writing. If you are into creative writing, you need to read this
Loved it!
Part memoir – a CV of sorts that explains what drives him to write – and part collection of tips on the art of writing and the life of a writer, this book demystifies what it truly is to be an author.
The first time I read this book I took copious notes, drinking in the wisdom of someone who had been writing – successfully for the most part – his whole life. When I read it again – this time as a published author myself – I smiled and nodded each time a pearl of wisdom was shared. If you can get through his very direct way of telling his life story and his views on writing (profanity and all), you can learn a lot from this book.
There are many quotable lines in this book, words that can inspire writers on any part of the journey. My favourite quote: “The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.”
Aspiring writers – and writers in general – can do a lot worse than read this memoir on the craft.