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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I read this book as it is part autobiography and part “how-to”. I read so many wonderful reviews, but I couldn’t get into it. I liked the stories of his childhood, buying a printing press and submissions to Hitchcock. But I struggled with the writing style. I own this in paperback so perhaps I will put it away and revisit someday.
Stephen King has so much to teach both writers and non-writers..
A Mix of Memoir and Writing Advice from a Master Storyteller
On Writing is my go-to craft book, and I make it a point to return to it every couple of years; every time I do, I discover something new. As my writing progresses, I find new treasures of advice that apply to my current work, and this is one of the magics of this book—you connect with the advice that speaks to your writing level.
With a conversational tone to the book, Stephen King comes across like a folk teller rather than a teacher, with stories so engrossing readers are drawn into the lessons almost by default.
King notes that the job of the writer is to transcribe stories that are begging to be told, and the structure of those stories can be summed up as broken up into three parts—narration, description, & dialogue. Our job as writers is to capture the story, plain and simple, with a few rules and guidelines to develop the best version of that story. I’ve outlined a few of King’s best advice one-liners below:
“The scariest moment is always just before you start.”
“Description begins in the writer’s imagination but should finish in the reader’s.”
“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”
“Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open.”
“In many cases when a reader puts a story aside because it ‘got boring’, the boredom arose because the writer grew enchanted with his powers of description and lost sight of his priority, which is to keep the ball rolling.”
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”
There are so many treasures to uncover in this book you need several listens to take it all in; listen with pen and paper nearby to jot down notes. The style of this book is conversational, so it is easy to be drawn into King’s stories. He writes from a perspective of sharing, not preaching, and I think that is what continues to draw me in over and over again. I appreciate the honesty as both a reader and a writer.
If you haven’t read On Writing, it should be the next book on your TBR list, and if you have then I suggest a reread. On Writing will continue to be the book I recommend when asked which craft book influences my work the most.
Part memoir, part writing guide, all empowering. King is one of my favorites, and his writing is so simple. His themes are universal, and his short sentence structure inspires my writing.u2060 Page 106: “Let me say it again: you must not come lightly to the blank page.” Easier said than done.u2060
Great book on writing, and the first half is hysterically funny!
An excellent collection of writing advice from the king himself. While reading it, I have discovered that I’ve been doing most of the things he mentions instinctively, but since writing is a continuously evolving art, I’ll definitely try some of his methods in the future – I hope it’ll make my editor even happier with my efforts, haha! Also, I really appreciated King’s mention of his horrific accident. I never knew about it and it made me respect his love of writing even more. Whether you’re a new author or an established one, “On Writing” is a great read which I’d highly recommend. You can’t go wrong with Stephen King, fiction or non-fiction. Brilliant, as always!
I found this book to be the best writing advice book ever. I recommend it to anyone writing or thinking of writing.
King is not only an incredible writer, but he’s an out-of-the-ballpark writing coach. I read this book the summer I first put pen to the page, as a therapy tool, almost, to try to understand what was happening to me. In a way, I felt like something coming out of a chrysalis, and King was there every step of the way for the transformation. I’ve read this book many times since.
This one lives on my reference shelf and is essential for every aspiring writer regardless of genre.
More than a “How To Book” – even if you’re not a writer!
Great advice from a great author!
One of the best books on the craft of writing out there.
For any writer who wants to learn the craft. An inspiring book.
He discloses a lot of personal stuff so it is as much a biography as a writing book.
The master of horror writes about his writing process and inspires readers to see the method behind it.
I am an amateur writer and found information and inspiration I can use in my own work.
Taught me some stuff. Loved how he explained his tragic car incident.
Memoir of the Craft
While traveling to Washington, D.C. recently, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audio-book version of On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. I could hear Stephen King’s “voice” in my head as I drove to Quantico, VA, and then boarded the train to Union Station. That may have been because he narrated the book himself. To be honest, it was not what I expected at all.
Broken up into three sections, this “memoir” is devoted to different parts of his life. The last sections consist of his advice on the craft of writing. Three forewords precede each section. This memoir was fascinating to listen to. I was amazed by the way that King wove stories of his life, his craft, and advice to new writers together through the pages. It was inspiring to listen to what he went through to become the success he is today and to hear about how he struggled and worked hard for that success.
King’s advice on the “how-to’s” and “what to avoid” are practical for the new writer. The term “actionable” comes to mind. It was also fascinating to get his views on writing classes and groups. They mirrored a decision I had made myself recently. The important thing is just to write, as much and as often as you can. You should also read a great deal. I liked his comments about those who want to be a writer but are too busy to read.
Stephen King’s memoir, On writing, is a fascinating and helpful book for both aspiring and experienced authors. It explores writing, the writer’s toolbox, and the writing life. I enjoyed listening to this book very much because I have always loved to read and now love to write.
You don’t have to like King’s scary genre to benefit from his advice to writers. He’s spot on and unpretentious.
This is one of my favorite books on writing and I’ve read it several times. Since it’s also a well written memoir the structure as presented becomes an easy way to learn the art of writing. At the back of the book is a section he shows how he edits some of his own work. He also describes what happened when the van struck him while he walked on the side of the road. Absolutely chilling.
This book is a great insight into a brilliant craftsman, one of the best writer’s of our time. I highly recommend this book for readers and writers alike.
David Putnam author of The Bruno Johnson series.