On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

When I started this book, I thought it would be more of a “memoir of the craft”, but was surprised to see it's much more of a memoir of King himself. His own rise an author from nothing to one of the biggest names in writing.

I loved the individual stories of hard work, coupled with a mission to just write. From selling short stories to other kids while in school, to submitting to magazines, Kind wrote and wrote and hustled. It would have been easy for him to give up, but he had so much he wanted to say that he couldn't not write.

This book was recommend by a friend of mine and I'm not big fan of Stephen King. I have watched The Shining movie and I decided to give On Writing audio book a try.
Stephen King's memoir starts with author deep connection of personal life, childhood, carrier, as well as his works. There are good advice lay around this book for those that would like to start writing their novel. The author illustrate his points by example from his own works as well as other famous works.

This book meant for Stephen King's fan, and folks with novel writing interest. You still some about writing in general and enjoy the professional writing if you are not in the above category.

Gosh, Stephen King truly is a wordsmith. Though this was half-guide, half-memoir, I still burst out laughing at times. Good book.

On Writing is a phenomenal book about the craft. While I've read many a book in my life, I've always struggled to think about what exactly makes a great book, what gives it that ability to grab you and drag you even deeper into its world.

Stephen King lays out how you should go about crafting worlds and characters but doesn't get bogged down in the nitty gritty of it, rather he gives you the tools and broad strokes you'll need to get down to figuring out that for yourself. The beauty of his approach is that it applies to writers of any genre, not just horror or suspense that he is the master of.

While I've just finished this book, I can see that over the coming years I'll come back again and again to learn more from it., with each read-through giving me something new to use and ponder on.

This is most definitely one of the most essential tools in any writer's toolbox.

First and foremost, this book was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I wasn't expecting to learn so many deeply personal secrets about Stephen King, but I did. I also learned that he has a tremendous sense of humor! Be aware that the book is about how to write good fiction. Although King delves a bit into nonfiction, don't expect to learn much in that realm. I will say that a lot of the advice is interchangeable. Worth a read.

On Writing resided on our shelf for some time before I had the chance to read it. Peg Boyle-Single cited it in her guidance for writing doctoral dissertations, which was the kick-in-the-pants I needed to pick it up.

I'm glad I did.

For one, this book reminded me how much I like King's writing. His prose is easy to read, conversational almost, but not in the ways we typically mean. “Conversational” is code for “not well done” or “amateurish,” which does not apply to King. His writing communicates in a way a friend would, supporting comprehension when necessary and encouraging progress.

I appreciate King's writing advice. He celebrates the basic rules of grammar and reminds us that brevity can be beautiful. Most applicable to my own writing were his notes on adverbs and revision. I have applied those in much of what I have written since finishing the book. In a world that seems to be removing the need to learn and internalize grammar (reference text and Twitter speak), King does not apologize when he says that our writing is judged and, by extension, we are critiqued by those judgments of our writing.

I enjoyed the opening passages, all of which are autobiographical. I will admit to not knowing much about Stephen King the man. There are, of course, numerous websites with all the facts you would ever want to know. Few, though, dig into why and how he became a writer. Interesting stuff, to say the least.

I recommend this book, but I will not go so far as to say it will substantially change one's writing. As King says, several times, this is not a textbook. To me, its intent is not how-to; rather, it prompts reflection. It encourages the writer to undertake the hard work of improving his/her own writing.

Now, get to work.

Está claro que no es la primera vez que lo leeré. Este libro merece ser leído y examinado muchas veces pues su contenido es invaluable.

I wish I had 6 stars. Nearly every single page has an underline and I've dog eared so many pages that the book is twice it's thickness. A great read for anyone who loves Steven King and/or is interested in writing. There are a lot of life lessons and little pearls of wisdom as well. The tone is conversational, but it never comes off as preachy or corny. King is truly a master.

The one thing I did not expect was to laugh aloud while reading this. This is a must read for any writer who is just starting out. I am still in school, but already my writing has improved. I hear Stephen's words in my head all of the time now as I write. Though, he sounds really feminine in my head.

5⭐ e Favoritado!

Este livro é tão bem estruturado e escrito, tocante nos momentos certos, descontraído... E muitos outros adjetivos que alongariam demais esse resumo.
Este é meu primeiro livro de Stephen King e muitos podem pensar que comecei errado, uma vez que na biografia, ao contar sobre sua trajetória, explica o processo criativo de seu trabalho. O que poderia ser considerado como spoiler, no meu caso, serviu apenas para instigar ainda mais a curiosidade de ler tudo.
O livro ajudou-me até mesmo na elaboração do TCC (e estudo química!).

Great little volume wherein a master craftsman explains why and how he writes.

We begin with a “CV”: a series of vignettes from the writer's life. Snippets of memory, anecdotes and seemingly random reminiscences that offer a fascinating insight into what made Stephen King Stephen King. Plus a great deal of huffing and puffing about why writing about writing is a pain in the ass, and that just because he can do it well doesn't necessarily mean he can or wants to explain to others how to do it.

Then he goes on to do exactly that, simply and carefully, but thoroughly.

First up, the “Toolbox”: a brief primer on grammar, vocabulary and style. Then to the meat of the matter, “On Writing” itself. How you put your toolbox to use and craft a story that people want to read. Suffice it to say, he makes it sound very simple.

One thing that stood out, and amused me a little, was his discussion of plotting. He proudly expounds on how his stories evolve organically according to wherever the characters take him. To me, this is the only wishy washy part of the whole book, and since I HATE his endings (despite, or because of, loving 99.9% of the rest of his lengthy novels) it explained quite a lot.

Finally he ends with a short and brutal story of near death and horrific recovery - except this isn't a fiction, it's his real life. During the writing of this book he was run down while out for his daily constitutional, and this chapter reveals how writing brought him back to life.

Finishing with a neat example of how to edit a first draft, as well as a reading list that would take you a lifetime to get through, it's a perfect, neat and brilliant summary of a writer's life and motivations.

Inspiring.

This is the second time I've read this. King is entertaining. Here's what I wrote the first time I read it (back in January, 2001)...

I've read about 16 of Stephen King's books and this one does two things. First, King briefly relates his early years and reveals some of the inspirations for several of his books. And secondly, he offers some straight-forward advice for neophyte writers hoping to get published. This is a breezy and entertaining read which I think might appeal even to those who have no desire to write themselves. King candidly admits that most books about writing are complete bullshit (his words) and endeavors to give advice with his own particular bias. He is also candid about his battles with alcoholism and drug abuse. He closes the book with a short bit on the accident in the summer of 1999 that almost killed him. (He was walking along a rural street in Maine when a man driving a blue Dodge van went off the road and slammed into King. The driver never saw him. He was busy trying to keep his dog's nose out of a cooler filled with meat.) Anyway, this was an always interesting and often funny book. Helpful too.

Stephen King às vezes funciona pra mim, às vezes não. Mas mesmo quando não fico envolvida, tenho noção de que ele é um contador de histórias brilhante, e amo livros sobre livros.
Esse volume não desaponta - é leve, divertido, e como ele fala em algum momenyo, te dá aquele prazer culpado de querer ouvir uma conversa interessante que não é com vc.

This was a superb combination of autobiography and useful tip on quality writing. I picked this up at the library based on many good recommendations, after reading it I went out and bought a copy to keep on my shelf.

Stephen King's On Writing is a mess of insight and nonsense. It's part memoir, part textbook, part inspirational battle cry, part philosophical rambling. It's not quite clear what On Writing is.

If you read the book in its entirety, you'll learn that King was in the middle of writing On Writing when his near-fatal accident—the details of which are much worse than I imagined—occurred. This may explain the disjointed nature of this book. While picking up the pen again after such an accident was probably the natural course for King, writing a how-to book was probably not the most pressing.

What I liked most about King's “memoir of the craft” were the stories of his childhood and of his early writing career. Particularly memorable was the tale of how Carrie came into being and became a success. Some of King's writing advice was good, especially in regards to routine and dedication. Despite how one may feel about King as a writer, there is no doubt that the man is dedicated.

Some of King's advice showed how far he was from the aspiring writer, however. He recommends cutting ten percent of your manuscript, but ten percent isn't going to cut it for your average debut novelist. Ironically, if King is guilty of anything in his stories, it is a lack of cutting. He's a gifted storyteller—no doubt—but his editors are far too soft on him, likely because of his stature. Also, his Agent Letter is the most boring, uninspired, ineffectual piece of advice on securing an agent I have ever read. Did this really work for someone? This letter contains nearly every line I've always heard must be avoided. I'd love to know more about the author of this letter and the agents who bit.

I moved through the first half of this book rather quickly, but it just lost its steam and I had to push my way through the rest. Much of the writing advice is regurgitated from Strunk and White, so if you've read or skimmed The Elements of Style, you won't learn much new here. It's an entertaining read at times, but if you've been “in the business” for a while, don't expect revolutionary ideas. Certainly I'd recommend this one for individuals who are in the first couple years of the pursuit of writerly things. Also, it's great for King fans. Although some of the advice in the middle actually on writing may bore fans of King, there's enough wit and storytelling throughout to keep them sustained.

This book is definitely now a favorite of mine. There are so many ways in which Stephen King describes writing that fit my own views. He is straight, to the point, and doesn't waste countless pages drilling grammar and punctuation into your head like some writers do when describing the process. I recommend this book to any starting writer out there. It took me a long time to finish this book, but that was simply because I would read it a little at a time, giving my brain time to have the thoughts and ideas sink in. And you know what? After finishing this book my writing is flying, and nearly everyday more and more is being put to paper/word documents. A must read!

This book was on a list I saw on tumblr of books on writing that every writer should read. When I saw it on sale for five bucks at a secondhand book shop at the airport, I figured, “why not?” I can only recall having read one Stephen King book (The Green Mile), and I thought it was alright. But even if you're not a rabid King fan, the guy knows what he's doing. After finishing this book, I have to agree with that blogger that every writer should read it at some point in their career.

The book is half memoir and half how-to guide, and both facets are equally engaging. For some reason I've always had an impression of King, despite knowing little of him, as some aloof, stern and sort of creepy dude who pumps out novels from a dark room in a hermit's mansion. But this book reads like a conversation, and after the conversation I've found that I like Mr. King a lot more than I thought I would.

Mr. King writes casually. He's funny but honest, in accordance with one of several writer's dogmas he introduces: “Tell the truth in your stories.” He offers a lot of solid advice: kill your darlings, cut the adverbs, trust the story and your gut. King dissects what a novel is, figuratively and mechanically. Some of his opinions I liked; for example, the thought that a novel's first draft should be done with “the door closed,” for the writer alone, before opening the piece to critique. Others I did not, such as the assertion that plotting creates “wooden” stories. But the nice thing with King is that he makes sure you know that these opinions are his, they are what works for him, and you are totally free to discard them.

Mr. King's most important piece of advice from this book is simple but often overlooked: read a lot and write a lot. That's all that you need to be a better writer. I've found myself agreeing with him, and I'm hoping I'll be able to stick to the resolutions this book has inspired me to make.

Great book to read even if you have absolutely no plans to write anything creative. It was part memoir, part discussion on his writing process and what you might take away from his story. Like sitting around a living room and listening to him chat about what makes him tick. Finding out how much rejection and reality hounded him, but he kept at it and learned to be himself. Anyone who has dreams that seem to keep getting further and further away might find some inspiration while reading this book.

This is an excellent writer's inspiration and companion. King tells the story of his own career and offers a “writer's toolbox” for the would-be author. An engaging and insightful book.

I love Stephen King, but even if you don't, everyone who cares about books or writing should read this. He's very open about the entire process, with all its ups and downs. He's also pretty thoughtful about things outside of writing, since he was hit by a van and almost killed while he was in the middle of writing this book.

My favorite part was how the way he sounds when he describes finding his internal writing “muse” is quite similar to many of the desert monks of the early church. You can never guarantee anything will come, you can only build rhythms that help you be receptive when it DOES strike.

If you think you don't like Stephen King, go read Shawshank Redemption or Stand By Me (called The Body), which are two of the best stories you'll ever come across.

I listened to this as an audiobook and enjoyed it immensely, and learned some useful information. I do feel that King's advice about plotting (and avoiding it) is not applicable in any way to writing good mystery novels. At best that leads to forgetting threads of the narrative (like the lost murdered chaffeur in “The Big Sleep” and at worst that leads to the wholesale cheating that mars much of Agatha Christie's work.

I love this book. I love how he talks to the reader, takes us into his memories of what was going on in his life when he was writing his different books. He has a direct and unassuming quality to his perspective that I appreciate. Highly recommend.

Found him so clear. I whipped through the book and learned tons about writing.

Believe it or not, I had never read a Stephen King book when I read this one. It's a very thoughtful book about writing, as well as an interesting memoir.

I'm not a King fan but picked up the book after some bits were featured on the 37signals blog [http://37signals.com/svn/]. It's a funny book about his childhood, how he became a writer, and the accident he was in that almost killed him. Strunk & White have laid out the basics of being a good writer; King retells what it was like to fail and achieve.

Also, there's a lot of fart jokes.