On Writing

A Memoir of the Craft

Hardcover, 288 pages

English language

Published Dec. 13, 2000 by Scribner.

ISBN:
978-0-684-85352-9
Copied ISBN!
OCLC Number:
938401757

View on OpenLibrary

4 stars (154 reviews)

"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, …

65 editions

Review of 'On Writing' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

There's 3 parts
- A memoir - back story for the next part. And yes, King knows how to tell a story or two.
- The actual 'on writing'. Don't expect a textbook, but do expect good advice and an insight in his approach. Main surprise (for me): he doesn't have a plot in advance, lets the story and characters take their course.
- A recount of the author's accident in 1999.

Review of 'On Writing' on 'GoodReads'

5 stars

The book is pure insight into writing and how the writer Stephen king was made. The book doesn't get straight into how to get good at writing, rather builds up about the author, his struggle, his preaching and his struggle for life. A must read for every aspiring writer!

Review of 'On Writing' on Goodreads

5 stars

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 …

Review of 'On Writing' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Even if you are not planning to become a fiction writer or writer in general I think you would enjoy this book. I think what he presents on writing is good practice for anyone who has to write for any reason. The book is peppered with personal stories from his life which makes reading fun and easy.

If you are a writer, this is a must read!

Review of 'On Writing' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I didn't think I was going to like this book because I've never been a huge fan of his work. Then again, I've only read one or two pieces and I actually did like The Stand and the first book of the Gunslinger series. His advice is honest, frank, and well laid out. And reading about his life was a delight. I had no idea that he struggled for so long with addiction. A very good read. I have about 200 highlights from it.

Review of 'On Writing' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I didn't think I was going to like this book because I've never been a huge fan of his work. Then again, I've only read one or two pieces and I actually did like The Stand and the first book of the Gunslinger series. His advice is honest, frank, and well laid out. And reading about his life was a delight. I had no idea that he struggled for so long with addiction. A very good read. I have about 200 highlights from it.

Review of 'On Writing' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Recently, I read Stephen King’s book, ‘On Writing’, which I found thoroughly enjoyable. The book starts off with parts of Stephen’s life which lead him to be a writer. It was interesting and it was nice to know he struggled too, but I was really wanted to read about writing. When I got to the writing side of things, that’s where I paid the most attention. It was interesting to know how he wrote and what he considers important for writing. I know everyone has different opinions on writing but there were some interesting tips in this book;

* A writer should do two things above all others; Read a lot and write a lot (I’m getting better at the first part, need to do the second part more)
* A writer needs three important tools which will be learnt along the way 1; Vocabulary 2; Grammar and 3; Basic …

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Subjects

  • King, Stephen, -- 1947-
  • King, Stephen, -- 1947- -- Authorship
  • Authors, American -- 20th century -- Biography
  • Horror tales -- Authorship
  • Authorship

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