I have a confession and a caution.

Confession: I've never actually read Stephen King before, although I've seen two of the films based on his books. Horror isn't my thing, so I was never much interested. That said, he is a master wordsmith, so writers would do well to listen when he speaks about the craft.

And this is a unique book on the subject. Broken into three parts--a snaphot of his life, instruction on the mechanics and practice of writing, and a postscript titled "On Living" that details the near-fatal accident in which, while walking, he was struck by a distracted driver. Together, they give a vivid portrait of a talented author's life and his approach to writing. Even the parts that aren't specifically writing instruction are filled with writing lessons.

So I would highly recommend it for any writer, but here's that caution: The book contains a lot of profanity, which some readers might not appreciate. I think he could have done without most of it, but in King's view, which he clearly states if not belabors, "honesty" requires profanity at least some of the time. That's the one point on which I disagree with him, not to mention that he contradicts himself in an earlier passage in which he allows that profanity is inadvisable if it would alienate your readership.

That aside, this is indeed one of the great books on writing. ( )

Sigh. So many people find this so amazing, but I really did not. I wasn’t really interested in the autobiographical stuff at the start, and while I agreed with almost all the writing advice I have to say I hoped for stuff I hadn’t known before. I felt terrible about his accident, which padded the ending, but didn’t really care for three separate book lists or an interview with his son…. ( )

After attending a recent writing seminar led by an author who studied at Harvard, I was encouraged to read On Writing by Stephen King. This book, from one of the most prolific writers of our time, is not only hilarious and poignant but also packed with practical advice that can elevate your own writing.

King's memoir offers invaluable insights, including:
- Write every day and read a lot—great writers are voracious readers, a point King underscores.
- Kill your darlings—don’t hesitate to cut anything unnecessary.
- Avoid adverbs and use strong, precise verbs instead.
- Write for yourself first—don’t worry about your audience during the first draft.
- Trust your intuition, keep it simple, and be honest, even when it feels uncomfortable.
- Master grammar—a writer’s essential tool.
- Don’t over-plan—leave space for your characters and story to evolve.
- Write what you know—every book holds a piece of its author.
- Most importantly, take your writing seriously—commit to it with discipline and passion.

King’s unforgettable one-liners alone make this book a must-read. For example: “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.” If you’re serious about honing your craft, On Writing deserves a spot on your shelf—and in your practice.

Cha ( )

Took me a while to get through this one. While King has some excellent writing advice, I found his own admission to being long-winded to be... well, true.

It felt awkward to sandwich the writing advice between two parts of a memoir. I think I would have gotten through it faster if it were a mix of the two instead, but he definitely gets points for being hit by a van in the middle of writing this. That's gotta make it hard for a book to flow.

The first memoir section was funny, but kind of long and rambling and held-back. King reveals a lot about himself, including big stuff like past drug addiction, without revealing much about his emotions. This makes sense since he describes his family pattern as everybody dealing with their own problems, but I had a hard time connecting with it as a reader.

The writing section, though, I ate up like chocolate pudding. I've known for a long time that adverbs were sinister, but I learned from King that they're so sinister they pave the road to hell. He gave great advice on how to make it through multiple drafts, something I don't remember reading before in other writing books. The steps:

1. Write with the door closed, meaning write only for yourself as fast as you can and don't talk with anyone else about it.

2. Set it aside. Leave it for at least six weeks if it's novel-length. Then you'll be able to go back and "kill your darlings" without mercy.

3. Read back through it, if possible all in one sitting, and make all minor spelling, grammar, word choice, and nonsensical-story corrections that are simple to make.

4. Open the door. Show the work to a handful of trusted people. If most of them agree about certain changes, then you should probably fix those things. If they're completely at odds over other things, how you want it is your choice.

5. Send it out. It's easier to get longer work published if you've published shorter work first. That way, you can give prospective agents a list of your published work. The Writer's Market is gold. Buy a copy.

Other items I thought were flipping brill:

Read in your _target market. This was counterintuitive to me because a literary friend once told me that reading too much in your _target market was like inbreeding--you needed to read completely outside your market in order to generate fresh ideas (i.e. how Firefly is sci-fi, but it's also got Western and Civil War history elements to it). Now I think there is a balance between these two things. You should probably read outside of your _target market so that your ideas are not inbred, but you should also read in it so that you know when you've really got something. In a nutshell, read widely. Period. Thanks, Mr. King! I feel very validated that I can read whatever the hell I want.

Writing seminars/groups/classes are not necessarily all that helpful. Find people you trust who will read and be honest with you about your work. Write a lot. Taking classes on how to write better will not help you if you're not writing, and maybe not even if you are.

Write dialogue that reflects how a person might actually speak, and use it to reveal aspects of character.

Bad writers can't become competent writers. Competent writers can become good writers with a lot of reading, writing, and very hard work. Good writers can't become geniuses. I consider myself a competent writer, so it looks like there's hope for me to be a good one.

You don't have to plot out a novel before beginning. You can, but you can also just be honest about what the characters would do and let the story drive itself. When you're done with the first draft, you can go back through and look for themes, but don't let the themes be the foundation of the story unless you're writing an allegory. Develop characters and situations.

Eat your eggs first.

Great stuff. ( )

[Elements of Fiction] by Walter Mosley is still my go-to book. More biographical that craft. ( )

Stephen king's memoir is honestly refreshing and highly informative for aspiring writers. His life is told in believable anecdotes of sketchy memories; no impossibly complete scenarios covering childhood years that people truly barely remember. He depicts things as they were, with faults and insight. The section on his craft was down to earth; the nitty, gritty of the writing life with clear examples from experience. He cover the language, the ideas and the process. The book concludes with a detailed depiction of his near death experience being hit by a van while walking near his home and the road back to his writing. Although I have only read a handful of King's large repertoire I found this book one of the best memoirs I've read. I may even look into reading a few more of his works. ( )

I can’t even look at King’s Twitter feed without getting annoyed, but this remains one of my favorite books about writing. ( )

Memoir portion of the book is quite interesting; King's "advice" less so... He seems to suggest that many of his ideas come to him in a kind of telepathic way which underplays his true creativity. I DO appreciate his advice to read, read, read. ( )

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/107742932

This is the second or third time I’ve read the book (first time reading the Tenth Anniversary Edition). I love King’s writing, and his advice on writing here is short (maybe not always sweet) and to the point.

I’m going to reply to this review with a comment or two tomorrow so I can port over some of my highlights and tabs from the physical book to goodreads for my future reference. ( )

This book was not like other King books. So, if that is what you are looking for, this is not it. Anyway, I enjoyed it. It was liked discussing books and the writing process with King in person (as much as I could imagine anyway). I read this book because I want to be a writer. Not to the extent of King, but just for my own amusement. I think this book will be a big help. I even bought some of the books he recommends in this. I think they too will help. Great read. Even if you don't want to be a writer, if you like King and would like to know a bit more about him, from him, then this book is for you. Enjoy. ( )

The advice in the book is frequently a bit preachy and one-sided - it's about one method of writing, even if an effective one, and one proven by King's success. Also, there's probably more memoir here than advice or at least the balance is a little off for me. However, the memoir parts themselves are pretty interesting.
And all the advice he gives is rock solid. All said I'd highly recommend this book to any aspiring or practicing writers. It's a good book to get you writing and keep you writing. ( )

Excellent writing advice, and an interesting life story. Listened in audio, but I plan to get a real book version, so that I can refer to it easily. ( )

The best book ever written about the craft of writing. ( )

Never having read any of Mr. King's novels, I wasn't sure what to expect. Happily, I can report that it is a joy and a help. He shared an excellent formula that I plan to use: 2nd Draft = 1st Draft - 10%. No one has ever told me this before, and I think it is such a good way to think about editing. I also catch myself before using adverbs now. Thank you, Mr. King! ( )

This was a fun read. I am not a writer so I was here for all the anecdotes and intrigue!

This book is a love-letter to his wife and his mother - he writes with such fondness about both women. ( )

I read this 20years ago and pulled it off the shelve recently. A reaction to threatening myself about writing some stories. SK's brief auto-biography and thoughts on writing. An interesting and very Maine life. Its always pleasant to be reminded that he lived a lot of his life just a few blocks away and that his paths have crossed with many friends and family. Writing is truly this man's passion and he brings it across well. ( )

Very interesting, as a biograph tell us a lot abouto Stephen childhood. maybe is there the reason why he started to write... and maybe why he wrote that kind of books...

Very, very interesting! ( )

Listened to the audiobook (read by King himself!). Excellent, humorous, deadly serious, solid guide to the craft and much insight into King's own method. He has been hard at work every single day for decades. Thoroughly enjoyable. ( )

The 5 other books I've read about How to Write have all been far more productive reads than this - https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3358627?shelf=writing&sort=rating

Half the book is a memoir, admittedly related to Stephen King's writing history from an early age. For fans of the author's work, this book might be a lot of fun. For others looking for writing advice, pretty much any other book will be more useful.

The amount of actually writing advice in this book can be bullet-pointed on less than a page. King admits that most of the advice is borrowed from The Elements of Style. King is also a pantser; he "distrusts plot". Most of lessons are straightforward advice you've either heard before or will easily find when you read a real book on How to Write, e.g., "express the truth".

King repeatedly mentions "You don’t need writing classes or seminars any more than you need this or any other book on writing". So why would he write this book? King takes 6-week breaks after finishing each 1st draft. On Writing easily could have been written during one of these breaks, as simply a way to let his mind rest and distance itself from the main project.

On Writing is personal piece King wanted to write, but ultimately will not benefit any readers looking to improve their craft. This is not the book you're looking for. ( )

I loved every single drop of ink in this book. I've never read a Stephen King book and not sure his fiction would be my first choice by this was a great book. ( )

So much fun to read about the beginnings of his career, life with the kids and wife, general advice, too, just pure King fun. ( )

"On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft" by [a: Stephen King|3389|Stephen King|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1362814142p2/3389.jpg] has had a remarkable, and lifelong affect on my mind and writing life.

I started reading this during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Write Month) 2015. This is when writers around the world are attempting to write a novel of fifty thousand words or more.

A fast reader, I could have polished [b: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft|10569|On Writing A Memoir of the Craft|Stephen King|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1436735207s/10569.jpg|150292] off in a few days.

Instead of gobbling it all down, I took each paragraph, page and chapter as gifts. I would not hurry through this.

"On Writing..." is a needful thing to me.

I want to thank Mr. King for giving us this book.

There is more to say... I have written two short stories and on start of a novel from an exercise in "...Memoir..." thank you. Thank you for this amazing gift.

I have read various reviews some not positive; I feel sorry for those who missed it.

This is a life changer for me. Thanks again. ( )

One of the first books about writing that I've read, that says that you do NOT have to attend classes or seminars to write. This book is a good insight into what makes King tick, and for me, made him into a person, as opposed to that crazy man who writes those terrifying books.

I can see writers going back to this for advice again and again. ( )

I can't believe it took my so long to get around to reading this book! I've read recommendations for it again and again and again as the BEST book to read if you are an aspiring writer. Now I finally have read it I can understand why!

Stephen King is one of those writers that I always kind of forget just how good they are until I pick up one of their books again. I was reminded last summer when I read [b:Doctor Sleep|16130549|Doctor Sleep (The Shining, #2)|Stephen King|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1362415596s/16130549.jpg|17851499] why I used to devour his books as a teenager. He knows how to write an effortless to read and highly entertaining book. And he has written a lot of them! Plus he always comes across like a pretty cool guy in interviews, Twitter and the like.

This book is as the subtitle suggests more of a memoir than a bunch of writing tips, although they are included. What King does is give us a snapshot of some of the moments and experiences in his life that he believes shaped him as a writer and then uses this to frame his advice on writing. The advice itself is honest and makes a lot of sense!

It's probably nothing you've not heard before but coming from Stephen King, in his easy conversational tone, it feels completely achievable! At the end of the day what he says is just sit down a go for it... don't agonise over outlines; just let your characters do their thing and go with the flow of the story. He especially liked his analogy of writing being like digging for fossils. You're never quite sure what you've uncovered... it could be tiny shell or it could be a huge dinosaur, but you don't know until you start digging.

There is also practical advice about language and style that could be really dry to read about, but in King's hand it makes total sense I was nodding along; plus he gives some really good examples. It also helped me to understand why I think it is that I think bad writing is bad! (Grammer: Not everybody's got it!)

I very rarely annotate books but this one is filled with post it notes and highlighter pen, and I really do look on it with fondness now. I'm sure it will be an old friend that I'll pick up again in the future when I need some more encouragement!

Right now I need to go and get some writing now!

And oh yeah, those people are right... If you are going to read a book about writing... make it this one. ( )

I know what you're thinking - Stephen King, the horror guy? But trust me, this book is all about writing, not just spooky stuff. King shares his own experiences and tips for aspiring writers, and let me tell you, it's inspiring. He's got a no-nonsense approach and doesn't sugarcoat the hard work that goes into writing. But he also emphasizes the importance of passion and perseverance. If you're serious about writing, "On Writing" is a must-read. Get ready to be motivated, people! ( )