What is more interesting is the way he ties his writing to his life experiences. Some of what he has to say will be familiar from other writing guides. You have the feeling that he is talking personally to you, taking you by the arm and speaking plain unadorned common sense. His persona is that of an affable guy, and reading On Writing is like sitting down with a knowledgeable friend to mull over a subject you both care deeply about. King writes in an informal manner with such an artful style that it appears artless. On the other hand, it is possible that even with a fair wind the ‘on writing’ part would have seemed all the weaker on its own, because on this evidence King is an instinctual author, and would have had trouble finding more original things to say he admits that he had put the typescript away for a lengthy period in a drawer because writing non-fiction had in his own word felt like ‘torture’.ĭespite its troubled gestation the result is definitely very enjoyable. Considering what happened to him while writing it, it’s remarkable it turned out as well as it did, but there is a nagging feeling that this could have been a better book, or books. The book’s structure feels a bit of a mess, two separate books bolted together that would have worked better separately: a memoir, showing how his experiences fed into his stories, and the writing advice.
The reader can only close the book with enhanced respect for King’s determination, but not necessarily feeling that what he has to say about ‘the craft’ justifies all of its 367 pages (which King tellingly considers a ‘short’ book). It helps that he has a strong supportive wife, and his love for her is unaffected and extremely touching.
The account of his struggles to become a writer is fascinating, and what shows through is the resolve shown by someone who came from very modest circumstances and got where he is through hard work. That he did indicates the astonishing force of his will and the deep-seated impulse to write. King was in the middle of writing the book, though struggling with it, when the accident happened, and after making a partial recovery he had to force himself to continue. Also included is a short story by Garrett Addams. The first section covers King’s early life and his efforts to become a writer, the second discusses how the reader might improve in producing fiction, and towards the end he covers his dreadful 1999 accident when he was hit by a van while walking along a road in Maine. 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.Stephen King’s On Writing (published in 2000) is a mix of autobiography and advice on writing. 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. 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. “Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon publication of Stephen King’s On Writing. 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. ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S TOP 100 NONFICTION BOOKS OF ALL TIME
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