On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

I found the advice given to be excellent, honest, and very useful. It probably saved me from making a lot of mistakes in writing and publishing. King's language is clear and explicit. I like that. If he thought something was hogwash, he said so. No beating around the bush.

His organization seemed quite strange and internally inconsistent, but I got the nuggets of advice anyway. That's why I gave this book a five-star rating.

I had the impression that writing a "how to" book was alien to him. Also, he was in the process of writing the book when he had his horrible accident. It must have been extremely challenging to overcome his physical problems at the same time he was writing a difficult book.

King takes his readers through his life, peppering amongst the biographical detail his insights into his writing craft. I bought this book a few years ago for a university writing course for my step-daughter. She recommended I read it, so I purchased my own copy. I'm glad I did because it's a book that ought to be read by aspiring writers with a pen in hand for marginal notes or asterisks.A most novel (pardon the pun) approach to writing about writing indeed. The book is part biography, part tips for the aspiring writer, woven into a truly entertaining read. Highly recommended!

I really love this book!

I bought it originally out of curiosity when I was on holiday, and was immediately hooked. The first part is autobiographical, specifically dealing with his growth as a writer. The second part gets down to the nuts and bolts of language and writing.

So far I have read my copy at least three times (some parts more often) and have bought it for two other friends who are interested in getting started with their writing. It also inspired me to write my own book - I found his recommendations really useful.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is considering writing a book. It is a friendly, very funny and inspiring book that will take you through the process and help you to avoid some of the common mistakes.

This book was never sent to me so this has got to be a very bad review.

I've just at this exact moment finished reading this spectacular book. I am planning on giving myself a couple of weeks to let all of the invaluable information the King of Horror so graciously offers sink in, and I will undoubtedly then reread the entire book.

I was looking for good books on writing, and this one kept popping up on every list. I was terribly suspicious, as I am technically not a huge King fan, but having said that, I believe I've probably read or seen the adaptation of more than half of his work which is more than I can say for most authors. However, when I pulled the pinkish book from between the metallic, embossed horror paperbacks it was shelved and studied the contrasting images- a frightening cellar surrounding by pansies?, I was sold.

The book is split into two sections. The first section, suitably titled, C.V. is just that, a biography. I was initially a bit perplexed at King's point, but that thought was unimportant because the C.V. is interesting. One of my favorite passages King retells is the day he is notified that the paperback rights to Carrie sold for $400,000. In this beginning section King talks about his early life, his marriage, his addictions, his mother and her illness. And, if you're paying close attention, at each stage of his life, he is writing.

The second part of the book is priceless for writers. It is inspiring, intoxicating, thrilling and above all completely informative. King breaks through the conventions we are taught in high school and even college, rips them apart and reworks them. For example, he uproots the notion of the muse as a beautiful woman, and turns him into a cigar-smoking, basement dwelling bowling champion with a bag of magic that you ain't gettin' your hands on until you put in the long hours.

King also covers dialogue, theme, grammar, description, rewriting and revising, research and so much more. On Writing also includes a postscript detailing King's horrific and near-fatal accident in 1999. Once again, this section is as much about writing and the writing process as it is about the accident and his recovery.

This terrific book has made me a maniac about reading and writing. Because, in the end the theme is an inspirational one: You can be a better writer, just read a bunch, write a WHOLE bunch and most importantly, always tell the truth.