On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Many writers seem to love this book. I enjoyed it and I'm glad to have read it, but I don't know that I learned a whole lot from it. (Having said that, it did encourage me to get more disciplined about my writing day; we'll see how that goes.) I definitely liked the CV section, which is mostly memoir. The On Writing section repeats a lot of the same writing advice you're likely to see elsewhere. And it's a small thing, but there are many places where King uses “which” where he really should use “that.” For someone who is doling out writing advice, that seemed like an odd thing, but I wouldn't be surprised if no one in the world cared but me.

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!

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.

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.

Good, down to earth advice from a man who knows how to churn out great books that appeal to the average man.
Combines a backstory that moves from humourous to heart breaking and back again, with such sage advice as to not let your powers of description get away from you, and to not be afraid to kill your characters. Uses a metaphor of a toolbox to work through basics such as characterization, vocabulary and how to ‘fear the adverb' that was surprisingly insightful.
King rambles on about how he learned to write, and while doing so provides some insight on how to learn yourself: “You can learn only by doing.” Made me feel less like I was reading a ‘how to' than getting a peak inside his head, and getting to know him a little more closely.

So, I read half of this 2010, and the rest of it today. :-D Sometimes it takes a long time to finish a book.

I love Stephen King. I like his writing. This book, even though it's more or less a book about writing, it's also biographical, so you might enjoy it even if you weren't after advice on writing.

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.

If you're gonna read a book about writing, who better to study than The King? On Writing is as much a book about the philosophy of writing as it is about the nuts and bolts of the process, and King is his usual charming, no-nonsense self within its pages. If you're a wannabe writer who needs that little kick in the rear to get back to the keyboard and get going, read this book. Trust me.

No soy un fan en particular de Stephen King. Sé lo mismo de él que la mayoría: que es un escritor prolífico con historias icónicas de adaptación fácil y mediática a la gran pantalla (y pequeña). Pero leer este libro es lo más cerca de estar con el escritor en cuestión sentado en una mesa y teniendo una charla reveladora y relajada sobre su vida y el oficio (estrechamente entrelazadas, aunque, supongo, que el propósito del libro te ofrece una perspectiva sesgada al respecto). Su talento es tal que leerlo es casi como estar leyendo ficción, y lo recomendaría incluso a aquellos lectores que normalmente no se acercarían a este tipo de libros. Muy disfrutable. De algún modo, consigue que sus palabras vayan más allá de lo que significa ser escritor y hablen, un poquito, de lo que significa (en especial para él) ser feliz y también, en segundo lugar pero en mayor medida, del amor.

I have so much time for this man – I could read him talking about writing and wiping his arse with poison ivy all day long. I enjoyed the memoir and the “on writing” elements equally. His plotting process (or lack thereof) is still bewildering to me. A welcome palate-cleanse after reading Anne Lamott's memoir/writing book Bird by Bird, which was the churlish antithesis of “inspiring”.

Uno de los mejores (si no el mejor) libro que he leído este año.

“Mientras escribo” grita a los cuatro vientos el amor de su autor por el oficio de escribir. Lo tiene todo, una pequeña autobiografía, reglas y recomendaciones para aquellos que se inician en el mundo de la narrativa, una explicación de su proceso creativo, su método de trabajo y numerosas anécdotas o más bien ejemplos sobre cómo obtiene las ideas o situaciones que luego se transforman en sus obras.

Absolutamente imprescindible para dos colectivos en particular: los lectores incondicionales de Stephen King, y todos aquellos que aman escribir y anhelan convertirse algún día en escritores, si no de éxito, al menos con oficio (que no es ninguna tontería).

A phenomenal book by Stephen King.
It totally tells us about his life and how he writes his stories and how we can write our own stories.
The book is or can be used as a constant guide for writing.
Stephen king gives us permission to write and thats the most important thing if you were looking for it.
And don't forget to read a lot and write a lot.

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.

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.