Book info

• Title On Writing
• Author Stephen King
• Year 2000
• Genre Non-fiction

There is a reason why Stephen King is one of the bestselling writers in the world, ever. Described in the Guardian as 'the most remarkable storyteller in modern American literature', Stephen King writes books that draw you in and are impossible to put down. 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. King's advice is grounded in the 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.

Thoughts

I’ve heard people rave about this book before and have kept it sitting on my Kindle bookshelf for a long while before dipping in. I’m not really in fiction writing mode at the moment, although I do have some ideas bouncing around my head. I’ve got too many hobbies as it is and I’d want to give writing a good portion of my attention.

King makes it sound so wonderful though, that it really is hard not to just fire up a word processor and get writing. This isn’t your standard “here’s how to be a writer” book, with endless exercises and tips about how you’re doing it wrong. This is more of a memoir, insight into what works for him, and how he managed to craft some of those famous works.

I love it for the simplicity - there’s advice and guidance, even a touch or two about grammar, but for the most part it is about writing for the sake of writing. The joy of it, the craft, the determination and will, and of course, the pride in the end result. Inspirational for many reasons, this book.

Rating: 5 / 5