This book is pure magic.

It is an absolute must-read for any King fan or aspiring writer.

As I was reading, I felt as if I was sitting down and enjoying a good coffee while having a conversation with King himself.

It was such a wonderful feeling!

Part memoir and part writing tutorial, this book truly has it all and so much more.

It was an absolute treat to get a glimpse inside King's mind and see what goes on behind the scenes during his writing process.

My only complaint is that I wanted to stay between the pages of this book for a much longer time!

I was completely engrossed in his words and his insights.

It has inspired me to become a better writer and has given me a newfound appreciation for the art of storytelling.

If you haven't read this book yet, I highly recommend that you do.

You won't be disappointed!

Stephen King's "On Writing" is, in my opinion, disappointingly tilted more towards being an autobiography rather than a comprehensive guide on writing.

I found myself feeling increasingly bored, annoyed, and frustrated as I delved deeper into the book. The portion that actually focused on the craft of writing seemed to be nothing more than a basic high school lecture on grammar and spelling.

While it might offer some insights into King's life and experiences, which could be interesting to some readers, if your primary goal is to gain in-depth knowledge and practical tips about writing, then I would highly recommend skipping this book.

There are many other excellent resources available that specifically target the art and science of writing, providing more valuable and actionable advice.

Overall, "On Writing" failed to meet my expectations as a writing guide and left me with a sense of dissatisfaction.

It is enjoyable to read the King writing with such enthusiasm and sincerity about his life and work, regardless of whether you are a writer yourself. The King vividly describes the ways and techniques that, in his opinion, are the "path" to writing contemporary prose. He cites numerous examples from his own books or from his colleagues.

Let me note two things: there are many spoilers (plot revelations) in the book for several of his books. Also, the book is out of print and particularly hard to find, so those of you looking for it should pay attention to the copies that are in circulation.

This book offers valuable insights and inspiration for both aspiring and established writers. It allows readers to peek into the mind of a master storyteller and learn from his experiences. The King's passion for writing shines through every page, making it a captivating read.

Whether you're interested in improving your writing skills or simply want to gain a deeper understanding of the creative process, this book is definitely worth checking out. Just be prepared to be enthralled by the King's words and ideas.

A great re-read indeed.

This time, I opted for the audio version, and there's truly nothing more inspiring than listening to Stephen King himself discuss writing.

I was astonished by how much I could recall from reading it nearly 20 years ago.

It is an absolute must-read for all writers, regardless of whether you are a fan of his novels or not.

King's insights into the writing process are both practical and profound.

He shares his own experiences, struggles, and triumphs, offering valuable advice along the way.

Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned writer, you're sure to find something in this book that will inspire and motivate you.

So, if you haven't read it yet, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.

You won't be disappointed.

”Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy okay? Getting happy.”



I can't tell you how many people I've talked to over my lifetime who wanted to write a book. Most of them didn't have a clear idea of what they wanted to write about. Some, however, wanted to pen their autobiographies, believing their lives had been thrilling. I, on the other hand, think my life has been rather uneventful. But more often than not, it turns out that my life has been ten times more exciting than theirs. When such situations occur, it's usually mildly entertaining. However, it can quickly turn to sneering when the person reveals that they don't have the time to read or don't really enjoy reading.



Don't talk to me about writing a book if you don't read.

Don't talk to me about NOT having time to read.



What does Stephen King have to say about this?



”If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around those two things….”



Now, why would someone not want to read? Maybe it has something to do with when they were born.
”But TV came relatively late to the King household, and I’m glad. I am, when you stop to think of it, a member of a fairly select group: the final handful of American novelists who learned to read and write before they learned to eat a daily helping of video bullshit.”



I might just be one of the youngest members of that elite group. I grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere Kansas, where a twenty-foot antenna could only pick up three TV channels, and one of those channels was often on the fritz. TV had little to no impact on my life until I left home at 18 and moved to Phoenix.



Thank Zeus!!



Now I have young, aspiring writers from all over the world writing to me, sending me links to “hilarious” YouTube videos or talking to me about binge-watching an entire Netflix series over the weekend. They are completely smitten with spoon-fed entertainment, and what they find funny seems to me like paddling around in the shallow end of the humor pool in the book world.



I wonder why I’m so grumpy.



”A novel like The Grapes of Wrath may fill a new writer with feelings of despair and good old-fashioned jealousy---’I’ll never be able to write anything that good, not if I live to be a thousand’---but such feelings can also serve as a spur, goading the writer to work harder and aim higher.”



I can't count the number of times I've felt that way. Whenever I read a wonderful book like The Great Gatsby or encounter a character like Atticus Finch, I lie on my bed, stare at the ceiling, and wonder why I even dare to think that I can write a novel. My problem, of course, is that I don't just want to write a novel. I want to write a remarkable one. I don't just want to entertain people; I want them to be so moved that their socks are figuratively ripped off their feet and they're left floating in the air, their minds filled with the wonder of my words.



Stephen King will share his experiences of struggling with alcohol and drug abuse, as well as the accident that nearly took his life while he was writing this book. He'll talk about the trials and tribulations he's faced. He'll also recommend books. There's a whole list of modern books in the back of this book that left a profound impression on him and influenced his writing. The point is, even though he's probably the most famous writer on the planet, he's still learning, still enjoying reading, and still writing every single day.



I take a book with me everywhere I go. I bring a book to work every day and read a page or two while my computer is booting up. I always have a book on hand because I never know when I'll be stuck in traffic, waiting for a doctor's appointment, or happily reading by the light of my flashlight, waiting for the power to come back on at work.



I live to read. I live to write. I fornicate somewhere in the middle.



This has been one of the most inspiring books about writing I've ever read. King talked about the work ethics of writers, and the one that really struck a chord with me was Anthony Trollope. He used to write EXACTLY for two and a half hours every day before going to the post office. If his writing time was up, he would stop in the middle of a sentence and head off to work. If he finished a novel fifteen minutes before his allotted time was up, he'd write THE END and immediately start on his next novel. It brought tears to my eyes because that's what it means to be a writer... dedication to the craft.



If you want to get rich, go be a stockbroker. If you want to write, then turn off the TV, put away your phone, and search for those hidden gems of ideas that are swimming around in your head. King calls good ideas fossils. For me, writing is more like when Michelangelo would lay his head on a block of marble and listen to the voices within the stone that yearned to be set free. All you have to do is chisel those characters free and give them life.



If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com

I also have a Facebook blogger page at: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten

Stephen King is a renowned author born on September 21, 1947. While I like his novels, I suspect he may not be overly fond of them himself. His works have brought him wealth (net worth) and notoriety, which ultimately seems to be all that matters (at least to him).

However, I cannot deny that he is a professional prose writer, and there are not many like him in the Moldovan-Romanian literary space. His advice can be very useful for those who wish to "become" writers (and earn a lot of money, countless amounts, money without mercy...), although writing is not the most lucrative profession in the world. It's better to launch satellites into orbit like Elon Musk and charge idiots. Very few prose writers reach King's income level.

Despite the above lines, the American writer's observations are always useful and reasonable. It's not easy to be a writer; it's a "horror" profession, believe me. But you can learn to fit words together through reflection and persevering practice. This means sitting at the writing desk for at least 5 hours a day. Philip Roth used to sit for 8 hours. So, let's consider King's invitations:

1. "If you want to be writers, above all, you must do two things: read a lot and write a lot. I know of no way around these two things, no shortcut. I am a slow reader, but I usually manage to get through seventy or eighty books a year, mostly novels. I don't read with the intention of learning the trade; I read because I like to read."

2. An illustrative example of a hard worker: "Anthony Trollope wrote huge novels and produced them with a surprising regularity. He was a civil servant at the British Post Office (the red post boxes spread throughout Great Britain were Anthony Trollope's invention); he wrote for two and a half hours every morning before going to work. This schedule was set in stone. If he was in the middle of a sentence when the two and a half hours expired, he left the sentence unfinished until the next morning. And if it happened that he finished one of his books, which were each over six hundred pages long, and he had fifteen minutes left in that session, he wrote 'The End', put the manuscript aside and started work on the next book."

3. A personal example: "My schedule is generally very clear. Mornings are for new things - the text I am composing. Afternoons are for rest and letters. Evenings are for reading, family, Red Sox games on TV, and all the revisions that cannot be postponed. Mostly, mornings are reserved for writing. Once I start working on a project, I don't stop and I don't slow down unless I am absolutely forced to do so."

Finally, about the pleasure of writing:

4. "The truth is that when I work, I write every day, hopelessly obsessed with work... This means even on Christmas, on national holidays, and on my birthday (at my age, you try to ignore that damn anniversary anyway). And when I don't write, I don't work at all, although during these periods of total inactivity I usually feel adrift and have problems sleeping. For me, not working is real work. When I write, everything is a game, and even the worst three hours I have ever spent at the writing desk have still given me a great deal of pleasure."

P. S. Stephen King's wealth amounts to approximately $500 million. In the ranking of the richest writers, he is in 5th place. At the top, needless to say, is J.K. Rowling with over a billion dollars. Rarely, very rarely, does writing bring money. And not necessarily to worthy writers.

P. P. S. Other books about the craft of writing:

● Ray Bradbury, Zen and the Art of Writing, Santa Barbara: Joshua Odell, 1996, 176p.

● Umberto Eco, Cum se face o teză de licenţă: disciplinele umaniste, translated by George Popescu, Iaşi: Polirom, 2014, 264p.

● Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, New York: Anchor Books, 2007, 25p. Romanian translation: Cum înveţi să scrii ficţiune pas cu pas. Sugestii despre scris şi viaţă, translated by Ileana Ioniță-Iancu, Piteşti: Paralela 45, 2013, 184p.

● Mario Vargas Llosa, Scrisori către un tînăr romancier, translated by Mihai Cantuniari, București: Humanitas, 2010, 144p.

● Howard Mittelmark & Sandra Newman, Cum să NU scrii un roman: Arta greșelilor, translated by Bogdan-Alexandru Stănescu, București: Baroque Books & Arts, 2014, 310p.

● Haruki Murakami, Meseria de romancier, translated by Andreea Sion, Editura Polirom, 2016, 288p.

● Tony Rossiter, Cum să scrii ca un autor de bestseller, București, Didactica Publishing House, 2020, 320p.

● William Zinsser, Cum să scriem bine: Ghidul clasic pentru scriitorii de nonficţiune, translated by Amalia Mărăşescu, Piteşti: Paralela 45, 2013, 224p.

I think that this was an extremely courageous book for Stephen King to pen.

And I absolutely adored the casual, conversational tone as King shares with us, fleeting glimpses into his life both before and after his initial triumph. He holds nothing back; we witness the good, the bad, and the ugly.

It is, in a strange way, both not at all and precisely what I anticipated. In truth, I cherished the memoir part the most, yet even those sections that are instructional in the art of writing are highly engaging.

Isn't it remarkable that such a talented, successful writer would willingly open up his own private chest, extract the tools hidden within, and share his thoughts on each of them with, well, anyone?

No doubt about it, this guy has chutzpah.

Here are the aspects I loved:

The anecdotes from his childhood.

Where ideas originate.

His struggle and first major break.

Regarding Carrie.

The love of his life.

His close encounter with death.

Practical advice (very accessible).

A challenge.

I swear this man could pen a book on how to boil water and make it fascinating.

But don't just listen to me………. listen to King:

Description commences in the writer’s imagination, but should conclude in the reader’s.

You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you.

If you desire to be a writer you must do two things above all others: read a great deal and write a great deal. There’s no alternative around these two things that I’m cognizant of, no shortcut.

Words possess weight.

Let’s clarify one thing right now, shall we? There is no Idea Dump, no Story Central, no Island of the Buried Bestsellers; good story ideas seem to materialize quite literally from nowhere, sailing towards you right out of the empty sky: two previously unconnected ideas converge and create something novel under the sun. Your task isn’t to discover these ideas but to recognize them when they appear.

Words form sentences; sentences form paragraphs; sometimes paragraphs quicken and commence to breathe.

I’m a slow reader, but I typically get through seventy or eighty books a year, mostly fiction. I don't read in order to study the craft; I read because I relish reading.

Writing isn't just about the external rewards like making money, achieving fame, or finding social connections. In essence, it's about enriching the lives of those who read your work and also enriching your own. It's about getting up, getting better, and getting over difficulties. It's about finding happiness. Some of this book might seem excessive in detailing how I learned to write, but much of it is about how you can do it better. The rest, perhaps the best part, is like a permission slip: you can, you should, and if you're brave enough to start, you will. Writing is truly magical, just like any other creative art. The source of inspiration is free, so drink it in.

I'm not particularly interested in fiction and haven't followed Stephen King's works closely. However, I had a great time reading this book and found it highly engaging and practical. Technically, this book is an attempt to briefly and simply explain how Stephen King got into the writing craft, what he knows about it, and how it's done.

He suggests that we first try to construct our own toolbox and then build up enough strength to carry it with us. Here are some of the essential tools to include in this toolbox:

Vocabulary: Common tools should be placed on top. The most fundamental of all, like the bread of writing, is vocabulary. Put your vocabulary on the top shelf of your toolbox and don't刻意 try to improve it. For example, make a solemn promise to yourself that you'll never use "emolument" when you mean "tip" and never say "John stopped long enough to perform an act of excretion" when you mean "John stopped long enough to take a shit."

Grammar: You'll also want grammar on the top shelf of your toolbox.

Avoid passive verbs: With an active verb, the subject of the sentence is performing an action. With a passive verb, something is being done to the subject. The subject is just allowing it to happen. You should avoid using the passive tense. I'm not the only one who says this; you can find the same advice in "The Elements of Style."

Avoid adverbs: The adverb is not your friend. When a writer uses an adverb, it often indicates that they're afraid they're not expressing themselves clearly or getting the point across.

On Paragraph: The structure of paragraphs in expository prose can (and should) be neat and practical. The ideal expository paragraph contains a topic sentence followed by others that explain or amplify the first. This structure forces the writer to organize their thoughts and provides good insurance against straying from the topic.

The toolbox is almost complete, and then he starts elaborating on "On writing."

Stephen King categorizes writers into three levels in a pyramid: At the bottom are the bad writers. Above them is a slightly smaller but still large and inclusive group of competent writers. The next level is much smaller and consists of really good writers. Above them, above almost all of us, are the literary greats like Shakespeare, Faulkner, Yeats, Shaw, and Eudora Welty.

Here are some of his suggestions on writing:

Read a lot and write a lot: There's no way around these two things that I know of, no shortcut. I'm a slow reader, but I usually manage to get through seventy or eighty books a year, mostly fiction. I don't read to study the craft; I read because I enjoy it. It's what I do at night, relaxed in my blue chair. Similarly, I don't read fiction to study the art of fiction but simply because I like stories. Yet, there is a learning process happening. Every book you pick up has its own lessons, and often the bad books have more to teach than the good ones.

Set daily goals: By the time you enter your new writing space and close the door, you should have decided on a daily writing goal. As with physical exercise, it's best to start with a low goal to avoid discouragement. I suggest writing a thousand words a day, and since I'm feeling generous, I'll also suggest that you can take one day a week off, at least to begin with. No more than that, though; otherwise, you'll lose the urgency and immediacy of your story. With that goal set, make a resolution to yourself that the door stays closed until the goal is met.

Revising the work: I love this part of the process (well, I love all parts of the process, but this one is especially nice) because I'm rediscovering my own book and usually liking it.

Pace: Pace is the speed at which your narrative unfolds. Move too fast, and you risk leaving the reader behind, either through confusion or exhaustion. For myself, I prefer a slower pace and a more gradual build-up.

You can also find some valuable lessons on developing your skills in description, dialogue, character development, writing honesty, and research.

Simply the greatest book ever written about the craft of writing. This statement holds true for a reason. I have read it more times than I can count, and each new encounter teaches me something new. It's like a treasure trove that never runs out of valuable insights.

The author, Mr. King, has a unique way of sharing his experiences and knowledge. His memoir is not just for writers but for anyone who has an interest in the written word. Even non-writers would thoroughly enjoy it. It offers a peek into the mind of a master storyteller and provides practical advice on how to improve one's writing skills.

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced writer, this book is a must-read. It will inspire you, challenge you, and ultimately make you a better writer. So, if you haven't already, pick up a copy of this amazing book and start your journey towards becoming a better writer today.

Although I have no intention of writing anything other than reviews, I found this book about writing to be extremely interesting and chock full of valuable information.

The first portion of the book was autobiographical in nature, and that was by far the part I enjoyed the most. Hearing about King's menial jobs and the arduous efforts he put in, along with the drug and alcohol abuse and the numerous other obstacles he has overcome, made him seem much more real to me. Somehow, it made him more like a regular guy that I could relate to.

The parts on writing, even though I'm not an author myself, were incredibly helpful to me as a reader and a reviewer. I now know that in the future, I will be on the lookout for several of the common errors mentioned within the book.

At the end, King delves into great detail about the incident when he was hit by that van. Boy, is it ever a horrific account. Even though he wrote Misery long before this incident occurred, when he was talking about it, all I could think about was James Caan's battered legs and Annie Wilkes. In fact, from King's vivid descriptions, I get the impression that his legs were in an even worse state than Caan's in the movie.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about the art of writing, and also to those who are simply curious about Stephen King and the fascinating stories that lie behind some of his most popular books. It's a must-read for any fan of King or anyone looking to gain some insights into the world of writing.

On Writing truly inspires me to engage in the act of writing. Each time I peruse it, which has been three or four times already, I manage to extract some other valuable little gem from its pages. It serves as a reminder that I am not isolated in my office.

No, it is important to note that this is not the absolute best book on how to write prose fiction that is currently available in the market. Truby and McKee possess better tomes on the subject of story, while Garner has superior works on writing prose. However, Stephen King is that relatable guy who lives next door. He is not the erudite and overly proper former director of the Vic like McKee, nor the intellectual craftsman that Truby is, nor the outright Oxbridge educated snob that Garner can be. He is simply a guy from Maine who has a passion for reading and writing. If one were to work as hard as him, read as extensively as him, and bring along their own toolkit, there is a possibility that they too could pen something that is worthy of being read.

King has always instilled in me the belief that one day I can write well enough to pique the interest of others in reading my stories. For this reason alone, he earns five stars in my book. Most of the other authors teach me something, but often leave me feeling despondent. God help you if you look to Garner or McKee for a boost of encouragement. Truby might at best shake your hand and wish you good luck.

I have delved into the realm of writing and managed to pick up a few interesting tidbits. However, the most significant things that I have learned are rather unique. Firstly, I have decided that from now on, whenever I need to visit the bathroom, I will start using the phrase "I have to push". It might seem like a strange choice, but it gives a certain sense of determination to a rather mundane activity.

Secondly, I have come to realize just how much Stephen King adores his wife. His love for her is palpable in his works and in the way he speaks about her. And I, for one, have developed a deep affection for him as well. His writing is not only captivating but also inspiring. It makes me want to strive for greatness in my own writing and to always be true to my voice.

In conclusion, while my learnings about writing may not be conventional, they have definitely had an impact on me. I look forward to incorporating these newfound insights into my writing and seeing where it takes me.