This book is a prime example of poor writing. There you have it, Steven King - thanks to your valuable advice, I was able to pen the perfect sentence - concise, to the point, devoid of pretentious words, adverbs, and the passive voice, and, most importantly - honest!
If anything, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft did inspire me to write:

\\n  On Reading: the Thoughts of a Random Reader:\\n

Let me begin by stating that this book is all over the map. It lacks a smooth flow, making sudden and inexplicable leaps from one story to another without any logical precursor. For someone with such extensive experience and knowledge, King did a rather shoddy job of selecting the title for this novel. It has little to do with the contents and is not metaphorical either. However, metaphor is not a favored literary device anyway. According to the author, plain, obvious, and direct honesty is what will resonate with the reader.

There is a great deal I wish to write about, but I'm afraid it won't be possible without revealing too much. Now, I'm well aware that Stephen King has sold millions of copies of his works (he was sure to remind me frequently), and I'm an anonymous nobody who knows little about writing, which automatically disqualifies me from passing judgment. Still, I have this intense urge to express my disagreement with almost everything this book presents as guidelines for writing (I'm paraphrasing King's words in italics below):

1. Various literary devices (adverbs, less common words, passive voice, etc.) will only burden the story and render it unreadable. Really? Since when has language, with all its richness, imagery, and power, become the enemy of a good book? I would much rather have a writer who has overreached with language and failed than someone with a limited toolkit who churns out a suspenseful story on a regular basis.
2. Dialogue is the most crucial part of a book, and very few have mastered it (King being one of them). - Oh well.
3. Physical descriptions of characters are worthless. Their actions are what define them. - From the perspective of an ordinary reader, I have often been more moved by the description of scarred skin, a wrinkle, a crippled leg, a voluptuous lip, or a dimple than by a hundred pages of heroic twists and turns.
4. Audiobooks are wonderful! Sure. I agree that 'Subject-verb' sentences are better heard as background noise while one is performing their mundane tasks. However, they don't call it reading for nothing. To be able to appreciate the beauty of literature, one needs to isolate themselves and follow with their eyes the paths that these magical little squiggles, called words, lead us along. Written language is the magic known as literature. The ears are for the magic known as music.
5. Shakespeare and Yates are both geniuses! Placing these two in the same context seems absurd to me.
6. Good writers are productive. What on earth could they be doing if not writing? - Err, hmm, drinking, wallowing in misery, searching, losing, finding, having a life?
7. Writing is hard work and requires discipline. It involves counting words and setting deadlines. Yet King has never written for the money, but for the immense pleasure he derives from it. - I'm not qualified enough to refute the contradiction here.
8. Readers don't care about literary merits but about the storyline and suspense. They should be the writer's main concern, and therefore the writing should be simple. - This is where things got personal for me. This is insulting to readers who truly love and value language, and it made me recoil in disgust.

I won't comment on the autobiographical section of the book, which was vague and out of place. I won't comment on the tone of the book, which was overly preachy and self-indulgent. I've already said enough to be labeled a 'hater'. I'm actually quite ashamed of my recent one-star reviews and will now go and get a life. No more manuals, please.

Audiobook.... Steven King

Thoroughly enjoyable...

with Stephen King

A *FEW* KEY POINTS - and suggestions from ‘The King’......

Narrative, description, and dialogue!!! These are the three essentials that Stephen King emphasizes. He believes that a good story should have a captivating narrative that draws the reader in, detailed descriptions that bring the story to life, and engaging dialogue that makes the characters seem real.

Be honest [I certainly try]. King also stresses the importance of being honest in your writing. This means writing from the heart and not being afraid to show your true self.

READ.... for a few minutes at a time... or for 4 and 5 hour stretches, daily. [I do this]. Reading is essential for any writer, and King recommends reading as much as possible. He himself reads for hours every day, and this helps him to improve his own writing skills.

Health and Family are important to ‘King’ [I like this man]. King also values his health and family, and he believes that these things are essential for a happy and fulfilling life. He makes sure to take care of himself and spend time with his loved ones, even when he is busy writing.

Turn off the TV [I’m watching Poldark right now - exceptions must be made]. King believes that watching too much TV can be a waste of time, and he recommends turning it off and reading or writing instead. However, he also acknowledges that there are some exceptions, and he himself enjoys watching the occasional TV show or movie.

WRITE at least a thousand words a day, if serious about being a writer. [I’m not a serious writer; I’m a serious reader]. If you want to be a writer, King recommends writing at least a thousand words a day. This may seem like a lot, but it is possible with practice and dedication. He himself writes several thousand words a day, and he has published many best-selling novels over the years.

There are 5,062 reviews on Amazon with 83% 5-star ratings!

There are: 16,813 reviews on Goodreads with a 4.33 rating! MOST PEOPLE enjoyed this book - ME TOO!

King has great advice on storytelling & writing.....

(I liked his ‘stories’ within his advice, very much, too)

“Narrative-descriptions-dialogue”....

A+ for Stephen King!!

Wonderful audiobook!!!

One of my most cherished childhood memories is running through the fairground's haunted houses. There was never a waiting line, allowing me to relive my favorite nightmares repeatedly, much like I do with Stephen King's stories.

King emphasizes that the story is the most crucial element of writing. His storytelling prowess is evident in how I become so engrossed in the story that I overlook the writing. Incidentally, he writes phenomenally. To prove this, I immediately started reading Misery after finishing On Writing. (In the beginning of Misery, the main character describes excruciating pain, which was eerily similar to the pain King endured after being hit by a van 12 years after Misery's publication.)

The book is divided into sections, with the first two being the most relevant to me. 'CV' is filled with personal anecdotes about his journey as an author, starting from copying comic books at the age of seven. He gives readers a glimpse into his world and shows that anyone can end up in poison ivy. Honestly, my favorite parts were learning the backstory of where his ideas and inspiration came from for some of his most famous novels like Carrie, Misery, and The Stand.

Then he gets to the core and compares writing skills to tools in a toolbox (just like any craftsman needs a box full of tools), and the rest is the story. He offers the best and clearest writing advice I've ever heard. Begin with an idea and fill in the rest with imagination. Dig for the story. Each idea is a fossil, and like an archaeologist, we carefully uncover and expose any other artifacts around it until we fully excavate the dinosaur (story). To illustrate his "Door Shut, Door Open" approach, he provides an example of several first-draft paragraphs followed by his second-draft edits from his story 1408, showing where he omitted unnecessary words and providing detailed explanations for the changes. Write a lot, read a lot. It's that simple. No shortcuts, no secret formula.

King is被誉为 “The King of horror” for tapping into the collective fears of humanity and reflecting them back to us, selling us cheap thrills similar to running through the haunted house at the fairgrounds. His son, Joe Hill, says that it is the politicians who sell fear, while his dad's stories sell bravery by arguing that we can kick the darkness until it bleeds daylight.

Stephen King is widely regarded as a true master of the written word.

In his remarkable work On Writing, King artfully combines elements of memoir with a comprehensive writing masterclass. The outcome is an extraordinary partnership that offers both encouragement and a wealth of writing wisdom.

For anyone with literary aspirations, Stephen King's On Writing should be considered essential reading. It is truly an incredible book that has the power to inspire and educate.

If it were possible, I would毫不犹豫地 give this book more than five stars. It is当之无愧 of the highest praise and is a must-read for all those who dream of making their mark in the world of literature. Five stars simply do not do it justice.

Fear often looms largest right before the start.

After that, everything usually falls into place.

In my opinion, the entire book, and the problem of many writers can be summed up in this sentence by Stephen King.

It's a profound observation that holds true in various aspects of life. Whether it's starting a new project, taking on a challenge, or embarking on a journey, the anticipation and the unknown can create a sense of trepidation.

However, once we gather the courage to take that first step, the initial fear begins to subside, and we find that we are capable of handling whatever comes our way.

King's words serve as a reminder that we should not let the fear of the unknown paralyze us but rather embrace it and move forward with confidence.

"Books are a uniquely portable magic."

This book truly blew my mind!!! I mean, I was already a huge fan of Stephen King and had a good understanding of many of the things one learns from this book. However, reading it in his own words made it even more extraordinary!

The biographical section of the book was truly remarkable. This man has endured so much, be it alcoholism, drug addiction, or the accident that nearly took his life. And yet, he is so humble and honest about all these aspects. It only makes me admire him even more.

When it comes to the actual part where he discusses writing, it was incredibly eye-opening to get an insight into how he approaches his work and stories, and where his ideas originate. Although I'm not an aspiring writer, I found it fascinating to read about the dos and don'ts of writing. Some things were quite obvious, but there were others that I would never have thought of!

My favorite part of this book is whenever he mentions his wife, Tabby. It's as if you can almost feel the love and admiration radiating from the pages. These two are the epitome of couple goals!

I thoroughly adored every single page of this book and didn't want it to end! It was one of the best King books I've ever read. His personality and sense of humor truly shine through!

Absolutely brilliant.

Update: In May 2018, I listened to the audiobook, and it was EVEN BETTER as the man himself narrates it. I highly recommend it to all Constant Readers and aspiring writers.

I am going to be as honest as Stephen King is in this book. I am not a big fan of Stephen King. Maybe it's because I'm not into the horror genre or perhaps because I tried one of his novels and was deeply disappointed. Nevertheless, I can't deny his huge success and the valuable secrets he can offer to the writing industry.

This book initially began as a memoir of King's life, which was okay but not what I was seeking. I desired more technical aspects, and fortunately, we get that in the "On Writing" part. I've read several books on writing, and they often cover similar points. It's good to review them repeatedly to keep them in mind. Some of these points include:

• Don't use adverbs or minimize their use as much as possible.


• Avoid using the passive voice.


• Writing is re-writing; a first draft is never the final product.


• Everyone writes differently, and it takes time to find your unique voice.


• Like any other hobby or talent, writing and reading require a lot of practice and many hours of dedication to excel in either or both.

What set King's book apart was that it presented these points convincingly. Maybe it's because King is a literary giant when it comes to writing, or perhaps because he sounded confident and provided ample examples to support his claims. To be completely honest, I thought he came across as arrogant at times when he criticized some successful authors and quoted them.

The memoir part, however, also revealed that we often see someone's success and assume they were just lucky. We don't see the entire journey they endured, filled with blood and sweat. I'm always hesitant to start writing because I want to create something great. This book proved to me that it's illogical to expect the first thing you write to become a bestseller. It's a skill that needs to be developed, and this gave me some motivation to just practice!

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.”

Summary: I found reading King's memoir to be very enlightening. I appreciate how straightforward King is, and I think readers and writers are becoming overly sensitive these days, which King also addresses. If you're interested in writing and books, I highly recommend this one.

This Review ✍️ Blog

I am not a professional writer by any means. However, for many years, I have been extremely curious about On Writing.

My high school creative writing teacher essentially regarded it as the textbook or even the bible of our classroom. He would quote from it at every possible opportunity.

If, like me, you have any interest whatsoever in the art and craft of writing, or in learning about Stephen King's early life, then this book will most definitely not let you down.

It is a quick read that is highly engaging and gets straight to the point without any unnecessary fluff. In fact, it is truly a book that is worth its weight in gold.

It offers valuable insights and practical advice that can be beneficial to both aspiring writers and those who simply have an interest in the subject.

Whether you are looking to improve your writing skills or just want to gain a better understanding of the writing process, On Writing is a must-read.

I have an intense admiration for Stephen King. It's not a romantic kind of love, but rather a profound love for his writing, his captivating stories, and the vivid characters he creates. And now, his advice: "Read a lot." (Four to six hours a day, even!)

Yes indeed, Mr. King! At last, some advice that I'm eager to follow! Well, I should mention that this is just a tiny part of the wisdom he shares in this book. I carelessly omitted the "write a lot" part that comes right after "read a lot".

However, I've never actually dreamed of becoming a writer. So, the reading part suits me just fine. I do admire writers, of course, some more than others. But I've never really considered writing something of my own. I never had any real ideas, and if I did, I never followed through. So, they just sort of withered away. I did take creative writing in high school, but that doesn't really count.

But here's a bit of a revelation. Writing doesn't have to be so rigid, planned, and diagrammed! I always knew that King had a kind of "organic" (gosh, that word is getting so overused these days) writing style. He lets the characters be themselves and come to life on their own, and allows events to unfold based on these characters, just seeing where the story takes him. Sure, I knew that intellectually. But I still thought that he had some sort of mental roadmap for where things would go, and that he filled in the details along the way. From Point A to Point B to Point C to Destination D.

It's truly inspiring to learn that's not how he does it, and that his method actually works. Because it really does. My high school creative writing teacher would probably cry herself to sleep every night if she knew. She was of the "Plot Diagramming Is Key!" mindset.

I really enjoyed the way this book was written. It didn't feel much like reading. Most of the time, it seemed as if I was having a one-on-one conversation with Steve himself, and he was telling his story and giving me his advice.

I also felt that this book, as well as Lisey's Story, is a kind of tribute to Tabitha King, for all the ways she supported him over the years. It was a bit like peeking into their lives through a window. I could envision their college days, their days in a trailer with two small babies, their days in a slightly bigger but still small apartment with two small kids, and their big-break day. I could see the beer cans piling up in the bin and the drug-covered floor during the intervention. When King described his various workstations, I could picture them clearly in my mind, even though he gave only the barest description... but then again, it's a white rabbit with a blue 8. His description of his accident, and especially the aftermath, brought tears to my eyes because, even though I knew how close the world came to losing him that day, I didn't really understand until he showed me.

I read this book in one sitting, which is a testament to King's readability, as I'm not naturally a non-fiction reader. He just has a way of making everything, even life, interesting. Even something as seemingly mundane (even to a reader) as grammar rules, he makes them interesting. His personality and sense of humor shine throughout the book and give it a personal touch that other grammar and writing texts lack. Man, I wish I could have had him as a teacher. Those lucky people. I hope they appreciated every red mark he ever made on their work.

It's obvious that King loves to write. He's a billionaire and never has to work another day in his life, but he still does. This makes me happy because I can't imagine never reading another new Stephen King book. The day he's no longer able to write will indeed be a tragic one. But hopefully, that day is a long way off, and King will continue to do what he does best: Tell us stories. :)

I read this shortly after finishing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this year. In fact, it would be more accurate to say I devoured it.

This book is full of excellent writing advice. I'll definitely need to get a copy and read it 1-2 times a year. The most helpful part for me? The section on grammar! Seriously, I never really learned grammar.

Gould said something else interesting on the day I turned in my first two pieces: write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open. In other words, your work starts out being just for you, but then it goes out into the world. Once you know what the story is and get it as right as you can, it belongs to anyone who wants to read it.

Another realization was that stopping a piece of work just because it's hard, either emotionally or imaginatively, is a bad idea. Sometimes you have to persevere even when you don't feel like it. And sometimes, even when it feels like you're just shoveling shit from a sitting position, you're actually doing good work.

You can approach the act of writing with various emotions, such as nervousness, excitement, hopefulness, or even despair. You might feel that you can never completely put on the page what's in your mind and heart. But no matter how you come to it, don't do it lightly.

The object of fiction isn't grammatical correctness but to make the reader welcome and then tell a story. Writing is like seduction, and good talk is part of that seduction.

Once I start work on a project, I don't stop or slow down unless I absolutely have to. If I don't write every day, the characters start to lose their vividness in my mind and seem more like fictional characters rather than real people. The narrative cutting edge starts to dull, and I begin to lose my grip on the story's plot and pace. Worst of all, the excitement of creating something new fades away, and the work starts to feel like a chore, which for most writers is the kiss of death.

If I have to tell you something directly, I lose. But if I can show you a silent, dirty-haired woman who compulsively gobbles cake and candy, and you draw the conclusion that Annie is in the depressive phase of a manic-depressive cycle, then I win. And if I can give you a brief Wilkes'-eye-view of the world and make you understand her madness, perhaps I can make her someone you sympathize with or even identify with. The result? She becomes even more frightening because she seems closer to real.

What you should probably be doing is writing as fast as the Gingerbread Man runs, getting that first draft down on paper while the shape of the story is still bright and clear in your mind.

The scariest moment is always just before you start. But after that, things can only get better.

Writing is magic, just like any other creative art. It's the water of life, and it's free. So drink it in and be filled up.

Finally, reading is the creative center of a writer's life. It nourishes our imagination and helps us grow as writers.

On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft is one of my all-time favorite books. It's an easy five-star read! I received this book as a birthday gift from my youngest brother about fifteen years ago, and I finally got around to reading it in 2009. I knew that a writer's manual would be perfect for me, and this book did not disappoint. The combination of Stephen King's autobiography and his excellent writing advice is truly outstanding.

However, an unexpected update occurred partway through this instructional hybrid. Stephen survived a severe accident as a pedestrian. When he resumed writing this book, he added an account of his survival, which was both sobering and inspiring.

Even though I read this book ten years ago, before I started writing reviews, I still remember the most important takeaways. First, no matter what courses or mentorship you might pursue, creating a manuscript requires sitting down and just doing the writing. Second, we should aim to spend about six hours a day reading and writing. Being a voracious reader is essential for becoming a great writer. Third, as Stephen's most helpful rejection letter taught him, and as he has taught me, "Final draft = first draft - 10%!" Finally, we should use straightforward action words and nouns and avoid using adverbs as a general rule. We should also ensure that adjectives are not needless.
Stephen's editing advice, the third guideline, is why my reviews normally consist of exactly 300 words. I read on Amazon.ca years ago that 300 words is an ideal, middle-road length. I have stuck to this ever since, as it serves as my automatic editing exercise. It has made me proficient at cutting out the excess and getting straight to the point.
Overall, I gained a great deal from this tutorial, even though it was prior to summarizing my impressions. So, are you going to check for 300 words in your own writing? ;>

This was truly amazing! It exceeded my expectations by far!

As a semi-fan of Stephen King and his writing (I have a deep love for some of his books, yet I feel that a significant number of the others tend to drag on), I really had no clear idea of what I would gain from this non-fictional work on writing. I was curious to listen to the insights about this craft from one of the most productive and popular authors in the field. However, mostly I desired a behind-the-scenes perspective on what it is like to write a book.

I was pleasantly surprised to find myself completely immersed right from the very beginning, where Stephen King delved into his childhood and shared the experiences that shaped him into becoming a writer. This part was truly excellent and extremely interesting, and I devoured it wholeheartedly.

Then I reached the Toolbox-section on writing, and it was simply wow! That was utterly fascinating! Even though I have always considered myself to be a reader rather than a writer, Stephen King truly gave me a strong urge to sit down and attempt to write my own book (it should be noted that I never actually managed to go that far, but the thought felt great). Reading this section of the book was a unique experience, and it inspired me in numerous ways. For instance, at one point I had to take a break and go watch the movie “Misery” because I was too excited to wait for the book to arrive (the movie “Carrie” is next on my list).

I was attempting to save the last section of the book in order to have something to look forward to, but after spending half a day thinking about it, I had to give in and read it. This section is about the accident that Stephen King was involved in, which nearly cost him his life.

This book made me feel a sense of closeness to Stephen King as a writer, and I loved it for that very reason. What does it truly mean to be a writer? What does it require? What are some of the things that you need to know and avoid? This book provides you with a wealth of answers, and I cannot recommend it highly enough, whether you are an aspiring writer or simply a fan of Stephen King.