Book Review: On Writing by Stephen King

Imagine writing over fifty books, and every one of them becomes an international best seller. Like it or not, Stephen King has something figured out.

I have to admit that horror is not my cup of tea. Gets my adrenaline pumping, and keeps me from sleeping. So you might not be surprised when I tell you that Stephen King's book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft  is the first book by the prolific author that I've read.

And I devoured it.

It's not set out in nice little chapters with titles like How to Deepen Your Characters, or The Three Keys to Dialogue. No, it's a conversational book. It's as if you're sitting in King's living room, and he's recalling the wacky and weird incidents from his childhood that shaped what he loved to read, watch in movies--and write.

And mixed in with all these fascinating memories are nuggets of writing wisdom, slap-the-back-of-your-head motivation, and even a few interesting writing exercises.

No wonder it's #3 on Amazon in its category.

In the middle of writing this book, King was badly injured in an auto accident, and finishing On Writing took great effort. In the end, parts of the accident and recovery made it into several manuscripts.

 King on establishing a place to write, and a goal:
But you need the room, you need the door, and you need the determination to shut the door. You need a concrete goal, as well. The longer you keep to these basics, the easier the act of writing will become. 

To find out more about Stephen King, visit his website, particularly his Frequently Asked Questions page. If you're a fan of his books, you'll probably enjoy taking part in King's Official Message Board, where you can discuss individual books with other readers.

King's accident left an impact on his life. If you know of a writer who is unable to work due to disease or accident, check out King's Haven Foundation for grants. King and his wife also maintain the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation with the mission of strengthening and supporting communities.


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