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On Writing
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On Writing (2000) (edit title/settings)

A Memoir of the Craft

by Stephen King (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

"Long live the King" hailed Entertainment Weekly upon the publication of Stephen King's On Writing. 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... read more

Summary edit see section history

I bought this book because I remember reading once that it was a pretty good “guide” for aspiring writers. Overall, I enjoyed Mr. King’s style of writing and he gave some pretty good advice, the key points (at least the key points I found useful) of which are:

* Avoid the overuse of... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

I bought this book because I remember reading once that it was a pretty good “guide” for aspiring writers. Overall, I enjoyed Mr. King’s style of writing and he gave some pretty good advice, the key points (at least the key points I found useful) of which are:

* Avoid the overuse of adverbs. Actually, cut them out whenever you can.
* Set a daily writing goal and stick to it—don’t allow yourself any breaks!
* Always remember the story comes first
* Never tell something when you can show it instead. For example, if a character is poorly educated, don’t go into a lengthy backstory; show that characteristic in his speech
* Use active—NOT PASSIVE—voice. For instance, "The boy hit the ball," NOT "The ball was hit by the boy" (weak!)
* Your rewrite formula should be as such: 2nd draft = 1st draft - 10%

Now, these are some pretty good guidelines. But there are things that King kept drilling in that I don’t necessarily agree with. For example, he continues to say to not put too much description in the characters. I always envision my characters vividly in mind to the extent that I want the reader to be able to see them the way I do. The reason for my writing a story is to share with the reader what I picture in my mind—this, at least for me, involves fairly detailed descriptions. I have only to think of Ms. J.K. Rowling and her well-articulated descriptions and I see that if done well, it can be successful. In the same vein, I would say that King’s point of not focusing on plot too much is something I can not bear to do. Plot is what motivates me, excites me to write. Without giving it considerable thought, I will feel overwhelmed with my tale and begin to get dejected. Not so fun. These two things are the main pieces of wisdom I chose to pass on, but to each their own. That is, coincidentally enough, one of the main themes I got from this book: ultimately, do things YOUR way, whatever that means. Try things and experiment. You can always rewrite.

Something else I walked away from this book with was a greater sense of who Stephen King is. A father, a fiercely loyal and dedicated husband, a musician, a stubborn former drug-and-alcohol addict. These are things that make the writer feel real to me, and it’s something I value highly. Stephen King really has a great outlook on life and the craft in general, and he is someone I can definitely call a mentor.

A final thing that I got out of this work—and it’s a rather small, but prized gem—is a look into Stephen King’s books that I wasn’t familiar with before. It’s made me put them on my “To-Read” list and I’ve actually gotten about halfway through “Desperation.” So, kudos, Mr. King! And a big thanks to the little recommended reading section at the end…you know just how to feed my bookworm.

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Quotes edit see section history

  • “Life isn't a support-system for art. It's the other way around.”
    Stephen King
  • “You must not come lightly to the blank page.”
  • “Write with the door closed; revise with the door open.”
  • “The reader must always be your main concern.”
  • Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
  • “When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story,” he said. “When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story.”
    Highlighted by 449 Kindle customers
  • Remember that the basic rule of vocabulary is use the first word that comes to your mind, if it is appropriate and colorful.
    Highlighted by 351 Kindle customers
  • Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.
    Highlighted by 320 Kindle customers
  • The most important is that the writer’s original perception of a character or characters may be as erroneous as the reader’s. Running a close second was the realization that stopping a piece of work just because it’s hard, either emotionally or imaginatively, is a bad idea. Sometimes you have to go on when you don’t feel like it, and sometimes you’re doing good work when it feels like all you’re managing is to shovel shit from a sitting position.
    Highlighted by 297 Kindle customers
  • Life isn’t a support-system for art. It’s the other way around.
    Highlighted by 281 Kindle customers
  • If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.
    Highlighted by 269 Kindle customers
  • In my view, stories and novels consist of three parts: narration, which moves the story from point A to point B and finally to point Z; description, which creates a sensory reality for the reader; and dialogue, which brings characters to life through their speech.
    Highlighted by 256 Kindle customers
  • Come to it any way but lightly. Let me say it again: you must not come lightly to the blank page.
    Highlighted by 229 Kindle customers
  • write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open. Your stuff starts out being just for you, in other words, but then it goes out. Once you know what the story is and get it right—as right as you can, anyway—it belongs to anyone who wants to read it. Or criticize it. If you’re very lucky (this is my idea, not John Gould’s, but I believe he would have subscribed to the notion), more will want to do the former than the latter.
    Highlighted by 198 Kindle customers
  • Warriner’s English Grammar and Composition—the
    Highlighted by 192 Kindle customers
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First Sentence edit see section history

I was stunned by Mary Karr's memoir, The Liars' Club.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This book is in TIME Magazine's All-TIME 100 Best Nonfiction Books. (authoritative list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Stephen King (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Simon Schuster
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2000
ISBN: 0743421043
Page Count: 256

Awards edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PS3561.I483 Z475 2010
  • Dewey: 813.54

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Young Adults

Young adults (and adults) interested in writing would learn a lot from this book.

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