Comments (57)

On Writing

a Memoir of the Craft
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Nov 28, 2023jcamenga rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed King's description of his wild and wooly childhood and was impressed by the adults (teachers) in his life who saw the talent he had even when he was writing derogatory newsletters about the high school teachers.
Oct 20, 2023sunnyblonde rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
A really enjoyed both reading about his life and the information on writing. Most of the information provided I already knew but there was some additional information that I think can help my writing moving forward. Certainly spurred me to…
Aug 21, 2023P_rick rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
King is such an inspiration. I love the conversational tone of this book and I'm glad I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author himself. Concrete writing advice made up maybe a quarter of the book but it's definitely worth a read…
Jan 12, 2023MPLArchanaa rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I read this book after never having read Stephen King's novels. Thought it was a pretty sturdy conversation you'd otherwise not be able to have with a celebrity writer. A little look into Stephen's mind- a peek into his little rabbit hole.…
Aug 17, 2022Internetconnect rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I read this book several years ago and although I have never read a Stephen King novel (because I don't like the subject matter) I read this book. Besides letting the reader know about "writing" Stephen King also writes somewhat about his…
Apr 16, 2021
Excellent read. Will read again.
Mar 30, 2021Anndaaga rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
I had the impression that King was a hack who wrote tacky horror books--I must say the paperback covers would lead one to think that. I did read The Stand and enjoyed it but I assumed this was an exception. Anyway, several people in my…
Nov 20, 2020Jeffreyhh rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Very interesting read.
Aug 19, 2020alecbussott rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
If you love Stephen King and want to know what he thinks about writing, this book will be one of your favorites.
May 14, 2020T4eresa rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I did not know this book would be an autobiography but it is. It starts with King's earliest attempts at writing and continues through Carrie (the breakthrough that was saved from the trash by his wife), and the near-fatal injuries…
Dec 26, 2019onepandella rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Stephen King talks about his life and give his best advice on writing. 4.5/5: This is a great book. The beginning memoir is immersive and captivating, and the advice that follows is told in a straightforward and meaningful way. I feel…
Nov 09, 2019
The book "On Writing" written by Stephen King is a mix of an autobiography and the most interesting instruction book you will read in a long time. It is a book that is one of a kind, especially from an author like Stephen King. In the…
Jun 23, 2019iloveseaotters rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Because I'm not into the horror genre, this is the first book by Stephen King that I've ever read. However, I'm not at all embarrassed to say that because it's a wonderful book! What I liked most about it was that it wasn't all about how…
May 27, 2019CMLPratt rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
An excellent book for the aspiring writer. Well written and King is a gifted narrator as well as author. Very solid and down to earth advice.
Mar 17, 2019lunabookworm55 rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
I was gifted this book by my grandfather, though I am sorry to say that I wasn't a huge fan. There was nothing wrong with it, except for the fact that it didn't establish a tone quickly enough, resulting in a slow, uninteresting start. I…
Dec 03, 2018baldand rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Below I comment only on the part of King’s book that offers advice on writing, not the longer part of the book that is autobiographical. King is an admirer of the grammatical rules of Strunk and White, but is not overawed by them: “They…
Nov 09, 2018SurreyLibraries_Reads rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I found the first half of the book was semi-autobiographical and it was quite interesting to know that Stephen King is very human, and not just some writing machine who is holed up in some dark room writing because that is all he knows.…
htliang
Nov 01, 2018htliang rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
What an unexpected pleasure it was to read this book! I must say I was hesitant to pick it up because I'm not a big fan of Stephen King's novels (not really the genre I usually read). However, it was lots of fun, informative, and…
Oct 31, 2018CASSIE ERIN KELLEY rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
If anybody has the right to give writerly advice based solely on success, Stephen King is one of them. With so many novels and short stories under his belt, King offers the collected wisdom, both learned and discovered. The opening half…
Sep 04, 2018DBRL_JessicaS rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
VERY different from what I expected. Many authors write books about writing, but King emphasizes memoir in this piece of nonfiction. It really drew me into the pages and I appreciated the time and honesty in his essays. I bought the book…
Mar 28, 2018mitchelclay rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Stephen King's "On Writing" is everything I was hoping it would be and more. As an aspiring writer myself, I have been looking for books about writing by those who are dedicated to the craft itself. "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield…
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Dec 09, 2017trcookIIImddmd rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Oct 23, 2017Marilyn34 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This novel made me laugh while making me feel more confident as a writer. Check out my review of "On Writing: A Memoir of Craft" on my blog at: http://axarr.blogspot.com/2017/09/review-wednesday-on-writing-memoir-of.html
Jul 06, 2017xenaisnumber1 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I was never able to read Stephen King but I do find him an interesting person. I did enjoy listening to Stephen King talking about his stories and what was going on in his life when he was writing them. The only part I found boring was…
May 04, 2017spider775 rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Great insight for writers. Loved it.