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Jan 30, 2012

Lou rated it:

This is a must read for writers, readers and off course Stephen King fans.
Fully laden with inspiration to walk the walk and start that journey of writing a story of you're own from short story to a full novel. Imagine great writers of the past like Dickens around to give advice to aspiring writers it's a real opportunity to grasp.

This man, Stephen King, worked hard to make himself into a writer and had sheer determination, from working all hours to pay his college education t More...

12 comments like (21 people liked it)

Dec 17, 2007

Jenny rated it:

I read this shortly after finishing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this year, actually it would be more accurate to say I devoured it. This is full of great writing advice, and I'll need to get a copy and read it 1-2 times a year. Most helpful? The section on grammar! Seriously, I never really learned grammar.
"Gould said something else that was interesting on the day I turned in my first two pieces: write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open. Your stuff starts out More...

0 comments like (43 people liked it)

Nov 19, 2011

Palice rated it:

I don't care who you are, what you are, but if you're willing to become a writer at some point in your life, then I think you should go briefly over this book. There is a section about his life before he became a writer, a section on writing, and a short section about when he got hit by a van.

The first and last section may not interest some people, but I really, really think EVERYONE needs to read what he has to say about writing.

This book shouldn't have taken me this lo More...

2 comments like (9 people liked it)

Dec 27, 2011

Michael rated it:

This book binds together three very different parts: an autobiography, the part teaching the art of writing according to Stephen King, and a description of the author's current life and work (current means in the year 2000). The book reads easily, and, though helping with nothing in improving your writing skills, I enjoyed the auto-biography of Stephen King; from it, the author looks like a nice and down-to-earth person, which is contrary to the preconceived idea I had about big-earning horror-w More...

3 comments like (5 people liked it)

Dec 16, 2009

Leah rated it:

I wish I could give this book more than five stars. The first 100 or so pages were highly colored anecdotes from SK's childhood (did you know Stephen King had an obese, negligent babysitter who used to sit on his head and fart? me neither). I thought the whole book was going to be like this--a personal history intertwined with the occasional tip about persistence, and that was OK with me. That's how entertaining the first bit is. It certainly makes the book worth reading even for those unint More...

2 comments like (20 people liked it)

Nov 28, 2009

Madeline rated it:

Let's be honest: Stephen King is not one of the greatest writers of all time. He will never win a Pulitzer or a Nobel (he might win a Newberry though, if he ever decides to tap into the Kids/Young Adult market), and on the few times his books are featured in the New York Times Book Review, the reviewer will treat the book with a sort of haughty disdain, knowing their time could be better spent trashing Joyce Carol Oates.

None of this should suggest, however, that King is not qualifie More...

10 comments like (37 people liked it)

Jan 04, 2010

Becky rated it:

I love Stephen King. I'm not IN love with him, but I love his writing, his stories, his characters, and now, his advice: "Read a lot." (4-6 hours a day, even!)

Yessir, Mr. King! Finally some advice I want to heed! OK, I should say that this is really only a small fraction of the wisdom he imparts in this book, and I neglectfully left out the "write a lot" part that immediately follows "read a lot".

But I have never actually aspired to be a wr More...

9 comments like (15 people liked it)

Jul 24, 2008

Alison rated it:

You don't have to be a fan of Stephen King's work to appreciate this memoir--part auto-biography, part instructional guide to writing.

I was most caught up in his stories recalling his early days as a writer (as a child up until he sold the paperback rights to Carrie). I also enjoyed his common sense, accessible advice for writers (up until the point when he talks about finding agents, etc.--that was actually a little boring to me, although I know he meant well).

I enjoy More...

3 comments like (8 people liked it)

Dec 16, 2009

Nicola rated it:

Stephen King’s book On Writing offers insight into how one writer grew into his style and what defines the way he works on his craft. This is not the end all and be all for all writers but simply an example of how it can be done. King also provides valuable information on some of the technicalities of writing, including a very helpful simile likening a writer’s skills to a toolbox.

One extremely helpful notion King illustrated in his book was the idea of the Ideal Reader. This is t More...

0 comments like (8 people liked it)

Mar 27, 2008

Jennifer rated it:

Excellent book about writing. I'd never read King before because I'm just not a horror fan, but he can really write and he comes off as likable and funny in this part memoir/part writing guidebook.
In the first half of the book he talks about growing up and how he got into writing while the second half is devoted to practical advice on writing. I found myself highlighting passages that I wanted to remember, which I tend not to do.
I've read a couple other books more recently on writ More...

2 comments like (7 people liked it)

Mar 17, 2011

Julie rated it:

100 percent loved this. I may even knock it up to "It was amazing" as its treasure trove of advice sinks in.

Here's the thing: Stephen King knows how to tell a story. From the early to late 80s- junior high through mid-university years- I read nearly everything he'd written. His novels are the only of the horror-genre that I've read; it's never been my cup of tea, either in print or film, but King's writing has always been a cut above. He is the literary equivalent of Bruce More...

6 comments like (4 people liked it)

Dec 22, 2008

Katharine rated it:

Well now. I have never read any of Stephen King's work, and after reading this... well, now I don't really want to.

He came across as a pretentious sod and honestly, I'm put off by his tone and how he ... well, he really sounded condescending in many parts of this. I hesitate at saying such things over an author who everyone else seems to love, but... well, I'm just saying 'What I Learned from this book.'

It has some good parts, yes, but the main thing I agreed with him o More...

16 comments like (6 people liked it)

Nov 01, 2007

Gay rated it:

This book is a revelation as well as a confirmation of what I have always believed. If you work at something you will do it. King, like many writers, wanted to write from the get go and he didn't let anything or any comment throw him off. While I believe the gazette that he and his brother produced was advanced for their ages, I also know that it wasn't necessarily brilliant. It was kids at play doing what kids like to do...pretend they are what they want to be. Or not. I have a memory of More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jul 03, 2007

AJ rated it:

Everything I've ever heard about this book was prefaced with something along the lines of "I know Stephen King kind of sucks, but..." and that seems pretty fair to me. I'm not a big (or, rather, not at all) fan of horror shit, and even though I grew up living about an hour away from the dude I never felt compelled to anything of his (though he does have a cool gate at his house)

I guess I borrowed this from someone, as I no longer have it. It was a long time ago, but I reme More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

May 24, 2007

steffie rated it:

I have not been into Stephen King since I was 11 years old. I read The Shining in one day after swiping it from a friend's mom's bookcase (I did this a LOT as a kid. Hello, The Executioner's Song and The Book of Lists!). Soon after that, I got Christine, The Dead Zone, and Carrie for Christmas. I think I read two of those books and then gave up on Stephen King entirely, but somehow got pegged as a Stephen King fan for years afterwards by siblings who assumed I wanted nothing more than MORE Steph More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 28, 2009

Bonnie rated it:

This was a very interesting read. I was a little surprised at how much I got out of it.

King divides this book into three parts. The first explains how he came to be the writer he is today. The second deals specifically with writing. The final part is about the accident he had in 1999. That the accident happened when he was in the middle of writing this book explains why the tone changed half-way through.

I have read many books “On Writing” so although I got some good adv More...

0 comments like (9 people liked it)

Mar 02, 2011

Austin rated it:

Apparently, the entire Stephen King industry was spawned by a daydream about naked teenage girls in the shower, pelting another girl with tampons. And there's a great lesson in that: a creative writer can't censor himself--more than that, he has to pay close attention to his own imaginings and memories without shame, has to go beyond that and take those imaginings and memories seriously as the possible basis for an entire novel. Stephen King's slightly perverse little daydream turned out to be More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Dec 01, 2008

Christie rated it:

This book was helpful to read because it shows that someone who has nothing really can have it all. Being able to free write opens up doors that never seemed to exist. Emotions and feelings can flow freely because they are disguised behind character names and images. Anyone that is able to write should write when given the opportunity. The more writing that is done the better writer you beome.
This book starts out as a biography on Stephen King's life from when he was a littl More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Nov 10, 2010

Greta is Erikasbuddy rated it:

I've been wanting to read this book for maybe a year now. .... Maybe shorter... but probably pretty close to a year.

What stopped me?

Well, I've never been much for book-learning and I kinda figured this book would intimidate me.

But it's by Stephen King! Why would he want to intimidate you?

Ok, it's not that he'd intimidate me... it's more like I felt my little simple mind wouldn't be able to understand More...

4 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jan 26, 2009

Sandra rated it:

I liked this book a lot. I have always admired Stephen King's way with words even tho I don't always like his stories. But it was illuminating to read how he goes about writing. And I think I have a much clearer understanding on why some books are stilted, some are good, and some are great. Maybe I can now better enunciate my thoughts about an authors writings when I write a review. I also think, at times, I will be reading with a thought to how the writer has actually been able to convey t More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

May 06, 2009

Nate rated it:

The best book on the craft I've ever read. If you're a prose writer, this is a must-read. Not only does King offer sound advice, proven through his decade-spanning career of success, but he offers witticisms and personal anecdotes that allow the reader to breathe. Of the many passages I could quote, I'll quote the following as I (being an MFA graduate from a creative writing program) can wholeheartedly relate to the experience:

"What about [writing seminar:] critiques, by t More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jan 28, 2009

Slone rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jun 22, 2011

Pagetranquillity rated it:

Stephen King is of course best known for his fiction, but this book is invaluable to the would-be writer. I read the book, listened to the audio, and took notes. There are tips and techniques in it that I will never forget. The best is: Don't use alot of adverbs, better yet, don't use any adverbs, find a more interesting way to get your meaning across. He has his concept of "the pyramid of writers", the top being the genius writers who can't really understand themselves, and who te More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Nov 26, 2008

Allison rated it:

So I'm afraid to read any of Stephen King's actual horror novels. I'm not a big fan of blood or things that can keep me up at night. And I'd seen this particular book many time and honestly didn't think that it would be worth my time to read. Let's just keep it simple and say that I was wrong about this book.

Perhaps, reading this book at a time in my life when I'm trying to write a novel was particularly inspiring, but this book is full of information. King write about his own pe More...

1 comment like (4 people liked it)

Dec 07, 2011

Jeremy added it

I've never read King before, and this is obviously not representative of his work. What it is however, is a pretty decent mini-memoir/writing guide which covers the basics of both categories without wallowing unnecessarily in either. I always think of King as this interminably successful pop author. I can literally never recall a point in my life when I didn't walk into a bookstore and see a new (or reprinted) Steven King bestseller somewhere. So it was really interesting reading about his More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 21, 2011

Tracey rated it:

Never saw that coming. I don’t read horror novels; I don’t tolerate the whole genre well. (I tried to watch some of Halloween H2O when it played at the theatre I was working in – I lasted four not particularly terrifying minutes.) Prior to last week I’d read three of his books: Gerald’s Game, which I had to read for school (art school, that is: we had to do a cover for a Stephen King novel; don’t know how I chose this one), Rose Madder (did I get it from the library? I don’t own it…), and The More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 16, 2011

Victoria rated it:

First of all, I would like to say that I'm not a fan of Stephen King. Yes, I have read a few of his stories, watched some movies filmed after his books. I enjoyed it, but that's it. I don't have a crazy idea to read all his books one day.

King's books rarely have any deep philosophical thoughts, he's not up for propagandizing his Opinion. I doubt that they will ever teach King at schools (but... who knows?). But lets hand it to this writer - he's a genius when it comes to storytelling More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 09, 2009

J.R. rated it:

I enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it, especially for aspiring writers.

"On Writing" is not your ordinary, boring, english how-to manual. It is a book written by a successful author (who started off as an unknown himself), who gives the reader tips on writing a good story... their story.

Throughout, we learn of Stephen's past which not only keeps our interest but allows us to relate to him as a person - not just another successful, unreachable author. More...

4 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 22, 2011

Amanda rated it:

I’ve heard conflicting reports about this book. On one hand, my friend and editor, Oisin, said it was a good and helpful book. On the other, fellow book blogger Rebecca said the book was awful. Rebecca tends to read a lot of classics, and while her tastes in classics are oftentimes not the same as mine (it seems she and my husband have similar tastes, actually – so let it be a lesson to everyone: never assume all classics lovers are the same!), she always has very insightful things to say about More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

May 16, 2009

Dana added it

Kerri forced me to get this book. I almost never read books about writing. You'll notice I'm in no hurry to read it, either.

April 2 update:
Guilt finally moved this to currently reading.
Enjoyed his life story. Liked Bill Bryson's better.
He reveres The Elements of Style, okay, he's showing me something.
He thinks adverbs are the mark of a lazy writer, me, too.

His life story went fast, and now I'm bogged down in the how to write part. Too muc More...

5 comments like (2 people liked it)

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