On Writing

A Memoir of the Craft

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Stephen King, Joe Hill, Owen King

Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Twentieth Anniversary Edition with Contributions from Joe Hill and Owen King

ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S TOP 100 NONFICTION BOOKS OF ALL TIME

Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work.

“Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon 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 trade every writer must have. King’s advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported, near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it—fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.

The twentieth-anniversary audio edition includes Owen King reading his essay, “Recording Audiobooks for My Dad, Stephen King,” and a recorded conversation with Joe Hill and Stephen King.

©2000 ©2000 Stephen King, All Rights Reserved; (P)2000 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

"These rare glimpses into King's personal life - as related in his earnest tone and real (thank God) Maine accent - are fascinating.... If you write - or want to - get this book." (AudioFile)

"Spunky, vivid prose are the prime ingredients of what must be considered not at all the usual writer's guide." (Booklist)

"On Writing contains some of the most harrowing pages he has ever written." (Salon.com)

Thank you, Mr. King!

Where does On Writing rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have a very extensive audio library, and this book easily ranks in the top five.

What did you like best about this story?

I didn't know what to expect- I bought it based on the five-star reviews of other audible listeners. I found it inspiring and meaningful. The book helped me pinpoint differences between excellent writing and mediocre, wordy crap.

What about Stephen King’s performance did you like?

Mr. King was honest and direct, and he delivered his message(s) with unexpected personal humility, compassion and self-effacing humor.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed out loud on occasion, and felt transported to another life. When I was finished listening, I picked up a physical book for the first time in 2 years, and devoted time to sit quietly and flip real pages. It made me feel that same wonder that I did when I was a little girl, reading to explore new worlds.

Any additional comments?

I've both read and listened to a few Steven King stories, and have never felt a strong connection until I listened to this book. He's a very inspiring, humble speaker, and I hope he writes more autobiographical material in the future, or narrates some of his other novels. I will definitely be reading more of his work in the future.

Learn how to write & a good story too?! Bravo!

Well written& engaging. Particularly liked the audiobook. Stephen King: Now growing in my Audible library.

Not "Save the Cat"

All the stuff you need to know about writing are compressed in the final chapters, but it's not the type of manual that will enable you to retread the usual pablum that the industry craves. The takeaway seems to be to read a lot and write every day.

Best Investment 2017

This book is amazing! I've spent countless hours on YouTube learning methods for writing. this book simplifies and sums up all my research in 8 chapter. God Bless Stephen King! To actually learn from winners is key. On writing is perfect for new writer who have no idea where to start.

Brilliant, generous, delightful

Stephen King generously (those darn adverbs!) shares his process and his history and the essential elements of the writer's toolbox. A great gift to all of us who write and all of us who read (and as King says, if we want to write well we'd better read a lot, too). Love this book, especially its beautiful acknowledgment of the sheer magic that is storytelling. King is also a perfect narrator of his own story.

Enjoy hearing Mr. King

I am a fan of Stephen King, so I enjoy hearing his voice for this work. I'm not a great student of writing books, but I do write. As writing books go, I like the earlier portions relating to life and experience but as it gets more or less technical, I don't know that I could rate it beyond average. But then, I've not read any I loved yet.

Good listen, loved getting some of the backstory.

As a casual fan of king, I enjoyed hearing the backstory of some of his art. He gave some helpful hints for writing from a realistic perspective.

Excellent

this is a perfect book for the beginners writer. is like having Prof. King right next to you encouraging you to write.

one of my faves!

great great insights! I love the reading as well. if you're a SK fan, get this immediately!

Not actually a fan

Any additional comments?

This book starts out interesting but not that relevant to writing. Be patient.

So many writing books are written by someone you've never heard of whose written a few books. Many of them are wishy washy about how variable good writing can be, and they're factually correct. But Stephen King goes straight to what he thinks is important and makes his points efficiently.

I'm not a particular fan of his fiction just because I don't care for his genre. But no matter what you think of him, he is a master of the craft. He knows how to grab the reader and persuade them to keep reading. No matter what you want to write, that's a useful skill.

He makes me want to read one of his books.