On Writing

By: Stephen King

Narrated by: Stephen King

Publisher's summary

In June of 1999, Stephen King was hit by a van while walking along the shoulder of a country road in Maine. Six operations were required to save his life and mend his broken body. When he was finally able to sit up, he immediately started writing. This book is the extraordinary result.

©2000 Stephen King (P)2000 Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster Inc.

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Critic reviews

"This is the written equivalent of Delia Smith's How To Cook. And, like British home cooking, the world of popular fiction will be better off for it." (The Times)

"Not since Dickens has a writer had so many readers by the throat.... King's imagination is vast. He knows how to engage the deepest sympathies of his readers.... It is part biography, part collection of tips for the aspiring writer. In the final chapters, King tells, in graphic details, the story of his recent accident...a bizarre and absorbing story, told brilliantly by one of the great storytellers of our time." (Guardian)

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4 out of 5 stars

By Kristi on 10-09-15

Good read.

Great for aspiring writers. The performance is just Stephen King talking and he occasionally tries a character voice but that's all it needs. I would recommend it.

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4 out of 5 stars

By Rajesh on 01-17-22

Is this for you?

Is this book for you? It is about writing and we all write, don't we? Not really.

If you are a fiction writer in any form or format it is non brainer to choose this book. It will be worth two of your credits. If you are an aspiring fiction writer, it may work as a reality check on the profession you intend to pursue. It will definitely change the the way you look at authoring. So use your credit three times over without a second thought.

For non-fiction writers. I am not sure if this book would be of help other than gaining some insights and learning about "trials and tribulations" of writers in general and why not to use clichés like "trials and tribulations". You may also develop a strong dislike for adverbs after reading this book.

For someone who is not pursuing writing it may not be entertaining. It is is not one of Stephen Kings thrillers. It is also not a self development / improvement book. It definitely is not boring, but you will not be able to put most of the advice to use.

If you are into email marketing and creating web content, This book may just sadden you. It will make you look at each new request from your manager to create content with suspicion, contempt and dislike.

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5 out of 5 stars

By Matt on 02-02-14

Not a fan of his genre but this is wonderful

Horror and suspense have never been my thing. I only know Stephen King's work through books that have been turned into movies.

After reading this, I'm thinking perhaps I'll try one of his stories.

I bought this book because it seems to be universally recommended by writers I respect.

Glad I did as I loved it from start to finish.

The first part, where he tells his early life story is hilarious, intimate and interesting. You get to understand why he writes what he writes. I was also left thinking I'd love to have this guy as a friend.

He narrates beautifully. As such, I'm glad I got the Audible version first rather than the hard copy or Kindle.

I found what he has to say about his craft humble, helpful and inspiring. He's at pains to dispel some of the common "thou shallts" of writing fiction, such as plotting out in advance and creating character dossiers in advance.

I won't spoil it for you by summarising the rest. All I want to say is, if you write, whatever you write, you will find this useful and uplifting. You'll also be entertained.

I'll most likely buy a hard copy or Kindle version too as there's lots of useful stuff I'd like to refer back to.

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