On Writing – A memoir of the craft

Are you an aspiring writer? Have you written draft after draft of what seemed to be an original story but have never been satisfied with the result? Do you believe that writing is a craft that can be honed with hard work and skilful application of specific ideas? Would you like the opportunity to pick the brain of one of the greatest writers of his genre? Then this book is for you!

Stephen King’s On writing-A Memoir of the Craft offers a rare insight into a person who is a master of his profession. Many of us know Stephen King as the ‘King (pun intended) of horror’. His spine-chilling tales have kept us awake many a night, but that has never kept us from eagerly awaiting his next book. 

In this book, Stephen King gives us his back story, i.e. his childhood, his first forays into writing, his countless failures and the turbulent path that led to his first published novel (‘Carrie’ in 1973). He also gives us an unvarnished look into his subsequent writing career, his addiction to alcohol and drugs and the unstinting support from his family, which helped him recoup from his downward spiral. 

He then moves on to the essential elements of writing, the need for focus, the importance of the story (and the backstory), the grammar (his aversion for adverbs!), the need of revisions (get rid of useless information), finding the Ideal Reader (the one person for whom you are writing the book; for him it was his wife Tabitha King) and finally the nitty-gritty of the business such as finding the right agent.

He offers clear, concise and practical ideas which can help refine one’s writing such as ‘Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open’ and ‘2nd draft = 1st draft – 10%’. Finally, he urges all potential writers to never write for the money, but for the joy of writing! 

The book is written in an easy style where we almost feel that the author is conversing with us. His courageous return to writing after his near-fatal accident in 1999 is also detailed in this book, showing us that a person who has found his true calling will be able to rise above any adversity. 

Neatly structured and written in a friendly manner, this inspiring book a must-have for everyone who loves reading or wants to become a writer someday!