Book: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Author: Stephen King

Year: 2000

Having a love/hate relationship with the works of Stephen King, I was hesitant to read his book about his writing process. This book was gifted to me several years ago, and I remember starting it but not finishing. In full disclosure, I still haven’t finished it, but it is full of good advice.

I am currently reading a lot of books on the craft of writing, as I want to discover what it is I want to write. Stephen King speaks about writing as he does in his novels, in clear, no nonsense language. What he says is straightforward and I think immediately applicable. He debunks the old tome, “Write what you know,” preferring that instead you write what feels true. This makes sense coming from a man who creates worlds in the minds of people that think vastly different than the average person.

He talks about how the world unfolds for him and he isn’t sure where his characters will wind up. This is not the only way to think about creating a fictional world, but it is his way. For example, John Irving, another of my favorite writers, has a pretty clear outline of his story structure before he begins, even beginning with the end. For me, I am more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda gal, so I like that Stephen King shared his somewhat unorthodoxed process. There is a lot to take away from his book on writing, as well as understanding the crazy world that is Stephen King.