Book

On Writing provides insight into how a writer is formed and how one persists over time. Stephen King's ideas on craft and technique are astute and down-to-earth.

Though Stephen King's prose doesn't invite the kind of gushing that, say, Proust's does, he is certainly one of the most popular and most prolific writers of our time, and for that alone, this book warrants attention. The first section of the book, true to the subtitle, delivers a memoir of one writer's life, from the childhood experiences that shaped him as a writer to the experiences that hindered him in adulthood, in particular his struggle with alcoholism.

Though King credits his profligacy to good health and a stable relationship, I imagine that his down-to-earth approach to writing also helps. This healthy attitude toward craft comes through in the second section of the book, which includes advice on everything from grammar to choosing an agent. My favorite bit of advice, and the most surprising, considering his prodigious output, was, "Put your desk in the corner, and everytime you sit down to write, remind yourself why it isn't in the middle of the room. Life isn't a support system for art. It's the other way around." The toolbox metaphor that pervades this section further speaks to his humble approach to his calling.

It's obvious from reading On Writing that King loves to write and feels lucky to have done it for a living all of these years. This joyful approach to writing, and his real insights into craft, more than make up for a somewhat clunky writing style.