Rating: 
Summary: Not Crazy After All!
Review: Stephen King is the master of writing. This book is exceptional, clearly written and engaging. His personal ancedotes are hilarious; his direction invaluable. His words are delicious. All I could think while reading was "hey, this guy isn't crazy after all"!
Rating: 
Summary: Conversations with the King
Review: The numerous reviews published by other readers were all accurate and informative analysis and revealed the literary talent that Stephen King demonstrates with each book he writes. The most enjoyable aspect I found in King's book "On Writing: . . ." was the way he often uses his ability to bring the reader into the story, but instead of being a sideline observer of the action, the reader now seems to be in a one-on-one conversation with King. An intimate and candid interview that makes the reader feel like he's sitting in the living room first listening to King discuss his life and then explaining techniques on writing.The experience was a better method of meeting King 'in person' than any two minute pass-by during a book signing event. It was clear how King brings many of his life experiences into his writing and with the number of times and to the extent he spoke about his recent accident, it wont be surprising to find allusions to vehicle/pedestrian accidents in future novels (which I am now discovering in his latest release of "The Dreamcatcher".) In short, "On Writing: . . ." was another great investment for my King collection.
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Summary: This IS where he gets his ideas!
Review: Another reviewer has commented that this book disappointed her. She read this book wanting to know where King "gets his ideas," and came away shaking her head that she hadn't been instantly transformed into a bestselling novelist. Well, duh. In "On Writing," King tells us all that stuff about his life not just because it's fascinating (just as interesting as any of his novels, on a small, human scale), but to drive home the message of the second half of the book. That section grows from the first into a treatise on becoming a brilliant novelist through sheer dedication and hard work, something that reviewer probably knows very little about if she's still looking for easy answers. King has no magic formula to offer readers hoping to become the next...well... Stephen King. But he's clearly dedicated to teaching by example, and his is a noble example indeed. The sections on his returning to work after his near-fatal injury were both grisly in their detail and inspiring in their message of hope and strength. King "gets his ideas" using the simple "What if?" formula that any decent writer turns to, whether their fiction is realistic, surrealistic, or anywhere in between. It's what he does with the ideas once he's found them that sets him apart from the crowd. This book is a fascinating peek behind the scenes for anyone who writes, or even anyone who reads. The words on the pages don't just fall from heaven... King's memoir proves that, more likely, they've been dripped straight from the veins of hard-working blue collar authors who really care about their craft.
Rating: 
Summary: A bit extreme--but interesting
Review: It is said to be good at something you study masters, a golfer would probably look to Tiger Woods. I guess for a writer Stephen King is a good person to study. The book begins with a brief autobiography, ending at approximately his kicking his drinking and drug habits. Interesting as background but little of it explains how it helped his writing. The second half is King's approach to writing; which seems a bit extreme(4-6 hours of writing/reading a day!), but his ideas on dialog, adverbs(avoid at all costs!), descriptions, plot and revising are on the mark. As an aspiring writer, I suggest you take Kings advice as suggestions as opposed to a plan.
Rating:
Summary: A Book for Readers and Writers Alike
Review: I'll admit it: I'm not Stephen King's greatest fan. On Writing is only the second book I've read by him (the first being Rose Madder, many years ago), and I only picked it up because I was interested in what he had to say about the writing process. However, in regard to King's fiction writing skill, I never thought he was a bad author; in fact, among all the authors who show up on those tacky "Bestsellers Shelves" at grocery and convenience store racks, he is the one I would consider to be the most consistentely literate and skilled in his writing style. The horror genre is just one that happens to capture readers' attention and therefore sell more; therefore, I never really held his popular success against him as some snotty (in my opinion) literary critics do. Whatever we learn from any writer, however, is most likely subjective and its value can be questioned. What do we want to learn from Stephen King? How to write just like him? Hopefully not, and he does not try to teach this. How to write horror stories? Maybe, but this is not all of what he teaches, or even most of it. When it comes down to it, I picked the book up because I was interested in reading about King's life, as with any author's life; what makes a person a writer? What early experiences led them to want to write or know they were going to write? - writers and readers ask questions such as these about all writers. King did a great job, in my opinion, of sharing these thing with us. The first half in On Writing is an autobiography of sorts, but is more of what King subtitles his book, "A Memory on the Craft" than any kind of general life autobiography. Any aspiring (not to mention starving!) writer can sympathesize with King's early attempts of getting his short stories published in small magazines, and can empathesize with his living situations before he started making money from his writing. I found this half to be the most interesting of the book as it was a glimpse into a famous author's life. The second half is advice on writing. I liked much of it, and there are a few things that stick with me strongly a week or so after I put the book down for the last time. King's chastisement on those who use the passive voice, for instance, and his pet peeve- those who use adverbs too much in their dialogue in order to express the character's feelings ("What do you mean?" asked Jill pensively. "Not what you think!" yelled Joe excitedly - is one piece of such dialogue King would hate) are the two that come most readily to mind. As for his other advice... well, all writers are different, and I would admittedly probably take advice from a master like Faulkner much more readily and with less skepticism than I do that from King. The most annoying thing for me while reading On Writing was King's tendency to criticize other writers and books - even well-written and renowned books such as the Lord of the Flies! - in order to show a writer what not to do in her or his work. I feel this could have been expressed much more efficently - and ethically - with examples of King's own work, either published or unpublished, where he feels readers can learn from his mistakes. There is no need to put other authors down just to bulid oneself up. The best part of his writing advice for me was the nuts-and-bolts stuff: how to present a manuscript to a possible publisher, where to find markets, how to find the dedication to keep writing when one lacks the determination and inspiration, etc. Since King is obviously a successful writer - not only with his words but with his marketing skill - these are concrete pieces of advice to pass down to aspiring writers, unlike subjective comments about writing and authors. Overall I think that On Writing delivers what it promises, which is a memoir of an author's life for his readers, as well as writing advice for aspiring writers. For this reason I recommend the vast majority of this smooth-flowing book to both readers and writers. Just watch out for the occasional bumpy spots along the way. ...
Rating:
Summary: Where does he get his ideas?
Review: On Writing is well written, but I don't think it is helpful. I wanted to know where his ideas come from. The book is autobiographical and does offer revision strageties. First, he stated that he doesn't know where his ideas come from. They just pop up out of nowhere without any real basis. However, he discusses two girls he knew of growing up. They are who Carrie is based on, and he admits it. He discusses an overgrown lot that formed an idea. And there is an incident where a crazy fan found his way into King's house. However, he never gives credit to this incident for Misery. The book does offer autobiographical information. I feel like I know his brother. And I know that he really isn't a twisted individual. His life has been fairly boring. Maybe that's why some of his ideas are so off the wall. Gould, a newspaper editor said, "When you write a story, you're telling yourself the story...when you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story." In class, students had been arguing that they write stories without regards to the reader. Well, King agrees with this philosophy for first drafts. He calls it writing with the door closed. No one sees his first drafts and he doesn't read through them himself until it is finished. On Writing is a good book. Don't expect it to show you how to write. The talent and need must already be present. Otherwise, save your money and buy and actual textbook or enroll in a writing course. However, if you just like King and his work, check this book out. It's a nice, smooth, fast read.
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Summary: A great book for writers and other King fans
Review: When I first heard about Stephen King's new book - On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft - I was somewhat skeptical. I had tried to read Danse Macabre as a teenager and was never able to get through the book. I'm not sure why. It was just one of those books that never appealed to me. As the years have gone by and as I've studied writing, one of my favorite parts has become reading the King's author's note at the end of the book. The best have been the notes at the end of the three books in The Dark Tower series. After On Writing was published, I heard that a large part was autobiographical, and I knew that I had to have the book. On Writing is two books in one: an autobiography which covers 130+ pages followed by a writing toolbox courtesy of King. For lovers of those author notes by King, the first half of the book is pure bliss. Detailed information starting in King's childhood about why he started writing, his early failures, and his current success. True fans of King know that his life was never easy, and the first section of the book illustrates those trials. King received his share of rejection slips, most of which wound up on a spike on his bedroom wall, but his perseverance showed what can come if you believe in the craft. The second half of the book is King's toolbox: building characters, writing dialogue, avoiding passive tense, and revising your own work are all covered in detail. King writes in a manner that is easy to read and easy to put into practice. But, he also makes it clear that he doesn't believe everyone can become good writers. This book has a wide audience. Writers will enjoy the book from the perspective of someone that has been there, done that, and definitely owns the t-shirt. Fans of King who are not writers will also enjoy the book as it provides an intimate look at King from King. People who have been interested in reports about King since his accident in 1999 will also enjoy the postscript at the end of the book explaining how King has put himself back into the habit of writing since his accident.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring memoir and writing manual
Review: ...To write well you must read a lot. How many would be novelists/playwrights/screenwriters rarely read/go to the theater/go to the movies? Looking at the reading list in the back of King's book, it seems impossible that he writes as much as he does. There are better books covering the nuts and bolts...But not any of them are as moving as King's memoir.
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Summary: Writing advice that sticks with you
Review: It's been several weeks since I finished reading this book. Mr. Kings words keep resonating in my head. Advice like: Write the first draft for yourself. Revise for others; write every day, set a schedule. I haven't been a fan of Stephen Kings suspense/horror stories since I was a teenager. This book is suprisingly down-to-earth and gets to the point. It's as if he's sitting with me, motivating me. Most inspirational for we unpublished writer's is his story about "Carrie" getting sold into paperback. Very exciting stuff! One complaint - Throughout the book he makes subtle (and not so subtle) references to his accident - I counted five or six remarks before I stopped counting. Then he concludes with a chapter about the accident. I felt it would have been better if he refrained from mentioning the accident until the chapter at the end. Otherwise, good stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Whoa!
Review: This book will make a worthy addition to any aspiring writer or Stephen King fans bookshelf. The book is divided into roughly three sections. The first, is a compelling chronicle of his formative writing years, is both funny; the confiscation of his magazine "The Village Vomit" at school in particular, and inspiring; the news that even a writer like SK not immune to the idignities of the dreaded rejection slip, will bring solace to many a fledgling writer. The next section, is a nut's and bolts no-nonsense guide to the business of writing fiction. He tackles a variety of subjects including; grammer, style, plot, creating realistic dialogue and much more. His commentary is interspersed with a wide cross section of examples from literature for further clarity. The book finishes (well not quite, I won't spoil it for you) with a touching recollection of the horrific accident that near paralized him and his slow rehabilitation back to health. The piece is written with a remarkable lack of bitterness toward the perpetraitor of the accident and King deserves some kudos for candidly being able to delve into such a dark subject matter. Clear, concise and crammed full of practical advice, who could want for more?
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