Rating: 
Summary: Of books on writing, this one is first rate.
Review: I am not a writer and I don't have aspirations to be one. I read books on writing to enhance my enjoyment of reading. I've read "Bird By Bird" and all of Lawrence Block's books on writing. Mr. King's "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft" is one that any lover of fiction can enjoy. I read it as an "airplane book" last weekend and found myself smiling and chuckling out loud at many passages. Mr. King's book will doubtless be assigned as a text in writing classes (or, maybe not, considering his opinion of such classes).Also, you needn't be a well read fan of Stephen King to appreciate this book. He makes references to examples of good and bad writing outside his own works. His use of humor to emphasize his points is appropriate and well placed. I had a writing instructor in college who told me that doing my own fictional writing would ruin the reading experience for me. Since I love to read, I was grateful to "hear" Mr. King say, "If you don't have the time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write." This book enables the reader to read with greater knowledge of the craft and the writer to continue enjoy reading, and both will gain more from the experience.
Rating: 
Summary: A must for King readers and writing hopefuls alike...
Review: Wow. It's probably not, in retrospect, too difficult to make the idea of a rabid St. Bernard or a possessed car seem at least mildly interesting, but you know the writer's talented when even a segment about the perils of adverbs is funny, exciting and can't-put-it-down material. Hopefully this book will bring to King some of the respect he's long deserved. While I haven't loved all of his books equally, I've always felt that King was underrated as a writer, so I really loved this book not only for its honesty and optimism, but also because it is (again) a sterling example of why this guy sells a zillion books a year. As usual, King's deceptively easy and conversational tone (even in a book about writing) makes the story a hard one to put down. King offers something for everyone in "On Writing." Whether you're a fan of his books and simply want to hear more about the mind behind the art, or are an aspiring writer looking to pick up a few tips, this book's worth the purchase price. King not only gives fascinating glimpses of his own past (and I thought my babysitters were bad), but also offers professional, hard-nosed advice on the art of writing, and how to succeed if you're really willing to buckle down and get to the tough stuff. And even when discussing the dangers of adverbs or the harsh realities of the profession, King is gently supportive of his readers' ambitions, and reminds us that the writing really is supposed to be part of the reward. The book ends with a segment that's worth the purchase price alone -- a fascinating and sometimes horrifying account of King's own brush with death last year. The fact that he makes even this material amusing says a lot about King in general (it suddenly occurs to King, lying mangled by the roadside as he chats with the genial, slow-talking guy who hit him, that he's been hit "by a character from one of my own books"). Fascinating no matter what your reasons for buying, and well worth a read.
Rating:
Summary: At last - how to write a novel by someone who KNOWS....
Review: And given his last few books, I think that's a safe statement. This is only King's second non-fiction work (his first, "Danse Macabre", was out of print last time I looked), but he's definitely got a good track record for the genre. He starts off with a brief autobiography, and we learn first-hand what makes the Master tick (i.e., how he got started and why he writes what he writes). I'm a fan, but I had no idea that King was a recovering substance abuser (sorry for the spoiler, folks) until I read this book - or that his mother was (not by choice) a single parent. King doesn't spare us or himself - he delivers the full story of his life until now, warts and all. Then he launches into what he believes makes a good writer (at least, what worked for him). Most of this is, of course, just common sense - at least, it does now that I've read it. But it's King's style of writing that's the hook here. He doesn't use big words, and his explanations are easily understandable by the average person on the street. I do have some disagreements with King, though. For one thing, he apparently praises John Grisham, one of the worst writers ever to make the best-seller lists. He says, "critics who dismissed THE FIRM and Grisham's later books as poorly written and who profess themselves to be mystified by his success are either missing the point because it's so big and obvious or because they are being deliberately obtuse." He then says that Grisham wrote about something he knows, and that makes the book "brave and uniquely satisfying." Sorry, Stephen - but that's EXACTLY the point - the fact that Grisham is writing about something he knows doesn't detract from the fact that his style is something out of a "Dick and Jane" book, and that he probably took lessons on other facets of the craft from Danielle Steele or Jackie Collins. But that's only my opinion. It doesn't detract from the fact that in general, King has written an excellent primer on writing. One other thing. The last section of the book deals with King's auto accident in 1999. Again, he doesn't omit any of the details of this portion of his life. He will have to update it for the paperback version, since Bryan Smith died a month or so ago.
Rating:
Summary: A Rare Glimpse Into the Life and Mind of a Master
Review: This is a book that every writer (or aspiring writer) should read. In his straightforward and no-nonsense way, King strips away the bull and drives home the point that there is no magic key to unlock the door, no secret known only to the initiated that will make a writer successful. His stories of his own struggle are at times hilarious, at times poignant. I alternately laughed and cried my way through this book because, as a struggling writer, I saw myself on every page. Bravo to Steve King for his honesty and courage in writing this wonderful book!
Rating:
Summary: Read And Write!
Review: This is a great biography. Stephen King's life is facinating and inspiring. From his early recolations of pain through his persistence at writing and his recovery, it makes for great reading. It also makes a great introduction to the real meat of the book. It's as if your favorite English teacher wrote the best horror stories. But wait, he does! Not only that, he just encorages you to rumage through his desk. Borrow the vocabulary and scramble up the words to make your own sentences. Brush up on your grammar and discard those uneeded adverbs. Pick up the pens and write with them.
Rating:
Summary: Honest, Funny, and Slightly Scizophrenic
Review: You probably need to be two things to get the most out of this book--a writer and a Stephen King fan. ON WRITING is aptly sub-titled "A Memoir of the Craft," and it's just that--part autobiography, part how-to manual for aspiring writers. The first part of King's book is the most readable. He discusses how he came to the craft, and the background that formed him as the world famous writer he is today. By turns hilarious and emotionally moving, ON WRITING is a rollercoaster of a book--but like any rollercoaster, it's a fun ride. The part of this book that deals mostly with writing techniques is the most disappointing. We expect to learn something new and amazing, but King doesn't provide any trade secrets and, despite his opening statement declaring his wish to pen something that wouldn't be just another "how to write" book, ON WRITING takes a turn for the worse and becomes just that. What redeems this section is King's style. You'll get the feeling you're sitting across from him, collecting writing tips while he turns on his Yankee charm. The real flaw with ON WRITING is that this book doesn't know what it wants to be when it grows up. Is it a memoir? Is it a how-to book? Is it a rant? Whatever it is, it's a good read--one any writer will enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Best book on writing I've read, and I've read a lot of them
Review: There are a great many books out there telling you what you need to know to be a successful writer. Some of them contain nuggets of truth, while some are no more than pretentious garbage. I'm very happy to say that Mr. King's book contains many, many nuggets of truth. In fact, it's one of the few books on writing that I've read that is also entertaining. The book works on two levels. The first level is the pure entertainment aspect. Mr. King gives us snapshots of his early life which he says is "my attempt to show how one writer was formed." Many of these snapshots are amusing and all of are just plain interesting to read. If the book never went beyond this point it would be a winner. However, the second level is advice on writing. For aspiring writers it is a God-send. He likens his advice to the toolbox carted around by his carpenter grandfather and then his Uncle Orem. He shows what a writer needs to put into this toolbox and how to use it. He then goes on to describe how he works and writes even including a part of a story in rough draft form and then in second-draft with the edits marked. However, this is not a pedantic, dry work. Mr. King uses humor throughout. The overall message is that writing is fun, or should be. All in all this is a good read with much helpful information. Whether you want to write, or just want to see how one of the world's most popular novelists goes about it, I recommend this book without reservation.
Rating:
Summary: Thank you, Stephen King, for writing this.
Review: I didn't know very much about Stephen King before, but after reading On Writing, I feel as though he could be a neighbor, a coworker, or someone I run into every week. Mr. King takes us into his world and shows us what guides his writing and how he makes it happen. He is funny, informative, and fascinating. Thank you again, Stephen, and keep up the good work.
Rating:
Summary: A Craftsman's Skill Exposed, by fermed
Review: First a disclaimer: I have never read any of Stephen King's fiction, and never seen a movie based on his writing, either. And so I was quite neutral to his merits as a writer when I picked up this book. Having read it I shall probably start on his fiction soon. I am partial to people who have outstanding skills and who are willing to tell how they go about doing whatever it is that they do, and what meaning their skills have to them. I doesn't much matter what the activity is about (playing the yo-yo, or lifting a very heavy weight, or making music); to be told about the training, the devotion to the task, the sacrifices involved, the joys, the pain, and the acquisition of the special skills involved is to listen to the essence of what a human being is all about; and I love to hear about such essence. When the outstanding skill concerns something that we all know how to do but which has been taken to levels beyond comprehension, hearing about it can be breath-taking. We all know how to whistle, more or less. But to listen to a concert whistler (called a "siffleur") puts that act in a different realm; and it is a joy to hear the story and the problems of a siffleur. That brings us to writers who write about writing, which is what Mr. King does in this book, and which, like whistling, concerns something we all know how to do, more or less. I would best describe the experience of reading this book as spending a wonderful evening listening to a man who knows a lot about things we know only a little: writing sentences; building paragraphs; weaving a story; expressing ourselves; describing the truth; communicating. He occupies our space as a likable, funny, obviously thoughtful, and talented person. A very intelligent one, too. In a simple and personable way he tells us what he does, what his writing quirks are, and about his life and the things he has encountered while living it. The book is a total joy because his voice and attitude are so plain, informative and entertaining. Will this book help people become better writers? Probably so, even though it is not a "how to" book. Reading it is a fine experience; and just as spending time with a great juggler, or a scientist, or a musician can be awe inspiring, an evening with Stephen King is an enrichment not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: Uncovering the Fossil
Review: For the legions of Stephen King fans out there (which is to say a lot), the first third of the book containing his short memoir is truly a gift. One can't help wanting to read about his/her favorite writer after being transported to fantastic worlds countless times in Mr. King's prolific career. Some fans would have paid... gladly for the first 101 pages of the memoir ("C.V." he calls it), which includes heartfelt tidbits about his brother, mother and his long battles with alcohol and drug addiction. The second part, "On Writing," is where the aspiring novelists will find inspiration. Assuming you're a serious writer (or wanting to be a published one), you'd no doubt would have read the countless manuals on the mechanics of writing. With Mr. King, you do get short lessons in the mechanics of prose here and there. What he mostly offers to the aspiring writer is the inspiration, the cheerleading, and as some have already suggested, after reading it makes you want to sit and write something. He actually allows you into his writing routine, when and where he writes, how many months it takes to write the first draft, and even how he goes about editing the second draft. Some very original thoughts I found quite interesting: 1. Story is a fossil you find on the ground, and you gradually dig it out slowly. 2. He doesn't plot his stories. He puts "a group of characters in some sort of predicament and then watch them try to work themselves free." In fact he even goes as far as to say, "plot is shift, and best kept under house arrest." 3. Write first draft with the "door" closed, and the second draft with it open. There are truly gems here for writers, simple, direct, to the point. As always, he doesn't talk down to you. There is even advice on finding agents. The final section elaborates his near-death experience in summer of 1999, when he was hit by a van driven by Bryan Smith. The book is actually a sandwich: two slices of autobigraphy with the writing advice as the meat of the book. Though the thin volume was not your edge-of-the-seat thriller or horror, I found myself reading the darn thing in one seating. A pretty good deal for a non-fiction book. This may sound funny, too, but I felt like the book became a good friend of mine. In a word, this is book is intimate. As a fan, and perhaps a writer, that might be worth something.
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