Rating: 
Summary: Detailed, Surprising & Inspiring
Review: I enjoyed all of this book. I listened to the audio version, and I felt like I got a private tutorial from Stephen himself! The book has lots of different parts, all worthwhile. The recommendations for writers are honest, useful & to the point. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Personal and Insightful
Review: This book is more biographical than instructional, which is fine. There is a plethora of books on the subject of writing available, so King's take on the subject is valuable in that it sheds light on the inner workings of the writer, and challenges aspiring writers to read, with comments such as "a writer reads--constantly." One myth he dispelled was the belief that he took his birthday and Christmas off. Not so, acording to the man himself. "A writer writes, all the time."Also, I found his description of being ran over and recovering from that revealing of his character. I'm no longer an avid fan of King's fiction, but found this book both personal and insightful, and worth the effort.
Rating:
Summary: A great 'how to write' book
Review: Now this book is great if you want to learn how to write, and name what person would not want to learn how to write when the book is written by Stephen King? Now I am a HUGE Stephen King fan, and I had to get this book. First Mr.King goes through his small autobiography about his life, and also about his writing.
Sure the book is short, but King makes a great statement that all other books out there that show you how to write are just stupid, of course those were not his exact words, but I'm close enough.
Anyway, he shows you how to build a story, and how to set up paragraph's throughout the book. This is also different because Mr. King is known throughout the world for writing horror, but he shows you that he is a good writer and he can just do about everything when it comes to writing. He loves writing, as he mentioned it in this book, and he could never picture doing something different with his life other than writing.
Anyway as the book moves along, he then tells you constant reader that 'there is no magic place where all the stories are there.' No, Mr. King then shows you that it starts off as a idea, when he was talking to his wife on what would happen if vampires came to someplace like New York or Maine? There you have Salem's Lot, what would happen if there was this crazed sheriff in a small desert town in Nevada killing passerby's? Desperation, and the list goes on.
So if you are a person who wants to know how to write, then pick up this book, and do a lot of reading because reading does give you a look at how stories are built.
Rating:
Summary: Very Personal Book... Inspiring and Insightful
Review: Do not expect this book to be a technical manual on writing fiction. It will not give you rigid rules for writing. However, if you go into it with that understanding you will surely be pleased with "On Writing" by Stephen King. King said it himself that he wanted to write a book about writing, but he wanted it to be conversational. He wanted it to feel like you're listening to him answer questions at a conference. He opens with an oddly-charming and inspirational auto-biography. If you are even marginally interested in the man's writing you will enjoy this section. He talks about himself as a young man and his single mother and genius brother moving around the country and making ends meet. He discloses the relationship he built with his wife Tabitha whilst a hippie writer in college. He describes the feelings of losing his mother, rearing his own children, and the elation of his first major success in fiction writing. The second section is "On Writing." King speaks generally about the craft of fiction writing. He describes his work day routine and contrasts it with some others (most interesting to me was Vonnegut, I think, who never edited because he would put the words on the page exactly how he wanted them, typesetting and all). King's key is to read a lot and write a lot. Beyond that, I read between the lines to see a man who is fascinated by humanity. He talks to people, experiences life, and he uses that in his writing. He may not have come out and said it that explicitly, but it is apparent and really sort of inspiring. King's remarks on language, dialogue, and editing were very enlightening and thought-provoking for me. I will certainly remember what he said as I read fiction in the future. He has given me some new ways to analyze what I read. Finally King concludes with the tale of the van that hit him as he walked along the highway. He describes the injuries and the rehabilitation. I was underwhelmed by this final section, but perhaps that is because we already know so much about what happened. In summary, "On Writing" is:
a) a unique and memorable book you can breeze through in an afternoon,
b) an absolute must for King fans,
c) recommended to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST!
Review: I don't even like Stephen King, or didn't, until I read this book... and it is the BEST! I have every book imaginable on writing and most are by people I've never heard of and probably never will be anymore than one-book authors... but Stephen King writes from a masterful life of writing bestsellers... and just looking at his life and commitment in the midst of all the obstacles inspired me more than I can say! A great big thank you to you, Stephen! He is thoroughly humble... as I said, I didn't even like him, could never imagine liking him... until I read this book... and, to triple repeat myself... it is THE BEST! If you want to be a writer... this IS the book to have... not a book to check out of the library... one to own and underline and re-read and cherish... an utter inspiration. When I read his chapter on mental telepathy and writing... I had to put the book down for a day just to let that sink in... he says that we aren't even in the same place, not even the same year, and yet he can communicate something clearly... telepathically send you a picture with writing... and he is right... powerful stuff, this writing business! Buy it!
Rating: 
Summary: It's all in the story
Review: Manuscripts at the large Manhattan houses are constantly pushed aside for lack of story. The literary art stars of modern times often turn beautiful prose that lacks depth and course. Some of these find their way to the shelves and die a quick death. On Writing maps the writing life and genesis of a true storyteller. Those familiar with King's prose understand that he embeds satire in all of his works. (He also speaks this way in person too.) This book is no exception. Take what he says with a grain of salt, but follow his advice to pursue your story one character step at a time. For the guts of storytelling, try Block's classic From Plot to Print and the up and rising Klim's Write to Publish.
Rating:
Summary: There is no magic formula
Review: If you're thinking of buying this book to try to figure out the magic formula for how to become a writer like Stephen King then, sorry, you are out of luck. For one thing, there is no magic formula, so stop looking. One reviewer complains that King doesn't reveal exactly how he comes up with his stories and how he goes about writing them. that reviewer either didn't read the book, didn't read the book well, or is completely dense. King talks about those things exactly! He doesn't detail it for every book and story he's ever written, but all the answers are right there. If you want to be a writer, then you're going to have to realize that there is no pat, easy answer to "Where DO you get your ideas?" except maybe "From my head, you dolt." I think only people who are meant to be writers will fully understand what king has in that last section, On Writing. But perhaps the rest of you will enjoy the autobioggraphical parts. I certainly did.
Rating: 
Summary: A guide to writing and a personal horror tale
Review: You have to commend Stephen King for getting right to the point. As one of the best-selling (and most-read) writers in history, everyone wants to know: How do you DO it, Steve? How do you write so many books that so many people love? Unfortunately, the advice he offers is the kind you can get just about anywhere. He doesn't tap into the special way HE writes. Instead, he tells you to "show don't tell," keep it simple and clear, and don't over-write. I'd much rather find out how he comes up with ideas, how the strings his plots together, and what goes on in his head as he's working out the events of the story. (Why does this character die and not that one? How do you reveal a good villain to maintain suspense?) He touches on these topics, but he doesn't get into them in depth. The final section of the book stands apart from the rest. All of a sudden, he's writing about being hit by a car while walking down the road. He writes about drug abuse and trying to get back on his feet, physically and emotionally. This section is very good. King dives into autobiography with both feet, using his considerable skill at pacing and description to keep you on the edge of your seat about deeply personal matters. If you want to try writing novels and short stories, this book will help you get it right. If you're a King fan, you'll get this book done in a day. For the rest of you, just flip to the final section and you'll be pleased.
Rating:
Summary: User Friendly Nitty-Gritty
Review: We all want to write like King, don't we? Statistics show that 1/550 of every person in the USA either writes or wants to write for a living. That's a huge amount of fledgling writers out there, and this book shows exactly how one of them came to be. The book, written with King's lighthearted collaquialism, charts his development into a world-famous author. He, like many others, started most modestly, in a tiny 4-room apartment with much love but little food. For those looking for a deep, serious FAQ on writing, look somewhere else. But this semi-autobiography will delight King fans and envigorate aspiring authors. The points King emphasises are extremely simple, stamping down the general rule on action verbs and terrible adverbs. King even slams television as a hazardous-plague for writing. It is basically an unpretentious collage of a famous writer's thoughts and opinions. The book itself reads like a novel, light and sweet on the palate. Anyone who wants to pass a dreary sunday, or wants to gain literary knowledge, can look to this book. Lavaix
Rating:
Summary: Ideas behind the words
Review: "The story is the most important part of the story" could accurately sum up Stephen Kings book on writing. The first half of the book is autobiographical. Stephen takes us through his childhood, discussing key events in his development as a person and a writer. This sets the context for the experiences he later writes about. The second half is the "On Writing" part, where he gives advice to aspiring fiction writers. He covers technical aspects (be concise) as well as tips on the creative process (don't sweat the plot, create situations and be true to what the characters would do in them). He describes the process of writing as "finding a fossil" - the fossil of the story is out there, use the most subtle tools out there to share the fossil. At the end, Steve covers his current status and recovery from a near death experience at the hands of an errant van driver. Perhaps this is the most touching part of the story. This book does capture some very useful nuggets of information, and will be especially useful to avid king readers. In that sense, it isn't just a trade book for writers. Enjoy!
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