Stephen King Memoir

Stephen King's memoir, On Writing, is an interesting and helpful book for wannabe and experienced authors both, because he explores both writing and the writing life. Film buffs might also read this book to garner the backstory on his films, many of which are now cult classics. Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. In the fall of 1971, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. It's perhaps with uncanny fortune that I stumbled upon a second-hand copy of Stephen King's memoir, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. While I haven't read his novels, I was excited to learn about his life's work, creative process and tips for writing. 'Long live the King' hailed Entertainment Weeklyupon publication of Stephen King's On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer's craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. 2020 (20th anniversary edition) On Writing: A Memoir of the Craftis a memoir by American author Stephen Kingthat describes his experiences as a writer and his advice for aspiring writers. Originally published in 2000 by Charles Scribner's Sons, On Writingis King's first book after he was involved in a car accident a year earlier.

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Book Summary: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

Stephen King, the master of suspense or the 'King of Horror,' is one of the most read and bestselling authors in the world. King's books have sold more than 350 million copies. He published six non-fiction books, including On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, 58 novels, and has written approximately 200 short stories.

King's most famous quote on writings is 'Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler's heart, kill your darlings.'

In his memoir, Stephen King describes his experiences as a writer and his life events that influenced his writing career. He gives his most excellent writing advice and insights for those who want to start writing. He also explains what tools every writer should use to take writing more seriously. In this book, King admits that most of the time, he was consistently drunk. He was a drunkard for well over a decade. Plus, he even admits that he was intoxicated while delivering the eulogy at his mother's funeral.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King will empower its readers. Here are some quick and straightforward great tips for any writer:

• write for yourself first;
• write every day;
• let go of your wish to please everybody;
• take risks;
• read as much as possible;
• prepare yourself to deal with failure and criticism;
• be yourself;
• show, don't tell;
• avoid adverbs and long paragraphs;
• don't use passive voice;
• don't use someone else's voice, and always polish your drafts with no mercy.

Stephen King, on writing rules:

• Don't use passive voice. Only timid writers like passive verbs because it seems safe. Instead of writing 'The meeting will be held at seven o'clock,' write this: 'The meeting's at seven.' It's a lot better. It's clean and straightforward.
• You should avoid adverbs, especially after ‘he said' and ‘she said,' – '… to write adverbs is human,' but 'to write ‘he said' or ‘she said' is divine.'
• The first draft should take three months. Even if your first draft is a long one, it should take no more than three months (the length of a season) to write it.
• There are two secrets to success, says Stephen King. He said that 1) he stays physically healthy, and 2)he stays married. So for Stephen King, having a family doesn't limit him from doing his job as a writer. Apparently, the combination of a healthy body and a stable relationship can make the continuity of the working life possible. Writing and the pleasure you take in it can contribute to your health and home life's stability. For King, this works.
• Stick only to your own style – When you try to imitate another writer's great work, your writing will be nothing but pale imitations. Please don't do it. Form your own style. 'One cannot imitate a writer's approach to a particular genre, no matter how simple what the writer is doing may seem.'
• You become a writer only by reading and writing a lot – 'You don't need writing classes or seminars any more than you need this or any other book on writing…'

King's most famous quote on writings is 'Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler's heart, kill your darlings.'

In his memoir, Stephen King describes his experiences as a writer and his life events that influenced his writing career. He gives his most excellent writing advice and insights for those who want to start writing. He also explains what tools every writer should use to take writing more seriously. In this book, King admits that most of the time, he was consistently drunk. He was a drunkard for well over a decade. Plus, he even admits that he was intoxicated while delivering the eulogy at his mother's funeral.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King will empower its readers. Here are some quick and straightforward great tips for any writer:

• write for yourself first;
• write every day;
• let go of your wish to please everybody;
• take risks;
• read as much as possible;
• prepare yourself to deal with failure and criticism;
• be yourself;
• show, don't tell;
• avoid adverbs and long paragraphs;
• don't use passive voice;
• don't use someone else's voice, and always polish your drafts with no mercy.

Stephen King, on writing rules:

• Don't use passive voice. Only timid writers like passive verbs because it seems safe. Instead of writing 'The meeting will be held at seven o'clock,' write this: 'The meeting's at seven.' It's a lot better. It's clean and straightforward.
• You should avoid adverbs, especially after ‘he said' and ‘she said,' – '… to write adverbs is human,' but 'to write ‘he said' or ‘she said' is divine.'
• The first draft should take three months. Even if your first draft is a long one, it should take no more than three months (the length of a season) to write it.
• There are two secrets to success, says Stephen King. He said that 1) he stays physically healthy, and 2)he stays married. So for Stephen King, having a family doesn't limit him from doing his job as a writer. Apparently, the combination of a healthy body and a stable relationship can make the continuity of the working life possible. Writing and the pleasure you take in it can contribute to your health and home life's stability. For King, this works.
• Stick only to your own style – When you try to imitate another writer's great work, your writing will be nothing but pale imitations. Please don't do it. Form your own style. 'One cannot imitate a writer's approach to a particular genre, no matter how simple what the writer is doing may seem.'
• You become a writer only by reading and writing a lot – 'You don't need writing classes or seminars any more than you need this or any other book on writing…'

King's book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, is divided into five different sections:

• C.V. – kind of a curriculum vitae.

Stephen King narrates his life and his development as a writer. At the question ‘What is writing?' King answers writing is 'Telepathy, of course.'

• In this section, King confesses that he likes to read or listen to audiobooks when driving.

He says that it is always best to have a book with you wherever you're going. Books keep us company.

So I read where I can, but I have a favorite place …—a place where the light is good and the vibe is usually strong. For me it's the blue chair in my study. … reading in bed can be heaven,

• Toolbox – how essential it is to take care of your vocabulary, grammar, and writing style.

You'll also want grammar on the top shelf of your toolbox…English, writing is fun but grammar sucks the big one.

Vocabulary is the bread of writing.

Don't dress up the vocabulary by looking for long words because you don't trust the short ones. Please keep it simple. King says that the two indispensable parts of writing are nouns and verbs. 'Without one of each, no group of words can be a sentence, since a sentence is, by definition, a group of words containing a subject (noun) and a predicate (verb); these strings of words begin with a capital letter, end with a period, and combine to make a complete thought which starts in the writer's head and then leaps to the reader's.'

• On Writing – King describes the importance of reading a lot and creating a suitable writing environment.

When you step into your new writing space, you should know your daily writing goal. King says that five hundred or a thousand words a day can be enough. If you choose to write a thousand words a day, you can take one day per week off. But mo more than a day off. With that goal set, stay closed until your goal is met. 'As with physical exercise, it would be best to set this goal low at first, to avoid discouragement.'

When you don't write, you should read.

Read a lot and write a lot (this is the Great Commandment). There's no shortcut. Good writing consists of mastering the fundamentals like vocabulary, grammar, and the elements of style. Constant reading offers you a constantly growing knowledge of what has been done and what hasn't. If you read a lot, you become a competent writer.

• On Living: A Postscript – it's about Stephen King's accident when he almost died.

In 1999, King was struck by a van while he was walking down Maine State Route 5. But this event didn't stop him. After only five weeks past that accident, he began to write again. It seems like nothing would stop him. King states that writing isn't about making money or getting famous; it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. Writing is a magic and creative art.

Stephen King's formula is Second draft = First draft — 10%. Gulp. Time to kill your darlings. From now on, every piece of writing must be edited according to all Stephen King's writing rules. I hope you'll find them useful and easy to put into practice.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King deserves 5 out of 5 stars. Like all King's books, this one is well written and edited. I would recommend it to any writer (beginner or advanced). Entertainment Weekly included this book on their 'The New Classics: Books – The 100 best reads from 1983 to 2008' list.

More about Stephen King:

Stephen King is one of the most famous writers in the world. He is considered a literary icon. It's a status he's achieved by defining a genre, writing brilliantly, and being prolific. Stephen King is an American author born on September 21, 1947. His genre includes horror, fantasy, supernatural fiction, science fiction, suspense, drama, dark fantasy, and thriller. Thus, many of King's novels have been adapted into comic books, miniseries, feature films, and also television series.

Here are a few of Stephen King's novels: Carrie; Salem's Lot; The Shining; The Stand; Different Seasons.' Stephen King has written and published nonfiction books such as 'Danse Macabre' (his first nonfiction work, April 20, 1981), 'Nightmares in the Sky,' 'Secret Windows,' and 'Faithful.'

Most importantly, King received for his work awards such as the Bram Stoker Awards, World Fantasy Awards; British Fantasy Society Awards; the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement (2004), and the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America (2007); also the National Medal of Arts (2015).

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Stephen King Novels

Stephen King Memoir On Writing

Stephen King Memoir On Writing Summary

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