A review by hopeloveslit
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

5.0

On Writing is entertaining, inspiring, informative, and relatable—a must-read if you're a writer. Many parts will resonate with you. As an ever-evolving writer, I have read a few books on the writing craft, but none flowed like this one. King is a master storyteller, and I was thrilled to see it shine through a memoir of this kind. This book's absolute highlight was getting a deeper look into how King creates his stories and where the ideas come from. He has intriguing thoughts on stories and how he believes they should be formed. (I should say how they develop themselves.)

King's advice for writers is priceless. He gives valuable advice on the craft in the "On Writing" section. From constructing your "toolbox," effective use of dialogue, loads of insight on description, to editing and drafts. There are pages with stories and duplicates where you can see the edits. I loved that. It felt so hands-on. I enjoyed the first section as well. Learning about King and the experiences that shaped his work was great. He talks about moments in his childhood, his mother, his battle with addiction, and his hunger for reading and writing fiction.