As someone who fancies himself a bit of a writer, I decided to read this book to close out the year that I became a Stephen King fan (2024).
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Author: Stephen King
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Published: January 1, 2000
Publisher: Scribner
View on Goodreads
Date Completed: December 31, 2024
My rating: 
Thoughts
I really enjoy autobiographies of people I admire (and probably even people I don’t) as they generally give a fascinating insight into the author. I think I enjoy memoirs even more so since they’re still autobiographical, but generally focused on a specific topic.
In this book, King has a section devoted to narrative snapshots of his life in order to give the reader some background as to who he is. That’s, like, a third of the book right there. Another third are technical notes on writing and several postscripts which include his reading lists over the decades. The remaining third or so is main crux of the book, which is what everyone picks this up for. And that is his thoughts on the craft of writing. He includes a lot of tips and a couple writing exercises, but he also makes it very clear, throughout the book, that his way isn’t the only way – it’s just the way that’s worked for him.
King is remarkably humble about his success. You can tell that he recognizes how successful he is but also that it isn’t about the money or the fame for him. Given his great ability to write, his humility doesn’t feel false either. He truly loves writing; and it shows.
I can’t give this book any less than 5 out of 5 stars. It’s a fantastic read for anyone interested in writing, is a fan of Stephen King, or just likes a good memoir.
