On Writing
First edition cover
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| Author | Stephen King |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Lisa Litwak |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Autobiography, writing |
| Published |
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| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 291 |
| ISBN | |
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is a memoir by American author Stephen King, that documents his experiences as a writer and relays his advice for aspiring writers. First published in 2000 by Charles Scribner's Sons, On Writing is King's first book after the car accident a year earlier. In 2010, Scribner republished the memoir as a 10th anniversary edition, which featured an updated reading list from King.
On Writing is organized into five sections: "C.V.", in which King highlights events in his life that influenced his writing career; "What Writing Is", in which King urges the reader to take writing seriously; "Toolbox", which discusses English mechanics; "On Writing", in which King details his advice to aspiring writers; and "On Living: A Postscript", in which King describes his van accident and how it affected his life.
In 2008, Entertainment Weekly included On Writing on their "The New Classics: Books – The 100 best reads from 1983 to 2008" list. Both Sharon Johnson in The Patriot-News and Julie Woo for the Associated Press, in separate reviews, praised King's advice as "solid". John Mark Eberhart, writing in the Sunday Free Lance-Star, called King's writing advice "pedestrian", but ultimately concluded that On Writing was "a slight but transitionally important work that should lead [King] to better things."
Stephen King began composing On Writing in 1997. After completing the "C.V." and "Toolbox" sections, King set aside the manuscript in February or March 1998, explaining in the final section of On Writing that he was uncertain on how or whether he should proceed with the book. In June 1999, King reread the uncompleted draft and became determined to finish it. However, on June 19, King was hit by a van while walking along Maine State Route 5. Following the incident, King struggled to return to writing, uncertain whether he would be able to publish another novel. In an interview with NBC, King stated, "After the accident, I was totally incapable of writing. At first it was as if I'd never done this in my life. ... It was like starting over again from square one." In January 2000, King wrote on his website that he had finished On Writing and was more optimistic about his career: "My endurance is much less than it was and my output has been cut in half, but I am working." The final section of the book is titled "On Living: A Postscript", and it reflects on the accident and details his return to writing, stating "things have continued to get better."On Writing was the first book King published following his accident.
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