In this master class on the craft of writing, Stephen King reveals the origins of his vocation and shares essential habits and rules that every writer can apply. A truly unique volume, it begins with a series of telling memories from youth and the struggling years leading up to publication of King’s first novel. Offering readers a fresh and often funny perspective on the formation of a writer’s character, King lays out the tools of writer’s craft and takes the reader through aspects of the writer’s art and life, offering practical and inspiring advice on everything from plot and character to work habits and rejection. Brilliantly structured and chock-full of master’s experience and advice, On Writing will enable the work of writers around the globe. (from bn.com)

How I could kick my own butt for taking so long to read this.  What a wonderful book on the craft and, really, there wasn’t all that much to it.  Not really.  Not compared to the multitude of other books on writing.

King takes a different approach to “dictating” how one might be able to write and, I have to say, it gave me a different outlook on this very blog and is one of the reasons I decided to incorporate more of myself and fewer “lessons” on writing.  Because, really, there are no hard and fast rules (something I already knew) but what use does it do to teach others what really only works for you?  Most of it, at least.

What I got from the book is that the events surrounding his writing, the places he worked, the people he met, the ears he got lanced, helped to mold his writing better than anything else.  When he talked about his work experiences, I was able to immediately pinpoint certain stories of his to those experiences.  Not to mention I was laughing my ass off at certain points.  The man has a talent for dry wit that I just love, even when talking about getting hit by that van.

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