On Writing

Until I listened to this book, I hadn't read any Stephen King books as I'm not a huge fan of the horror genre (more a sci-fi/historical fan). But this is utterly mesmerising.

Narrated by King himself, it begins with an account of how he became the writer he is. At the start I wondered what the point was in this, but it gives context and depth to the whole work and is, in itself, fascinating.

He then knuckles down to giving practical, workmanlike and controversial advice. Throughout, he acknowledges that this is just the way he does it - but it certainly produces results for him.

You then get some practical advice on finding and dealing with an agent and suchlike before, as an epilogue, he details, graphically, the accident that occurred half way through the writing of this book. Thank heavens he survived otherwise this masterwork might never have been published.

Entertaining, occasionally funny and profane (or funny because its occasionally profane) I have already listened to this twice and intend to do so again. I've also taken his advice and it's paying off.

The narration by King himself is great, once you get used to his slightly unusual tone. This guy knows about writing and it is a fascinating insight into how King writes. I listened to this in part, a large part to be honest, to get my own writing going again. In some respects this was pretty hard as some of kings advice i struggle to see how I could follow, however many of the tips I could see myself following. The main thing is the sheer love King has for writing is so obvious throughout, and that I found very inspiring.

A rare thing - a modern writer, a great to many, willing to stop and reflect on his success, share his thoughts AND read it himself for the audiobook version. On Writing is part autobiography, part discourse on creative writing read engagingly by the author throughout.



Don't be put of by the autobiographical element if all you are after is creative writing tips; likewise, don't be put off by the tips if your interest lies in King's life story. The two work well together.

This book does what it says on the tin. It's narrated by Stephen King himself which gives it a real edge as he combines his memories of growing up, early adulthood, with his advice on how to write and get published. It's clever and inspiring and I would recommend it to any aspiring writer or simply any fan of the great horror writer.

Stephen King has produced something very special with this book.

King describes his approach to his creative process with a degree of openness and honesty usually only found in those individuals who are truly comfortable with their output.

Not only does he invite those interested in writing to embark on their own journey by demystifying the process that many other writers tend to embellish with vague references to intangible internal monologues, he does so in a highly accessible way and even includes genuine descriptions of the techniques used by one of the worlds greatest writers of fiction. Highly recommended.

Paul Smith.

An inspiring glimpse into the mind of a true genius, an inspiring listen that makes even the unskilled in wordplay want to start typing something imaginative.

Nice work Mr King

I have read many books that set out to teach the art and craft of writing, but none are as clear, approachable and engaging as King's. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn how to create convincing characters and use them to tell a memorable story.

As always narration by the author is the most enjoyable thing about listening to autobiographies, and in this case it made it even more special to have an icon like Stephen King spend a few hours with me telling of his child hood and early influences, of his life changing writing experiences, giving hints and tips about writing good stories, and offering his first hand account of that horrific accident that nearly ended his life. You also get to know the man behind the books, how down to earth he really is, and his deep seated feelings on how important literature is in shaping lives (not just his own work).



It did not matter that I'm not a big fan of Stephen King, nor am I an inspiring writer looking for the secret to success, I have a lot of respect for what he has accomplished, and I absolutely loved this book! I can't imagine how a true fan and/or a wanna be writer might feel after getting this chance to spend time with him too.

It's always good to hear that our idols are, well normal. In Stephen King's on writing we learn about how he became the master. This audiobook is spilt into two parts, we learn about him and his craft.



Learning about Stevie is wonderful, I laughed at his crazy childhood and was moved at his trails and tribulations. It was such a success when he made his break in publishing, even though his first contract robbed him blind.



In the second part of the audiobook we hear his tips on why he is so good at what he does.



This is a good audiobook if you are either a writer or just want to hear about how much he loves his wife.