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inkwellimps's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
I'm not normally interested in memoirs, but the curriculum vitae section of On Writing is a must read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction
calebph's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
4.25
Forgot to log because I’m bad at this app! Fine book! Learned some fun stuff about Stephen King’s writing process. Gotta find a coke dealer!
ryantlabee's review against another edition
5.0
I pull this book out anytime I need a pick me up. It's like a well-worn shirt. Fits just right. This is hands down my favorite King book. That's nonfiction or fiction.
tessalehman's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
kimberlyf's review against another edition
5.0
“One of the cardinal rules of good fiction is never tell us a thing if you can show us instead”
I have read some Stephen King work that I loved and some that I didn’t love but I DID love this.
The first part of this book is a collection of short personal stories of King’s life and I love that he chose to start the book this way. I had many laugh out loud moments within these stories: “During that same period I remember believing… that a bitch was an extremely tall woman. A son of a bitch was apt to be a basketball player”. I also very much enjoyed his stories of alcoholism because, of course, I love any personal reflection story from a good ole alcoholic.
The second part of the book is King’s advice, well… on writing. "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot". While some of it seems obvious, you could do worse than to spend some time reading advice from one of the most popular best selling authors of all time. Can I also say that I love the way he talks about writing for his wife.
*I haven’t read Misery myself but it is worth noting that there are definitely some spoilers for it in here so maybe read that first if you are wanting to. Spoilers for Carrie & The Stand too
I have read some Stephen King work that I loved and some that I didn’t love but I DID love this.
The first part of this book is a collection of short personal stories of King’s life and I love that he chose to start the book this way. I had many laugh out loud moments within these stories: “During that same period I remember believing… that a bitch was an extremely tall woman. A son of a bitch was apt to be a basketball player”. I also very much enjoyed his stories of alcoholism because, of course, I love any personal reflection story from a good ole alcoholic.
The second part of the book is King’s advice, well… on writing. "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot". While some of it seems obvious, you could do worse than to spend some time reading advice from one of the most popular best selling authors of all time. Can I also say that I love the way he talks about writing for his wife.
*I haven’t read Misery myself but it is worth noting that there are definitely some spoilers for it in here so maybe read that first if you are wanting to. Spoilers for Carrie & The Stand too
jodieryu's review against another edition
5.0
As a non-aspiring writer, I still really enjoyed reading about Stephen King's life - where he came from, his path to becoming a writer, and his tidbits about becoming a better one. A fun and emotional read.
williagea's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.5
tashaseegmiller's review against another edition
4.0
Great book on writing and the stories King shared about the first part of his life were amazing - sad, funny, blunt. I'm actually interested in reading some of his texts now, especially the ones he really highlights explaining the craft. Some strong language at times for those who are bothered.