A review by askoda
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

5.0

This was a delight to read! Maybe that adjective is confusing because King isn’t known for “delightful” writing. His books are usually chock full of fear and suspense- which is why I personally haven’t read them.

But, this book was gifted to me and if King decided to sit down and write about the art, it had to be good. He’s undeniably a master of the craft and as a writer, I was curious about the advice he would offer.

Now, I’ve read many books about writing and every author approaches it differently. King offered many anecdotes about his life- from triumphs to rejections. At first these side stories annoyed me, but then I quickly realized that he was writing about his journey because it was such a huge part of writing. It reminded me that to be a good writer, you needed to love the process… even the part where you “kill your darlings”. He reminded me that writing is a part of life. He reminded me that successful writers live and breathe the art just like any other artist.

But the most important thing I got from this book is that there is no “Golden Ticket” answer. Even the best writers are human and full of errors, rewrites, and self doubt.