”If you don't have the time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write.”
In 1999, Stephen King began to write about his
craft – and his life. By midyear, a widely reported accident jeopardized
the survival of both. And in his months of recovery, the link between
writing and living became more crucial than ever.
Rarely has a book on writing been so clear, so useful, and so revealing. On Writing begins with a mesmerizing account of King's childhood and his uncannily
early focus on writing to tell a story. A series of vivid memories from
adolescence, college, and the struggling years that led up to his first
novel, Carrie, will afford readers a fresh and often very funny
perspective on the formation of a writer. King next turns to the basic
tools of his trade – how to sharpen and multiply them through use, and
how the writer must always have them close at hand. He takes the reader
through crucial aspects of the writer's art and life, offering
practical and inspiring advice on everything from plot and character
development to work habits and rejection.
Serialized in the New Yorker to vivid acclaim, On Writing culminates with a profoundly moving account of how King's overwhelming
need to write spurred him toward recovery, and brought him back to his
life.
Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower – and entertain – everyone who reads it.
