On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

English language

Published March 9, 2010

ISBN:
978-1-4391-5681-0
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4 stars (4 reviews)

"Long live the King" hailed Entertainment Weekly upon the publication of Stephen King's On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer's craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King's advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported near-fatal accident in 1999 -- and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it -- fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.

45 editions

More a memoir than a how-to-write guide, but

4 stars

It's probably the closest we'll get to a proper memoir out of a very interesting & likeable guy, who's utterly unique in the publishing world.

Regardless of whether you are a fan of his actual output or not, you can't question his consistency, and as far as his style and approach to writing, he keeps it simple and straightforward, which for a beginning writer is really useful. And like all Stephen King works, it's an easy read that keeps moving.

Review of 'On Writing' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

"Li" em audiobook (portanto, ouvi). Tinha tentado ler algumas vezes, sempre esbarrava nos capítulos iniciais, meio bobos. Curiosamente, na versão em audiobook, narrada pelo próprio King, esses capítulos funcionam. São meio autobiográficos, e na voz do cara têm seu sabor. Ultrapassada essa barreira, cheguei na parte sobre escrita propriamente, que achei boa, clara, simples, no bullshit. Mas um pouco breve demais. As três estrelas são por conta disso, e de quase duas horas de material adicional no audiobook que são praticamente propaganda do filho do Stephen King. Se era essa a intenção, o tiro saiu pela culatra. Eu posso ler mais mil livros na vida, e nenhum deles vai ser desse tal Joe filho de Stephen. Mas recomendo o livro pra quem quer escrever, ou mesmo pra quem já escreve.

Review of 'On Writing' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

And absolute diamond of an audio book read by the man himself. One of the best on the subject. The sections on his life and the account of the accident that almost killed him are unmissable. Its thanks to this book that I now have my own copy of The Elements of Style by Strunk and White, in my endless quest to improve my own grammar and readability.

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5 stars