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On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft offers an illuminating look at Stephen King's life, highlighting moments that shaped him as an author and revealing lessons he gained from decades of practice and publication.

King is unapologetically himself, blending whit and honesty with sophomoric humor and the occasional curse word. For example, when discussing the sin of using passive voice, King provides an example of how not to construct a sentence, followed by the type of commentary one can expect to find throughout his book:

How about this: My first kiss will always be recalled by me as how my romance with Shayna was begun. Oh, man - who farted, right?

When it comes to writing, King offers advice in a comprehensive manner; he is concise and straightforward in his presentation of the fundamental approaches to writing that have shaped him as an author.

There is no Idea Dump, no Story Central, no Island of the Buried Bestsellers; good story ideas seem to come quite literally from nowhere, sailing at you right out of the empty sky: two previously unrelated ideas come together and make something new under the sun. Your job isn't to find these ideas but to recognize them when they show up.

King explains his approach to writing and reveals, without indirectly stating, that he is a discovery writer. He goes so far as to dismiss the validity of first plotting a book before writing. This was the only element of the book that warranted a raised eyebrow. Some authors are plotters and some are discovery writers. Readers are well advised to remember that either approach to writing is acceptable.

From simple stories about writing newspaper articles as a child, to the gut wrenching tale of his recovery from a near-fatal accident, Stephen King's narrative of his own life is arresting from start to finish. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is a go-to book for aspiring authors, fans of Stephen King, and any artist feeling creatively stumped that would benefit from a kick in the rear.