Book Review – On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Image: On Writing by Lucy Lantz (CC BY-NC-ND)

1.5 out of 5 stars

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King is part inspiring autobiography, part pretentious advice that seems unlikely to be helpful to the novice writer. 

King’s autobiography borders on excellence. It confronts addiction, failure, and near-death experiences. King describes the many rejections he accumulated as well as his eventual success with his novel Carrie. The autobiographical section of On Writing was very engaging and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys biographies.

King’s writing advice is another matter entirely. Rather than filling the pages with proven strategies and tips, King uses the space for his own opinions, many of which seem entirely unsubstantiated. For example, King frequently harps on his utter hatred of adverbs. Is condemnation of a part of speech what a struggling writer is seeking?

There is one more problem with King’s book, without which I likely would still recommend the book. At the beginning of his section on writing, King writes, “If you’re a bad writer, no one can help you become a good one, or even a competent one. If you’re good and want to be great… fuhgeddaboudit.” This claim is insulting, baseless, and demoralizing. It is inexcusable, no matter King’s intentions in writing it. Bad writers can certainly improve and good writers can become great. To state otherwise is to disregard the hard work that has led countless writers, including King, to success and to discount every word of advice that follows. 

I found this book generally disappointing. While the autobiography was gripping, the helpful writing advice I expected was lacking. I would rate On Writing 1.5 out of 5 stars.