I've never read any Stephen King novel, and after reading this helpful manual for writers, I'm not sure if I would even his enjoy his works of fiction. The book, however, was brilliant and wonderful. It has helped to confirm many of the theories and ideas I've had about writing for a while now!
He begins by describing his childhood, which I could care less for, but it does help to form a story through his book. He develops a plot that covers his entire life, birth to the writing of the book. It's kind of his memoirs, or an autobiography, but also a book of advice for writers on their journey. The middle of the book is more technical, covering things like grammar, and the importance of spelling, as writers will be role models for future generations. He talks about writing environments, motivations, and describes his own rise to the top. He shows snapshots of his wife and family as he progresses to the top of the publishing ladder, selling his work, and getting ripped off. My favorite part was the ending, which is rather a twist-ending. During the writing of the book, King is hit by a car and undergoes major surgery and comes close to death. At the end of the book, he describes this event in detail, and talks about his recovery and finishing the book. As he began this narrative section, I was tempted to close the book and put it back-- I was reading for advice, not the auto-biography. But as I continued to read, I realized this part was really insightful. Stephen King has a real passion for writing-- a need to spend hours in the downstairs laundry room with painkillers and drugs to keep him functioning in order to finish this book. As he states somewhere toward the end, he wasn't even sure if he wanted to publish it. But he wrote it anyway, and that speaks much more than grammar advice and motivational speaking ever could.
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