#11 in Biography & memoir
On Writing
- 288
- Pages
- about 5 h
- Reading time
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Our view
“On Writing” is two books in one: King’s account of how he became a writer, and his plain-spoken advice on the craft, illustrated by his own novels. The mix is its charm, since the life explains the advice. Readers wanting only a memoir, or only a manual of technique, may find roughly half the book beside the point. Best for those curious about how a working novelist thinks.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is a memoir by American author Stephen King that describes his experiences as a writer and his advice for aspiring writers. Originally published in 2000 by Charles Scribner's Sons, it was King's first book after he was involved in a car accident a year earlier. Scribner has published two expanded editions: The 10th Anniversary Edition (2010) has an updated reading list from King; and the 20th Anniversary Edition (2020) adds contributions from King's two sons, Joe Hill and Owen.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.6 across 1,038 ratings. With that many, the reader vote carries 88% of the weight and the score stays at 8.5 — the Biography & memoir average of 8.1 barely moves it.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.2 | 84 | 8% |
| Google Books | 8.0 | 26 | 3% |
| Hardcover | 8.6 | 928 | 89% |
Frequently asked
How long is On Writing?
It has 288 pages — shorter than 58% of the ranked books in Biography & memoir.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Biography & memoir — with scores between 8.1 and 8.4, closest to this book.
