On Writing is a remarkable little book. True to its name, nearly half of the word count is devoted to vignettes from King's life, covering everything from his rocky childhood to his first forays into the written word to his shitty jobs as a young man to meeting his wife to his breakthroughs to his struggles with substance abuse. King warns that we should not seek a through line in his C.V. Indeed no such grand unification is needed. If one pays attention however, they find his writing in action. Before ever being handed down from above his edict, you bear witness to the results of King's broad philosophy; you are invited to examine it while you gain appreciation for its inception. Why does King so strongly espouse his belief that one should take seriously writing as work, like any other job? What effect does favoring comparative descriptions that focus on mood rather than specification have? This and more is addressed before King ever has to explain it. Of course the virtues and idiosyncrasies of his art can be found in any of his writings, but I have no doubt that—conscious or not—King trickles these into his memoir to instill special appreciation.

The writing advice found here is simple. It could be faithfully summarized in perhaps a dozen pages. Throw in the illustrative editing examples and (mostly superfluous) reading list, and you are still under three dozen. Of course there are no secrets. King merely places a firm hand on one's shoulder. He implores you take writing seriously, which entails actually writing and doing so honestly in all facets. He emphasizes the importance of story; to this end, he argues the paragraph is in many ways more fundamental a unit of writing than the sentence. Of course there are tips about how to write dialogue (to the beat), how to approach vocabulary (use what comes to mind, so long as it isn't boring), etc., but mostly one needs to focus on the process. In this way, writing is no different from most pursuits. 

Fantastic book with plenty of advice and wisdom. Plus, if you're a Stephen King fan, you'll get a greater understanding of the author through this book. 

4.5 stars and only downgraded slightly because the he/she mention constantly was a little irritating. 'They' works so much better these days. 

If you want to write, read this book. It's probably one of the most valuable books you'll read on the subject. King is entertaining, down to earth, and realistic with his advice. It was also neat to learn more about him and his life!