Stephen King On Writing Analysis

When Stephen King wrote On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft he had one goal in mind. King’s objective was to teach others how he came to master the art of writing, but more importantly, to show aspiring writers how they can hone their own skills. Unlike many other books on writing, King discusses in length the language one uses to tell a story instead of how to form the actual content itself. As a fiction writer, King knows that stories can come from anywhere, so he makes a point to give his readers the necessary tools to put those ideas on paper in a way that will be appealing. Because what you write is not nearly as important as how you write it. Although there are clearly defined sections of the memoir, there are three overarching parts that

the text can be broken down into. The first is mainly about King’s life, how he became, not just the writer, but the person he is today. He then transitions more into his advice on how to write, the skills one should possess, as well as the steps one must take to develop as an author. King then ends with the story of how his life almost came to an end due to a dangerous accident. Each part serves a distinct purpose, being placed where they are for a particular reason. There is almost no point in which a reader will think a part unnecessary or ineffective to the work as a whole. King is effective in getting his points across because, before giving his advice, he forms a strong line of trust between himself and his audience by establishing credibility as an author while still appealing to the emotions of his audience.
It is often said that one should not judge a book based on its cover, but the reality is that before reading King’s memoir, the first thing that one will do is, in fact, inspect the cover. While he did not personally write any of the praise plastered on both sides of his memoir, the numerous testimonials help establish King’s credibility as an author. On the top right of the cover, King’s memoir is listed as “The acclaimed New York Times bestseller”. Then, if one flips the text, the first line they will read is that what they hold in their hands is, “The best book on writing. Ever.” The memoir’s description goes on about all of the praise it has received, and then finally in his bio, King is described as “the author of more than thirty worldwide bestsellers”. The term “bestseller” holds a certain form of credibility, acting as a stamp of approval by the entire general public. People like to be included, and often trust the opinion of others. With so many glowing testimonials, it is easy for readers to feel as though the memoir must be good. All of these accolades come before the reader even turns a single page, and go a long way in creating that first link in the chain of trust that King wishes to build with his audience.
After a thorough inspection of the cover, readers will open King’s memoir and begin reading about his life and development as a writer.

This is where King first looks to establish an emotional connection with his audience, drawing on that initial trust established by the book’s cover. King begins by discussing many of his earliest memories. This is a compelling form of emotional connection because almost anyone can happily reminisce in the days of their early childhood where hardships were far and few between, and responsibilities were near-nonexistent. Though, King’s description of his childhood isn’t necessarily entirely joyful. At one point, King talks about his experience with an ear infection. He says of the puncturing of his eardrum, “The pain was beyond anything I have ever felt… I screamed… hot fluid ran out of my ear… God knows I was crying” (24). Not exactly a cheerful description of his childhood, but effective none the less. Had King only pointed out the happy moments in his childhood he wouldn’t be able to connect with as wide a range of audience members. No one’s life is perfect, and so King points out the pain and suffering just as much as the happiness. This serves two purposes. First to bring King, a bestselling author, closer to the level of those who may read his memoir. Secondly, it makes sure that King does not come off as fake or dishonest, which would damage his credibility. This kind of pattern of pain and happiness continues throughout the entire

first section of the novel. King takes his readers through the most harrowing moments of his life as a drug addict, while also letting them share in the glory of his escape from poverty through the selling of his first novel’s paperback rights. King wants his readers to know that no matter their background, no matter where or what they’ve been through, they can make it as an author. This kind of emotional connection serves well to both establish trust as well as draw the reader into the rest of King’s memoir, where the real information is being presented.
Another persuasive strategy that King employs in order to build rapport with his audience is the number of credible references he makes throughout the entirety of the text. At one point, in reference to the link between substance abuse and writing, King says, “The four twentieth-century writers whose work is most responsible for it are probably Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Sherwood Anderson, and the poet Dylan Thomas” (98). In another instance he talks about a quality fiction publication called Doubleday who had books from “heavy hitters like Leon Uris and Allen Drury” (83). King is constantly making such literary references, and as such, his knowledge of the writing world is clearly put on display. Although somewhat minor, King’s knowledge of outside works, and his ability to draw on them for examples, or for knowledge continue to add to his credibility as an author. In some cases, they could even help to strengthen the emotional ties that King creates with his readers. Many who read King’s memoir will have read some of his other texts. Thus, making references to many of his own books, giving little excerpts here and there, can let readers remember the joy or excitement that came with reading some of their favorite books. Again, King masterfully intertwines feelings of trust and strong emotion to setup the main point of his memoir, and he does so skillfully by continuing to make references well into the latter two parts of the text.
After a monumental buildup of establishing trust, common ground, and strong interest, King lays out a wealth of knowledge to his readers.

In his second foreword King says, “This is a short book because most books about writing are filled with bullshit” (11). King states, in a very plain manner (again building common ground with those who will read his memoir), that most books of the same type that he is writing are not filled with great content. It is for this reason that King created a memoir, instead of a simple book on writing. King saw what most others failed to do in their teaching, and that was to establish trust and interest before giving out what will most likely be an overload of information. It is impossible to take in every tip, trick, or skill of writing in one’s first go when reading such a book. Though, King knew that if he drew his readers in deep enough with plain language, points of trust, and emotional connections, that he could get his audience to take in much more of the information that he was presenting. This point becomes even clearer when King wraps up his memoir with a section on his near-death

experience.