Want to learn the ideas in On Writing better than ever? Read the world’s #1 book summary of On Writing by Stephen King here.

Read a brief 1-Page Summary or watch video summaries curated by our expert team. Note: this book guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher or author, and we always encourage you to purchase and read the full book.

Video Summaries of On Writing

We’ve scoured the Internet for the very best videos on On Writing, from high-quality videos summaries to interviews or commentary by Stephen King.

1-Page Summary of On Writing

Overall Summary

Stephen King’s memoir, On Writing, details his life as a writer and gives tips on writing. The book is divided into five parts: “C.V.”, “What Writing Is”, “Toolbox”, “On Writing”, and “On Living”.

Stephen King provides a personal history of his life, starting with his childhood and moving into adulthood. He talks about how he was raised by his mother, Nellie, and older brother David. His father is not in the picture, and they move around frequently. King begins writing as a young child, copying content from comic books then creating original stories. He publishes work during high school in magazines. It isn’t until he writes Carrie that he gains financial success as a writer. He marries Tabitha Spruce and has three children together; this section also includes details about King’s battle with alcohol abuse (he got sober after an intervention).

In the section called “What Writing Is,” King compares writing to telepathy. In order for a writer to convey information effectively, they must transmit their ideas directly into the reader’s mind. He asserts that this is possible and sets up the section called “Toolbox,” where he provides practical advice on how to write well. A writer should have a toolbox containing basic vocabulary, grammar and style so that they can express themselves in any situation.

In this section, Stephen King writes about how he came to be a writer and his writing process. He discusses the importance of plot, story, character, dialogue, theme, sensory detail (how things look/sound/smell), pacing (the speed at which events occur in a story) and backstory (what happened before the current action). Finally he talks about revision—making changes as you reread your work—and research.

The final section of the book is about King’s near fatal car accident and his recovery. The accident causes him to have nine broken bones in his leg, which takes a long time to heal. He also has surgery on it and recovers slowly from all the injuries he suffered. At this point, he was writing the book but had not finished yet because of his injuries.

Part 1, Chapter 1

In the first foreword, King explains why he wrote this book on craft. He says that no one ever asks about his language when they ask him to sign a copy of his books. In the second foreword, he emphasizes how short this book is because there’s less bullshit in shorter works. The third foreword stresses the importance of a good editor and mentions all of the people who helped edit this work before it was published.

The author introduces the book by explaining that it’s his way of showing how he was formed as a writer. He’ll do this with an analysis of his personal history and influences, as well as stories about him from people who knew him.

King’s earliest memory is being a strongman in the circus. He had to carry a cement block across the garage floor, and one of its wasps stung his ear. King dropped the block on his foot, which made him crush all five toes.

Part 1, Chapter 2

After a while, he moves with his mother and brother to West De Pere, Wisconsin. They live near Nellie’s aunt. King recalls some of the baby sitters who were there for him: Eula or Beulah had a dangerous sense of humor. She would tickle him until he laughed, then she’d hit him hard enough to knock him down on one occasion. One day he asked for fried eggs seven times; she cooked them all up for him and made him throw up twice that day. He ended up throwing up on her shoes, so she was fired after that incident.

Part 1, Chapter 3

The family stayed in De Pere for a short time and it was not at all successful. They were evicted from their apartment because David crawled on the roof of the building. Now, he is fifty-five years old and lives in New Hampshire.