On Writing Essay

Most people would agree that Stephen King is one of the most talented, prolific, original, and successful writers of our time. Although he says some are born better equipped for writing than others, he accredits his success as an author not to sheer raw talent like some people would assume, but to reading and writing avidly, which he reiterates throughout On Writing are essential to being an effective writer.

Stephen King showed a passion for writing even from an early age, all the way back to when he would copy the words and pictures out of comic books to show his mother, who began to encourage him to create his own stories.  As he grew older, he submitted story after story to science fiction magazines and got rejection letter after rejection letter. But the rejections always had the same messages attached to them: "This is good, but not for us. You have talent. Keep writing. Submit again." And the young Mr. King did just that, posting the letters on his wall not to constantly remind himself of his failures, but to motivate himself to keep improving as a writer. The fact that he pushed through his failures in writing until he broke through and finally had his first story published in one of those magazines proves that he would not give up on his dedication and fervent love for writing just because he was not successful at first.

From writing for his brother's community newspaper Dave's Rag, to being editor of the Village Vomit, a satirical anti-school-newspaper that he created in high school, to submitting fiction to numerous magazines including Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, King's young life reflected his own advice in On Writing: write continuously.  Even when he was sent to the principal and suspended for his slanderous articles in the Village Vomit, he did not let a little trouble stop him.  He just learned that satire writing was not his forte and went off of that.  If King had stopped writing after the first hint of rejection or discouragement hit him, he would never have become one of the most renowned and well-known writers of his generation.

The fact that Stephen King wrote On Writing at all proves his devotion to the craft.  The book is packed with wonderful information and technique-sharpening advice for aspiring authors.  Truly the man is dedicated to his profession, and new writers would be wise to follow the advice and learn from his experiences that he shares in On Writing.