What the heck does Stephen King know about writing? The man has written, what, 3... maybe 4 books in his entire life? Big deal. He's hardly an authority on the subject.

Surely, I jest.

Stephen King is probably the most prolific author of his generation. He is a true example of a man who was born to write. In his "Memoir of the Craft," King takes us inside his childhood and shows us how his style was formed.

There are a few stories from when he was young that have nothing to do with writing at all. They seem to be there as an entertaining setup of his personality and for that, they function well. (Readers susceptible to queasiness might hiccup a breakfast bubble at the long needle/inner ear story... 'nuff said.)

Most precious of memories is when his mother praised him for his first short story and encouraged him along. I'm sure many writers will relate to the heartfelt scene.

As he gets older and finds that he truly loves to write, King begins to submit his stories to magazines and takes great pleasure in the personalized rejection letters he receives. There are many great descriptions of his successes and failures as he works his way up to his premiere novel, Carrie.

The second part of the book is the actual meat where King brings what he really came here to discuss: how to write. He uses a toolbox metaphor to help explain what every writer needs. He is very direct about his personal writing peeves and shows a genuine interest in helping new and seasoned writers alike.

In the third and final part of On Writing, King revisits his own horror of being hit by a runaway van in 1999--an event that interrupted his work on this very book! He describes the time of his suffering in a way that puts the reader there at the scene of the accident and beside him during his physical recovery.

King repeatedly hammers the point home that a real writer must constantly be reading and (duh) writing. We hear this all the time from writers and teachers alike, and King makes no bones about it here.

I thoroughly enjoyed his many anectdotes and advices. All my life, I've been riding shotgun in Mr. King's wild ride. I've always considered him as a kind of mysterious and phantom-like entity behind the words. In On Writing, he shows his tender side in his love for his wife, Tabitha (his Ideal Reader), and his kids. He speaks of writing as something that he cannot fully explain, though he explains it rather well. He offers the viewpoint that all great and humble writers share: that he is used as a vessel for some unknown and beautiful force of the universe.

My favorite part of the book is when King describes the intense connection between writer and reader. The way in which he describes how writing transcends time and place in order to reach any and all readers is piercing in its raw truthfulness. His honest and unflinching approach to the teaching of the craft is as wonderful and meaningful as his stories.

Long live the master.