King memoir inspires

One of the most prolific writers of our time, Stephen King has penned 28 novels and countless short stories during his career. "Carrie," "The Stand" and "The Green Mile" are a few examples of the excitement and suspense King has brought to readers. With "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft," King allows readers a brief glimpse into the mind that has generated some of the most memorable horror classics of our time. \nIn the beginning, King presents the reader with a detailed story of his childhood. He recounts the struggles of his mother, who fought hard to raise King and his older brother in a one-parent household. His mother jumped from job to job, never making much money, but enough to keep King and his genius brother in school. His mother would become his first customer when he transposed a children's book into his own short story. \nKing writes of school-age adventures and encountering trouble when his talent clashed with the will of the administration, instances when he would write stories and try to sell them in school only to have the administration take them and force him to give the money back. He had problems with experiments in journalism during high school (a craft he hacked at for years while working for his brother's small-time, basement-published newspaper). But even there he ran into trouble when his sarcastic humor offended several teachers.\nPerhaps the most intimate story he shares is that of his battle with drugs and alcohol. Beginning on a high school field trip where he and his friends first got drunk, King chronicles the viscious downward spiral that came close to destroying his career. It wasn't until a family intervention meeting that King finally was able to face his problem and move on.\nKing includes a section to help new and upcoming writers. For much of this section he rants on grammar (the passive voice is hated by Stephen King). He even includes an edited copy of one of his stories, marked up with footnotes to give readers an idea of how complex the editing process can be. He also writes about his ideas of secluded writing and editing, before allowing others to see his work.\nKing began "On Writing" before the much-publicized car accident that almost took his life. But his last section relives this horrid moment as King, detail by detail, tells the story of the car that hit him as he took a short walk along the road. \nThe accident caused King to stop writing for more than a year, a prolonged absence for a man typically known as a book-writing machine. Among the works left hanging is the next book in the "Dark Tower" series. According to www.stephenking.com, King has plans to finish it eventually, but the only book scheduled for release this year is "Dreamcatcher"