autobiography of stephen king

Stephen King

Stephen King is a 'New York Times'-bestselling novelist who made his name in the horror and fantasy genres with books like 'Carrie,' 'The Shining' and 'IT.' Much of his work has been adapted for film and TV.

Who Is Stephen King?

Stephen King was born on September 21, 1947, in Portland, Maine. He graduated from the University of Maine and later worked as a teacher while establishing himself as a writer. Having also published work under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, King's first horror novel, Carrie , was a huge success. Over the years, King has become known for titles that are both commercially successful and sometimes critically acclaimed. His books have sold more than 350 million copies worldwide and been adapted into numerous successful films.

Early Life and Education

Stephen Edwin King was born on September 21, 1947, in Portland, Maine. King is recognized as one of the most famous and successful horror writers of all time. His parents, Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King, split up when he was very young, and he and his brother David divided their time between Indiana and Connecticut for several years. King later moved back to Maine with his mother and brother. There he graduated from Lisbon Falls High School in 1966.

King stayed close to home for college, attending the University of Maine at Orono. There he wrote for the school's newspaper and served in its student government. While in school, King published his first short story, which appeared in Startling Mystery Stories . After graduating with a degree in English in 1970, he tried to find a position as a teacher but had no luck at first. King took a job in a laundry and continued to write stories in his spare time until late 1971, when he began working as an English educator at Hampden Academy. It was that year that he also married fellow writer Tabitha Spruce.

King of Thrills and Chills

In 1973, King sold his first novel, Carrie , the tale of a tormented teen who gets revenge on her peers. The book became a huge success after it was published the following year, allowing him to devote himself to writing full time. It was later adapted for the big screen with Sissy Spacek as the title character. More popular novels soon followed, including Salem's Lot (1975), The Shining (1977), Firestarter (1980), Cujo (1981) and IT (1986).

While making novels about vicious, rabid dogs and sewer-dwelling monsters — as seen in Cujo and IT , respectively — King published several books as Richard Bachman. Four early novels — Rage (1977), The Long Walk (1979), Roadwork (1981) and The Running Man (1982) — were published under the moniker because of King's concern that the public wouldn't accept more than one book from an author within a year. He came up with the alias after seeing a novel by Richard Stark on his desk (actually a pseudonym used by Donald Westlake) coupled with what he heard playing on his record player at the time — "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet," by Bachman Turner Overdrive.

Television and Film Adaptations

Although many of King's works were made into film or TV adaptations — Cujo and Firestarter were released for the big screen in 1983 and '84 respectively, while It debuted as a miniseries in 1990 — the film The Shining , released in 1980 and starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall , became a renowned horror thriller that has stood the test of time.

For a good portion of his career, King wrote novels and stories at a breakneck speed. He published several books per year for much of the 1980s and '90s. His compelling, thrilling tales have continued to be used as the basis of numerous films for the big and small screens. Actress Kathy Bates and actor James Caan starred in the critically and commercially successful adaptation of Misery in 1990, with Bates winning an Oscar for her performance as the psychotic Annie Wilkes.

Four years later, The Shawshank Redemption , starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman and based on one of his stories, became another acclaimed outing with multiple Oscar nominations. King's 1978 novel The Stand became a 1994 miniseries with Molly Ringwald and Gary Sinise in the lead, while the mid-'90s serialized outing The Green Mile was turned into a 1999 prison-based film starring Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan .

King continues to create and be involved in provocative projects. He has worked directly in television, writing for series like Kingdom Hospital and Under the Dome , with the latter based on his 2009 novel. In 2011, he published 11/22/63 , a novel involving time travel as part of an effort to stop the assassination of President John F. Kennedy .

King also wrote Joyland (2013), a pulp-fiction style thriller that takes readers on a journey to uncovering who's behind an unsolved murder. And he surprised audiences by releasing Doctor Sleep (2013), a sequel to The Shining , with Sleep hitting No. 1 on the New York Time s bestseller list.

The novelist then published Mr. Mercedes (2014), with Finders Keepers (2015) and End of Watch (2016) rounding out the crime trilogy. In 2017, he teamed with son Owen to deliver Sleeping Beauties , about a mysterious pandemic that leaves women enveloped in cocoons. That year he polished off another collaboration, with Richard Chizmar, on the novella Gwendy's Button Box .

Meanwhile, adaptations of King's works have continued to populate the big and small screens. In 2017, the first season of Mr. Mercedes began airing on the Audience Network, while a remake of the horror classic IT enjoyed a hefty box-office haul. In 2019, an adaptation of Doctor Sleep and IT Chapter Two hit theaters, along with a reboot of another signature King property, Pet Sematary.

That year also brought the publication of the tireless writer's 61st novel, The Institute , about children with supernatural abilities who are taken from their parents and incarcerated by a mysterious organization.

Personal Life

King and his novelist wife divide their time between Florida and Maine. They have three children: Naomi Rachel, a reverend; Joseph Hillstrom, who writes under the pen name Joe Hill and is a lauded horror-fiction writer in his own right; and Owen Phillip, whose first collection of stories was published in 2005.

In honor of his prolific output and success in his craft, King was among the recipients of the National Medal of Arts in 2015.

Outside of writing, King is a music fan. He even sometimes plays guitar and sings in a band called Rock Bottom Remainders with fellow literary stars like Dave Barry, Barbara Kingsolver and Amy Tan . The group has performed a number of times over the years to raise money for charity.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Stephen Edwin King
• Birth Year: 1947
• Birth date: September 21, 1947
• Birth State: Maine
• Birth City: Portland
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Stephen King is a 'New York Times'-bestselling novelist who made his name in the horror and fantasy genres with books like 'Carrie,' 'The Shining' and 'IT.' Much of his work has been adapted for film and TV.
• Fiction and Poetry
• Astrological Sign: Virgo
• Durham Elementary School
• University of Maine
• Lisbon Falls High School

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CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Stephen King Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/stephen-king
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: March 30, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 3, 2014
• [French is] the language that turns dirt into romance.
• We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones.
• As a writer, I've always been confrontational. I've never been cool, I've never been calculating.
• There are plenty of people who have got lots of talent. This world is lousy with talent. The idea is to work that talent and try to get to be the best person that you can, given the limits of the talent that God gave you — or fate, or genetics or whatever name you want to put on it.

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On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft Paperback – July 6, 2010

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• Print length 288 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Scribner
• Publication date July 6, 2010
• Dimensions 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.44 inches
• ISBN-10 9781439156810
• ISBN-13 978-1439156810
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• ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1439156816
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner; Anniversary edition (July 6, 2010)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781439156810
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1439156810
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.8 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.44 inches
• #254 in Words, Language & Grammar Reference
• #662 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books)
• #7,360 in Memoirs (Books)

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About the author

Stephen king.

Stephen King is the author of more than sixty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes the short story collection YOU LIKE IT DARKER, HOLLY (a New York Times Notable Book of 2023), FAIRY TALE, BILLY SUMMERS, IF IT BLEEDS, THE INSTITUTE, ELEVATION, THE OUTSIDER, SLEEPING BEAUTIES (cowritten with his son Owen King), and the Bill Hodges trilogy: END OF WATCH, FINDERS KEEPERS, and MR. MERCEDES (an Edgar Award winner for Best Novel and a television series streaming on Peacock). His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. His epic works THE DARK TOWER, IT, PET SEMATARY, DOCTOR SLEEP, and FIRESTARTER are the basis for major motion pictures, with IT now the highest-grossing horror film of all time. He is the recipient of the 2020 Audio Publishers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2018 PEN America Literary Service Award, the 2014 National Medal of Arts, and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.

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Readers find the book delightful, interesting, and instructive. They describe the writing quality as thorough and inspiring. Readers also mention it's satisfying to read his personal stories, which are punchy and remarkable. They say the practical commentary is easy to follow, simple, and fluid.

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Customers find the book delightful, interesting, and superb. They say it offers a very keen, insightful look into both the making of a writer and the craft of writing. Readers also mention the book is perfect for what it is, a teacher and entertainer.

"'On Writing' is a revealing and practical look at the writer's craft , comprising many of the necessary tools of the trade for any aspiring author...." Read more

"...a fig about his writing advice, this first half of the book is highly interesting . If you're a King fan, this is a must read...." Read more

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Customers find the book instructive, pertinent, and inspiring. They also appreciate the frank advice and valuable information. Readers describe King as intense and smart.

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Customers find the writing quality of the book extremely thorough. They appreciate the insight on King's writing process and evolution. Readers also say the book is readable, sprinkled with autobiographical sketches, and practical examples. They mention it provides practical advice on reading, writing, and getting published.

".......... Affably written and educational, this well organized book is a delight to read...." Read more

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Customers find the book satisfying, punchy, and remarkable. They say it gives a remarkable glimpse into the life of one of America's true writers. Readers also mention the narrative is entertaining and full of applicable anecdotes.

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"...If you're a King fan, this is a must read. His stories are so well know , that even the ones that I've not read or seen a film adaptation of, I knew..." Read more

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Customers find the practical commentary easy to follow and replicate. They appreciate the clear suggestions and examples that are applicable to all types of writing. Readers also mention the book is a very common sense guide to being better at writing. They mention there are detailed techniques on the discipline required to write. Additionally, they mention the exercises and illustrations of a few techniques help them pump their creativity.

"..........Affably written and educational, this well organized book is a delight to read ...." Read more

"...Walk away, or sit down and get working. Very easy to understand , yet life changing once you do...." Read more

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Customers find the book frightfully honest, genuine, and intimate. They say the lessons seem more authentic and easier to digest. Readers also mention the author is completely true to himself.

"'On Writing' is a revealing and practical look at the writer's craft, comprising many of the necessary tools of the trade for any aspiring author...." Read more

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"...This was very revealing and enlightening. Although I do wish he had discussed his book, "Rage". I was really wondering about that one...." Read more

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Customers find the pacing of the book fast, pleasant, and exciting. They appreciate the balance between detail and brevity. Readers also mention the tone is light and self-deprecating.

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"...out this giant of a man (literally and metaphorically) is also incredibly humble and modest and has all the same insecurities any other writer has -..." Read more

Customers find the author personal, approachable, and generous in sharing his experiences. They enjoy the experiences and find themselves looking back over their own lives. Readers appreciate the personal touch and say the content is full of mentorship.

"...It is also a tough love manual for writers peppered with anecdotal stories of Mr Kings interesting life along the way...." Read more

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On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Available Format(s)

Hardcover / Paperback / eBook / Audiobook

On Writing is both a textbook for writers and a memoir of Stephen's life and will, thus, appeal even to those who are not aspiring writers. If you've always wondered what led Steve to become a writer and how he came to be the success he is today, this will answer those questions.

The Twentieth Anniversary Edition contains contributions from Joe Hill and Owen King Publisher: Scribner (June 2, 2020) Length: 320 pages ISBN13: 9781982159375

From the Flap

"If you don't have the time to read, you don't have the time or the tools to write." In 1999, Stephen King began to write about his craft--and his life. By midyear, a widely reported accident jeopardized the survival of both. And in his months of recovery, the link between writing and living became more crucial than ever. Rarely has a book on writing been so clear, so useful, and so revealing. On Writing begins with a mesmerizing account of King's childhood and his uncannily early focus on writing to tell a story. A series of vivid memories from adolescence, college, and the struggling years that led up to his first novel, Carrie , will afford readers a fresh and often very funny perspective on the formation of a writer. King next turns to the basic tools of his trade--how to sharpen and multiply them through use, and how the writer must always have them close at hand. He takes the reader through crucial aspects of the writer's art and life, offering practical and inspiring advice on everything from plot and character development to work habits and rejection. Serialized in the New Yorker to vivid acclaim, On Writing culminates with a profoundly moving account of how King's overwhelming need to write spurred him toward recovery, and brought him back to his life. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower--and entertain--everyone who reads it.

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On Writing (Audiobook)

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