Cover of On Writing

Book · 2002 · Biography & Autobiography

On Writing

A Memoir of the Craft

by Stephen King · Recommended by 27 people on 11 podcasts

#46 of 15,605 books, ranked by how many different people bring it up on podcasts

mentions
55
people
27
podcasts
11
episodes
51
critical mentions
0

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His book on writing is equally amazing. Stephen King on writing. On writing. If you're a writer, there's two books you need.
Joe Rogan · The Joe Rogan Experience · May 2013 Listen at 2:07:02

What they say about it

Grouped from 55 mentions
  • Calls it a great book
    5
  • Discusses personal history and memoir
    3

The best things said about it

5 of 55 · every mention
Recommended
Stephen King's book On Writing is one of my favorite books on the creative process.
Joe Rogan The Joe Rogan Experience · Jun 2024
Recommended
My favorite book of his is On Writing which is a wonderful half memoir, half guide to how you should write.
Gilbert Cruz The Book Review · Jul 2024
Recommended
I like On Writing by Stephen King. That changed my life.
Shaan Puri My First Million · Feb 2024
Recommended
Because while there are many books about writing Stephen King has a great book writing on writing and um you know where he gives tips um interlaced with his own personal history.
Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett Lex Fridman Podcast · Nov 2020
Discussed
I know Stephen King which I found really fascinating, his book on writing. Did you read it? Yep, really, it's like a Bible.
Joe Rogan The Joe Rogan Experience · Jan 2014

Where and when it comes up

Mentions per year

Counted mentions by episode date. Our archive is deeper for recent years; 2026 so far.

How it comes up

Recommended means the speaker tells listeners to read it.

Most mentions, by podcast

Top 9 of 11 shows

27 people who brought it up

Most recommendations first

Also: Tony Hinchcliffe · Stephen Fry · Bryan Callen · Cal Newport · David Perell · Grady Hendrix · Jeff Atwood · Joey Diaz · Lex Fridman · Michael Mauboussin · Rich Roll · Rick Rubin · Russ Roberts · Tom Papa · Trevor Moore

Why people recommend it

On Writing by Stephen King is a celebrated half-memoir and half-practical guide that explores the craft of writing and the author's personal experiences. The book has earned widespread praise across numerous podcasts from prominent figures. On This Week in Startups, Jason Calacanis recommended it to David as a way to unlock inspiration and lessons, while Joe Rogan similarly highlighted the book on The Joe Rogan Experience as fantastic during discussions on creativity and authors. On My First Million, Tim Ferriss noted that it was his favorite book on writing, which he devoured and took very seriously. Alex Hormozi also endorsed it on How I Write as one of the best works on the subject. On The Book Review, Pamela Paul and Gilbert Cruz discussed the title extensively, with Cruz citing it as his personal favorite Stephen King book and Paul reading a listener email that praised King for reading his own work so fabulously. Additionally, Douglas Murray joined Joe Rogan in calling the memoir fascinating. Speakers consistently emphasized how valuable the text is for understanding both the mechanics of writing and the author's life.

Every mention

55 counted mentions · 6 passing or ad reads below
Joe Rogan i'm a giant fan of stephen king and stephen king's book on writing is one of my favorite books on the creat… 16
Recommended
“Yeah, his book on writing is fantastic, too. It's It's called On Writing. Stephen King.”
Discussed
“it's one thing stephen king said in his book on writing is that quitting cigarettes was very hard for him because it's like his writing suffered a little bit”
Recommended
“i'm a giant fan of stephen king and stephen king's book on writing is one of my favorite books on the creative process it's a great book”
Recommended
“have you ever read Stephen King on writing no tastic book”
Discussed
“and he details it in great in great detail and he talks about it in his book on writing as well”
Discussed
“this is uh i've gotten this from stephen pressfield who wrote the war of art which is a great book and i've also got it from reading stephen king on writing”
Recommended
“and this is uh i've gotten this from stephen pressfield who wrote the war of art which is a great book and i've also got it from reading stephen king on writing and talking to a lot of different writers about how they handle things”
Recommended
“he's got a great book on writing in the bottle it's actually called on writing”
Recommended
“it's Stephen King on writing”
Recommended
“have you ever read Stephen King's on writing yeah that's great”
Discussed
“I've been reading Stephen King's book on writing which is a great book I was reading it this weekend and um one of the great things about the book is he says like you can only talk about writing so much like you should just go write just get it done”
Recommended
“I heard his on writing or whatever the book is it's great it's like it hurts amazing it's great yeah I've got two copies of it in case I lose one oh wow yeah it's really good”
Discussed
“I know Stephen King which I found really fascinating his book on writing did you read it yep really it's like a Bible”
Recommended
“His and his book on writing is equally amazing. Stephen King on writing. On writing. If you're a writer, there's two books you need.”
Recommended
“well he's got a great book The it's called Stephen King on writing I think it's called is that the name um and uh it's uh I think that's it just look look up Stephen King's book on writing if you're interested in it”
Discussed
“You know, there's people like Stephen King was talking about how um he doesn't remember writing Kujo.”
Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett Stephen King has a great book writing on writing and -- um you know where he gives tips -- interlaced with… 2
Recommended
“Stephen King has a great book writing on writing and -- um you know where he gives tips -- interlaced with his own personal history”
Recommended
“because while there are many books about writing Stephen King has a great book writing on writing and um you know where he gives tips um interlaced with his own personal history”
Jason Calacanis Stephen King has a great one on writing. Stephen King's on writing. Really interesting. 2
Recommended
“Stephen King has a great one on writing. Stephen King's on writing. Really interesting.”
Recommended
“Stephen King on writing might be top five for me of all time”
Pamela Paul it's interesting because you on your list Gilbert you the number two book you recommend which is also a fav… 2
Recommended
“it's interesting because you on your list Gilbert you the number two book you recommend which is also a favorite book of mine is his book on writing”
Recommended
“and then Lynn Chase sends in a list of people who read their own work and she calls these particular ones fabulous Bill Bryson Oliver saxs Sarah vowel David sederis and Stephen King especially his book on writing”
Shaan Puri I like On Writing by Stephen King. That changed my life. Um I like that one a lot. 2
Recommended
“I like On Writing by Stephen King. That changed my life. Um I like that one a lot.”
Recommended
“and it's a book by Stephen King called on writing and the first half of the book is it reads really fast”
Tim Ferriss So, anything I get a hold of, On Writing by Stephen King. It's my favorite. 2
Recommended
“So, anything I get a hold of, On Writing by Stephen King. It's my favorite.”
Recommended
“There are many, but I would say that On Writing by Stephen King, you really can't read about fiction until you've tried some fiction.”
Gilbert Cruz my favorite book of his is is on writing which is a wonderful half Memoir half guide to how you should write 5
Discussed
“But I think often about what Stephen King wrote in on writing.”
Recommended
“my favorite book of his is is on writing which is a wonderful half Memoir half guide to how you should write”
Discussed
“if you've read the book his book on writing which is part Memoir and part sort of writing manual he recounts this story that has been told so many times”
Discussed
“and in your book on writing you say and there's a quote I won't try to convince you that I've never plotted any more than and i' try to convince you that I've never told the lie”
Discussed
“I put I put onw writing by Stephen King which actually I thought would would have appeared on this list”
Jack Carr read those read Stephen King's on writing 4
Discussed
“And so I did read um on writing by Stephen King.”
Discussed
“i certainly have an amazing book what a great book an autobiographical nature of it is even crazier like getting hit by that van”
Discussed
“do the work read those read Stephen King's on writing”
Recommended
“read those read Stephen King's on writing”
Alex Hormozi and I would probably be paring a lot of Stephen King's ‘on writing’ if I were to say 1
Recommended
“and I would probably be paring a lot of Stephen King's ‘on writing’ if I were to say”
Douglas Murray His book on writing is really fascinating it's a very very interesting book 1
Recommended
“His book on writing is really fascinating it's a very very interesting book”
Mark Greaney his book on writing is is really inspirational 1
Recommended
“his book on writing is is really inspirational”
Scott Sigler Yeah I read Stephen King on writing? Oh yeah great book. 1
Recommended
“Yeah I read Stephen King on writing? Oh yeah great book.”
Tony Hinchcliffe It was very soon after I started standup and within the first couple weeks I found a a book that Stephen Ki… 1
Recommended
“It was very soon after I started standup and within the first couple weeks I found a a book that Stephen King wrote called on writing”
Stephen Fry and and Stephen King wrote a book didn't he about his style guide as it were yes on writing 2
Discussed
“and and Stephen King wrote a book didn't he about his style guide as it were yes on writing”
Discussed
“and and Stephen King wrote a book didn't he about his style guide as it were yes on writing and again you know no adverbs no this no that”
Bryan Callen he wrote a book about it book on writing I've got it right so I read that book too 1
Discussed
“he wrote a book about it book on writing I've got it right so I read that book too”
Cal Newport so stephen king famously does this right he talks about that in on writing 1
Discussed
“so stephen king famously does this right he talks about that in on writing”
David Perell he said um you don't have to think clearly necessarily to be a good speaker but you have to think clearly i… 1
Discussed
“he said um you don't have to think clearly necessarily to be a good speaker but you have to think clearly in order to be a great writer”
Grady Hendrix in his book on writing he he writes this really beautiful passage about his desk and he talks about how whe… 1
Discussed
“in his book on writing he he writes this really beautiful passage about his desk and he talks about how when he got his office and we put in this big desk”
Jeff Atwood you know you look at it Stephen King this book on writing or Steven Pressfield the war of art book 1
Discussed
“you know you look at it Stephen King this book on writing or Steven Pressfield the war of art book”
Joey Diaz Stephen King dog is a [ __ ] crazy [ __ ]. We both read on writing. Yeah. We both did. 1
Discussed
“Stephen King dog is a [ __ ] crazy [ __ ]. We both read on writing. Yeah. We both did.”
Lex Fridman if we could take a little bit of a tangent stephen king on writing you as a great writer you you're droppin… 1
Discussed
“if we could take a little bit of a tangent stephen king on writing you as a great writer you you're dropping a hint here that the ideas don't come to you that it's a grind of sort of it's almost like you're mining for gold”
Michael Mauboussin No, over the last year, I'm embarrassed to say this, I hadn't read it before, but I read Stephen King's boo… 1
Discussed
“No, over the last year, I'm embarrassed to say this, I hadn't read it before, but I read Stephen King's book on writing. Have you read that book?”
Rich Roll I think you're a fan of onw writing by Stephen King right 1
Discussed
“I think you're a fan of onw writing by Stephen King right”
Rick Rubin You're not the same person who wrote your first book, so if you're using exactly the same methods that that… 1
Discussed
“You're not the same person who wrote your first book, so if you're using exactly the same methods that that guy was using, they might not be optimal. No, it's changed a ton.”
Russ Roberts I like that Stephen King's book on writing uh I'm not a big Stephen King fan all right but uh his book on w… 1
Discussed
“I like that Stephen King's book on writing uh I'm not a big Stephen King fan all right but uh his book on writing is quite I think thoughtful and he similarly Works a fixed amount of time”
Tom Papa ever read Stephen King on writing 1
Discussed
“ever read Stephen King on writing”
Trevor Moore like it's one of the things I read in Stephen King's book um on writing uh it was a great book have you eve… 1
Discussed
“like it's one of the things I read in Stephen King's book um on writing uh it was a great book have you ever read it no it's um Stephen King sort of like uh I think he calls it a memoir of The Craft or something along those lines but it's basically like talking all about his writing habits”

Also mentioned in the same episodes

Other mentions (6: passing, ad reads, own books)
Passing
“and you can read on writing and learn about closing the door of your writing room or how many words you should write a day or don't use adverbs”
Passing
“and had read everything that he'd written including on writing which is like his most personal kind of like autobiographical that and Don mob oh this is who I am and so I had a sense of the guy”
Passing
“I wanted this show to be like the Paris Review interview series, where if you haven't read it, you've got to read them... I wanted basically the equivalent of Stephen King's On Writing in interview form.”
Passing
“In fact, I may be misremembering this, but I think I wrote a piece once about a young guy who was driving on a rural road in Maine and hit Stephen King with his car and almost killed Stephen King. I've read Stephen King's side of it in the book 'On Writing'. Yeah, exactly!”
Passing
“I've read Stephen King's side of it in the book what is it like on writing”
Passing
“you mentioned Stephen King like his book on writing”

Portraits from Wikimedia Commons: Joe Rogan, The White House / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain); Jason Calacanis, Christopher Michel / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0); Tim Ferriss, Mukhatir at English Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0); Jack Carr, MediaMP3Producer / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0); Douglas Murray, AndyCNgo; cropped by Beyond My Ken (talk) 00:23, 8 May 2020 (UTC) / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).