Stephen King's 10 Best Non-Horror Tales

10. On Writing: A Memoir Of The Craft

At the turn of the millennium Stephen King published this Bram Stoker Award winning non-fiction volume, much to the delight of amateur and struggling authors everywhere. On Writing is less a memoir than it is a how-to, from King's perspective, on constructing a good story, and it is a very good, very accessible read.

It also included an exercise for fans to create the outline of their own tale, which they could submit via King's website (they no longer accept said submissions, though people still seem to them in from time to time).

As a demonstration, King himself also cobbled together the outline of a short story set in a haunted hotel. After much fan feedback, he opted to finish it as 1408, collected in the short story compilation Everything's Eventual, and adapted to the big screen in a great little film starring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson.

How effective was On Writing? Author Jeannie Ruesch has stated that it drove her to write, though she was slow to apply its lessons. WWE legend Mick Foley, who has two published novels, was also inspired and listed the book when asked about what encouraged him to take the plunge.

In short, if you're starting out as a writer, it's a must-read.