7 Ways Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’ Loses The Plot

It’s outdated, inconsistent, and full of quotes from ‘pale stale males.’ Why is it still a bestselling writing guide?

Cover image from the 2010 edition of “On Writing” / Scribner

Stephen King was America’s bestselling novelist until James Patterson dethroned him, but he had qualms about revealing his literary secrets. “Colonel Sanders sold a hell of a lot of…