Stephen King

I had always seen Stephen King on TV at baseball games, where the camera would span to him in the crowd, normally with a book in hand, and the announcer would make some casual comment about the notorious author. To be honest, he always gave me the creeps. I had never read any of his books, but had encountered scenes from "The Shining" and "Carrie" when I was younger, and his physical appearance was exactly what I thought the author of such stories should look like - slightly haunting with pale skin and dark hair, and small beady eyes peering through his glasses. "On Writing" is the first book I've read by King, and I cannot seem to match his physical appearance to his 'voice' in the book. He seems so laid back and relaxed, as if the words just slipped out of his head and glided on to the paper. When reading "On Writing," I picture a guy you'd sit down and joke around with over a cup of coffee; not someone who writes about killer clowns. I am intrigued now to read one of his books and see how his 'voice' translates into his fictional stories.