Autobiography of Stephen King: Childhood, Career Journey, Books, and Achievement

How long did the Stephen King story take to become the best fictional horror film of the late 20th and 21st centuries? And what he did to reach the legacy became the best and successful writer in the world. So, this is the autobiography of Stephen King! From a child and about his career journey.

Stephen Edwin King, better known as Stephen King, is a famous contemporary American writer whose works in the thriller, crime, horror, and fantasy genres have been filmed.

The total number of books he has released until 2021 is 77 books. His best-selling books have sold more than 350 million copies worldwide, been published in more than 35 countries, and translated into 33 languages.

Stephen King’s Childhood

King was born into a small family of father, mother, and adoptive brother at the American state hospital, Portland, Maine, on September 21, 1947.

King’s childhood did not go smoothly, his parents divorced, and he became a broken home child. Donald, his father, chose to go and left him with his mother, Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King, and brother David Victor. They also have to move places of residence because the mother has to work.

Interest in writing Stephen King arose when he was sickly and could not get up from bed. His mother, who is also a ‘nerd,’ gave him many books to read. Stephen King’s favorite book as a child was ‘Tales from the Crypt.’ After that, King tried to write his own story until he produced a short 4-page story.

When at the six aged, King became interested in horror stories when he read a book called ‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ and the film ‘The Creature from the Black Lagoon, which succeeded in prompting Stephen King to write his first horror story entitled ‘Photofest’.

Stephen King’s College Period

King didn’t have many friends at Durham Elementary School and Lisbon Falls High School. They were kept away from him because of his look nerdy and his taller body than other children his age. So he chose to write and read in the library.

He attended the University of Maine and graduated in 1970 with an English – Literature BA. During college, Stephen was active in student organizations and an activist who voiced the movement against war. He distributes his writing talent in the school newspaper by sending his writings every week.

One year later, on early 2 January 1971, King married his friend and co-worker at the Fogler Library at the University of Maine at Orono, Tabitha Spruce. From this marriage, Stephen King and Tabitha were blessed with three children.

Namely Naomi Rachel King, Joe Hill King, and Owen Phillip King. Now, they have become grandparents of 4 grandchildren. The King family, including his wife, Tabitha, and their two sons, Joe and Owen, have followed Stephen’s footsteps as a novelist.

Stephen King’s Career Journey

During college, he wrote articles for his brother’s newspaper. In 1965, the short story was titled ‘I Was a Teenage Grave Robber’, released in Cosmic Review. After graduation and throughout her early marriage, she tried to sell her work to adult men’s magazines.

The first short story he sold was titled ‘The Glass Floor’, published in Startling Mystery Stories magazine in 1967. Stephen King had finished his first novel ‘The Long Walk,’ but no one wanted to print it, and ‘The Dark Tower Saga’ failed to be released because of financial problems.

She earns a living for her family by teaching English at Hampden Academy and being a janitor while writing at night or on weekends. To be a good writer, Stephen King does daily writing 2000 words per day. “Read and write four to six hours a day. If you can’t find time for it, don’t expect to be a good writer.”

Gaining Recognition After Decades Of Work

With the support and encouragement from his wife. His novel ‘Carrie’ was published in 1974, which became a turning point in his career as the most influential writer of horror thrillers.

Unfortunately, a few months before the novel’s release, his mother died of cancer ravaging her body. She could not congratulate her son on becoming one of the greatest writers of all time.

The novel, which he sold for $2,500, led him to publish his subsequent novels, namely ‘Salem’s Lot’ (1975), ‘The Shining’ (1978), and ‘The Stand’ (1978).

To reduce the over the publication of his name, he published short novels under the pen name ‘Richard Bachman’ including ‘Rage’ (1977), ‘The Long Walk’ (1979), Roadwork (1981), The Running Man (1982), and Thinner (1984).

A Tragic Tragedy

An accident in June 1999 changed his life. He suffered a brain concussion and fractures all over his body. After the surgery, Stephen returned to writing for the autobiography ‘On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft’, but he could only write for about 40 minutes a day.

Because of the tragedy, Stephen King briefly noticed that he wanted to leave writing in 2002. Although he eventually returned to writing and continues to publish his works until now.

Film and TV Adaptations

As one of the best-selling authors, many of Stephen King’s thriller-horror novels have been successfully adopted and adapted into films and TV series. Its exciting and suspenseful story attracts film production companies.

The film The Shining from the book of the same name released in 1980 became a popular film. Some of his films have also won Oscars, such as the 1990 adaptation of Misery and The Shawshank Redemption, produced in 1994.

The story can always be seen on the big screen and small screen. Stephen King’s film adaptation consists of The Green Mile (1999), Joyland (2013), Mr. Mercedes (2014), Finders Keepers (2015), and End of Watch (2016). Doctor Sleep and IT: Chapter II became a box office film in 2019.

During his career, King has received many awards such as the Hugo Award, Edgar Award for Best Novel, Audie Award: Thriller/Suspense. and the National Medal of Arts.

Stephen King and Tabitha live quietly in Maine and Florida with their charity organization for the sustainability of the literary world. Stephen King constantly explores the genre and the writing style. Stephen King didn’t stop working in his old age by publishing the novels ‘Later’ and ‘Billy Summers’ this year.

The hard work will not betray. Maybe that’s all we can say for Stephen King. His career journey to become the best writer in the world can inspire and motivate you.

This September month is Stephen King’s birthday. Go get to know him, because he is a fantastic writer that you should know. His thriller-fiction-horror books are timeless and always on the New York Times best-selling book lists. You can feel his love for writing in this autobiography of Stephen King!