This excerpt is taken from Stephen King's memoir and guide, "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft," providing an overview of its structure and content, including the copyright information from the publisher, Scribner. The text features author's notes and forewords that explain King's motivation for writing the book and offer early advice on composition, such as eliminating needless words. Much of the provided material is autobiographical, covering King's challenging childhood, early medical procedures, humorous and difficult school years, first jobs, and the initial successes of his writing career, including the sale of his novel Carrie. Finally, the document discusses core principles of writing, focusing on dialogue, research, character development, and his strong preference for situation over traditional plotting, culminating in a postscript about a near-fatal accident.

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