Stephen King began writing and submitting stories for publication as a young teenager. It wasn't until 1973 when he was 26 years old, however, that his first novel,Carrie, was accepted by a publisher. By the 1980s, his books were published at a rate of at least one per year. How did King, once a struggling writer, become one of the best-selling authors of all time?Stephen Kingexplores his path from a childhood of poverty to success as a screenwriter, film producer, director, and author of classics of the horror genre likeThe ShiningandCujo.

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Excerpted from Stephen King by Michael Gray Baughan
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