Stephen King is undoubtedly one of the best known American writers still pumping out new work. His bone-chilling tales of horror appeal to a wide audience of followers who buy their reading material at newsstands and department stores across the country. Due to his popularity, King has also been the subject of numerous rumors and misconceptions. In an attempt to clear things up, the ApeSheet presents some surprising facts that may shock even the most ardent fans.

• King began writing as a young child. He was inspired by Hugh Lofting's Dr. Doolittle books. Contrary to other reports, the first word he wrote at the age of four was not "spooky." It was actually "dooky," spelled with the "y" instead of the "ie."



• After graduating from college with a degree in English, King was supposed to go into the military to fight in the Vietnam War. But he was declared ineligible on grounds of high blood pressure, limited vision, flat feet, punctured eardrums and general creepiness.



• King met his wife Tabitha in the stacks of the Fogler Library at the University of Maine at Orono when both reached for the same copy of The Joy of Sex.



• King wrote several books under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. Other pen names that he has used over the years include Dean R. Koontz, V.C. Andrews and Jackie Collins.



• King's on-line novel The Plant was not discontinued due to a lack of interest. Rather, his AOL server kept crashing when he attempted to upload new chapters, and neither Verizon's DSL service nor Time Warner's Roadrunner are available in his area.



• King's first novel Carrie is not based on his date for the high school prom. King did not have a date.



• His middle name is Edwin.



• King is of Scottish descent and stands over 6-feet tall and weighs more than 200 pounds. He does not have a thyroid problem.



• Like his character in The Dark Half, King prefers to write his novels longhand using a #2 pencil and steno pad. He also prefers boxers to briefs.



• The original version of The Stand is much longer than its first release. His wife never got past the fourth chapter, but she really liked the TV mini-series.



• The character of Randall Flagg was not inspired by any political or religious leader. He was based on the kid who used to take King's lunch money.