Former child star Macaulay Culkin is turning to his troubled childhood for inspiration in his new career as a writer.

The 25-year-old "Home Alone" actor - who famously "divorced" his parents to gain control of his $17 million fortune - has signed a deal with Miramax Books, reports Ireland Online.

A statement says Culkin's novel "Junior" is "a dizzying kaleidoscope of words and images".

"Culkin takes readers on a twisted tour of the darkest corners of his fertile imagination. Part-memoir, part-rant, part-comedic tour de force, 'Junior' is full of the hard-won wisdom of Culkin's quest to come to terms with the awesome pressures of childhood mega-stardom and family dysfunction."