Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1874-02-28
wRITING FoR THE PRESS.

The passionate appeals which are
made, either personally or by letter, to
the managing editor of a leading Jour-
nal, soliciting him to accept or buy arti-
cles the majority of which are utterly
worthless, make his place anything but
an enviable one. To nine out Of ten
must be returned an inexorable I" No."
And yet no would-be contributor ever
dreams that he is to be one of the nine.
Writing for the press is a different art,
and, like music or painting, can only be
mastered by the most intense, patient
and persistent study. CARLYLE has said
of the needle women of England, that
&c there are seamstresses few or none,
but botchers in abundance" So in
literary labor it is but too true that there
are many botchers and few skilful
workmen.
The most popular papers of the day
are not those crammed with long pom
derous articles. which are more painful
to read, doubtless, than it was to write
them, but those whose merit lies in con-
densation; whose pithy paragraphs,
squeezed into the smallest space, may be
quickly taken in by the eye. These are
the papers which are sought for, passed
from hand to hand and read till they are
worn out. Their contents must be such
as to at once catch the attention. And
it is the lack of these talents and the
neglect of these principles which cX-
plain the failure of so many newspapers
and contributors.
One of the first suggestions that will
be offered is, to avoid long articles; the
reader should not be frightened at the
outset. Cannons make a loud noise,
but rifle balls often do the greatest exc
cution. Great thoughts may be packed
in a very small compass and carry
everything before them. A single
thought, properly presented, may be
made the germinal principle which
shall fructify through many a life. To
accomplish this, one must be sure that
he has something to say, and say it only
when in the best mood. 1t is said that
Milton did not stop to invoke his muse
No time should be lost in introductions
or rhetoric, but the keynote should be
struck, if possible, in the very first SEN
tence.,
The aim should be to be brief and
crisp, giving results only, and not COW
ering them up with verbiage or explain
atory sentences. Nobody cares how the
writer came to think of his theme, or
why he writes upon it, providing the
sentences are electrically charged and
every word leaps with life. IL is con-
densatiOn and earnestness that wins. A
truly earnest person never wastes time
or words. The pen wields power that
no sceptre can rival, but it must be pro-
PEELED by enthusiasm and inspiration,
coupled with patience and willing toll.
The sword blade must go red-hot to the
anvil, and be forged in few seconds
to make it of good temper; but after the
forging, long AMI weary polishing and
grinding must follow before the grain
will cut. So the successful writer must
needs be willing to prune and cut down.
to lay aside and resume again, in the
work of strengthening the weak points
and polishing the rough ones. "All
that is worth much costs much," and he
who aspires to the truly laudable work
of transmitting thoughts which shall
become imperishable, must be willing to
cheerfully pay the cost, or, failing in
this, must not blame the editor If the
article intended for print finds its way
instead to Ralaam's box"