The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-13
HOW NovELIsrs WORK.
w. ID. Howells Talks About His Own and
Other Writer'S Methods.

w. ID. Howells Talks About His Own and
Other Writer'S Methods.
Boston Herald.
Your new novel, I suppose Mr.. Howels?'
was asked, after an apology for the untimely
interruption.
"Yes, it is the opening of it," was the re-
ply, pointing to the Ms. 'It will deal with
American characters, but it is somewhat pre-
mature to say anything more about it at
present. You see l have only reached the
sixty-seventh page"
The reporter glanced at the half-written
take" of copy. The chirography was of a
moderately fine, free. running variety, with
plenty of space between the lines..,
my working hours, ontinued Mr.. How
ellis, in response to inquiries. ARE from 8 A.
M. to p M. dine at 2 P. NJ, and am a man
of leisure for the rest of the day. On an
average, l cover about twelve of those half
sheets in course of a morning; there are
times when do more work, as in supplying
the concluding chapters of Modern In
stance l turned out some twenty-five pages
per day, but that is exceptional. One of the
pages [ should say, might make a stick
twenty lines) of Herald nonparel. You
see, write very deliberately, indeed; vet |
do great deal of revising, changing words,
making elisions, insertions, etc Sometimes
l rewrite a whole chapter, and [ have ON &C.
casions condensed chapter into paragraph.
The manuscript of "A Foregone Conclusion
was entirely rewritten, and in some respects,
L think, it's workmanship is better than that
of my other books"
"Can you tell me whether it is customary
or not for the writers of magazine serials TO
have their stories finished before the publi-
cation is begun?'
at is, assuredly always very desirable to
have story pretty we'll completed before any
of it goes into the printers hands There
are likely to- be many passages one wishes to
retouch and improve, and often some con-
siderable alterations to be made at the last
moment in order to preserve the harmony
and symmetry of the work. For my own
part, am generally at least six numbers in
advance of publication, and always have my
story well under control before l allow any
part of it to go to the publishers"
"What is the custom with the English
novelists?''
II am inclined to think that, as a general
thing; they keep fewer manuscript chapters
between the pen and the press than is the
case with us, and this fact probably accounts
for the uneven character of many English
novels that have first appeared serially l
was speaking about the matter with an En-
glish novelist whom | met in London, He
agreed with me as to the bad effects of hur-
ried work to catch editions. He, moreover,
said that it was always his intention to have
his story completed in advance, but that, as
a matter of fact he never did so. He would
take contract to furnish story at a given
time, but it frequently happened that the
publisher would make early announcements,
and then come to him with an urgent request
for the opening chapters for certain num-
Der, and the installments once begun, there
was no Withdrawing"
Il should think, Mr.. Howells" said the
reporter, "that after the completion of a
long novel you would find it very necessary
to take much more time for rest and recrea-
lion than you are wont to grant yourself"
'Well, L have always been believer in
the gospel of work for myself as well as for
other people. fail to see that long terms of
intellectual inactivity are beneficial. 1t
seems to me that they are injurious instead.
There is always a reluctance about turning to
work again, and the day appointed for the
resumption of the pen is apt to be postponed
with more freedom than profit. After a
long vacation a writer feels very much like
the man who said he never wanted holiday
so much as the day after he had had one. I
prefer properly to apportfon my work and
recreation, and take them together as tar as
practicable"