The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-22
Mr.. Cable and His works.

Interview in New York Herald.
Eleven years ago. or thereabouts Edward King
came down to New Orleans to collect material
for his Great South Papers which Scmbners
Monthly had commissioned him to write. 1
made Mr.. Kings acquaintance, and, when we
came to know each other well, he advised me to
write out a short tale and send it to Scrbners
through him. ] had been struck with the
possibilities which the creole life of my
city offered to an author, and 1 chose
the creole settlement as the field for the
sketch, suggested by Mr. King. As a result,
wrote Seur George it was accepted by the
magazine, and thus became the first of that Sc
ries of sketches which were afterward published
in book form under the title. Old Creole Days
| was still in the counting house, but l was
presently installed as manager of the business,
with an arrangement which left me considerable
time to WELD my pen Yet did not follow up
my advantages as closely as l ought Perhaps
no writer in the country ever neglected his
chances as did; but after all, l don't know that
l am much the worse for it now. At all events,
it was eight years from the time when hrst be
gan to write for Scribner before commenced my
first ambitious attempt in the way of a serial
story, fer it is hardly more than three years
since The Grandissimes appeared.
have in preparation a series of sketches illus
tration another phase of Louisiana life the life
of the exiled Arcadians have amassed fund
vi 1tOtcb III IcSdIu W illoSo anu nave ar
ranged with the Century to publish series of
sketches called 'Arcadan Pastorals' l have
never before worked from notes, but these
gathered when employed upon the late govern
ment sensus for which l had been engaged to
eollate matter relative to the Arcadians in my
native State. In my past writings have devel-
oped the stories as i went along, using little if
any memoranda. l have always the end in
view and work up to that In DIR. SEWER,
however changed the ending as | approached
the conclusion of my tale, for one day | sudden
ly conceived an entirely different, and, think,
a better climax to the novel DIR. SERVER is
already finished although it is still printing
in the Century l do not believe in the practice
of many authors, who write their serials in sec
lions, keeping always two OF three sections in
advance Of publication. It is distracting to be
continually pressed by your publisher for copy,
and this piecemeal method of novel writing is
bad in an artistic sense, for it is apt to iniure
connected thought, and is likely to be disparag-
ing to the unity of the work. l am slow writ
er, very slow writer. / will average perhaps
one thousand words day (about hah column
of the Herald1. and some days l will employ
only in revision and in perfecting. Going to my
desk at in the morning work until 4 in the
afternoon, with only a slight break for the
hghtest of lunches. / have often been asked if
my stories and sketches are founded upon fact
They are for the main part but, of course the
basis of fact is surmounted by an idealization
which gives the works whatever artistic value
theV NAV possess