St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-28
How the Authors DO 1t.
New York World.

| New York World.
| W. ID. HowelIs works from a. m. to ]
p. H.. dining at 2, and is at leisure the rest
of the day. He writes about 1000 words
every day. With this stint he can turn out
| two novels and great deal of miScellane
Gus matter in the course of year. He is
not satisfied without a great deal of reviS-
| ing, and sometimes rewrites whole chap
! ter. The manuscript of "A ForegOne Con-
| clusion" was entirely rewritten.
Henry James, Immediately after break
| fast of coffee and rolls in his own room. sits
down to his literary work, generally writing
! by the light of two candles, London morn
| ings being so dark. He compOseS slowly
and painfully, rewriting and retouching his
work continually, his artistic style being
attained only at the expense of real toll.
| He works until noon. and then goes to his
club for lunch. By regular application he
manages to produce good deal of manu-
script.
Samuel L. Clemens does not write in his
library; his humorous fancieS are evolved
with more ease in the SecluSi0n of his pr-
yate billiard room. He makes it an invari-
BILE rule to do certain amount of literary
work each day, and his working hours are
made continuous by emitting the forinality
of lunch. He is merciless toward his own
productions, and often destroys whole
days writing without conjunction. In
this way he often does piece of work over
and over again, but at other times the first
daft is satisfactory. George Cable is a
very slow writer. He averages perhaps
1000 words per day. and some days he
does nothing but revise and perfect his
work. He goes to his desk at a. m. and
writes until p. m, with slight break
for light lunch.
The poet Whittier confesses to never
having had any literary methods. He
writes when he feels like it. and has neither
the health nor the patience to work his
copy over afterward, usually sending it to
the publisher as originally completed.
Elizabeth Stuart Phelps believes in the
value of workshop out of the house, and
has an old barn near her fathers residence
at Andover, whittier she often retires when
in the mood for writing. Being an invalid
she is unable to maintain any regular sys-
tenn of work.
Louisa May Alcott never had study;
any coZy corner answers TO write in. She
is not particular as to pens and paper, and
an old atlas on her knee is all the desk she
cares for. She has the power to carry a
dozen plots in her head at time, elaborat-
ing them when she is in the mood. Some
times she carries plot by her in this way
for years before she puts it down on paper.
At times she lies awake at night and plans
whole chapters, word for word. and when
daylight comes she has only to write them
Off as if she were copying. In her hardest
working days she used to write IA
hours in the "a, sitting steadily at her work
and scarcely tasting food until the task was
done. Very few of her stories have been
written in Concord. She goes to Boston,
hires quiet room, shuts herself up and
waits for IAN east wind of inspiration,
which never fails" In a month or so the
book is done. She never copies and seldom
corrects.
Mrs. Frances 81. Burnett writes in
''den" at her Washington house. Early
in the morning she seats herself at the
table and writes until noon. The morning
stint of pen labor is vigorously insisted on,
neither mood nor even health being con-
suited. If she is in happy mental frame
the hours are not needed and the sentences
flow freely from her pen, dusk sometimes
coming before the manuscript is laid aside.
If, however, the spirit does not exert itSel
in particularly prolific fashion. she de-
votes the afternoon to recreation, drives,
walks and social engagements. THAT
Lass o. Lowrie's," ''Pretty Polly Pember-
ton." 1.-The Fire at Grantley Mills" and
THE Fortunes of Phillippa Fairfax" We're
all written in about fifteen months.