The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-29
LITERATURE OF TODAY.
THE EDITOR OF THE CENTURY DIS.
COURSES ON THE SUBJECT.
some Comments on the Development
OF Writers of stories and Makers OF
Plays-what the Young Writer Must
Do to Gain q Position.

Richard Watson Glider the editor OF
the Cnl,ay Magazine, is young man with
delicate cast Of features, lie looks for
all the world what he is-a poet lilo is a
tireless worker. In the course of a month
hundreds OF manuscripts are submitted to
him for his reading. They are sent TO
him from all parts of the world They are
ON all sorts Of subjects and by all sorts Of
people. Many Of the writers are young
men and young women who think litera.
ture Offers a lucrative field for the en-
ployment Of their talents Mr.. Glider Is
a patient reader He is ever on the alert
for bright writer who possesses originate
ty. lie is a great believer in young men
and women, but he holds out no false hope
to them. Literature is an cxacting mis-
tress, Only few writers get to the top
round OF tho ladder Still, he says,
there is no reason why persons who think
they possess talent tor writing should not
try. Mr.. Glider was good enough to dis
cuss the matter very fully with New
was in his office in the Century building.
A senographer took down the exact con-
versation.
"What field Is there in literary work for
a young man OF young woman who has
some ability, and yet has no knowledge OF
how 10 beginp"
''The only way for beginner 10 do is TO
begin. To become u professional writer
practice is necessary"
81 want to know what field there is to-
day for magazine writing"
"For people without literary rcputa-
tions?"
ayes, people who want to mako rcpu-
taiion-who want TO rise in the profession;
II is fast becoming n profession in itself
Now, what field is thcrc2 We arc having
new magazines springing up, some good,
some bad."
"Wcll, the most constant demand Is for
fiction. A beginner always has the oppor-
tunity for practice in the field OF short
stories, and out OF this lac can be graduated
into a serial writer, novelist, publishing
either in the magazines or in book form,
or both, In this way the writer Of stories
has an advantage over the dramatic writer,
in that he can las Mr.. Brandcr Matthews
saysl make his brief essays and try them
on the editions and on the public, whereas
in the dramatic art in this country he does
not get the chance that lac do1 abroad,
where they take one act plays from begin
ncrs. That Is one reason why there are so
many writer's Of fiction coming up all over
the country, and why there are 10 few
dramatists, because the latter have a
chance TO practice-to try their expert
ments upon the public, and the latter
have small chance"
elias not that been the case with almost
all Of our fiction writer's Of the present gen.
Grafton; they began with short stories and
then blossomed out NJ the rosc2"
"That has been the rule Some Of them
have never got fairly beyond the short
story stage, but II they write good short
stories they have gained the rewards OF
| fame"
"What reason would you assign for tho
! decadence Of some of thcm2 Take, for Nv.
stance, Bret llnrte, a man who was very
well known and very well appreciated ter
years ago. Today he IL not much talked
Of"
Bret IIarlc Is still strong and original
writer, but his field IL narrow, and he las
been away from Il a good while"
"Thcn you would suggest that person
| in writing fiction should not conline him.
self TO any particular line, but broaden his
field7"
al think that each person ought 10 do
the best lac can. II he can do better In a
limited field, after fully becoming aware
| OF the fact, lac had better stick 10 his mar.
row field. but writer who wishes %
hold and increase his audience, and who
IL aiming at broad and lasting rcputa
ton, should, II possible. prove himself
able 10 strike more than one note The
verdict Of the contcmpOrancOus public
and the verdict OF pOsterity IN made ~
after considering, among other things, the
amount Of ground that a writer ran cover,
and cover well. Mind, do not mean
chiefly geographical ground mean moral
gruund-ihe geography Of the human
soul. A writer who wishes 10 grow and
90 sec his audience grow must not bc for.
ever harping upon one string. II you
have penetration, originality, you can get
good deal Of moral geography out OF q
single State county, town, village ar p0'
tnto patch. There must bo variety Of mo-
| tive, II not Of actual scene. This, think.
| IL good general advice, and yet ! know
! that some great men have got along with
! apparently little moro than n single idea.
They made up In depth what they lacked
| in breadth
Doesn't the public, 10 certain extent,
| make the field for the writer, the dcinnnd|
| Are there not fnnCies and fashions IN It,
craturc a. there are In dress, that u, 10 d
certain cXtegtl'
"Ycs; butthc wrileroi genius can create
a fashion, aud DOES"
"Thcn the public doesn't make n de
mand for a peculiar field, but the writer
himself makes iho public come Ia him3'
"fho two influences arc at work, one
works ~ strongly M the other. ! think. II
Is generally second cln,s work that i done
Ia answer 10 n supposed demand, hence
limitations and sonsationalism. There h q
class Of writers whose main idea h "a
catch on" Instead Of going 10 work with
conscience and conviction they are Away
rushing in when they think somebody els,
has made so-callcd hit, and trying q
duplicate the fortunate stroke. IL would
| evidently be- n mistake Tor certain written
10 try too strcnuOusly a. prove that thcy
can do other things thun those which thcy
have long been successful In doing. The
fortunate writer Is Nc Who understands hi-
own limitations. Rach writer must do hi'
best, whether he does his best In it'll,
field or in wide field lie must bc dL
Greet in making cssays In fields not ~ a.
milia TO him ~ those in which he has
succeeded"
"what have you 10 nay about illustrat
ing2"
illustrating requires technical cduca
ton. How, for instance, can a man draw
n scene illustrating story without n thor
ough knowledge OF che human figure
| Mauaziues are constantly an the lookout