The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-09-15
HOW THEY WORK.

A charmingly gifted writer who has
but recently left the world, Louisa M.
Alcott is said to have cared but little
for study in which to write her won
derful stories, the delight of all young
people. With most authors study is
necessary convenience, but with Miss
Alcott it was otherwise. A quiet corner Of
a room suited her quite rs well as more
formal abode. The plot of story once
in her mind she could sit down anywhere
and weave the narrative which was to en-
terrain and make better countless youths
the world over. The kind of pens or
paper to be employed in the work in
hand was of no concern to her, and all
the table she cared for was an old atlas
which she could lay on her knee. She
would lie awake nights oftentimes, con-
irving plots and sketching in her mind
chapter after chapter, even to the very
minuti@ Of the language to be used, SO
that when she arose in the moring, all she
had to do would be to write off the tale.
Only few OF her stories were composed or
written at her home in Concord. She pre-
ferred to go to Boston and hire quiet
room, enter it, and locking the door be-
hind her, perform the work so dear to
her heart. Oftentimes she would toll the
better part of the day upon her manu-
script, hardly fixing morssl of food
from morning till night.
Henry James is usually systematic in
his work, going to his private apartments
at once after breakfast, and toiling until
the noon hour. He is slow and palms.
taking in composing, rewriting and re-
touching one day what he has written
the day before, never satisfied with his
labor until he has applied the test of the
real artist to all he has written. Yet,
while slow as producer he accomplishes
vast amount of work in comparative
ly short space Of time. When sojourning
in London, he writes by the aid of two
candles, as the London mornings are gen.
orally dark. When he is through with
his mornings task he sRunters forth to
his club where he takes his dinner.
George W. Gable is a lab orious worker
writing on an average only 1000 words
day. He usually writes from 9 in the morn
ing until in the afternoon, only pausing
in the interim for light luncheon.
There are days when his work consists
simply in revising what he has written
Immediately before.
Howells writes until early afternoon,
and then, laying aside his pen, gives the
afternoon to recreation and the evening to
social pleasure or to reading. He is
slow producer, yet is able to write
couple of novels year, in addition to
performing q goodly amount of NIGEL
laneous literary work. He revises a good
deal, frequently rewriting whole chap
tiers. 1t is said that portions of "a Fore
gone Conclusion" were rewritten more
than twice.
Mrs. Burnett usually does her work in
her study, but if necessary can write
elsewhere. Sometimes she does her work
in the came room with her family, never
being disturbed by the romping of her
children, it being no unu sual thing for
her to drop her pen and enter into the
pastime of the hour. While writing che
can converse at intervals with her hus-
band, without detriment to the real task
before her. She devotes the early part
of the day to her work, never abandoning
this rule even when in poor health. Some
times she writes the entire day, but gen.
orally gives the afternoon up to social
engagement and recreation. She is a fast
worker. For example: "Tnat Lass o.
Lowrie'e," "The Line at Grantley Mills"
"Pretty Polly Pemberton," and "The
Fortunes of Philippe Fairfax" we're writ
ten in less than year and four months
Edgar Fawcett likes best to do his
writing in the top story of cheap tene-
ment house, away from his own sumpt-
GUS home III New York. He can think
better in such place, and feels that his
work is Of bstter quality when produced
here than in his study at home.-Inte.
rim.