The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-05-31
Advice to Young Writers.

Advice to Young Writer'S.
The idea OF establishing q month
ly journal for the special benefit OF
writer's for the press is very attrac-
tive, and | sincerely hope that it will
be successfully realized. While 7
cannot aatter myself with the prom
ise of being frequent contributor
to its pages, l trust you will permit
me to make few elementary sug-
gestions to beginners.
1t is almost superhuous to say that
in tho profession Of literature the
first requisite is ability to see, to feel
and TO think, aud great part of this
ability is education. Without edu,
cation no one can expect to become
a writer, aud the morr education
the better, provided it is of the right
sort.
There are two objects to be attain-
ed by education. The first is knowls
edge and the second is accuracy.
Accusacy is the power OF distipg uish-
ing the truth, and of expressing
truth as it is
1t makes little difference what are
the peculiar branches of study that
are pursued in the process of educa-
ton, provided that the pursuit is
such as to train and fortify the pow.
er.of distinguishing the truth aud
the faculty Of stating il accurately.
But the more extensive and varied
the studies of youth, the richer win
.oe ttfiis siroY!.S ne hoIei'la@s ... :" ~
more numerous the points Of contact
with the infinitely varied world OF
men aud things in after life. No one
ever learned any branch of knowl-
edge which was wholly useless, and
no one ever cultivated any faculty
that did not bring it's reward. In
the pursuits OF literature aud the
lprofession of writer these maxims
have truth Of their own.
Reading, omniverous and univers.
al, is Of the greatest utility; bu,
thinking must always 90 with it
Food without digestion is useless:
The best school Of writing is {
newspaper office, with intelligence a
the head. No other college is possi
BILE where the discipline of rhetoric
of taste and Of knowledge is so ef'
fectually applied.
The first rule of good writing il
to use always the simplest and plain
est words State the fact or express
the point or principle which you de-
sire to convey, SO that every reade
will understand it exactly as you m
tend it to be understood. Have onl,
one idea in view at time, aud b
, sure that you have expressed
clearly and intelligently before 20,
go to another.
Above oil avoid affectation, ant
the worst affection of all is the affec
tation OF wit. The highest intellect
ual gift is the power to know th
} truth. Next to this is Judgment
next, wit; and the greatest of all in
telleotuh qualities is imagination
The writer who possesses imagina
ton may become immortal.
j But the possession Of these glori
ous endowments is granted to bu
few, and where they are not confer
red by Nature, the effort to attain
them is vain, and the result tedious
Yet every on can possess the facult,
OF simplicity, Of truth, and OF accur,
acy, each and all of them pricele 8,
treasures, indispensable to O success.
ful writer.
Moreover, the intellectual and ar.
tistic qualities Of writing are not all
The moral quality is quite as impor.
tant, perhaps more 80. First, YOU
must believe in something. Prinoi-
pie, conviction, primary trutht, must
live at the bottom of your mind, OF
you cannot make them live in the
minds OF others. lie who believes
nothing, who has no ideals, to whom
the future offers no hope, aud ma
prospect Of Q more generous destiny
Tor mankind, whose country il moi
az dear 70 him ss his own heart. oap
never be more than 8 ploddipR and
mepnauioal writer, and The Grsstssf
y E|lAfs 4