New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-15
THE BUSINESS OF WRITIye
STORIES.
Money IN OBSERVING HUMAN NATURE

81 have been spending the summer and a good uaa
Of the autumn on summer hotel pazzas.- said youuf
man who Is prospective member Of the Aatlon
Club, the other day, TO q reporter. Because
like that sort Of thing? Not at all. except for tas
ness purposes. Get lots Of glimpses OF human IA
ture, you know Pretty often the seamy sida va
But that's all right n it wasn't for the seamy aA
OF life, what would we poor devils Of writers Co..
And, say, you get it on the summer resort hotel
piazzas. For instance---but, no. | won't tell that
Going to use 1t for the plot OF short story that viii
make Richard Harding Davis feel envlous, thOuh
they say he is not built that way. Doesn't DO 70
throw away the plots Of short stories when they are
worth-but there, I'll not give away the edton'
secret.
"To get back to the summer hotel piazrs, bow
ever. / have filled my notebook with amuang out
groupings Of human nature, which am going 10 voh
out into reading matter for the dear public this W.
ter. All sorts OF things about all sorts and
dtons Of men. There are bon'mots and epigrans
and unconsciously ridiculous saying and doings, and
pathetic geKrevelaons Of folly, and occasionally
goodness, and bits Of comedy and suggestions
tragedy and, last of all, numerous thoughts Of my
own suggested by the speaking phantasmagoria hfoN
me. regular workshop full Of materials, you 30
which / shall take the liberty Of improving Gt
polishing up until, in most cases, their origins
authors wouldn't know them. That's the way 10
write in touch with real life, and the only way. "
notebook is always FULL and consequently am always
ready TO write something at a moments notice AL
| have to do Is to open my book, run my eye over s
pages until come across some incident that ! is
at the moment like tackling and, prestol the tdns
Is done You see, when take down any words
incidents that seem to to be worth something from
the writer's point Of view, can't help working ci
in my mind the sketch or story or denouement which
is is
that / glance at my notes the whole structure thai
l had built upon them, even TO its minutest details
flashes back in my memory, and all have TO 90 u
to write the thing out just as though were coy
ing IT, In fact, am copying ii from nenA
transcript. remember that I was to improve
epigram, add light and shade to anecdote .ns
fectivey told, but with great possibilities IN H. ~o'
up here, tone down there. and give to the whole
air of unity and verismilitude that is so Necessary
even to write short sketch for the newspapers iH
time has gone by, / may say In passing, ~nen
writer can dump anything in newspaper ONCE WE
the expectation that it will 60. 1t will go-but IN M
waste basket. Sometimes you can WORK ID
poor thing on magazine editor, but almost never
the editor of daily paper. There was that massa'"
article of NINE for instance--but, as Klping sssA
that is another story.
"Read few Of my notes? oh. come now ms''
hardly fair, you know. You see, IL is really n'Ve
of dollars and cents with me. For instance ~
page is to be worked into tale that VIII se' y"
handsome overcoat The next page won't eu' W
well, 1t will only get me pair OF ooou.
the next page see clearly before me coupe u -
Of gloves, hat and few scarfs. on the next P's.
plainly read dress suit between INC - -.
On other pages see varous little things mo'e 80
luxurious in their character such as cigars ana 49,
dinner or two 10 friends. and theatre and ole"
cts and tickets TO such SENT social events as 'n a
show and far out toward the end are the pas nav
which l shall coin the money with whlch hsins fund
my life Insurance policy add 10 my little sa" ss,.fo5
invested for a rainy day, and live durlng ny ~ rhh
next summer In fact this modest little noteocs
pickpocket would throw away In disgust AZ $50 Of
worth less than nothing, is in reality my anl =
perfIap, more accurately my bank n0tee0ors nac
you will excuse me II am little selfish IN A"F''
contents for my own IAN MA,
Worked me after ALL dont---oh. yes Wv e.
that you'll publish my little talk 70 you, ridI
good joke on me. isn't IL But don't mlha; "A \
expect to hold a mortgage the whole EARN ~
funcss thereof. You can use my talk have D,
worth a good quarter Of a column Bu' vhtl
precious little bank notebook. my good ialf} rsis 3
gives me whatever good thing desire wheh
| few magic strokes with my PEN"