The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-10
HOW STORIES ARE MADE,
Captain Fletcher Speaks Enter.
tainingly Of the Authors
Art.
The Word.P Painters Eye Finds Sug.
gestions in Every.
thing.

Captain Robert Kane Fletcher of the
United States army, author of "The Johns
town Stage" "Margery and Her Papa, -
and other stories, talked In very enter
tanning way last night at the Unitarian
Church about the art of story making. He
desired his hearers to understand that it
was not his intention to deliver formal
lecture at all. His remarks would be more
suggestive than deeply studied.
1.-The primary motive of the true story Is
not to instruct but to amuse. The short
story is not an outgrowth of this century
1t was known during the italian Renais-
sance period. 1t is now recognized as be-
ing as distinct in fiction. There are, there
fore. three fields-romance, novels and
short stories.
''The art of storytelling is as old as the
art of speech. fancy that story. telling
must have originated among the tribes of
men shortly after fire was discovered, for
around the fires are the best stories told
l draw the conclusion that there is no
more divinity in story-making than about
any other vocation where a broad sympa-
thetic knowledge of nature is requisite.
The process of making stories is secret
one. The authors instruments are pen,
LIN oilo PdpS1s HIOl - dn dTI !,
it Is sister to the art of painting, and fire.
quently the two go hand and hand.
1.-The authors canvas is his paper, his
brush is his pen, mis- colors words, and his
language his color-box. He frequently
finds that sometimes he must have a GER
tain word, and only one word will suit the
particular place. AS rule words are but
frogs, which puff themselves out and fit the
oX-hide of an authors imagination
"This taste for the right word may be
! acquired after long periods of labor, al
though it is partly instructive. If the true
| word-artist.has his keen sense and delights
| in the true fitness of words he has also a
commensurate sense of discord.
The matter of style is an authors
personality-his way of describing things.
| When an author acquires the technique OF
| his art the first question is, "Have you
something to writer" If SO, write it simply
and send it to the publisher number one,
and inclose stamps for its return. 1t will
| be treated according to its merit.
plots, and they are sold and bought; they
are merchantable property.
ga great many authors have habit OF
making notes of the incidents that occur
to them during the day. These believe
have little positive worth. Their value
lies i'll their being students of life.
LAS for newspaper scraps there is no
end of them, and they deal with every
phase of life, but are of little value.
Different authors have different meth
DDS of writing. Those who have success
are those who make business of it. Let
him cudgel his mind at stated time each
! day and in time it will become accus-
| toned to going that way.
| 81 would say to the young author, Do
not be led off into foul marshes. Go out
| into nature in search of holy truth and
| when you find it tell it to US in as simple
| way as you can, and if it is beautiful you
may be sure we will listen to it with
pleasure.O