St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-02

more like an Armenian than a Turk"
. 1T may be that he wishes to give the
lie to the story by the persecution OF
the Armenians," said I.
L don't know about that" replied
Mr.. Crawford. He would prob2b!y
like to stand well with his subjects.
He is said to be much IN fear OF g.
sassinatfon, and he seldom goes out Of
his palace except On his way to the
mosque near by, at which he prays
every Friday. have been told that he
sometimes gets up at night and goes
from one guard to another examining
their revolyers to see If they are prop
erly loaded"
HOW CRAWFORD WRITES.
Here the conversat ton turned to
Paul Patoff'' and Mr.. Crawford CUR
pr1sed me by saying that it's wonder
full descriptions were penred from
memory in Italy after he left Constan-
tinople and not from notes taken on
the ground. He has a phenomenal
power or carrying the details of things
In his mind. He photographs them, as
1t were, on the sensitive plates OF his
brain and develops the negatives as
they are needed for his work. 1 asked
him number Of questions as to how
he wrote his novels, referring to an in
terview which I had some time ago
with Frank Stockton in which Mr..
Stockton said that he thought out
story in his mind from beginning to
end, plot, conversation and all, before
he put his pen to paper. Mr. Craw-
ford replied:
My method of working is somewhat
the same, though I do not go as far
as the wording of the novel or the
conversation. I know how the story
is to end, however, before it begins,
and the hardest week Of the novel is
generally done when 1 begin to write
hrst study out the plot and outline
the chapters and situations, often sit
ting for a day at my desk with nv
pen in hand and accomplishing prac-
t1cally nothing. I make the outline
as complete as possible, writing out
the heads of the chapters, arranging
the climaxes and constructing, in short.
a skeleton of the ..ovel. 1 then begin
to- write and work along steadily as
far as 1 can. according to my schedule
until the book is completed. OF couse.
l have sometimes to change from the
first outline, but not much.'
Have you regular habits Of work p"
1 asked.
mot particularly So" replied Mr..
Crawford, save that I work all the
time. rise very early, have cup
or coffee, and write steadily along un-
til lunch time. Then, after a slight
rest, l write on until dinner. I find
that do some of my best work when
write rapidly, and after outlining
the novel, wish to push my work
e ed.. far as possible until it is oomplet-
HIS CHARACTERS ARE ALIVE.
How about the conversations in
your stories, Mr.. Crawford; do you
remember the good things you hear,
or does the conversation come to YOU
in the natural development of your
characters?"
The individuality Of my characters
is Of the greatest Importance to me
In my writing" replied Mr.. Craw-
ford. Il take no notes Of anything,
but l know my characters. They are
real persons to me. when 1 am writing
about them and I actually seem to
hear them talking in my ears as I
write. If they were not real to me I
could not tell their story. nor make
them talk naturally. It Is a curious
thing, however, that in writing these
conversations sentences occur to me
that will aid me in the DEVELOPMENT
of the latter. part Of the story. I re-
serve these for the advance chapters
and put them down where they nat
uraily come in
suppose you think of your char
acters often when you are not writ
ing; do they live with you?"
Yes; this Is especially so with the
characters OF my Indian stories. as.
for instance, Saracinesca and Corona,
know just what they would say or
do under certain circumstances, and
often think Of them and with them"
you have written great many
novels, Mr.. Crawford, I should think
your work would grow easier for you
as you writer"
I'm some respects it does" replied
Mr.. Crawford. Gin other respects not.
AS far as the mere machinery of the