Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1897-10-20
. GRINDING OUT GLORY.
British Noveaists Tell How Many Words
Day They Write.

1StenC0 or the 1ltery I6llerS mas
been stripped off that the public
may know the most ordinary details
in the life of those who live by the
pen. One inquiry, which is as L.
Ultimate as any other, is regarding
the writing habits of these queer
folk. How many thousand words a
day do they turn offG Do they work
best by moonlight or daylight How
much do they rewritei The Strand
Magazine has been quizzing several
of these people, and some of the an
swers are funny, as we'll as instruc-
tive. Others are short.
w. l. Alden confesses that he
spends so much time cleaning his
wheel that he does not work with
any great regularity. But he does
an hours work on the typewriter at
the usual speed Of 1900 words an
hour. This is 80 words a minute
regularly. probably 40 or 80 words
in spots. and is pretty fair. But he
adds that if he is driven he can do
5000 words an hour, or so words on
the level, with spurts to go or rs.
Robert Barr's business is that of a
humorist, so, of course, he is con-
sistently funny and at length. His
wheel, too, takes lot of time. He
says if he could average 1000 words
a day he would be rich. When it
isn't necessary, he can do 5000 or
1900 words.
Walter Besant's novels advance
1000 words a day, and three hours
make day.
When Hall Caine was journal
ist," he did some wonderful work,
but nowadays he is more than salts
fed if in three or four days week
he can produce 5000 or 5000 words.
Crockett has the ways of many
newspaper men. When it comes to
writing after long, hard thought,
his pen flies in trying to keep up
with his thought All he wants is
to get a rough draft while all his
thoughts are with him and then cor
rect deliberately afterward.
Conan Doyle has ''off COLOR days
and says that authors are more sub
ject to them than any one else. A
good days work with him is 1,5C0
to 1000 words.
ut initiates" George Egerton,
who is woman, Ito have tc con-
slider how many words there are in
anything write, write just as
many as / need, no more, no less,
always less if possible. .
George Griffith says regretfully
that he has "perpetrated" $4,000
words in one day His average is
from {, 900 to 5000,
Frankfort Moore natures his plot
in the wood" for two years, then
considers it for three months and
then writes it at fever heat, which.
for a novel Of 100, 900 words, he con
siders to be 4,C0O words day He
never rewrites even phrase His
books of adventure, which writing
is merely exercise. he turns out at
5000 words a day
Max Penn berton never wrote more
than 2,O00 words day, and even at
that he regretted it. His day is
four hours long, and his record runs
from 500 to 1900 words, according
to his Woodland his neighbours
piano.
William LIE Queux wrote his 49,.
900 word novel, The Great White
Queen" in 80 days.
a. G Wells burns half what he
writes The other half runs 1000
words day.
1T is terrible question. says
John Strange Winter, when asked
how much she does day, but she
confesses to 1900 words, some of
which, however, was letter writing.
Her heaviest days straightaway
was 1000.
AS for Allen Upward, here is every
word he says: When | decide to
write book OF play, Ispend months
Of misery in the preliminary wres-
tie. invent about so plots and re.
ject them all, write something one
day and scratch it out the next, copy
out the opening about 1000 times
and finally give up the whole thing
as bad job.
During this time ! shun my spe
cies, quarrel with my best friends,
take to drink and curse my publish.
er. Last of all. ! make desperate
plunge, sit up for three or four
nights in succession till or a. m
and write the thing. !"
Russian Jurymen.
The most incredible stories are