The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-22
8U00888 as an AUthOr
Useful Hints to Young Writers Ambitious to Reach the
Front Ranks of Literature.

ing are your characters taken from lifeg'
II never copy the character Of an in
dividual That would be to give por-
trait What is taken represents q type.
Every character created by an author
comes from his own individuality.
GENIUS IN WRITING is A MYTH.
"When our young person sets out in a
serious attempt to write, having fully
absorbed, let us say, the life about him,
he is surprised to find that it is hard
work. He decides that he cannot
hone to become great, for he has
been taught that the great writer,
the genius in literature, throws off his
masterpieces without an effort. L know
of nothing more discOuraging to the
young writer than this genius theory.
and for the relief of any to whom 1T stlll
exists as a bugabee, | will say that L
am pretty sure it's a myth. The only
genius worth talking about, in writing,
sin everything else, is the genius OF
hard work, OF course brains are neces-
sary and not all men have the menta
equipment to become successful authors,
but the idea that good literature comes
as a sort of heaven-sent inspiration IS
erroneous. Not to mention myself, can
say from my acquaintance with success
full authors, that most Of the good liter
allure Of recent years has been ground
out by painstaking and labOri6us work.
/ suspect that the same thing would be
found to be true of earlier writer's had
there been newspapers and reviews to
probe into their daily lives and habits Of
work.
Closely akin to this genius delusion is
the idea that man can write with good
results when the fit is on him. This is a
lazy mans theory, but it is easy for a
young author to persuade himself into
it, The only way for writer to accom-
plish anything is to set aside certain
bowls of the day mot too many for his
work, and to devote himself to the work
then as completely as though he were in
a notice or Il factory. 1T may be hard
at first but he will soon become accus-
toned to it, and will grow into the habit
of working at that time / don't believe
i'm trying to write so many words every
| day, but if the writer devotes certain
amount of time to his task, even if he
does not accomplish much at each sitting.
he will find the results mounting up in
satisfactory way. The man who waits
for inspiration is likely to wait long
| time for recognition.
DON'T LOSE YOURSELF IN YOUR
| STORY.
81 don't believe that writer should
try to lose himself in his story, as is so
| often recommended. The advice sounds
well, but it isn't sound. l hold that the
greatest actor is the one who never for
! gets himself. and so it is in writing. The
author should stand constantly in the
! attitude of critic and inquire, Is this
| true? Is it the way such character
would act or speak under such circum-
! stances? He should have all his char
acters clearly deineated. They should
stand out plainly before his minds eye.
| But, after all, they are the creations of
his own individuality and must remain
| so. if the story is to be worth anything.
ga sto the best time and the best
way to work each man must decide for
| himself. / used to DO most of my work
at night, Il survival of the newspaper
| habit, l suppose. But now l have
changed to the morning, and nearly all
my work is done before the noon hour.
think that that is really the best time
that a mans mind is fresher and more
vigorous then. In composing l generally
use pen, because l want to see the
last word or sentence | have written,
where careful thought is involved and
/ am going slowly. But l have type
writer in my study, and when | see plain
sailing ahead I turn to that. l may say,
too, that my greatest difficulty, and one
that l probably share with many other
writer's, is in making beginning. 1t is
mighty hard work sometimes to start a
story that will always carry itself
along once it is under way.
NOT TOO MANY BOOKS.
cit is often said that too many books
are written nowadays. l don't agree
with that. Many, yes, most of the books
published every year have no enduring
reputation. but if they are the result of
earnest effort, if they are faithful pic
lures of some phases of our varied life,
and strike responsive chord in some
few readers, they are not wasted, and
are not to be accounted failures.
"Of course, in this, as in all that
have said before, | am not speaking or
literature rs mOney-making profes,
sion. Not that it is wrong to write for