The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-22

IL 4 lazy mans theory but IL IS easy Cor \
young author 20 persuade himself into IL
TIE only way for q writer 10 accomplish
anything Is 20 set aside certain hours Q.
the day mot 100 Uanye for his work. and
TO devote himself 10 the work then as CON-
gleseiy as though he were in an office CT 3
factory. II may be hard az arse- bat ne
viii soon become accustomed 70 il. and VIII
grow into the habit OF working az that
time don't believe in trying 10 write 50
many hundred words every day. bat K the
writer devoie.s a certain amount or time 20
his task. even it he does not accomplish
much At each sitting. he will find the re-
suits mounting Up in a satisfactory way.
The man who waits for inspiration IS line
" 10 wait long time for recognition
Don't Lose Yourself in Your story.
Il don't believe that q writer should
try 10 lose himself in his story, as IS SO
often recommended. The advice sounds
wei. bur * Sn't sound. ] hold that the
greatest actor IS the one who never for
gets himself. and so il is in writing. The
author should stand constantly IN the at
titude OF critic and inquire. Is this .ruef
Is IL the way such character would act
or speak under such circumstances lie
should have all his characters clearly de-
hneased. They should stand out plainly
before his minds eye. But, after all. they
are the creations of his OWE individuality.
and must remain so, IL the story IS 20 be
worth anything.
..As to the best time and the best way
TO work each man must decide for him.
SCI used to do most OF my work at
night. a survival Of the newspaper habit,
i suppose. But now I have changed TO
the morning. and nearly al my work IS
done before the noon hour. / think that
il Is really the best time: that mans
mind is freSaer and more vigorous then.
In composing I generally use pen. be-
cause want to see the last word or SEN
tence / have written, where careful
thought is involved and am going Slowly.
But have typewriter in my study. and
when / see plain sailing ahead I turn to
that. / may say, too. that my greats<st
difficulty. and one that / probably share
with many other writers, is in making a
beginning. Ii is mighty hard work some
times TO start a story that viii always
carry itself along once il IS under way.
Not Too Many books.
''It is often said that too many books
are written nowadays. I don't agree with
that. Many, yes. most OF the books pub
ished every year have no enduring rspu-
tat.on, but IL they are the result Of earn
est effort, IL they are faithful pictures o.
some phases OF our varied life. and ssrika
a responsive chord in some few readers.
they are rot wasted. and are not 10 be
accounted ldliOreS-
''Os course in this as in al that have
said before. 1 am not speaking OF Eterd-
ture as money-msking profession. Not
that Ii Is wrong TO write for money. Most
OF Us are under the necessity OF making
money by our work. But / don't believe
that any man ever devoted himself 10 1T
erature for the sake Of making money. II
any man ever did. am afraid ne made a
sad mistake. and would have been much
better off in some other kind OF work
II is true that the best writing Is not
always the most profitable. and that. .s
writing for money. the author must con-
suit the tastes OF his publisher and the
publishers public rather than his own I
do not say that this work Is ignobie,
but IL IS necessarily, in a measure, unsat-
tsfactory TO the author. I suspect that
most OF us do eight-hours' work Of the
kind we are compelled to. In order that we
may say, in passing, that the writing Of
serials Is a poor authors surest means OF
support. and the multiplication OF PERIOD
icais has greatly increased the market for
these But the money side OF literary
work Is not the most joyous 10 dwell upon.
aud. as royal road to riches literature
Is certainly failure"