The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-09
Speed of the NoveIists,

Although no English novelist can rival
in producTiveness the late Mr.. Halsey,
odd Sleuth.' the sensa ti0nal writer who
left behind him no fewer than 500 novels
and made light of completing novel of
10000 words within a week there are
many writer's OF fiction who have achiev-
ed marvellous records as writers The
average novelist is content TO produce one
novel a year. a feat which cannot be de-
spissd when We consider THAI the average
novel contains from .0o0 70 20 go words.
and that merely 10 copy II would represent
a months hard work. writing FIVE or six
hours a day. Several novelists. however,
have produced three. four and even five
OF these novels in single year; ;hree
have joint life record OF % novels. and
at least two have ged two and a half
novels for every year Of their writing life.
In the newest school OF writers 5. R
Crockett takes the palm for fecurdity, in
numbers If rot in the volume OF bis nov
els. His first novel, the famous ''SIickit
Minister" was produced as recently as
1898: but its success was such a stimulus
TO Mr. CrOckett's industry that 1894 saw
four of its successors. and in six years its
author had written and produced fifteen
novels or almost as many as Mr. Black
more has produced in thirty-five years.
Mr. Barrie Is contented with much
slower rate Of production. He began wei.
by publishing four novels in his first TWO
/ years. but singulsrly enough. his fTst
really successful novel The Little Min
| ister." seems 70 have given a check 10
/ his industry as a writer Of fiction, for IN
/ all OF the intervening seven years only two
( OF Mr. Barrie's novels have seen the light
Ian Maclaren." ike Mr.. Barrie, is con-
tent 10 go slow and 10 produce one book
a year. Last year he produced two books,
but one was merely a collection Of short
I stories.
Among other leading writers OF fiction
/ who have averaged more than one volume
year is Mr. Jerome whose record is six
teen novels in eleven years. Stanley Wey-
man, one Of the most painstaking Of all
novelists, has published eleven novels in
his nine years of writing. but he never at
/ tempted fiction until he was thirty-hve
/ and had lost the first fervor OF youth
| Frankfort Moore has published thirty-six
novels in twenty-four years. and Mrs.
/ Macquoid fifty-seven in thirJy-seven
/ years.
| George .Gissing is responsible for seven
/ teen books in fifteen years and Rider
/ Haggard wrote twenty-one novels in sew
enteen years, four of which were pub
lished in 1855. In recent years the seduc-
| tons Of country life have been stealing
4 over MN ana Sdpplus MS literary Tlici - 70
! Between 1895 and 1893 he seems 20 have
given the world nothing in book form
/ from his pen.
Among the 'laggards IN literature the
chief is perhaps Olive Schreiner whose
| average rate of production Is one book III
| five years, indeed. for very many years
| it seemed likely that her first brilliant
venture. THE Story of an African Farm. %
would never have a successor.
| George Meredith has produced a little
more than one book IN every two years Of
! his writing life. Mrs. Humphrey Ward
has been content with seven books IN
| eighteen years. Mr.. SJardy has produced
| eighteen novels in thirty-four years. or a
rough average OF two years for each book.
and Mr.. BlackmoTe's record is very SINH
! lar. with sixteen novels in more than
/ twice as many years.
OF our older writer's. Mr. Henty takes
the palm Of industry with a record Of
| over 100 books. and Is followed BY Miss
Braddon, with ffty-seven novels in thirty
| eight wears