The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-07-08
The Literary Outlook.
Dr Herbert BreWSter.)

b. Herbert BreWster.)
The bacilli of authorship seem to be
myaterious!y through the
printed page to the average reader.
Few are immune. The ink lever has
many victims. And because tbs is
so. there viii always be many wtC take
seriously the learned articles which APP
pear from time to time on the subject
of How to be a Novelist. several
English authors have recently given
views on the matter and the diversity
of opinion among them indicates at
least the general value of directions to
successful writing.
Mr.. William LIE QueX believes that
one should write out of a wide expert
ence with ~life-which experience Is to be
gained only by much travel. .. L.
". Mason and T.. f. Benson, however,
say tina tL1fe is no need of travel. Mr..
CUTLER CO~1.l also affirms that one can
not become novelist through following
the rules WI down by Mr.. lie QueX.
Mr.. Frankfort Moore recommends the
writing of .ayys' books as a fine training
for the novelist because directness of
narration is thus cultivated. and an
other writer goes on to say that he
would rather take a boys opinion as to
the possible success of a new work than
that of any publisher, reader or critic.
The former statement has the ring of
truth III IT. but the latter was doubtless
written hurriedly and not revised. A
boys opinion on a boys book would be
valuable, but for a boy to judge of the
quality of some books for the adult
would be as foolish as to expect the
first year Latin student to appreciate
the rhythm and beauty of Horace.
MIR. Tom Gallon, who has just pub
li5hed 1.-The Man Before puts it down
as a qualification that the novelist must
have studied life at first hand. Neil
Munro says that the novelist is born
not made. The unfortunate part of
this opinion is that it is too often
shared by the beginners, each of whom
imagines that such was his happy fate
at birth and that the world has refused
to see his greatness since.
Max Pemberton insists on having a
story to tell. Barry Pain waggishly ad-
vises the aspirant to write a novel
which shall become popular: Hamlin
Garland, Cy. Warman, Stewart Edward
White, Owen Wister, and a host OF
Western and Southern writers of our
own country believe that one should
first live the life and then tell it truly
Booth Harrington eXcIaimS. you must
see it first, but YOU may see it in your
minds eye CuriOusly enough. MIR
Harrington pictures all Of his stories
cut first on paper and then proceeds tc
the writing.
Wasn't it Kipling who said: There
are forty thousand ways of inditing tri-
bal lays. and every single one of them is
right8?'
There IS a young lawyer about to take
Ex-Governor Altgeld's place in a urom,-
nent Chicago law firm, named MIR.
brand Whitlock, who, besides being d
capable lawyer, deserves also to be
ranked as one of the best political fc-
ton writer's living. The truth of this
statement has doubtless been impressed
upon the minds of many who have read
his short stories in the magazines,
though the fact escaped the notice of
many. No one, however, who reads
"The Thirteenth District" Will mistake
fhe authors standing. for this first book
is Il wonderful picture of one phase of
politics, and the story which runs
through the book has all the elements
OF actuaItty. Indeed, Mr.. Whitlock's
"Sh 5IiltdlIS as a pOIltlcal HCtlOnISt
comes from the fact that he writes ro-
litlcal ruth. His DEMONSTRATIONS in
"Ih" Thirteenth District are doubtless
pen portraits. Once the author allows
fln&elf an expression of his apprecia-
ton Of Altgeld under a thinly yelled
GuiSn.
MIR. Whitlock was for several wears q
newspaper man, working in Chicag 20
and also in Springfield as legislative
correspondent. In his first long story
no has CAoSen the Thirteenth district OF
illinois and the tale relates the rise.
progress and downfall of q Congress-
1nan. The cook has not been recog-
nizcd properly as yet, but it will be,
and the future work of the author may
Be watched with much expectation.
The only reason for mentioning "a
Girl of Virginia. by Lucy M. Thurs
ton is to call attention to the tendency
of young writer's to make a novel out
Of just enough material for a shor
story. Of course there is need for
many writer's to save their energies. tC
keep as many plots ahead as possible
but the result in most cases is very bad
IN the present instance one feels that
the author has libeled the girls of Vir-