The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1904-03-31

They don't want to puzzle out things
for themselves. They want to be told
the shortest and easiest cut-in other
words, how to do things If they
dared, they would ask you to perform
the actual work for them.
Il don't know how to go about it,
My dear girl, if you think you can
write, or if you know you can write,
which is better still, make out a list OF
suggestions and take them to the edi-
tor Of your paper suggestions that he
is likely to favor according to the pol
icy Of what he prints within his sheets
or else write an article or a good
story and send it to the editor Of 4
magazine which prints that sort Of
thing. If it is good, he will take it.
But so many women fail in journal
ism and writing! Yes, and do you
know why? Because they don't keep
their eyes and ears open, because they
don't keep up to date. You see a wonl-
an who was popular a few years
ago. and you wonder why she can no
longer sell her wares. It is because
she still keeps On writing the same
stuff that she wrote five years ago, no!
taking into consideration that the world
changes and advances year by year.
her writing need be shelved, no mat
ter low old she is. 1t isn't age, it is
mcnt&l rheumatism, which is shelyed.
Why do the writings of the talented
Miss Smith invariably come back neat.
" tagged with a rejection slip? BE
cause the talented but lazy Miss Smith
doesn't take the trouble to study tbs
policy Of the magazine to which SIC
sends htl' contributions. She present"
an article to a magazine on how to
make the home beautiful, devoted t.
the higher rights Of woman, or a Geri-
ouss essay to the monthly Flip Flap, a
Magazine Of Wit
Why does that energetic Miss Jones
fall SO fiat (pGrGo-l fi3c sl4nG) as d no7rs-
naror woman! Because that encrgeti
Miss Jones thinks it is q wasse oc
to read the morning papers. sla sFa..
rather give TIE public something s.
thinks it ought to have than soncthins
in which it is for the moment interest,
ed. Read tie morning papers, Mss
Jones, and see what is in the publ
eye. Il may not be the most eleyati.ls
kind Of stuff, but it's the stuff people
want to hear about. And please re-
member that when you are in the news
paper business your affair is to please
the people, no matter how vulgar they
are, and not yourself. And don't shut
yourself up, Miss White How can YOU
expect to have ideas? IT you are i
newspaper writer, you want to make
all kinds Of friends in every position IL
life. If you write character slzetcha4
and bits of human nature, you wonH
find your inspiration in a hall bedroom.
Go out and miS with people. Accept al..
the invitatlo,4s you can. listen to al 1ia
converse lions, watch all tie expires
sions.
Now, as to tie actual writing csa
give no better advice than tits: Take i
hatchet to your sentences. III; w..sor
WHO uses long sentences Is la:sseniJ,g
hes chances OF success b. ona-ba3f.
Forget there Is such q thing as 4 semi
colon. When you feel that way use
common, ordinary period Don't he
afraid of paragraphs. They break ~
u page and make it look easy reading.
Write to the point. You can't write too
strongly. Use the shortest words you
can and incidentally only one side cf
the paper. Last and not least, think CT
writing as business on a business
basis, and you will be able to make IN
income at it. MAUD ROBINSON.