New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-05
"DoNT's" FOR YOUNG AUTHORS.
An English Writer'S Advice to Her Sisters
in the Craft

Mrs. r Keish In The Pan Mall Magazine.
It IL delicate matter TO offer. however defer
entially useful hints 10 seekers after literary
success: but were D asked write list Of lit
erary "doEt's' some OF The Following would he
among them.
Don't put your relations in book II is too
great price TO demand Of them for being re-
lated 10 YOU. which after all. they cannot help.
Don't Try TO make epigrams. FOR. unless they
are spontaneous they will-like bad sauce
be quite unpalatabe.
DON'T use the same word twice in a sentence.
especially IN imaginative writing. if you can
find suita BILE synonyme
Don't write on subjects Of which you know
nothing: don't for instance, attempt to describe
American girl or French girl If you have
never met one. Try a German-they are less
characteristic and any ordinary heavy. senti-
mental type viii serve your purpose.
Don't describe society I'm which you have never
mixed, nor scenery you have never seen. Yes
dear lady. Clarke Russell may or may not have
written his stories without having been at
see hut the chances are that you not gifted
with The Imagination II Clarke Russell.
Don't. under any circumstances. tell story.
however good. TO an editor when he is Inter
viewing you. Write il or send him a synopsis
or better stil. tell il 10 a friend. You may
possibly lose your friend especially If it's a
very long story. but your editor viii not neces-
sarily be permanently out when you call
Don't when you head your stories with a
quotation. forget where you took II from. ana
don't forget 10 ne accurate IN small things.
Women ara notorious sinners in this respect;
and I remember recommending a really clever
novel to e man who refused TO read IL on the
ground that he was sure II would he trash,
simply because he unfortunately opened the
book and some alluson 20 a dinner party,
and 20 q bottle Of excellent champagne-frO1n
which was extracted a fine swelling cork.
Other things 10 avoid are religion Onless you
have the intellect and restraint Of Mrs Hum
phry Ward-which is also unlikely. iInpro-
priety plagiarism very important hint which
includes too much reading), dulness. and as
many Latin words possible.
As to what 81 Is wen TO do" I'm literature.
! strongly recommend all writers 10 take back
an order II the editor does not like their story.
Il is better 10 face the present loss than
future lack Of orders.
Try and give your editor what he wants. He
may be poor judge ~ YOUR ines'imabe work.
but he r. often y".- GOOD judge o. what his
readers want.
read Il carefully again: rev-rite IL II Il does not
please you. and try and crlticise q - though
Il had been written h. some one else.
Try altering the title. I have often sold
story after having Il returned two Or three times
hy this small alteration
II YOU have interview with your editor.
say what YOU have 20 say and go Don't trv
70 fascinate him and talk him into taking work
he has told YOU he doesn't want. because un-
less he's an idiot well e8ifor IL will
not influence him in ire slightest degree.
when sending of Ms. send a note with II
quoting the papers YOU write For and mention
fng your price. but don't try 70 persuade. eithe-
hv writing or personal Interview. anv man -
woman 20 take your work
As 20 other hints am not great believer
tr notebooks hut think q Is wei % yet into
the habit 81 writing out short accou1ts ~
thing: also 3. IS advisable 70 have al vour Wort
clearly ts-pev-ritter. 10 send Z; awav clean ana
.fdv aud as little corrected as possible. and not
20 FORGET &c iuclo-o STAMPS: nlwovs 20 ie ac-
curate and symnet p tic and original ana % do
--ovr beet hOve aI. Allows 10 - N0ur best
and take To- Vcur motto =" "our Iie'afE striN-
snas the wei know from the VEL known
leool .'vrha-Soa,-er -Nv Na~d H-.ir'h 20 DO. do
= with I'll Inv wight