The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-08-05
TNSPIR OF uTHORS.
some trt % standing. others Rsciining
rho Eirs' Idea Of stories

Edward n Ellis tho veteran New
J"rsey writer Of thrlllers fer boys pounds
out HIS thousands Of words per day stand
ing ~ his typewriter In this position
he declares his mind works better and
he becomes less physI, ally tired
Mr. Fills - nv no means alone IN havinE
individual methods and conditions Of
competition and production Authors
81 all times and countries and Of all
degrees Of fame have found the ability
~ write best under special conditions
Standing M ~ worS was characteristic
Of Victor Hugo even before the dav of
Mr. Ellis and hts typcSrii~r The whole
~ los Missrs hles' was written NV the
author m this attitude
Hawthorn" vas vet another followsr
~ this plan and evolved many Of his
best ronsn~ez afoot Walt Whitman
and Horace 1rsubal found their ls.sst
thoughts IN tho other extreme 81 Ios-
tur- Climbing ny on pile ~ humber
and living down fiat on their racks was
most conducive 10 their best think ing
and Was 'hs po-tlIre most highly
favored nv them Alexander Pop. also
liked IN" Idea o' reclining. h'It he was not
80 advanced nor 80 original. 80 he did
his work quietly and comfortably. even
though not ~ piCturs-1ueiv. in bod
W." tired To hav" enough PAPER a. hand
when ~ the business ~ compost ION.
hut whenever a thought came 10 him he
would Iot ~ down. regardless 30 his
servant would often find in the hed. among
the covers, or - scattered on the noor bits
~ papar -cTibbled over with what We
today know a. ha"kneyed quotations
Another loung-r was Sir Walter scott
although he did not go ~ far a. tn work
regularly ahad. hut reclining comfort
ably on "A couch he could keep his mind
working alcrtiy enough tn keep two
anauuensss busy. The two trains Of
thought never confused him. although
h- frequently had To stop 70 lot the aman,I-
"n-.s. confused IN hearing. get straight
snsd out
No on. could find any trac. NJ mac
'ivity IN any phare 81 Napoleon Roma
parties pursuits and whsn debating to
Rourienne he would most often sit on the
arm Of his s'acretary'z chair. rafting HIM
on the head or pulling his ears When
sitting ~ a chair ~ his own his favorite
posture for dictation Was with leg
thrown over the arm of the chair
BalEa". dressed in the favorit. monk =
roha. worked REST ~ night. aud often
wrote continuously from midni ght till
noon. fighting OF drowsiness with draughts
Of strong coffee
Authors have had many diner.n,
stories - tell of how the conception
81 their works nave come about Dickens
PROGRESSED IN IN. preface Ia -PiCkwick-
to tell this interesting secret, He goa,
IN 10 explain much ~ details. tn. ~, xes
Of letter pr~s-. IN" number ~ illustra
tons. the price. nc hut of tho actual
question all he SAys - 4 thought NJ Mr.
Pickwlck and wrote IN" first numllar
He either could NOT or would not explain
how he thought 81 that famous char
Acter and how Il REALLY originated
Most authors likely could not explain
Douglas J-rrold told thai the conceptlon
81 Mrs Caud,s- Curtain Lectures
hurst upon him IN" winter dny Will.
he was looking ht n group of Eton Collcg,
s,sh0olh1ys I,otsterou~ly PLAYING NE.
author declared tina, the sight .uggest.d
the IDEA q! the Curtain Lectures though
be- admitted that he could not .NIda,n
nr even hiusaif 49,. the connectinn
tlergymcn often icl! ~ similar inst Anc.,.
tire Suggestion ~ t.NtS 20 them iyv Occa
siun8 which have NO link Of association.
Edgar Allan Poe. on the oh.r hand
main aimed thar he could always logi-
caily trac.' out tho plan by which an
idca was bo-r Ia him. mattred and
treated. lie "ven wrote an essay infinitely
accounting for every detail - the Rene-i,,
and development - This haven This
must - taken with "a grain 81 salt, how
ever. nv those sCeptical ONES who re-
member that tho weird genius Repeatedly
and op~nly avOwed thar h- would make
any statement likely Ia Aro use interest.