Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-12-30

ton.
No. was hot aware of all this or
OF anything else concerning the art
OF writing. If had been | should not
haTe come to you for instruction.
am profoundly ignorant of the mat
| ter
MI Vandeveer was turned from get
tlng material for his quizzing scene
TO problem. How could one be
taught to write! Beyond the proper
| use OF language he saw nothing to
teach. If there were would there not
be schools for the purposel
The only way / know of to learn
to write" he said, is to write
"Wel1?"
suppose you start by writing a sto-
~. First you must get your motif.
then locate the story. Begin to write
on the germ of plan and the germ
will increase and multiply. After you
have finished cut out all that is super
| tuous."
I've thought of motif already. A
girl of my age is in love"
You mean girl several years older
than you is in love"
Didn't | tell you | am eighteen to-
day.
so you did Well, with whom is
| this girl in lover
with a man in love with himself"
That's not a bad theme said, the
author, all the while more and more
| surprised at his wards sudden devel-
opment, but it has its difficulties.
| You must show the fellow to be con-
ceited by what he does and says, an
attractive contrast between his POM
poslty and the girls real simple
worth"
But the man is very learned. and
bright, either
Il thought you said the man was
in love with himself"
Il meant he was absorbed in him
self"
oh. that makes great difference!
In that ease | would invent some act
by which the girl by her heroism or
devotion attracts his attention from
himself to her and, seeing her superb
GRITTY. is convinced of his own unworth-
| mess"
But he is greatly her superior"
Perhaps you meant that he was abb
sor5ed in his work-not in himself"
"Of course did"
This involves another change. A
| girl is in love with man whose mind
| is so absorbed in some great purpose
that he does not notice her. Invent
some way by which she may befriend
him or save him from great calam-
ity. Then wind up your story with an
effective scene between the man and
the girl who has been devoted to him"
But the girl wouldn't be capable of
n heroic act: she isn't brave. She
would feel proud and happy to have
the hero love her, but wouldn't be
competent to do anything to make
him love her"
Mr.. yandeveer looked bit discour-
| aged. He knew how to construct a
story. but telling some one else how
| to do it was another matter
Have you any real persons in view
for your hero and heroine?" he asked
Yes
"In that case you have an advan-
tage in real persons for models. but
/ you must not hesitate to make them
fit your literary purpose; otherwise
you will get no story"
won't the girls love for the man
| count for good deal?'
Mr. Vandeveer was puzzled how to
explain that her love must be express
| ed. that there were various ways of
bringing it out. and doing so was de
pendent upon the skill of the writer.
1T seems to me-" he said thought
fully. that you are attempting theme
| that is very difficult. \ heroic man
! absorbed in Il noble purpose is loved
| by simple girl not especially bril-
liant
"She is stupid"
You can't manage these two as they
| are. You must make some change III
one or the other. I've been studying
| the art for wears and couldn't make a
| story out of stupid girl in love with
a man engrossed in n noble purpose.
"You might make him treat her with
| some consideration, couldn't youT
| Now. there was nothing in the words
to make Mr.. Vandeveer start Louise
bit her lip at having said them. for she
found herself unable to speak them
without slight tremor in her voice. The
! author started because this love story
he was trying to teach the girl to write
was suddenly made to appear very
| near home. Louise turned to leave the
study. He arose from his chair. step
ped forward and placed himself be
tween her and the door.
Louise" he said, Il fear | have not
realized that a girl of eighteen Is not
child"
She put her hand on the doorknoh
to turn it, He stopped her by placing
his own hand on the knob. But there
/ tl., ttrrn