The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-31
WHERE BIG WRITERS
 THINK THE CLEAREST
Charles Garvice Gets His Ideas While Shaving-Many Prefer
 the Bed

Writing is an art that almost any edu-
 cated person may learn-that is if they
 have enough industry in their makeup.
 says Pearsons London Weekly. But it ls
 of little use to learn composition if you
 have not got ideas. You must have a
 plot before you can write story, and
 plots are the great stumbling block to
 the average writer.
 MT. Charles Garvice, the novelist says
 that it is while shaving that most of his
 plots come to him. s.ucky man. Most
 people are too intent on seeing that they
 do not gash their chins to think of any
 thing else at that particular stage of their
 toilet. But, perhaps, MT. Garvis uses a
 safety razor.
 A great many people think best in bed
 and many writers sleep with pad and
 pencil beside them Nothing is more an
 moving than to think of some gorgeous
 situation just before going to sleep. and
 then find in the morning that the brillian.
 idea has faded like dream.
 H. G. Wells is one of those fortunate
 men who brim with ideas. He Is said to
 have a collection of plots which no one
 pen could possibly hope to work into
 stories within a lifetime. He brings his
 tates them to his seci stary. They have
 come to him during the night.
 Another lucky novelist is Cutcliffe Hyne, for ideas come to him when travelling. and as most writers Know, a railway journey usually drives an- power of orgi-
 nal thought out of their heads. Mir Hyne has the additional advantage of being able to work anywhere or at any time and no amount of ncsse abstracts him. Another very famous novelist, the latl Marion Crawford, always got his ideas while on foot. To think out a novel h, took a long tramp, sometimes covering 40 miles at a stretch.
 The oldest method of collecting ideas belongs to MT. J. K. Jerome, He likes to wander from room to room and gen orally takes up his stand in front of the clock which he regards intently, though with absolutely unseeing eyes
 Running water proves an inspiration to some men. MT. Stanley Weymann has confessed that he finds house boat a capital place for working out plots, especially in the early morning. With him swim is not essential to the pro- cess: but the mention of water brings to mind the fact that MT. Arthur Bour- chier declares that he reads plays in his bath and believes that he can then do better work in selecting than at any other hour of the day or night. Hall Caine is another writer who de- lights in the morning, and says that ideas HOW more Tdpluiy III the edfncSt hours of the day. In summer. he is often up and out at B. and the little hut on the hillside near Greeba castle is pointed out to trippers as the spot where the
 popular novelist composes his chapter for the day.
 Some men never seem to think until they actually sit down to their desks Mir Kitchens Is an example in point His thoughts do not begin to flow un- til he has his pen in his hand. These are writers who seem able tc think under any circumstances others who must be far from the throng. Of the former Walt Whitman was an ex- ample of the latter MT. Kiping is one But the average author will probably tell you that the evening Is the best | of times for thinking. When the house is still when the curtains are drawr and the fire has died to a mass of red | coals, ,kthen is the hour of inspiration and With most the difficulty is to lay down the pen. That clever young writer Neil Lyons does practically all his worl at night, and his light burns in hi,
 study till two in the morning or ever l later