The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-17
HABITS--- AND THE
LACK OF THEM!--- land
THE ART OF WRITING

writer, VITO violently Tor Ume, read
what have written and tear g. w. This
goes on indefinitely. Meanwhile I smoke
cigars without counting them until at last
| think 20 myself II am smoking too
mucn.' Then I smoke some cigarettes
About O'Clock. becoming hungry for
tho fire. time during the entire day.
have tea and some spic"l cake After
thai ] feel bette. ! 60 uut on the porch
and suddenly remember that do not take
enough exercise. Every one tells me that
II is true. hate exercise. but | say 10
myself: ~ must exercise. because 1t will
max" me feel more like working" 80
tlkc littl" walk. thinking constantly
about my work about the bad writing |
haN" done and the way 10 improve g. And
after have walked a little way I think
have discovered WIN; has been the
trouble. That "Nvites me. ] turn around.
hurry home and write rapidly until Il IL
time 20 get ready for dinner
!. this last work has gone well ! always
find that We have an engagement To- go
out &" dinner, 80 that ] cannot work iu
tho evening and ! am consequently very
much annoyed. | say To my wife: I'VE
must not dine out So much II is terrible
for my work 80 Bui IL th, work has gone
badly. which Il usually has, I find that We
are dining alone AZ home. whereupou !
look AZ her accus.ngly and say: 1T seems
to me rather hard lines that when ] am
blue md discouraged about my work We
cannot din" out once IN q while and get
chccr.r up a little
think tina, uron the whole the hest
work ! do Is done after dinner NJ night.
| feel more alive generally as night comes
on. As IL grows later and the house he
comes quiet ] feel that | am getting IN
| become enthusiastic. All of a sudden
discover that 10 is or > In the morning
l want to keep on. but 7 say to myself. ~
| write all night I shall not be 1T for any
thing in the morning" 90 ] go upstairs to
bed. But when get In bed and turn on;
the light beautiful sentences begin to form
themselves In my mind. All my difficult
ties OF the day seem 10 he swept away.
! say to myself. "By George, | can write :
There's no doubt Hbou; H." Then as the
wonderful sentences '$cp coming I say
This kind OF thing won't do 7 must
pet to sleep. l must" But can't So
finally ! tell myself that since | cannot
sleep 7 may as well improve my time.
| Then I light my bedside lamp and read
! something Most of my reading Is done
IN bed. There Is no luxury Ike II.
, II IL not always exactly like that Some
! times l get 70 bid ny - and to sleep by
/ o'clock. Sometimes it is .. l should
/ say that . has been my average hour dur
/ ing the last year.
~ IND that / change IN this respect as
! l grow older ~ % I used to think I
! needed nine hours sleep. Now AT 20 I
4 utll'Nt 1 fAl 90 rs wei ON an average
! OF seven or seven and a half hours.
! never take n nap unless | am actually III.
, mus; be very III indeed before cease "a
/ wish 20 smoke. That has only happened
! two or three times and then for hut q
/ day or two
AZ 10 diet. ! enjoy all rich irdigcstlhlc
I food. When n dish IS particularly pala-
table I will eat IL Just for tho taste and
keep on eating when | know that ! have
had more than enough ! love rich favors
and high seasoning Among wines my
/ favor,te Is a heavy old Cuamhertin. which Is
the worst hing ] can drink. since taken
two or tire" nights running. II seems 70
thrust "A knife into my right shoulder.
like strong cigars. and the cigarettes
smoke are thick and rather heavy ir
flavor. During the day. however. l do no.
smoke the cigars ! most enjoy. II ! id
that my hill for smoking would be Gbou
50 day until I died, which would n.
shortly. Therefore | smoke mild Key
West cigars until after dinner Then
have my big Corona. II | am detected
about my work say 10 my wife: ="
think I will allow myself an extra Corona
tonight to cheer me up" But n worl
has gone well and | am happy I say :,
her: II must celebrate Tonight. | will
smoke a second one"
This is an outline OF my daily life a
present, but 1t IS subject 10 change with
out notice