The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-09-20
Toa Young Lady Named Hazel,
Age u
Age u
Desultory Advice on How to Write.

young lady writes that she is twenty-five years old
her first name Hazel she would like to become writer and
wants advice. Here's little of it.
Young Miss Hazel says II suppose you get great many
letters from people who feel that they would like take up
newspaper work want to do something but don't know
exactly how to go about it,
Here is an answer which ought to be better:
Dear Young Creature:
We feel sorry for you for yellow, fluffy newborn
chick that walking Of white eggs
In incubator not of her little brothers sisters yet
Matched to keep her company We thought what hard
life you going have poor little chick scratching strug
Cling later laying eggs and having them taken away from
you wanting to set and forbidden to set at last ending in
the frying pan As felt about that chick starting
couageousy the of white eggs feel about
any young woman trying to living by writing, in
any other way.
Writing not easy, and not pleasant work Wanting
10 write does not that write will be able
70 write in fashion worth while.
On the contrary those that really write often hate
do it, because they do it with intensity and intense hard
work is unpleasant.
Try to arrange earning living in way that is
hausting physically o. mentally
After working hours practice writing Try write for
the public exactly you would write letter your mother
with little concentrated attention Do write as
though posing for your photograph at Niagara Falls with
your husband Be natural relaxed You might prac
tice on editors of papers Address letter To the writer
of such and such an editorial
Begin of course by saying that he is perfectly wonder
full That will get his attention Then add something of
your from the womans point of view If he throws
in the waste basket in spite of the fact that it contains COM
pmen for hm-you may be quite that it wasn't worth
printing.
Whatever you do if you think that you are going to
make writer, WRITE EVERY DAY GREAT DEAL
When you man laying bricks with wonderful ease
that he had laid many bricks before you saw him.
So it is with writing 1t is of trade than an in
SEPARATION except in the of the greatest geniuses-
you count them the toes of foot-he men like
Shakespeare that produced perfect work. hen LAYS an
egg, not knowing how.
You will find in the beginning of course that thinking
earnestly makes it hard for you write and writing makes
it hard for you to think Little by little you will do both
tina
inside of your young head.
Remember that the old things that everybody knows are
the most imporantold emotions old virtues old vices
The writing of stories is at present extremely profit
able-once you succeed And it is possible in fiction to
preach good and do useful work which is probably
what you, being so young, have in mind.
The art of writing is Seeing thing clearly and descrb
ing it simply, whether you fall from fourteenth
story window and light his head thought coming
to life in your BRAIN and describe that thought
shapes itself.
Say to yourself II viii put into words Just how human
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