The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-11

a transmitter a peculiarly delicate and sensitive
medium for conveying what is said and done some
where else, perhaps on some other plane by some
other variety of mortals the novelist is in wise
TO blame for the performances or utterances of his
characters, clients they ought in this view to
be called; the same novelist might, and probably
would, be the means of transmitting the news of
splendid deeds and the superb utterances of glo-
rous people, composing one story, and the mani
ties, verbal or otherwise, of lot of fourth dimen-
sional Greenwich Villagers, constituting another
and infinitely inferior story. To be sure
this explanation, which relieves the novelist of al
most all responsibility for his novels, ought also to
take from him all the credit for good work. If he
is a painfully conscientious mortal he may grieve
for years this but if his first or his second or
his third book sells 100000 copies he will probably
be willing, in the words of the poet, to take the
cash and let the credit 60. Very greedy men in
variably insist not merely taking the cash but
claiming the credit as well; sanity men clutch at
the credit and instruct their publishers that all
authors royalties to be made over to the Fund
for Heating the Igloos of Aged and Helpless
Eskimos. But the funny thing about the whole bust
ness is that in such cases the world, which some
times withholds credit where credit is due, unfai
ingly insists upon beStowing credit anyway. There
have been whole human PHILOSOPHERS based upon
the principle of Remuneration, and even whole
novels, such as those Of Henry James. But it
doesn't work. Renounce, if you like, all credit for
the books which bear your name on the title page
The world will weave its laurel wreath and crown
you with bays Just the same. Men have become
baldheaded In single night In the effort to avoid
unmerited honor, and by noon the next day have
looked if they bacchantes, at least hardy
perennials, so thick have been the vine leaves in
their hair or rather on the site of it.
. =. . Which takes us away from our subject.
Where were wei Oh, yes, about writing your
novel -.
Enter, Forceful Character
As soon as you have done two or three days stint
on the book-you ought to plan to write so many
words day or week. and it no matter that you
don't know what they will be-as as you've
got fairish start you will find that you have
several persons in your story who are, to all in
tents and purposes as much alive as yourself and
considerably more self-willed. They will promptly
take the story in their hands and you will have
nothing to do in the remaining $4,000 words or
more but to set down what happens. The extreme
physical fatigue consequent upon writing 30 many
words is all you have to guard against. Play golf
or tennis, if you can, to offset this physical
fatigue by the physical rest and intellectual exer
else they respectively afford. Auction bridge In the
evenings, or, as FRANK M. O'BRrEN says, reading
De Morgan and listening to the photograph, will
give you the emotional outlet you seek.
A Last Extenuation.
No doubt many who have read the foregoing will
turn up their at the well-meant advice it
tains, considering that we have largely TESTED on
serious subject. We take this occasion to declare
most earnestly, at the conclusion of our remarks
that we have seldom been so serious in our life.
Such occasional levities as we have allowed our
selves to indulge in have been plain and obvious
and of no more importance in the general scheme
of what we have been discussing than the story Of
the Irishman with which the gifted after-dnner
speaker circumspectly introduces his most burning
thoughts. 49,. axis
We mean what we have said. Writing novel is
one of the most rounded forms of self-education.
1t is one of the most honorable too, since unlike
the holder of public Office, the person who is getting
the education does not do at the public expense
We have regard naturally, to the mere act Of