Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-11-01
washinston, b. G, Oct. 2e.-If you

Washington, b. G., Oct. 29=-If you
have read some particularly unin-
spired fiction lately you Will be glad
to know that methVds Of measuring
Imagination are being evolved. How
Ito INDUCE all the writer's and would
be writer's to test themselves is, of
course, anpther problem, as yet I'M
solved,
In recent years there has appeared
2 vast literature designed tq show
turn out fiction. The result Of this
teaching has been that magaztne Of
Vices are flooded with neat stories
carefulE put together by. rule and
carefully conforming to the psyche
logy Of reader and editor, as the text
book advised.
ytus scarcely fiction writer in
the country remains ignorant OF the
established fact that editors abhor
hlue>ribbon bows On manuscript, It
Is widely understood that q rolled
manuscript would be coldly returned
unread. Also, few If any fiction man
Tending Is as necessary to 2 story !as a
snappy beginning. Editors, q writer
is told, acquire the habit of reading
the first page and the last OF a story.
II they are aroused from their apathy
the interior OF the manuscript may
be- explored: Such baliefs have be
come tradition among the vast circle
OF, ~fictioneers.
The creatlye faculty, being more
elusive, has been PASSED oyer vaguely
by most textbook writer's. It is an
sumed that a certain amount Of inn
a~glnatiop goes with the desire to ere
loAn L. - o&oS>u n-l -11kc Nyn1yar%ho
less most Of the fiction writer's who
never land simply lack a flexible im-
%agination. They are encouraged by
friends and by their own judgments
to weave stories when they AVE no
Inventive talents or when their i'm
aEinati9ps run along streotyped lines.
Il must be admittm. that occasion!
ally fiction writer's attain success in
spite Of this defect. "A charming
style, 4 knack Of writing from the h!H-
morist's viewpoint, may raise the
most hackneyed plot out Of the ordi-
nary. Generally, However, the gift Of
style or humor goes with an original
and imaginative mind.
The. problem OF classifying imagin-
alton from a. literary standpoint at
trReted DR.. Edwin slosson and DR..
June DowDaY. Dr., 6lpsSpn II an edt-
Itor. author ana teacher Of JOURNALISM.
IDr. Downey is q writer and professor
OF psychology at the UniYsrsitY OF
Wyoming. Using as subjects college
students, mainly those interested in
creative writing, a variety OF tests
We're made.
Tests From the Agony Column.
Tor test material DR.. Slosson went
LOT the London Times. The personal
column in this particular paper Is
notable' for its unusual messages, end
is p6pularly known as the agony col
lumn." Lovers who cannot write or
get together exchange cryptic endear-
ments. Business firms send s.gnRls
In code. Mothers beg estranked soma
Ito return -home,s and people of PEE
culiar talents advertise here hoping
that some reader may need their aery-
Ices.
Most Of the messages ars only Tor
the peEpon to whom they m ad-
guess at the meaning. Such 4 mesr
Waiting" might Fefsr to an IT.
tempted burglary, or . husiaess deal;
or It might be q I0Yer's sentimental
way Of saying thai trouble-makjns
blondeAhad passed out Of his life.
DR. Downey triad q series OF gthAss
items op stude ntsy asking 4ttism to con-
istruct . story from 4 StvsnS psfapuej
and classified the fesdlta acc0rdins
Ito grades Of Jmas1natton We quote
her divisions AZ tnAaeinAtton hare AZ.
T ]. a,,,,s t III. classy M ef'at'ys
Tho diyiasps ar. S) The tssrt
imfsinsaoH; ~ M stSfaptypeA 'ip.
aGffaffnns n Y mdf0AfSfaaftc 4m.