The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-03-15
How TO Write for Publication
(By Roland T. Patten)


The four.3era 81 our matt leemed
to regard free speech anA F~Ae press
! as ve--' -sA~~s
| appear common pIace- 10 us and we
can hardly conceive of country exist
ing without them. The discoveries
and first settlers of America came
from countries where freedom of
speech and of the press as we know
them scarcely existed. Therefore they
took great pains to protect these rights
| by constitutional provision
In view of the high regard in which
speech-making and writing for publ
cation are held 1t seems odd perhaps
that so few make use of them II
recall that being assigned to speak in
school was regarded as a calamity and
most of us avoided it in every way
we could. Invitations to talk are al
most universally turned down and the
result is that not more than one man
| IN a hundred can state his opinions
clearly before even a moderate sized
audience.
| This is almost equally true with re-
gard to writing for publication. Com
position writing in school is Stunned
and neglected and the average citi-
zen If he wishes anything published
in newspaper or in circular form is
quite prone to search out someone who
can put his ideas in manuscript for
him.
! Now to be an entertaining public
speaker perhaps might not be possible
to everyone. Few can acquire the art
who do not have some training Or
! practice at it when quite young Any
one however, who can carry on an in
telligent conversation with two or
/ three individuals can learn to express
| himself to an audience for ordinary
purposes even If he does not attempt
public speaking until middle life. Com
mencing at an early age the number
would be very few indeed who could
not learn TO speak forcefully,
| Writing for publication is in some
ways easirer and in some particulars
more difficult than speaking. 1t is
easier because the writer is not agit
ated by stage fright For that rea
son he eau put his thoughts on paper
with more elaboration and of course
he has the opportunity If not salts
! fed with anything he has written, of
changing # to pore nearly meet his
views. fhe disadvantage of writing
as compared with speaking exists in
the fact that a speaker may make a
grammatical error or other blunder
and IL will pass for the most part un
noticed. If the inaccuracy is in
manuscript or on The printed page of
course, 1t is more obtrusiye and less
| likely to escape criticism.
1t is not a bad plan for novice to
submit his manuscript to someone
more skilled or even to confer with
another amateur. Manuscript more
over like some beverages in Maine and
elsewhere. is sure to improve with age.
II you do your best at something you
will find that after it is laid aside for
a day or two or week or two you
can make favorable changes therein.
This is particularly true If you con-
tinue to ponder on the subject in the
interim.
Thinking about speech and talk
ing it over with others is a splendid
preparation for writing and of course
reading with special reference TO the
question is extremely beneficial.
Having by thought or otherwise pre-
pared for writing one should be sure
that his material. paper, pencil or
iuk and pen are suitable for the pur-
pose This caution may seem en-
! tirely out of place. SO many write
with a pencil too hard or too soft.
with an impossible pen, with bad ink
or make use of unsuitable paper that
! the point cannot be passed over in a
! discussion of this kind. Equally sim
! pie, but equally important is the in
/ junction to write only on one side
of the sheet There are still many
who attempt to economic by utiliz-
ing both sides.
One should remember that in pro-
per names. figures, etc. every indivi
! dual character must tell its own story.
| If in the sentence: 1.-The dog barked
with Joy" the word parked is spelled
b-a-r-c-k ed the error will be detect,
ed because the word parked frequent
! ly occurs in sentence telling about
! a dog. On the other hand in the
! sentence: Mr. and Mrs. Lavalle who
are visiting their son, Carlton on the
/ eth" if either the or the are
carelessly written there is nothing
whatever to guide the reader OF the
manuscript to a correct conclusion
about It. Also If the son spells his
name karlton aud the manuscript
spells It otherwise the reader. unless
he knows all about that family, can
not detect the error. This rather
lengthy explanation is intended to in
dictate that figures. names of. persons
and places fall proper nounsl should
he written with very great care.
Short sentences are to be preferred
After you have prepared your manu-
! script look it over. You will find
many sentences where the word land"
occurs which can be divided into two
sentences with better effect There Is
/ this to be said also that only an ex-
pert grammaran can be sure of ac-
curacy in handling long and invol-
we'd sentence. Only a moderate de-
gree of grammar and common sense
! is required to express ideas in short
sentences.
| The ability to express oneself sim
! ply and intelligentiy to an audience
/ ia of great valup Young men should