Hints for young writers
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| Hints for young writers |
Excerpt
For centuries it was thought that oratory was the greatest human achievement, the most perfect expression of personal power. It was long supposed that no other form of self-expression developed a man so thoroughly and so effectively, or un-folded his powers so quickly, as the ef- fort to think upon his feet and to express himself before an audience. But many of the laurels that formerly went to the orator are now going to the writer, and I doubt whether there is any other form of self-expression or of achievement which gives such complete satisfaction as the writer's profession.
I know of nothing which so tends to the accuracy of thinking and self-expression as the writing habit. It increases one's vocabulary and one's facility of expression. The very act of writing a thing tends to fasten it upon the memory, to impress it, to clutch it in the mind. It is a process of perpetual discovery and surprises.
No writer can know just what is coming into his thoughts. He is always tapping new veins, new ores of resourcefulness, for there is no limit to the visualizing, picturing powers of the imagination. Writing is a perpetual delight, a constant tonic. Though the creative process tires the brain, after he has rested, the author returns to his work with the same zest, the same enthusiasm and love as before. The writer has many advantages over the public speaker.
He can wait upon his moods; he can write when he feels like it, and he knows that he can burn as many manuscripts as he likes if they do not suit him. There are not a thousand eyes upon him. He does not have a great audience criticizing every sentence, weighing every thought. He does not have to step upon the scales of every listener's judgment to be weighed, as does the orator.
A man may write as listlessly as he pleases, use as much or as little of his brain energy as he likes; no one is watching him. His pride and vanity are not touched, and what he writes may never be seen by anyone; also there is always a chance for revision. While the literary profession is per- haps the most poorly paid of any professional calling today, and those who rise to such eminence that their names command attention and possess advertising value for their publishers, are few and far between, yet we do not measure the value of a vocation by the amount of money that one gets out of it. Many of the best things in life are not remunerative from the money standpoint but are of immense value to society.
Contents:
- The Writer To-Day 7
- Live, Then Write 11
- The Personality in Your Book 26
- Fixed Habit of Work 35
- Choosing the Right Word 39
- Use Simple Language 49
- Conciseness 59
- Readability 72
- Keep Close to Life 83
- Observation and Self-Expression 89
- The Capacity for Taking Pains 99
- Style and Spirit 120
- Commercialization of the Literary Profession 128
- The Reserve Behind Expression 134
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