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CHAPTER XII WRITING FOR NEWSPAPERS（第1页）

CHAPTERXIIWRITINGFORNEERS

Qualifi—AppropriateSubjects—Dires

Theneernowadaysgoesintoeveryhomeintheland?whatwasfardedasaluxuryisnowlookedupoy。Nomatterhowpoortheindividual，heisnottoopoortoaffordapealoistakingplainhisoweviity，butalsoenieroftheglobe。Thelaborerobeaswellpostedohedayasthebankerinhisoffice。Throughtheneerhefeelthepulseofthedfialityisininishing?hereadthesigimesandsthepoliticalhorizonforwhatshisowhedoingsntriesarespreadbeforehimandheseeataglaheotheremotestersofearth。IfafireoLondonlastnighthereadaboutitathisbreakfasttableihism，andprobablygetabetteratthantheLohemselves。IfadueltakesplaParishereadallaboutiteveestahefield。

Thereareupwardsof3，000dailyheUes，morethan2，000ofublishedintownsglessthan100，000inhabitants。Infayplacesoflessthan10，000populationboastthepublishingofadailyherearemorethan15，000weekliespublished。Someoftheso-calledtrypaperswieldquiteaheirlocalities，aside，andaremoney-makiheirowhoseectedwiththem，bothbywayofciras。

Itissurprisingthenumberofpeopleinthistrywhomakealivingintheneerfield。Apartfrulartoilerstherearethousandsofmenandwomenaperworkasideissue，whoaddtidysumsof"piotheirinesbyoaltributionstothedaily，weeklyandmoofthesepeopleareonlypersonsofordinary，everydayability，havingjusteiohemselvesilyinwriting。

Itisamistaketoimagine，assomanydo，thataionisnecessaryforneerwork。Notatall!Orary，insomecases，ahighclasseduisahiahelpinthisdire。Thegeneralneerdoesnotwantlearneddisquisitionsnorphilosophicaltheses?asitsnameimplies，itwantsnews，ews，iihisreaders，toarousethemaheirattention。Iveryoftenaboywriteabetterartiacollegeprofessor。Theprofessorttousewordsbeyoyofmostofthereaders，whiletheboy，notknowingsuchwords，wouldprobablysimplytellwhathesaw，howgreatthedamageerekilledoriduselanguagewhichallwoulduand。

Ofcourse，therearesomebrilliantscholars，deeply-readmeheneerrealm，but，ohosewhohavemadethegreatestnamesenhandmostofthemgraduatedbywayofthetrypaper。SomeoftheleadingwritersofEnglahepreseedtheirliterarycareersbytributingtotheruralpress。Theyperfedpolishedthemselvesastheywentalonguntiltheywereabletomakehemselvesierature。

Ifyouwanttotributetoertheneerfieldasameansoflivelihood，don'tletlackofacollegeoruyedustandinyourway。Ashasbeensaidelsewhereinthisbook，someofthegreatestmastersofEnglishliteratureweremenwhohadbutlittleadvahewayofb。Shakespeare，Bunyan，Burns，ahers，whohavelefttheirnamesindeliblyihetabletsoffame，hadlittletoboastofinthewayofbookedu，buttheyhadularlyknownas"horse"senseandagkheworld?inotherwords，theyuoodhumannature，auralthemselves。Shakespeareuoodmankindbecausehewashimselfaman?herayedthefeeliions，thepassionswithamaster'stoueatingthekinginhispalaceastruetonatureashehasdoinhishut。Themonitorwithinhisavehimwarningastowhatwasrightandrong，justasthedaemohesideofoldSocrateswhisperedihecoursetopursueunderanyandallsguidingtheploughceivedthoughtsaheminalanguagewhiever，norprobablyneverwillbe，surpassedbyallthelearningwhifer。Thesemeural，anditerfeofthisnaturalitythatwreathedtheirbrowswiththenever-fadinglaurelsofundyingfame。

Ifyouwouldessaytowritefortheneeryoumustbenaturalandexpressyourselfinyouraedwaywithoutputtingonairsorfrills?youmustsandindulgeinbombastorrhodomoampawriterasnotonlysuperficialbutsilly。Thereisnoroomforsutheeverydaywantsfactsstatedinplain，unvarnished，unaduage。True，youshouldreadthebestauthorsand，asfaraspossible，imitatetheirstyle，butdon'ttrytoliterally。Beyourselfoneveryoooneelse。

NotlikeHomerwouldIwrite，eifImight，

NotlikeShakespeareathisbest，heortherest，Likemyself，ho>

Likemyself，ornotatall。

Putyourselfihereaderawilliyourselfandinsuchawaythatyeealtoyourowhefithings。Youbeloajority，thereforedon&#etthatinwritingfortheneersyforthatmajorityandnotfortheleariority。

Rememberyforthemaacar，youwahim，totoreadwhatyouhavetosay。Hedoesnotlay?hewasomethingwhishimself，andyoumusttellittohiminaplain，simplemaasyouwoulddoifyouwerefacetofacewithhim。

Whatyouwriteabout?Whyaboutanythingthatwillstituteews，someleadiheday，anythingthatealtothereadersofthepapertowhichyouwishtosubmitit。loaylive，howeverbackwarditmaybe，youalwaysfihingofgenuinehumahers。Ifthereisnoneenihingthatappealstoyourself。Weareallstitutedalike，andthecesarethatwhatwilliyouwillihers。Dessofadventurearegenerallyacceptable。Tellofafoxhunt，erhunt，orabearchase。

Ifthereisanyimportantmanufagplantinyhborhooddescribeitand，ifpossible，getphotographs，fraphyplaysaveryimportantpartiemsofto-day。Ifa"great"manlivesnearyou，onewhosehetipue，goaerviewwithhim，obtaihepublisoftheday，describehishomelifeandhissurroundingsandhowhespendshistime。

Tryahihemomehatstandsoutpromihelimelightofthepassingshoersonage，somefamousmanorwoman，isvisitiry，itisagoodtimetowriteuptheplawhiesandtherecordheorshehasmadethere。ForiortueofSulualePacificarchipelagtheSultan&#hthetry。Ifaismadetoblowupatleship，say，intheharborofAppia，inSamoa，itaffordsacetowriteaboutSamoaaLouisStephenson。WhenManuelwashurledfromthethralitetimetowritealandPueseaffairs。Ifaoceistakingplaafntrysuchasthegofakihroofamonarch，itisagoodtimetowriteupthehistoryoftheddescribetheeventsleadinguptothemainissue。articularlysavageoutbreakstwildtribesinthedependencies，suchasarisingoftheManobosinthePhilippiisopportueofsuchtribesandtheirsurroundings，andthecausesleadinguptotherevolt。

&lyoforsomethingthatwillsuitthepassinghour，readthedailypapersandprobablyinsomeobseryoumayfihatwillserveyouasafoundatioodartiethiwillgiveyouaclue。

Becircumspeyourseleofapapertowhiityourowthetoneandgeneralimportofthepaper，itssoingsandpoliticalaffiliations，alsiousses，and，infact，alltheparticularsyit。Itwouldbeinjudiciousforyoutosendanartiaprizefighttiouspaperor，viceversa，anatofachurgtotheeditorsheet。

Ifyougetyourcopyba'tbedisappoidisheartened。Perseverasmoreinthehananywhereelse，andonlyperseveranthelongrun。Youmustbeeresilient?ifyouarepresseddain。Nomatterhowmanyrebuffsyoumayreceive，benedbutcallfresheoyourassistandmakeaauffisinyouitissuretobediscovered?yhtwillnotremainlonghiddenunderabushelintheneerdomain。Ifyoudeliverthegoodseditorswillsoonbebeggingyouinsteadthem。Thosemelyoforpersonswhomakegood。

&intoprileiswon，foritwillbeaoyoutopersevereandimproveyourselfateveryturhingyouwrite，dslashailyougetitiformaspossible。Eliminateeverysuperfluouswordarikeoutallambiguousexpressionsandreferences。

Ifyforaerrememberitdiffersfromadailyone。hatwillthema，butthewomanatthefireside?theywantout-of-the-wayfacts，curiousscrapsoflore，personalnotesoffamousoretriiniscesofexgexperieinggleaningsinlife'snumberlessby-ways，inshort，anythingthatwilleairuecircle。Thereisalwayssomethinginyourimmediatesurroundings，somecuriouseventepisodethatwillfurnishyouwithdataforanartiustkureoftheweeklytowhiityourcopythesameasyoumustknowthedaily。ForiheHerald，whileaviousweekly，treatssuchsecularmatterasmakesthepaperappealtoall。ioussideitisariahebroadfieldofitythroughouttheworld?onitssecularsideitdealswithhumasinsuimpartialwaythateveryoertowhatclasstheymaybelongortowhatcreedtheymaysubstakealiving，perso。

&hliesofferaivefieldfortheliteraryaspirant。Here，again，don'tthinkyoumustbeayprofessortowriteforamonthlymagazine。Ma，aziributorsaremenandwomenwhohaveneverpassedthroughacollegeexceptbygoingidoorandemergingfromthebae。However，forthemostpart，theyareindividualsofwideexperienowthepracticalsideoflifeasdistihetheoretical。

Theordinarymonthlymagaziheleadiionsandissueswhigagiionoftheworldforthemomeiodiscoveries，whateverisengrossingthepopularmiimebeing，suchasflyileships，sky-scrapers，theopenihedevelopmentofnewlaicalissues，viewsofpartyleaders，charactersketchesofdistinguishedpersoc。However，befyourskillforamonthlymagaziwouldbewellforyoutohaveagoodapprentiwritingforthedailypress。

&hiperseveraopensthedoorofsuccess。Persevere!Ifyouareturneddowndon'tgetdisheartehetrary，lettherebuffactasastimulanttofurthereffort。Masuccessfulwritersofourtimehavebeenturneddownagainandagain。Fordaysandmonths，andevenyears，someofthemhavehawkedtheirwaresfromoerarydoortoaheyfoundapuraybeagreatwriterinembryo，butyouwilloafetus，nottospeakoffullmaturity，unlessyoutwhatisinyou。Giveyourselfacetogrowandseizeupthatwillehescopeofyourhorizon。Keepyoureyeswideopeamomentofthedayinwhichyouwillhiyouandinwhiaybeabletoihers。Learn，too，howtoreadNature'sbook。There'saless—iohetrees，thebabblingbrooksandthesingingbirds。Ihelessonforyourself，theoothers。Alwaysbeiinyoaboutitierminedkindofway，don'tbefaiedorbackward，bebrave，bebrave，andevermorebebrave。

Oedfieldileoflife，Withanarmyofmillionsbeforeyou?

Likeaheroofoldgirdyoursoulforthestrifeahefoemantrampoveryou?

Act，actlikeasoldierandproudlyrushovaliantinBravery'svan，

Withkeen，flashingswordcutyourwaytothefrontandshowtotheworldyou'reaMan。

Ifyouareofthemasderbeamaninallthiaatiohatistheleyouboast，higherfarthanthatofearlorduke，emper。Inthesamewaywomanhoodisthegrathefeminineheadorldfrownsonyouahi，possessyoursoulinpatiendhopeforthedawnhterday。Itwille。Thesunisalwaysshihedarkestclouds。Wheyourmanuscriptsbaandagain，don'tdespair，northiorduroublesofhisown，too。

Keepupyourspiritsuntilyouhavemadethefiandputyourtalentstoalastanalysis，thenifyoufindyouotgetintopriingorliteraryworkisnotyourforte，andturhihisitself，tryshoemakingditches。Rememberholabor，nomatterhowhumble，iseverdignified。Ifyouareawomanthrowasidethepen，sitdownanddarnyourbrother's，yourfather's，oryourhusband'ssocks，orputonacali，takesoapandwaterandscrubthefloor。Nomatterwhoyouaredosomethioldsophistryaboutthewyoualivinghasbeenexplodedlongago。Theworlddoesnotoweyoualiving，butyouoweitservitude，andifyoudonotpaythedebtyouarehepurposeofanall-wiseProvidendfillingtheplaceforwhichyouwerecreated。Itisforyoutoservetheworld，tomakeitbetter，brighter，higher，hrander，nobler，richer，flivedinit。Thisyouatterositioyou，whetheritbethatofstreetlaborerorpresident。Fightthegoodfightandgaiory。

"Aboveall，tothirue，

And'twillfollowasthenighttheday，

Thouottheoanyman。"