Short Story Writing

Story Writing, by Charles
Raymond Barrett

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Title: Short Story Writing A Practical Treatise on the Art of The Short
Story
Author: Charles Raymond Barrett
Release Date: February 6, 2007 [EBook #20526]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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STORY WRITING ***

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SHORT STORY WRITING
A Practical Treatise on the Art of the Short Story

By Charles Raymond Barrett, Ph. B.
[Illustration]
(FOURTH THOUSAND)
New York: The Baker and Taylor Co. 33-37 E. 17th Street, Union
Square North
Copyrighted, 1898, by Charles Raymond Barrett Copyrighted, 1900, by
Charles Raymond Barrett

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
I THE SHORT STORY
II SHORT STORIES CLASSIFIED
III THE PLOT
IV TITLES GOOD AND BAD
V THE USE OF FACTS
VI THE CHARACTERS
VII METHODS OF NARRATION
VIII THE BEGINNING
IX THE STORY PROPER
X CLIMAX AND CONCLUSION

XI THE STYLE
XII THE LABOR OF AUTHORSHIP
XIII THE QUEST OF A MARKET
APPENDIX "THE AMBITIOUS GUEST"

PREFACE
This book is an attempt to put into definite form the principles observed
by the masters of the short story in the practice of their art. It is the
result of a careful study of their work, of some indifferent attempts to
imitate them, and of the critical examination of several thousands of
short stories written by amateurs. It is designed to be of practical
assistance to the novice in short story writing, from the moment the tale
is dimly conceived until it is completed and ready for the editor's
judgment.
The rules and principles here presented embody not what I conceive to
be right, but what the great masters of the short story have thought to
be right, and what they have proved to be at least successful. I speak
only as a delver into the secrets of other men; and if I seem arrogant, it
is due to the influence of the company I keep. My deductions are made
not only from the artifices and triumphs of the successful, but from the
struggles and failures of the unfortunate as well; and I have endeavored
to make clear both the philosophy and the application of all the
principles so deduced. Though in theory these rules are obligatory on
all who essay the short story, they are frequently and knowingly evaded
or violated by the masters of the art, whose genius is great enough to
excuse their disregard of the conventions, or whose skill is sufficient to
smooth over their technical lapses; but for the novice the only safe
course is a careful observance of all conventions.
To the aspiring writer this book may seem to be merely a catalogue of
"Don'ts", the gist of which is, "Don't write"; but that is to misread me.
Short story writing is not easy, and I cannot make it so, even if I would;

but it is far from my purpose to discourage any person who feels the
Heaven-sent call to write, and who has the will and ability to respond to
it. But that call is but a summons to labor--and to labor the severest and
most persistent. To one who comes to it but half-heartedly, illy
prepared, shirking its requirements, I can predict certain failure; but to
the earnest, serious, conscientious worker, I would say a word of hope.
The promotion from the rank of amateur to the dignity of authorship
may be long in coming, but it will come at last. Fame, like all else that
this world has to give, depends largely upon downright hard work; and
he who has the courage to strive in the face of disappointments will
achieve success in the end.
Throughout this book I have endeavored to give my statements
definiteness by the employment of numerous examples, both good and
bad. I have made no attempt to present an exhaustive analysis of the
technique of individuals or of schools, but have chosen my illustrations
with a single view to their aptness; I have, however, for the
convenience of reference, taken these paradigms chiefly from the
published collections of stories by the older and better known writers.
My "awful examples" are verbatim excerpts from manuscripts which
have passed through my hands; their authorship is concealed for
obvious reasons.
To the best of my knowledge there is no book extant which treats
solely of the technique of the short story. The nearest approach to it is