FROM. . . Bookstall and Study.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17880, 23 June 1926, Page 12

FROM. . . Bookstall and Study.

HOW TO WRITE A SHORT STORY.

AN INTERVIEW WITH LEONARD MERRICK. Valuable advice on the art of short story writing is given below by Leo'nard Merrick, distinguished English author:— “Open briskly, and tell the reader all that is necessary in the fewest words possible. Some openings are so dull and uninformative that one wonders if the writer knows what the story is to be about.” Mr Merrick had in mind the story that opens with a description that delays the action, and consequently the interest of the reader. There are too, some writers of fiction who boast that their. characters make the story, and

that they themselves are merely guiding the pen. Mr Merrick admits this may be. but apparently he believes that their stories will inevitably lack the impression of truth which is to be attained by adequate construction. He went on: “A happy end is more popular than a tragic one. and this being the case, it is essential to choose a theme that lends itself to such an ending naturally. One has read stories of the penniless girl, on the point of starvation, rescued by a wealthy young, man from sudden death. This rarely happens in real life, but I am sorry to say it happens very often in the magazines. I “Again, we often read of a husband and wife leading a cat-and-dog life. At the end of a sentimental speech on • the husband’s part, about their courtship days, the couple are transformed into turtle-doves, and the wife becomes immediately and for ever after the girl that she used to be. This is a convention more often exploited on the stage than in fiction, but it happens in short stories too. You cannot bring about a happy ending by a jerk. There must be fidelity to real life. Character cannot be re-created by a speech. “Always know how your story- is to end before you begin it. If you do this, every line you write will be consistent with the ending. You will be taking the direct road to vour climax. A Wonderful Story. The most important thing of all in a short story- is the treatment. This it is impossible to explain or to detine. As an example, let me cite one of* Galsworthy's short stories in ‘Caravan.’ It is called *The First and the Last* It deals with a murder committed by one brother and confessed to the other. In the hands of the mediocre, writer the theme would be sheer melodrama. In the hands of Galsworthy it becomes a magnificent piece of psychological work. It is made convincing by the treatment. “Another splendid example occurs to me. This is the exquisite story by Pett Ridge, called ‘First Impressions/ It is told in about 3000 words, and is an impression of a day- in London by a boy whose aunt takes him on a tour of inspection. The average person of inspection. The average person would say it is not a story at all. As Fett Ridge treats the episode, it is one of the most beautiful short stories I ever read. “Never use an unusual word where a simple one will express your meaning equally well. ‘lnhibit’ is a worse word than ‘forbid/ It sounds easy to write simply, but simplicity, coupled with strength, can be achieved only by great pains. You remember Sentimental Tommy’s answer to the praise given to his novel for its simple language: ‘lt took me a long time to make it so simple/ A simple word is the more forceful because it enters the reader’s mind more quickly. “The chief essentials for a novelist are to feel and to take pains. Every master of fiction is an example of the truth of this. Without it men have become popular, but never great.’’