The Literary Manual, Or, a Complete Guide to Authorship. by: Percy Russell. Publication date: 1886. Publisher: London Literary Society.
CONTENTS
I.— Initial. Literary Technics ... • • 3
II.— Poetry. All National Literature originally Poetic — Meaning of the word — The different Classes of Poetry— The Epic, the Drama, the Lyric, the Hymn, the Ode, the Elegy, the Sonnet — The Structure and Nature of the Sonnet, metre, rhythm, and rhyme, the technics of verse, double and triple rhymes — Examples — Verse making as an Art — Intellectual v. Sensuous Poetry, errors ' to be avoided by young verse-writers, imitating the faults of standard poets- Byron, Example of rhetorical rubbish. Poetic Statistics — Longfellow — Observations on his genius, closing words . 1 1
III — Fiction. Its Functions and Utility— Importance of Literary Technics to the Novelist — Crude Work — A Glance at the History of Story Telling as an Art — The Contemporary Novel — How to Work — The Way to Success in Fiction — Examples — New Openings — Charles Reade — Statistics of Fiction — Novel Writing reduced to an Art . . 31
IV.— The Drama. The Drama, the earliest of literary forms, its ancient phases "Property" pieces — How to acquire Dramatic Technics — A promising outlook' — Schlegel's ad- vice to young writers for the Stage 50
V.— The Imaginative or Creative Faculty. Special advice to young Writers— The Continual Raising of the Standard of Literary Excellence — Sir Walter Scott and Miss Jane Porter— The Poets of the Eighteenth Century— The Imitative Faculty— Examples from Wordsworth — Young Writers and Verse-making — The Nature of Imagination — Its Application to Fiction — Fancy — What it Is — Literary Photography — Charles Dickens and his Method — The Distinction between the Literature of Knowledge and that of Power — Closing Advice . . . 55
VI.— How to Prepare MS. Practical Hints—Legible Writing a Great Advantage — The Sizes of Books — Remarks on Titles — Arrangement with a Publisher — Rates of Remuneration —Difficulties in the Way — Earnings of Eminent Writers 64
VII. — Fiction as an Art. A New Idea — Reference to Painting and Sculpture — Crude Realities — Victor Hugo — Some Examples ... ....... 77
VIII.— On the Choice of Books 82
IX. — On the Constructing of Plots 85
X. — Literature for Children 90
XI. — The Art of Reading. A Writer's Bibliography; Chronology, History, Renaissance Literature, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Russian, Swiss, and Spanish Literature — Suggestions for Acquiring Special Forms of Literary Knowledge — Pouring out and pouring in— Reading rapidly — Appropriating and Assimilating — Importance of facts to the Novelist — The late Lord Lytton —How to ensure success ....... 92
XII. — Copyright 101
Appendix 106
Start it.
I. — Initial . . 113
II — The Newspaper Press. Its Historic Aspects. . . 115
III. — The Printing Office. Early Books — Transcript Making
in Ancient Rome — Etymology of " Book "—The Contemporary Printing Office Described 124
-How to Write. How to write an Ordinary Article — Hints — How to become Invaluable as a Contributor — The
Art of Writing at Will— Reference to Dr. Johnson— Words and their Use — Slang — Authors to be Studied . . . 1 33
V. — Ordinary Reporting. What Reporting Really Is —
Phonography — Practical Advice — Effect of Habitual Reporting on the Mind — What is to be Avoided — The late
Lord Lytton — The Lefroy Case — Reporting Crime — A Great Evil — Anonymous Writing — The Foreign Correspondent 144
VL — Leader Writers. Leader Writers on the Daily Papers
— Their Virtual Irresponsibility — Examples of Levity —
Writing down to the Reader's Level — The Effect Thereof . 159
VII. — Reviewing. Reviewing — How to Review — The Necessity for General Information — Honesty in Reviewers — A
word on Prefaces 170
VIII. — The Working Journalist. His Qualifications — How
and What to Read— The Sub-Editor— A Real Day's Work on a Weekly Newspaper — "Making Up" . . . 177
IX. — Newspaper Proprietors. Newspaper Proprietors —
Sketches of some — Their Characteristics — What Journalists
have to contend with — A Striking Example. . . .191
X. — The Comic and Illustrated Press. Ancient origin of Comic Literature — Jesters and Court Fools — The Charivari and Punch — The Colonial Comic and Illustrated Press — Evil tendencies of some Illustrated Journals — Bills and Posters 195
XI — Trade Journals. Their Great Utility— Their Staple Contents — How they are Managed — Advertisements Advertisement Notices or Trade " Puffs " — Meanness of some Firms — An Anecdote — The Increasing Need for the Trade Journal — Class Literature — The Ideal Newspaper — Mr. Goschen on Reading and Thinking . . . . . 200
XII. — Advertisements. Advertisements — Their Interest — The World of " Wants " — Candour of Advertisers — Baits and Traps for the Unwary — Abuse of Advertising Columns . 207
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The Literary Manual, or, a Complete Guide to Authorship by Percy Russell.
