A SCHOOL FOR NOVELISTS?

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 443, 27 February 1909, Page 9

A SCHOOL FOR NOVELISTS?

■ "."In- theicurrent' issue -of : the "'University ..Monthly,?; the : organ, of: the Associa-.' tioii"of Toronto University," 'says'; : the! New York ■:'fTimos,!?-.;'' "Anthony; Hope discourses .entertainingly; upon:',tho'.subject,■■".'Can'hovel writing be : taught?'':-The author baßes.this article ' upon a -newspaper, statement.'. 'that there are in more'than one df'.the--universi-. ties of,:, the .-.United '. States'■; classes' for;.'the' teaching .'of writing' novels and 'stories'.'.: He does, not specify .'universities, and, aside: from' the:-so^callcdircorrespondence schools",' .which' claim ability to. teach; every art'and' science known, to •. mankind,. the' names. of 'universities .and .colleges ; wliibli'.have, added .'novel writing': to; tbcir' : regular curriculum : do': not occur to : mind.:: The creator- of ,'The Prisoner of 'Zenda.' whoso, genius' raised up countless' iraitatprsV and inspired perhaps a "thousand romantic stales, cast, in" counterfeit presentment !of.!tho.' original, 'is somewhat sceptical dyer ,the.report;-. S.tilljvhe.'discussos-the question of "a College course/hi novel aiid.'story writing seriously.'.■'.;' " ./ :,..--;'., ;. f :!'Qf',it,^however,..he takes, occasion to romhrk' that''thovidea of novel: writing being turned info a recognised occupation or: profession, such as law, or : engineering, is, to speak frankly,.;almost appalling.' ' He; .expresses 1 the - hope 'that college .faculties 'will hold'preliminary examinations before admitting candidates to the courses of 'novel writing,' and that':only such.,aspirants; bo accepted as 1 ; have 'a 'bont"or a fancy : for writing fiction,' 'adding/ 'He would be a cruel parent

■who_ deliberately destined a plodding youth tpjivqjby the exerciso of a recalcitrant imagination, and his cruelty would not bo confined to his offspring; it might reach the public' ;.'. -~-•'..

"Tho difficulty of finding a competent instructor naturally appeals to Anthony Hope, who ■ says that he himself I'is, self-taught— bo far as ho is taught at'all. Ho further remarks, 'Nobody can teach you to write like Charles Lamb—not even Charles Lamb himself,' and "elsewhere he says, 'Flaubert taught Maupassant, but ho. had a MaupasBant to teach.' Among other- ideas pertinent to the subject which the creator of 'The Dolly Dialogues' sets forth-is one:'.to the effect that tho candidates for novel writing should --..'ho., 'caught young.' They '.can lose nothing by ) being taught 'good grammar and tho right use of words,' and if they write a poor novel in .the end, 'not much harm is done,' anyway." -