Methods of Authors

Erichsen, Hugo, 1860-1944Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.1

Word count: 220K words
Chapters: 23

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Methods of Authors by Hugo ErichsenAuthor: Erichsen, Hugo, 1860-1944,Language: English, Class: PN: Language and Literatures: Literature: General, Criticism, Collections, Release Date: May 11, 2010

Editor's review

Methods of Authors is an essayistic work by Hugo Erichsen on writers' writing methods, belonging to the category of literary criticism and collections. It does not offer a systematic writing course; instead, it turns its attention to how authors arrange their writing lives: when they begin to write, how they revise, and how they handle materials and daily habits. For writers, such material is more like a mirror, allowing them to compare their own writing rhythm and find practices worth borrowing; for literature enthusiasts, it offers a side view of the creative process. This is the English e-book edition from Project Gutenberg, whose length and format are suitable for casual browsing. When reading, it is advisable to bring your own writing questions, note interesting methods and try them out, and not treat what the book says as rules that must be followed.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Writing enthusiasts interested in writing habits and methods
Literary readers who enjoy writers' anecdotes and creative essays
People who wish to learn from others' experience to adjust their own writing rhythm
Readers who need English short essay reading material

Not a good fit for

Readers who want a systematic writing textbook with step-by-step exercises
Readers expecting in-depth biographical research on writers
Beginners with limited English reading ability who need Chinese translation assistance

Reading tips

Read only a small section each time, and after reading write down one writing practice you are willing to try.
While reading, compare with your current writing habits and mark one or two things you want to adjust.
Take notes linking the methods in the book to specific writers for easy review later.
There is no need to read straight through in order; you can pick and read relevant parts according to the writing stages you care about.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a writing course?

It is not a systematic course. It is closer to essays and a collection written around writers' writing methods, discussing how authors arrange their writing, revise, and handle daily habits, rather than explaining writing techniques step by step. It is suitable as inspirational reading to be used in conjunction with your own writing practice.

Which writers are discussed in the book?

The materials only state that the author of this book is Hugo Erichsen and that the theme is writers' writing methods; no specific list of writers is given. While reading, pay attention to the people and practices mentioned in the book and use them as cases for observing the creative process, without presupposing that it covers a fixed list of writers.

How difficult is the English original to read?

This book is an English essayistic work in the category of literary criticism and collections; its language is mainly argumentation and narration and generally does not involve complex terminology. It is fairly friendly to readers with intermediate English reading ability; if reading is difficult, you can first use reference tools to look up key words, then proceed section by section.

How should I read it to be helpful for writing?

It is suggested to read with specific questions from your own writing, such as procrastination, revision, or material accumulation, and when you come across relevant practices, note them down and try them once or twice. After reading, choose one or two methods that suit you best and stick with them for a period; this is more effective than remembering many at once.

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About the author

Erichsen, Hugo, 1860-1944 Author

Hugo Erichsen (1860–1944) was an English-language author active from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century. Public information about his life is limited, and little beyond his dates and the titles of his works has survived. Two works can be confirmed, and they differ markedly in subject: Methods of Authors, a collection of essays on the writing methods and working habits of authors, and The cremation of the dead, which addresses the question of cremation and touches on funeral customs and social attitudes. Together they show an interest that spans literary craft and burial practice, with an emphasis on informative survey and practical discussion rather than systematic theory. His books circulated narrowly and are chiefly of value to readers concerned with the history of writing methods or of cremation, for whom they offer useful source material on these topics.