But the carver in fashioning a vase thinks of the effect it will produce
when it is finished, on the mind of his customer or on the mind of any
person who appreciates beauty; and his whole end and aim is for this
result. He cuts out what he thinks will hinder, and puts in what he
thinks will help. He certainly does a great deal more than present
polished specimens of the various kinds of woods he has collected.
The creative writer---who intends to do something more than present
polished specimens of real life---must work on the same plan.
He must write for his realer, for his audience.
But just what is it to write for an audience? The essential element in
it is some message a somebody. A message is of no value unless it is
to somebody be particular. Shouting messages into the air when you do
not know whether any one is at hand to hear would be equally foolish
whether a writer gave forth his message of inspiration in that way, or
a telegraph boy shouted his message in front of the telegraph off{i}ce
in the hope that the man to whom the message was addressed might be
passing, or that some of him friends might overhear it.
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