Twain, Mark, 1835-1910 / 2008-08-04 00:00:00

EBOOK HOW TELL A STORY AND OTHERS ***


Produced by David Widger


HOW TO TELL A STORY AND OTHERS
by Mark Twain

CONTENTS:
HOW TO TELL A STORY
THE WOUNDED SOLDIER
THE GOLDEN ARM
MENTAL TELEGRAPHY AGAIN
THE INVALIDS STORY

HOW TO TELL A STORY
The Humorous Story an American Development.--Its Difference
from Comic and Witty Stories.
I do not claim that I can tell a story as it ought to be told. I only
claim to know how a story ought to be told, for I have been almost daily
in the company of the most expert story-tellers for many years.
There are several kinds of stories, but only one difficult kind--the
humorous. I will talk mainly about that one. The humorous story is
American, the comic story is English, the witty story is French. The
humorous story depends for its effect upon the manner of the telling;
the comic story and the witty story upon the matter.
The humorous story may be spun out to great length, and may wander around
as much as it pleases, and arrive nowhere in particular; but the comic
and witty stories must be brief and end with a point. The humorous story
bubbles gently along, the others burst.
The humorous story is strictly a work of art--high and delicate art
--and only an artist can tell it; but no art is necessary in telling the
comic and the witty story; anybody can do it.
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