Something of Myself Book

I first read this short (122 pages) auto-biography in an anthology of Kipling's shorter works. For years I thought it must have been an excerpt, and hoped I would run across the full-length work. But no. I suspect it may have been cut short by his death, or perhaps edited by his surviving family, who were very protective.

Nonetheless, it's a fascinating read. Among other enjoyable bits, I find his advice on editing to be excellent, and perfectly relevant to modern writers (though as someone else who quoted it notes, beware if you write on an electronic device -- India ink won't help your screen clarity one bit.)

"This leads me to the Higher Editing. Take of well-ground Indian Ink as much as suffices and a camel-hair brush proportionate to the inter-spaces of your lines. In an auspicious hour, read your final draft and consider faithfully every paragraph, sentence and word, blacking out where requisite. Let it lie by to drain as long as possible. At the end of that time, re-read and you should find that it will bear a second shortening. Finally, read it aloud alone and at leisure. Maybe a shade more brushwork will then indicate or impose itself. If not, praise Allah and let it go, and 'when thou hast done, repent not.' The shorter the tale, the longer the brushwork and, normally, the shorter the lie-by, and vice versa. The longer the tale, the less brush but the longer lie-by. I have had tales by me for three or five years which shortened themselves almost yearly. The magic lies in the Brush and the Ink. For the Pen, when it is writing, can only scratch; and bottled ink is not to compare with the ground Chinese stick. Experto crede."

'Rudyard Kipling, Something of Myself