and at the moment there is no one to take his place but you. Your
assistant takes over your work and you are instructed to turn out
a daily page of sporting news.

If you knew nothing at all about writing you would find the task
nearly impossible to accomplish. But you do know how to write and
therefore the mere writing does not worry you. And your experience
as a special writer on politics has taught you that there are
certain points all special newspaper work has in common and you
apply your knowledge to the task before you.

Still you are seriously handicapped for a time because you have
been thinking in terms of politics. But soon, by turning all your
energy and ability upon your new subject, you learn to think in
terms of sport. And, if you are a better thinker and a better
writer than the old sporting editor, it won't be long before you
turn out a better sporting page than he did. If you were the owner
of the newspaper, which, in the emergency, would you choose to be
your sporting editor: the untried man who has never demonstrated
his ability to write, the reporter who has no knowledge of special
writing, or the trained writer who has mastered one specialty and,
it may reasonably be supposed, will master another quickly? The
same care you would exercise in choosing another man to work for
you, you should exercise in choosing your own work for yourself.

Do you know how to write? Do you write with ease and find pleasure
in the work? If you do, class yourself with the reporter.

What success have you had in writing fiction? Have you written
successful novels or short-stories? If you have, class yourself