Note-Taking Methods of Famous Authors

Benjamin Franklin's writing process:

- He would take stories, essays, or other works he admired and break them down sentence by sentence or paragraph by paragraph. 

- He studied the structure, word choices, and how ideas flowed in the original pieces. 

- Then he would try rewriting or reconstructing the pieces from memory, without looking at the original. 

- This exercise helped him internalize effective styles and techniques that he could then apply in his own writing.

- It allowed him to analyze how great writers structured their narratives, presented ideas, used rhetoric and other literary devices.

- By reconstructing the works, he could imitate and learn from the originals while making the style his own.

- Franklin saw this method as a way to improve his writing and learn new approaches to communicating and persuading.

- He believed learning directly from the great writers and thinkers who came before him was better than just reading their works passively.

- Active analysis and imitation helped develop his fluid, lively yet clear writing style.

- He applied this method early in his career, studying works by writers like Addison, Steele, and Spectator essays. 

- Franklin advocated this reconstructive approach in his own writings on rhetoric and language.

- While simple in concept, his active studying and imitation was key to Franklin becoming such an impactful writer himself. 

Here are more details on how these great American authors did research and took notes for their writing:

William Faulkner:

- Spent time observing and absorbing details about the American South to vividly portray its culture and people in works like "Absalom, Absalom!"

- Kept notebooks with character sketches, bits of dialogue, place descriptions to build his fictional Yoknapatawpha County 

- Did historical research to ensure accuracy of details in historical novels like "Intruder in the Dust"

Ernest Hemingway:

- Emphasized firsthand experiences - traveled widely and pulled from personal adventures for stories

- Kept journals while on trips to Europe, Africa, Key West, etc to capture observations, dialogue, and character notes

- Minimal notes - preferred to draw stories from memory rather than detailed outlines

Toni Morrison:

- Extensive research on African American history, culture, and mythology for works like "Beloved" and "Song of Solomon"

- Traveled to southern states to see sites important to Black history firsthand 

- Took detailed character notes about motivations, backgrounds, quirks of those she wrote about

Mark Twain:

- Set many of his novels and stories in places he lived to write authentically about them

- Journals and letters provided source material - everyday observations and anecdotes

- Notebooks contained rough story sketches rather than thorough outlines

Emily Dickinson:

- Drew inspiration from observations of nature, her home life in Amherst, MA

- Her poems were highly reflective of her inner life and intellectual pursuits rather than external research 

- No evidence she kept notebooks - her poems were likely drawn from memory

F. Scott Fitzgerald: 

- Firsthand experiences, observations, and people he met formed basis for many characters

- Kept notebooks during time spent on Long Island, in Europe, and traveling America

- Collected potential character names, snippets of dialogue, scene ideas while taking notes

Edgar Allan Poe:

- Wide reading in diverse topics like science, classics, lore provided information for stories

- Travels informed some descriptions of exotic locations in adventure tales

- Plotted stories carefully in notebooks, drafts - returning to refine over time

Ralph Waldo Emerson:

- Journals contained observations of nature, society, inner thoughts - source material

- Wide reading of theology, philosophy, classics grounded his essays

- Travels to Europe sparked comparative observations of American culture/values

James Baldwin:

- Drew heavily on personal experiences with racism, African American life for works

- Essays and novels emphasize reflects his own struggles with identity 

- Traveled to southern US, Europe - kept observational journals that fed into writing

Herman Melville:

- Extensive research on whaling and sailing for accurate details in "Moby Dick"

- Journals from travels to Europe, Pacific islands provided exotic locales/scenes

- Detailed plot outlines and character biographies in notebooks before writing novels

1. William Faulkner: 

2. Ernest Hemingway:

3. Toni Morrison:

4. Mark Twain: 

5. Emily Dickinson:

6. F. Scott Fitzgerald:

7. Edgar Allan Poe:

8. Ralph Waldo Emerson:

9. James Baldwin:

10. Herman Melville:

There are so many great American writers, and opinions about who is the "greatest" may vary depending on who you ask. However, here are some of the writers who are often considered to be among the greatest in American literature:

1. William Faulkner: Faulkner is known for his complex and experimental writing style, which often explored themes of race, identity, and the human condition. His works include "The Sound and the Fury," "As I Lay Dying," and "Absalom, Absalom!"

2. Ernest Hemingway: Hemingway's concise and direct writing style influenced a generation of writers. He often wrote about themes of war, love, and loss, and his most famous works include "The Sun Also Rises," "A Farewell to Arms," and "The Old Man and the Sea."

3. Toni Morrison: Morrison was a groundbreaking writer who explored the African American experience in her works. Her books often examined themes of identity, racism, and family relationships. She won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993, and her notable works include "Beloved," "Song of Solomon," and "The Bluest Eye."

4. Mark Twain: Twain is known for his humorous and satirical writing style, and his works often explored the American experience in the late 19th century. His most famous works include "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

5. Emily Dickinson: Dickinson is considered one of America's greatest poets. Her poems often explored themes of death, nature, and the soul, and her unique writing style influenced modern poetry. Her notable works include "Because I could not stop for Death" and "I'm Nobody! Who are you?"

6. F. Scott Fitzgerald: Fitzgerald is known for his exploration of the American Dream and the Jazz Age of the 1920s. His most famous work is "The Great Gatsby," but he also wrote several other novels and short stories, such as "Tender Is the Night" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

7. Edgar Allan Poe: Poe was a master of horror and mystery, and his stories and poems continue to influence modern popular culture. His most famous works include "The Raven," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and "The Fall of the House of Usher."

8. Ralph Waldo Emerson: Emerson was a philosopher and writer who was a key figure in the Transcendentalist movement of the 19th century. He is known for his essays, speeches, and poems, such as "Nature," "Self-Reliance," and "The American Scholar."

9. James Baldwin: Baldwin was a writer and civil rights activist who explored issues of race, sexuality, and identity in his works. His most famous works include "Go Tell It on the Mountain," "Notes of a Native Son," and "The Fire Next Time."

10. Herman Melville: Melville is known for his epic novel "Moby-Dick," which explores themes of obsession, revenge, and the nature of evil. He also wrote several other novels and short stories, such as "Bartleby, the Scrivener" and "Billy Budd, Sailor."