He must teach himself that the basest of all things is to be afraid; and, teaching himself that, forget it forever, leaving no room in his workshop for anything but the old verities and truths of the heart, the old universal truths lacking which any story is ephemeral and doomed—love and honor and pity and pride and compassion and sacrifice. according to the excerpt, faulkner believes that a young writer must  focus on universal truths and human feeling rather than just the storyline. remember to pay homage to the writers who came before him. become one with the characters in the story he is writing. become a shining example of artistic integrity for future generations.