Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-12-07
CHEAP ROMANCES.
Writers who Manufacture Sentim entail
Nonsense for Imprsssionablo Readeas.

Writers who Manufacture Sentim entail
Nonsense for Impressionablo Readeas.
Nerr York Omm,rrial Advertiser.
The impressionable miss who dotes on
finsy love tales often imsgiaes the concoc-
tor of the sentimental nonsense TO be hero
and feels that one of life's longings would
be satisfied if she might claim acquaintance
with him. 1t is safe TO assume that very
few persons actually know what manner OF
beings spoil ink and paper in building SEN
sational stories for cheap publications. In
this country there are no publications ex-
uctlv corresponding 10 the English penny
numbers" which dish up love Iomances of
so many Yards in length; but there is
somewhat more expensive variety OF half.
dine libraries that answer the purpose ad-
mirably.
The writers OF cheap sensational stories
in the weekly papers aud in bound volumes
are, for the most part, journalists who take
this method of padding out their incomes.
They generally get into it by accident, and
finding it remuneratiye, stay there. 1t re
quires literary ability Of some order to be a
successful writer Of cheap stories. The
author must write with the utmost rapidly,
composing the lines and weaving the plot as
he proceeds. The pay for the composition
of a romance Of from $4,000 to 10000
words is about 800, and practiced writer
of lair ability in this line will finish a story
in ten DAYS, if he does nothing else Or.
dinarily these stories are written In from
three weeks to a month, and serve TO &C.
cupy odd hours The men who do the work
are anything but sentimental. They are
usually good fellows who have the heartiest
contempt for the stuff they are producing;
their only motive being money. All the
metropolitan papers have one or two men
addicted to the imposition OF fash literature
uron the public They are more usually in
the editorial rooms, than in the reportorial
department, for in the latter place there Is
precious little time TO devote to dalliance
with romance, however well paid The
men who write stories and nothing else are
few: among them are broken down news.
paper men who compose their trash in q
garrc!.
1t is difficult TO get recognition as writer
Of cheap literature, for each publisher has
favorites and accepts their work before that
of strangers Consequently many aspiring
boarding-school girls, who compile agoniz-
ing love stories, wholly or mainly flched
from their favorite authors, have their hopes
crushed and their PRIDE wounded when they
submit the fruits Of their labor to the stony
hearted publishG.
The is another kind Of tale in many
story papers, that runs eight or a dozen
numbers, and ends each installment with
the sggravating, ito be contiued in our
next" The writers of these productions
are mainly women. and usually hailing
from Boston or the far South Women will
work more chesply than men. and they are
more persistent in peti,ioning publishers.
These stories usually pay their writers from
Sl00 to $3.50 apiece but the demand is
limited A still higher paid class Of stories
are worth from $500 to 81 900. The writer's
whose LANES are oltenest seen are salaried,
one nan on the Ledger being paid $4,000
! bis, however, Is an exceptional case, and
he writer is paid for his name.
The short column and two-column
stories. some of which are very clever. are
paid at from s. to $40 each, but it is next
10 impossible to get them accepted, as all
periodicals have stacks Of stories on hand
] he writer who branches out into the fash
literature business has certain thumb-rules
TO learn which, once being mastered, render
his work mentally easy and physically
laborious. 1t is ike turning the crank or
showing the plain all day. These stories
Will be seen to be built, like New York
brick house, upon one plan. They have
lUrid beginning, each chapter ends with a
more or less illogical tableau, and the whole
winds up with a fash and bang. The
varying emotions of love, hate, revenge,
sympathy and selfshness are rung UPON
The mere unreal they are the better All
the heroes are handsome, manly, noble,
wealthy, or about 10 be wealthy; all the
heroines are lovely, accomplished and az
fectionste; all the villains are stamped by
the same die.
The plot generally developes as the
writer proceeds The opening chapter com.
mences with dark, gloomy or rainy night;
mystery shrouds everything; or a murder is
brought to the rtaders attention in the first
paragraph. In any event the requisite
thing is to elevate the readers hair,
and chill bis blood at the start. This &C.
complished, he or she is good for the whole
story, and will buy every number to the
end. One point must be attended to,
namely, that virtue shall be triumphant
and the william ioiled. At least one murder
to the chapter is the regular allowance, IN
less the scene is laid in the West, when
blood may flow on every page. A polyg!ot
dictionary Of explosives is handy, for every
foreigner should be made to swear politely
in his mother tongue. II these points be
attended to little practice will enable the
amateur TO write fash romsnceS.