The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-04
NED BUNTLINE, THE DIME-NOyELIST.
The Methods of that VoluminOus Writer and
His Equally Astonishing Profits.

The Methods of that VoluminOus Writer and
His Equally Astonishing Profits.
Correspondence Philadelphia Times.
asked him how many stories he had written.
II made little calculation the other day he said,
land am alarmed to find that have written
between 300 and 400 novels. which, if published
In book form, would each make book OF about
four hundred pages. Of course, most of them
have escaped being brought out in covers, but my
published books make quite a library.
lntimated that | would like to get his recipe.
He laughed and said he had good many APP
pllcatlons forlt. Women send their stories to
me to correct their style and method l send
them back One woman came and told me that
If would teach her how to write she would give
me half of the profits. Several broken down
or incompetent ministers have applied. One
last year was very persistent, and | had
at last to intimate to him that more or less
brains were necessary. He believed it and went
on. VI course, was Joking. 1t doesn't require
8 large amount of intellect to write successful
novel Some of the poorest stuff have written
has had the largest circulation and brought me
most money"
In reply to my remark that he was reputed to
have made story writing profitable ne said
Il am not rich, but | could live decontly If |
were to do no more work. | have earned a heap
OF money with my pen. For ten years earned
$Z0,OO0 year, and some years | have taken
three CT four times that. | never write story
now for less than s. 900. After my last cam
$l2. 900 behind. but l went to scratching and
earned that $l2. 600 in three weeks"
inquired II he had always written under the
nom de plume of Ned Buntline"
"Oh, no. he said; that's only one of my pet
names. write now not only as Ned Buntline,
but as Edward Minturn, Clew Garnet. Reckless
Ralph, Sherwood Stanley and John Edwards.
OF course they all have somewhat different
styles A year ago a regular army lieutenant
out West fell in love with Julia and he and I
a ont al
and tender on mis- side He sent his photograph,
and insisted on coming on to see me all the way
from Colorado. and finally | had to own up. /
don know but he would have challenged me If
ne had been around here"
1--WE all enjoyed his letters" said Mrs. Jud-
son; they were awfully in earnest"
The Colonel told me the name of Juiias lover,
but requested me not to give it away, for obvi-
Gus reasons. The photograph was also passed
around.
"lou said you wanted my recipe continued
the Colonel. I've not the least objection to
giving it to You, confidentially, as it were.' he
laughed. First I'll get pen and some ink and
book like this, with fifty sheets of blank paper
bound up in it. Twelve of these make story
TO run twelve weeks. Then select my title.
That is the principal thing. 1t is more important
than anything else. I've repeatedly had good
stories ruined by bad titles and bad stories saved
and made to go by good titles
l took up u manuscript book that he had
finished and looked at it. 1t was written in deli
cate hand, and every page was a handsome bit
OF copy without an alteration. There was only
one erasure in the first twelve pages and that
only of a single word, for which better was sub
stltuted. | asked him if he made plot in adj
vance
No never" he said; II simply take some
character whose name | have decided on. and
begin to write about him. The story develops
itself mean that never know how a story is
coming out or what the next chapter is going to
relate L bring the fictitious characters into
existence, and then let them go ahead and work
out their own destines Another thing, as you
see, never correct or alter What l write must
stand. If things go wrong. as they sometimes
do, L just throw the book in the fire and begin
again without any reference to it,