The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1888-02-03
MENTAL TRASH FOR BOYS.
An Expert Tells How Sensational stories
Are Put Together.

Are Put Together.
Tho writing of fiction for the
young has become an important
branch Of literature, said an old
writer whose charming stories have
tickled n generation of young people.
1T seems simple enough. doesn't II.
to draw little upon the Imagination
and spin out q lot of stun about
Jimmy the Safe Cracker or Bob the
Boy Detective but some of the best
newspaper writers in this city have
seized the story writers quill with a
sort of holy cnthusiasm-and have
failed. One of them whose heart
rending tale was published had the
happiness Of hearing himself called q
'chump' by gamin critic who had
just finished reading the effort.
II guess this faculty OF writing
fiction must come voluntarily to per-
son. have tried my hand Mt other
branches Of literature. and have im-
mediately and with great unanimity
boon pronounced no good. Shortly
after this rebuff story, telling OF the
superhuman deeds of young hero
appeared. and ever since ! have not
been able to turn out manuscripts
quickly enough for the publishers.
ION some days can't. to save me.
write single line. while Mt other times
1 may worry through long para
graph. but on reading IL second time
tear it up in disgust. Nothing re-
mains but to wait for an inspiration.
This does not come from above, n gift
from the gods. as is vulgarly supposed.
but is brought on by n knowledge of
the fact that the publisher is waiting
impaticntly for the next chapter Of my
story. When l once get started the
thoughts come almost too quickly.
''Do l ever correct my copyP Well.
not much. put the story together In
my Uranium and then spin it out. /
sometimes read il a second time and
change word occasionally, then off
she goes to the printer. We are not
very particular, any way. since we are
working for Doodle, not for undying
fame. II we were to follow tho advice
Of Horace and lock up our manuscript
for nine years, and then take 1t out and
revise it, / am afraid that boOtblacks,
me ssenger boys and the young in gen.
eral would go without intellectual food
for some time. That, however. might
not prove serious blow to the COM
munity, for messages would then in all
probability be delivered promptly.
Why, | have seen messenger boy, on
whose feetness of foot fortune or
probably life depended. stand
ing on corner for half an hour In
tensely absorbed in one of my COM
positions. Quite flattcring to me. was
it not?
You think the increasing drain
should exhaust my store-house of
ideas, do you? Let mo inform you
that it doubtless would. did / not learn
something new every day. always
make note of every thing strange l
see or hear and books and papers
give me any number of ideas which
mold to suit my readers-not my
readers exactly-but the publisher s
readers. We write to please but one
person, and he is that all powerful in
dividual who can take the story or re-
turn it with thanks.
you want to know how we are
paid? Well. none of us lever become
millionaires. yet Il person with ordinary
talent can always make good living
at the business.
II do all of my writing in two or
three days of tho week and can make
fifty or sixty dollars without exerting
myself The most money / ever re-
ceived for n story was five hundred
dollars for u little thing j finished In
four days. 1t was for celebrated
comedian who. with my permission.
erased my name from the title page
and inserted his own. / don't know
how much he received for his namc
and my story.
II think l am doing rs much good
for the young rs many who make
more pretensions. Most OF my stories
are founded on his Org. and probably
impress truths on youthful minds more
forcibly than do some Of the profess
sors who affect to despise our profess
sion so much. IN T. Telegram