Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-03-04
MENTAL FOOD FOR BOYS
An Expert Tells How Sensational Stories
Are Put Together.

Are Put Together.
''The writer of fiction for the young
has become an important branch OF liter
ature," said an old writer whose charm.
ing stories have tickled a generation OF
young people. 1T seems simple enough,
doesn't it, to draw a little upon the i'm.
agination and spin out a lot Of stuff about
Jimmy the Safe Cracker or Bob the
Boy Detective but some of the best
newspaper writers in this city have seized
the story writer's quill with a sort of holy
enthusiasm-and have failed. One of
them whose ~heartrending tale was pub
hshed had the happiness of hearing him.
self called a 'chump' by a gamin critic
who had just finished reading the effort.
II guess this faculty Of writing fictar
must come voluntarily to a person. l
have tried my hand at other branches OF
literature, and have Immediately and
with great unanimity been pronounced
no good. Shortly after this rebuff a
story, telling of the almost superhuman
deeds Of q young hero, appeared, and ever
since l have not been able to turn out
manuscripts quickly enough for the pub
fishers.
ION some days I can't, to save me.
write q single line, while at other times
may worry through a paragraph, but on
reading il a second time | tear it up in
disgust. Nothing remains but TO wait
for an inspiration This does not come
from above, a gift from the gods, as is
vulgaI.y supposed. but is brought on by
a knowledge of the fact that the pub
Usher is waiting impatiently for the pe-t
chapter Of my story. When ! once st
started the thoughts oome almost tor
quickly.
''Do | ever correct my copyi We'll,
not much. | put the story together Ii
my craL.Ium and then spin 1t IT.. i
sometimes read 1t a second time and
change a word occasionally. then off she
goes to the printer. We are not very
particular. anyway, since We are work
ing for Doodle. not for undying fame.
II we were TO follow the advice of Horace
and lock up our manuscript for nine
years and tb IN take il out and revise 1t, ]
am afraid that bootblacks, messenger
boys and tie young in general would 81
without intellectual food for some time.
That, hoSever, might not prove n serious
blow 20 the community, for messages
would then in ali probability be deliv.
cred promptly. Why, | have seen a
messenger boy, on whose feet1ess of foot
a fortune or probably a life depended
standing on a corner for half an hour in
tensely absorbed in one of my compost,
tons, Quite flattering 10 me, was il
not?
'You think the increasing drain should
exhaGst my storekouse Of ideas. do your
Let me inform you that it douLs ass
would did l not learn something new
every day. l always make a note OF
everything strange | see or hear, and
hooks and napers give me any nurIbcr Of
ideas which | mold TO suit my Feeders
not my readers exactly. but the publ 81
er's readers. We write to please In. |, I.
person. and he Is that all powerful indi-
vidual who can take the story Or return
it with thanks
''You want to know how we are paidi
Well. none Of us ever become million.
aires, yet q person with ordinary talent
can always make a good living at the
business.
Il DO all my writing in two or three
DAYS Of the week, and can make $50 or
$50 without exerting myrelf. The most
money | ever received for q story was
$500 for a little thing / finished in four
days. II was for a celebrated comedian
who. with my permission, erased my
name from the title page and inserted his
own. | don't know how much he re.
ceived for his name and my story.
IL think | am doing as much good for
the Young as many who make more pre-.
y tensions. Most Of my Stories are founded
on history, and probably impress 'rlths
on youthful minds more forcibly tb-- 10
ONT Of the professors who affect 10 de-
spiSe Il profession 50 much. New
York Press.