The Washington times., 1914-04-27
THE BEST
Photoplay Department in
WASHINGTON
Big Money Made By
Writing Plays
For Screen,
But


globe during the past few years. has
caused a number of perfectly SEN
sible people to become temporarily
insane. As a get-rich-quick scheme
scenario writing appears to have the
tabled mines Of the Incas releSated
to the amateur class. Very few peo-
pie seemed to have escaped infec-
ton by the little germ and many
heartbreaking disappointments have
been caused by the unsuccessful ef-
forts to land an idea on the screen.
Nine out OF ten people who habitu-
ally attend moving picture theaters
feel sure they can write better plays
than the ones they see on the screen,
and 1t is probable that a good 70
per cent of these do write
The result Is that the moving pic
swamped with manuscripts, 80 and
ss-1O0 per cent Of which are absolute
rot. Half Of the remaining 1-100 per
cent contain an idea that can be
utilized in the making of a play,
while the others are really plays.
The encouragement to write scena-
lioo 10 NlC1uCuuodS Until ohC VI WV
have been written and sent on their
travels. And the endless coming
back and remailinS of them becomes
so tiresome that the effort is bound
to be not worth while and the hope
of becoming millionaire in this
way is soon abandoned.
There Is absolutely no more reason
why the the average person should
make thousands OF dollars with seem
riaG Nth ahnrf sfnrfoa
some respects, the proper prepara-
tion of scenarios for photoplays is
more difficult than short story writ
ing. In other ways it Is not. There
are a number of people who have
become successful writers of seem
arios, but most Of them have only
reached success after studying the
business in the closest kind Of way.
There was a time when the manu-
featuring concerns were in bad
straits to get manuscripts. Now the
situation il reversed. They have
trouble keeping away from them.
Every manufacturing company has
a corps Of trained writer's in its en-
ploy who turn out a great many OF
the plays that are seen on the screen
and rewrite practically nine-tenths
Of those that are purchased. The
best playwrights and story-writers
in the country are now turning out
scenarios. Their work is bound to
receive attention before the work Of
the rank outsider.
or course. scenario writing, Ike
story writing, is not a mysterious
art. The rankest amateur might
turn out a successful play. just as
he can turn out a successful story.
But scenario writing Is profession as
exacting as story writing. and re-
uuires as careful study and as close
application Nothing We could say
could discourage a genius from going
ahead and turning out scenarios by
the ream. and geniuses are the only
class of writer's who will land seem
arios in sufficient quantity to make
II pay. without spending a whole lot
more time and study on the subject
than the average amateur scenario
writer either does or cares to spend.
There Is a popular delusion that
screen plays can be prepared in the
evenings after t." supper things are
cleared away. md while waiting
for the dishes TO be washed. that
the family can go out to the theater.
This is a delusion pure and simple.
Certain ingenious gentlemen have
established schools for scenario
writing. and have guaranteed that
certain prices will be paid for
scenarios. Wo couiu guar antc Uis
prices for all scenarios written by
our readers-that are accepted-if
we wanted to, and be as sure OF
our ground as the genial promoters
of most Of these scenario schools
are Because the saving clause
that are accepted is the mantle
of charity that covers the sinful re-
treat Of our school master.
1t is what keeps the bank account OF
the promoter in perfect condition,
despite the number of people who
send him their. work or buy his
books. There are probably a num-
her Of the scenario school promoters
they can teach people to write
plays Just as there are probably a
number of promoters Of literary
schools who believe they can teach
people to write novels and short
stories But the number OF grad
yates Of these schools who make make
money at the profession they have
paid to learn is extremely limited.
In many cases the schools arc
frauds, pure and simple. and the
money obtained by their promoters
is obtained under false pretenses
The fact that there Is always a re-
mote chance OF the school oeins
genius is one Of the few things that
saves many OF them from criminal
prosecution. 49,,
Scenario writing Is a most diff
cult business. II Is acquired by
patient study. by close application
and after mucn disappointment.
The men and women who have been
most successful at II are people VINO
came to II with long training as
writer's behind them. Many of them
have found 1t less productive than
story writing for regular news
paper work. Some of them have
made handsome incomes and will
continue to make them. Yet even
with these people II Is a very rare
thing to have a play produced as
II is written. The best scenario au-
thor in the world cannot tell the
story every time exactly as the
producer wants II and the producer
generally takes the idea and makes
his play out Of that-many times
without any more reference to the
manuscript than to get the idea
Therefore 1t is well to beware
the microbe. II causes a most In
sidious disease that Is difficult to
shake of once one is infected. Tho
person who feels he can write a
scenario without trouble had better
try his hand first at writing a story
When he has reached the point
where ono out of twenty of his
stories is acceptable to magazine
editors--then he can start In to
write scenarios. There is big money
in It for the person who can do