The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-04
- A NY one who has a sense % pro-
~ portion can write a short story.
said Mrs Mary Roher.s Riue-


~ portion can write short story"
said Mrs. Mary Roberts Rine-
hart. one OF the highest paid magazine
writer's In the country. THE main Thug
IL to realize the essentials Of your story.
The instructive sense of what TO tell and
what to leave to the readers imagination
IL what makes the born story teller. Get
the high lights. Then there must be al
ways the quick curtain"
Long paragraphs l hate Them. she
laughed from behind the tea table as We
sat In front of the cracking log Ere IN
the den OF her Glen Osoorne, Pa. home.
There must be action. That Is the vital
difference between story which men Ike
and one that women will read. Men go
to baseball games and poo matches
Ther rs always something doing In their
life. A story to please them must move
along at II pretty good rate Of speed
Women are more interpretive. more con-
ten, to analyze their emotions"
I'm your stories 1t was suggested.
you devote the frst Ave hundred words
to u glimpse OF the conclusion. Is that
done because o. Henry said that the end
Of q story must be written frst?"
II do that to create suspense" answered
Mrs. Rnehart. 81 tell almost everything
at the sart as to get right into the
action OF the story. How I write a story
! could not tell II tried. always try
to make the character do what l would
have done In that case. and there Is gen.
orally an actual experience for the foun-
dalton. but OF course let my magma
tion run on after the story is stated.
There Is one thing I have discovered,
and that is that You must let ideas lie
falow In your mind. ] went into the
hospital when ! was II and married at
49, Everything In my short experience
as a nurse made vivid impresson. but I
was inarticulate wished to express
myself but could not. II Is only In the
last few years that have made use Of
that knowledge. and I was 81 last Au-
eust. In the same way | have Just used
the material ! gathered In Vienna sew
erai years ago when went there for a
year while my husband took special
course In medicine. 1t IL TO be ro-
mantle story OF a duchess think there
II a tendency toward the romantic and
away from much realism. You know
we are all a little romantic at heart.
mo. ] do not Use a notebook nor q
nling system ror a scrapbook. / am
fhriftless in my ideas. suppose. and
i know that I lose a great many good
ones. believe in letting ideas lie quietly
IN your mind until they ripen. Often.
now. when ! am In the midst Of a story
am conscious that I am using an idea
which I have had for several years.
They seem like old friends.
zone mistake think young writer's
make Is to waste too much time on slight
material. You must have a good plot.
Know the market. then write the very
best you can and sta I'd back OF II. There
are some subjects which are almost alb
solutely taboo. such as religion. This
writing Of short stories Is a game and a
game In which woman has Just as good
chance as a man, but she must stand back
Of her work. 1t Is much like man who
invents a new safety razor. He makes
the best razor that he can. He believes
IN 1t and he stands back Of II. He in
vents a razor because he knows that men
need one to shave themselves and he does
not take his razor and try to sell IL TO
Amszons. You must never write any
thing that you are not ready TO stand
behind and you must write the best you
know. The best Is none too good. II
take courage and self-conidence
"How much do / write in day?
could hardly say. ! write until am
tired. Sometimes two thousand words,
sometimes more. The next day may go
shopping or do something else. have my
dancing class every week. Yes, | dance
the tango, Bridge rather takes II out Of
me. though love the game ! do every
thing but ieropa ming Then I nave my
husband. three sons and house to care
Tor"
III takes me about week to write q
short story. Yes, they are generally lion z
ones. | think editors prefer them shorter,
but ! nave IL write them In my own way.
My iirst short story sold for S35. After
] had written several OF them Bob Davis
OF MnaseD wrote and suggested that I try
serial The result was the Circular
Staircase. which | sold for 1900
wou'd ont sell IL for 100000 now. I think
II is good plan for new writer to r. ell
his story serially. 1t gives him a much
better chance to ind publisher. Then
Il puts snap into II, because each in
stalment must have a climax to carry
the interest"
us 1t difficult to get names for your
characters" was asked.
Yes to find names Of people whom I
do not know. Perhaps you remember my
story called 'Affnities.' Once 7 was in.
v".d to an affinity party. did not go
but II suggested a story to me- OF
course I was very careful not to use the
names of any one whom I knew After
the story came out had a letter from {.
man In the West saying that his naus
was Ferd nand his wife and his affinity
In Tact the whole oct OF names corresponds
70 heirs He wondered II ! knew abou,
them i didn't know soul named Ferdi.