Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-10-03

I Suppose you start by wrifipo
| ~. First you must get your $50 ~
then locate the story. Begin to wr,,.
on the germ of plan and the gs-.e
will increase and multiply. After -. =
have finished cut out all that ia su-,s -
fuous." PEI
i've thought Of motif already
girl of my age is IN love"
you mean girl several years od..
than you is in love"
Didn't 1 tell you am eighteen :.
dayT
80 you did. Well, with whom :.
this girl in iove?"
with a man In love with himse,f-
That's not a bad theme" said n.
author. all the while more and p,o-s
surprised at his wards sudden d.,
opment, but IT has its dificul,,..
You must show the fellow to be oo,,
ceited by what he does and saws a,
attractive contrast between his nor,
posity and the girls real sinnls
worth"
But the man Is very learned. and
the girl knows nothing. She "a No,
bright. either"
II thought you said the man was
in love with himself"
II meant he was absorbed In him
self"
"Oh. that makes a great difference
In that case / would invent some ae,
by which the girl by her heroism or
devotion attracts his attention from
himself to her and, seeing her SUPER.
ority, is convinced of his own unyorth.
mess"
But he Is greatly her superior"
Perhaps you meant that be was alb
sorbed in his work-not In himself"
"Of course l did"
This involves another change. A
girl Is In love with a man whose mind
is so absorbed in some great purpose
that he does not notice her. Invent
some way by which she may befriend
him or save him from a great calam-
ity. Then wind up your story with an
effective scene between the man and
the girl who has been devoted TO him"
'But the girl wouldn't be capable Of
a heroic act; she isn't brave. She
would feel proud and happy to have
the hero love her, but wouldn't be
competent to do anything to make
him love her"
Mr.. Vandeveer looked a BIT discour.
aged He knew how to construct q
story. but telling some one else how
to do it was another matter.
Have you any real persons in view
for your hero and heroinei" he asked
yes"
ain that case you have an advan-
tage in real persons for models, but
you must not hesitate to make them
fit your literary purpose; otherwise
you will get no story"
Wont the girls love for the man
count for a good dealT
Mr.. vandeveer was puzzled how to
explain that her love must be express
ed. that there were various ways Of
bringing it out. and doing so was de-
pendent upon the skill of the writer.
1T seems to me-" he said thought
fully. that you are attempting theme
that is very difficult. A heroic man
absorbed In a noble purpose is loved
by a simple girl not especially bril-
liant
"She is stupid
you can't manage these two as they
are. You must make some change In
one or the other. I've been studying
the art for years. and 1 couldn't makes
story out of stupid girl in love with
a man engrossed in a noble purpose.
"You might make him treat her with
some consideration, couldn't your
Now, there was nothing in the words
to make Mr.. Vandeveer start Louise
bit her lip at having said them. for she
found herself unable TO speak them
without slight tremor in her voice Inc
author started because this love story
be was trying to teach the girl to write
was suddenly made to appear very
near home. Louise turned to leave the
study. He arose from his chair, step
ped forward and placed himself DC
tween her and the door.
Louise" he said, II fear / have no.
realized that a girl of eighteen Is Dol
4 child"
She put her hand on the doorknco
to turn it. He stopped her by placing
his own hand on the knob. But there
was not room for the two hands, anu
MS rested on hers.
81 will not let you 60" he said. thi
his matter is cleared up. You nave
Intended to show me in an indirect
way that you are not satisfied with %!
treatment of you: that l have lookea
Upon you as child, while you snoua
lave the consideration OF a womap'
Forgive me. | will mend my ways.
What there was to make the girl Ct,
story writer. who has long stnulea
eminine emotions. would perhaps Bnu
t difficult to analyZe. Vandeveer didnt
~ TO analyze the cause. An autho'
nay sit at his writing table sucking tDe
nd OF his pen. handle trying 10 coo-
ure some light touch TO explain WIZ
is heroine weeps. but put that saiDe
uthor in the place OF his hero. besioF
he weeping heroine. and be VIII ~
ust what the hero did-he VIII ara"
cr head down on his breast. ana 'ns
est OF it. At any rate, this IS VIVA.
'andeveer did. and that's the END Ok
be story.