The Washington herald., 1920-07-18
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busy looking at the letters on the machine
could think of nothing to say"
Every morning about 8 o'clock, after
giving her orders for the day, she leaves
her home in Sewickley and motors into Pitts
burgh to her city Office. Sewickley is twelve
miles from Pittsburgh. and it has been
her home for many years.
81 never have been able to wait for q
time to write. Automatically, as soon
as / reach my Office, 1 pick up my pen and
go to work. Concentration comes easy.
When ] am working on a novel I am apt
for few months to put everything out of
my life but the work I am engaged on.
Except an occasional dinner I don't 60
out socially, just write steadily from six
to eight hours day"
"Do you find it easier to write now than
when you first began?" 1 asked the novelist.
"Yes, it is easier to write," she an
swered, ''but myself am more critical OF
my work. / work harder all the time, but
am less satisfied with the result. Writing
with me in infinite labor and great discour-
agement. 1 used to read book reviews for
criticism of my work, but / found that
opinions were SO diverse it was impossible
to get any idea of a real estimate. One
praised; another tore down. stopped read
ing them years ago.
While l do not read book reviews, i
do read with immense care all the mail that
comes to my desk every day and answer all
letters, good, bad and Indifferent; for in
sist that people who write to me must have
a reply. With the development Of my busi
ness-with the theatre and the moving pic
lures being added to my other work-my
mail has grown to the point where / am
unable to answer it personally. My hus-
band is now my business manager and has
taken over the correspondence. 1t covers
all subjects. All sorts of questions are asked
me-intimate personal ones, abstract in
quiries on economics and politics, requests
for autographs, autograph books and photo
graphs and always a certain percentage Of
begging letters. Also there are always a
number of fine and encouraging letters,
which keep me busy answering them and
living up in my work to the ideals and
standards they have set for me"
From a novelist to q playwright is an
easy transition, at least Mrs. Rinehart found
1t so. She has just finished her fifth play.
This last one is in collaboration with Avery
Hopwood, and the rehearsals for it are now
well under way.
81 have to break in on these rehearsals
and run to California to cut and write the
titles Of my new moving picture comedy
photoplay called It's a Great Life This
is my second photoplay. The first one Is
called Dangerous Days recently finished in
New York, and I am now at work on the
third. Since began writing for the screen
and more recently putting on my own pro-
ductions, we have had a moving picture
protector installed in our home. / find it
good way to see and study picture produc-
tion at close range. The moving picture
addition to my work necessitates my going
to the coast about three times a year.
sIIOW do play?' Well, never have
IL been able to take my play with my
work. I must play all at once. 1t Is always
hard for me to relax, so when take vaca-
tion it must be a real one. Long horseback
trips with my family are the best recreation
l know anything about, and until the war
broke in on them it was a family habit to
60 West every summer. Since the war we