The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-19
ABOUT AUTHORS

the edge of the -townsman was fond of the
girl but the young man felt that by some
uncanny swing TO the fur coat perhaps, tney
had read his intentions of asking her to
marry him as they drove home. lie had de-
cided not to ask her on the way In Tor, II she
refused, il would spoil the show for him
unless it was a very good show. So he
crouched down, the curtain and the tner-
mometer went up and as he grew more and
more uncomfortable he began to dislike the
girl. She kept naggng him to take off the
coat and his blue eyes bulged angrily at
her over the collars edge as he refused. lie
had not the courage to rise and be seen all
over again She read his thoughts and adj
vised him to "wriggle" out, which made him
madden at her than ever. He decided she
was fat. too, because he was crowded. His
dislike grew to animosity then hate and
she faded out of Georges future.
In that way he was saved for US. George
SAYS she would never have sat in our
poker game, even though we talk more than
we play. | should prefer her in fiction, any
way. There is an interesting twist in the
psychology of a man who hated girl be-
cause he was uncomfortable. 1t might pur-
chase another shelf of Napoleonana. But
George said he could never that story. II
might hurt her feelings. And that may be
another reason he does not draw upon
Qualities for his stories-another reason be-
yond an ever fertile imagination. good
reason. / think for bead on our engthen-
ing strand.
Some Rules for Writing Books
That Will Never Be Best Sellers
And yet-a wave of despair sweeps over
met I may not be doing George very well
by this vague listing of attributes through
anecdote and general chatter. | am failure
at it unless the reader believes, with me.
that the most marketable commodity of hui
man wares is the simple spirit Transcribed
into literary productiveness through clean
and clear mentality. Add to that sense
of plot and feeling for form and most OF
the ingredients are at hand for sustained
best seller" You will note say Sustained
You can fool the public for a while without
this equipment, but such a writer's success
will not be of long endurance. There are
authors of the day who would not 10
tell tales as does Mr.. McCutcheon: those
who find an adverb sufficient for a sentence
and two words for paragraph ("Watchine
things" was one paragraph I encountered
in my travel among pages recently) those,
too who write an entire book in one chap
ter, solid endless, exhausting reading with
no chance to go to sleep till the volume is
finished. They despise the direct narrative
perhaps but--Oh! hold onto this: there isn't
one of EN- who wouldn't be a Best Seller.
venture to say that 1t Is not easy to be
any kind of popular story teller. The
talent comes to one a bulky unruly gift.
I imagine and is beaten into form. Form is
acquired however, and though many novel
lists feel that a knowledge of plot comes
with a knowledge of the world. George prob
ably was born squalling "a situation"
1t is great consolation to some of us who
are not Best Sellers. such of us as are
always Intercepted to the name we write
under C'What name do you torite under,
Mrs Hale?" they ask. MARY Roberts Rine-
hart" once snapped in reply And became
quite a lion), to say that we lack concentra-
ton and therefore suffer from a restricted
output That should be our black shame,
for with form and facility of expression,
concentration is of the gifts which come to US
through work.