to be discussed is advisable. There are some clubs, however, which attempt to cover a very broad range of subjects. Mr. John Proctor Mills writes from Montgomery, Alabama, that the "Montgomery Manuscript Society," which he founded several months ago, embraces the following literary forms:

children's stories, essays, notes, novels, musical composition in all forms, poetry, short stories, plays, pageants, biographical sketches, synopses for moving pictures, commercial art and photography. Mr. Mills reports that this society has fifteen active members at present, and some fifty honorary members. The director for each of the monthly meetings is appointed by the president.

In Buffalo, New York, there is a very successful society called "The Short Story Club." One of its members, whose writing appears under the pseudonym of E. Graves Mabie, describes it as follows:

"The Manuscript, or Short Story Club, was started in Buffalo three years ago by a little group of four women interested in writing for publication. Of these one was already a successful author of books for girls and the others were a journalist, a lecturer and a somewhat dilatory dabbler in poetry and magazine articles. Each had the one thought in mind of improvement by the criticism of the others.

"At first it was a bit hard to speak candidly our real opinions for fear of hurting the feelings of the writer. It was hard for the writer, too. Just when one would come prepared for the praise one felt to be justly due by reason of an extra careful preparation of a manuscript, someone would bring up some or all of the following questions: Is the tale too improbable? Would a man of the type mentioned be apt to use the English of the story or that of a more crude type? What was to be gained by telling the gruesome truth? Should we or should we not write for the almighty

dollar alone? Were ideals worth cherishing? A dozen other questions would be brought out by the reading of one particular story. Occasionally opinions would be divided, and then there would be a lively debate. All this was very helpful and often resulted in "The Story" being written over and over again before it was finally accepted by a publisher.

"Each of us was privileged to invite sympathetic friends to these bi-monthly meetings, and so it happened that the little group of four has grown to include a dozen, a few of them men, all working for the one end, - to attain and to maintain a high standard of literature. All of us feel a benefit from reading and discussing our stories and problems with the others. We have quite a few writers of note in the group now, and many of the stories in some of the leading magazines are first read to us, even if the writer has developed to the point where criticism no longer seems needed.

"Some of us would almost feel justified in accepting a Carnegie medal for the way we have helped by our pleading to keep certain. well-known characters in fiction alive.

"Following the readings simple refreshments are served anything from cidar and doughnuts to salad or sandwiches and coffee. A delightful informality prevades all meetings as there are no hard and fast rules for attendance, presentation of stories or articles. There is no president or other officers. No dues. Someone always volunteers to have the next meeting, and frequently as many as six will read from their own writings in an evening. If too many have brought manuscripts to read, there are always some willing to wait until next time to be heard. If the interest is especially keen, as in the continued chapters of a book, the vote is for a longer session. So the meetings vary, - beginning at eight or eight-thirty, they continue one night until one A. M., and perhaps at the next session break up at eleven o'clock.”

JOHN K. WATSON,

ROBERT HILLYER, Business Manager

Contributing Editors

All editorial and business correspondence should be addressed to

THE WRITER

HARVARD SQUARE, CAMBRIDGE, MASS. Contributions in the form of letters or short practical articles are always wanted.

HIRTY-EIGHT William H. Hills

THE WRITER is published the first of every month. It will be sent, postpaid, for $3.00 per year. The price of Canadian and foreign subscription is $3.12 including postage.

Advertising rates on request.

Entered at the Boston Postoffice as Second-Class Mail Matter.

even at the risk of doing an injustice to

magazine in its field. Throughout these years he has helped and protected his readers without thought of a monetary reward commensurate with the effort he has given to this cause. He has measured his reward by the satisfactions he has enjoyed, and is content. This is the better measure of his quality, than anything I can devise to say. Although he has resigned his office as active editor, his policies will be continued under my editorial control, with his advice and counsel.

No one can observe the exploitation of the ignorant and the gullible, which is the order of the day in the field of creative writing, without a feeling of the most profound disgust. The situation justifies the adoption of a most severe and rigorous advertising policy,

a policy has been adopted by THE WRITER. For instance, no advertisements are now accepted for correspondence courses in any form of creative writing. The reputable schools will be the first to acknowledge the soundness of this policy, and no objection can fairly be raised to a decision which grants no preferences, and results in the loss of a source of considerable revenue on our part.

THE WRITER will not waste any effort trying to persuade people to write for publication, if only for the purpose of saving the energies of the staff for other more important work. It will try to help writers of all classes and in all stages of progress in the solution of problems of technique arising in their work. It will, morever, attempt to help

them in marketing their completed work. This help will be given both through the columns of THE WRITER and by such other means of rendering individual service as we can devise.

In attempting to include both the successful writer and the beginner among our readers, we assume an absence of vanity on both sides. The apprentice must dismiss his natural craving for delicious sympathy for his experimental efforts, and substitute, instead, his own harsh criticism of his own work. That, we hope, he can learn from THE WRITER. The successful writer must be ready to admit that, though he knows all there is to be known about the technique of the short story, he may yet learn something from the novelist, the poet, and the essayist.

Never in history have the markets for creative writing been more open than today. What work of quality fails of a buyer, fails because the writer is ignorant of his markets. We shall make a general survey of these markets, in addition to the current reports now being printed of the requirements of various editors. At present conditions are so chaotic, especially in the magazine field, that some comprehensive survey must be made in an attempt to define noticeable trends in the tastes of the reading public. The place of the literary agent in relation to the markets must be defined. Yet too many writers are wasting their time worrying about the market, when they might be trying to improve the quality of their work. This kind of advice has been offered so freely in the past that writers are getting sick of it, but it is not often offered by anyone with a constructive program to back it up.

Mr. Gallishaw's series has aready met with unusual success; it will be continued. Mr. Hillyer's series on poetry, which begins in this issue, is almost as important to writers of other forms, as to poets. The departments of the novel and the essay will for the present be placed under the direction of no one man. It appears now that these subjects can best be treated through occasional contributions and quotations. In the department called The

Manuscript Clubs, we shall attempt to investigate the value of the small social group as an incentive and a critical guide to the work of its members. A number of short practical articles by successful writers will appear in each issue. A number of experiments will be tried for experimentation is the necessary concomitant of breaking into a new field.

THE WRITER is now the only magazine of its kind in the country. It does not seek to attract either the ignorant or the dilettante. It is a magazine not for the self-named intelligencia, but for the intelligent. It will give more emphasis to those forms of writing which call for the freest play of creative imagination, than to the forms which demand a closer adherence to facts.

We believe that those who write in the latter forms, such as reviewers, critics, feature writers, and reporters will welcome this more than a didactic treatment of their own special forms.

THE WRITER will succeed in its aims in proportion to the support which it receives from its readers, a support reflected in personal advice on problems of policy, in contributions to its columns, and in the cordial personal interest which prompts present readers to bring it to the attention of others of similar tastes. It will depend more on its circulation than on its advertising for success, and more on the regular subscriber than the casual reader.

On assuming editorial control, I wish to acknowledge with gratitude the enthusiastic support of those subscribers who have made our recent development possible. To them and to all readers I can make no more important statement of fundamental policy than this:

So long as I have anything to do with THE WRITER it will remain completely independent of any influences which might limit its whole-hearted and unreserved services to its readers. No ulterior motives will be injected into its editorial or advertising policies. It will try to interest, advise, help and protect its readers in every possible way.

Screen writing is as difficult as stage writing.

Ralph Block of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation story department says in this bulletin:

"Famous Players is anxious to discover new writing talent for the screen, not only for the writing of original stories but also for the preparation of material in screen form. Nevertheless over a long period of experiment, the company has found extraordinary difficulties in the way of finding talent of this kind.

"These difficulties are due very largely to the fact that the screen has now reached a point where untrained minds are not equal to the demands of screen writing. . . . This company has found that just as a matter of elimination, it is much easier to draw into the studios writers who have already proven their value by originality of ideas and treatment, and power of expression in other fields. . . . The day is long passed when ideas for motion pictures can be tossed off easily between other jobs.

"The requirements of a good motion picture story today are importance of theme presented in well organized dramatic form suited to the screen. Because of the general condition of the writing business in

America, writers who possess these abilities are already well known by their work in other fields. Indeed, over a long period of years, Famous Players has seldom found any 'original' story submitted in the usual manner, which has answered its requirements."

The originals which have been used by Famous Players, it was pointed out, usually have been written by craftsmen of experience and established reputations such as Joseph Hergesheimer and Michael Arlen, and were the result of conferences between producers and authors.

"In virtually all cases where originals have been purchased by this company in recent years, the purchase has been made after an idea has been submitted by an experienced author and the producer has been given the opportunity to estimate its value and possible development. The indiscriminate submission of motion picture stories without regard to the producer's demands, is usually fruitless."

"Famous Players will consider submission of ideas only when they are accompanied by creditable proof that the idea is original with the writer and that his repute and experience in the general work of composition and expression give him a right to a hearing."