Motion Picture Classic (Jan-Dec 1920)

CLASSIC Victory {Continued front pac/e 43) too, lie told her what to read, directed her reading, discussed the books with her afterward. At once, the characters sprang to life, lived, breathed, had vital sorts of beings. Everything was animate. Her viewpoint, too, it was deliciously strong and tender ... he had thought himself so wise, who was not wise at all — at best, he was wise enough to learn . . . Several weeks of this slipped by and then, with the same unexpectedness Schomberg had felt, the plain Mr. Jones arrived on Samburan. He had with him Ricardo and Pedro. Heyst made them comfortable in one of the abandoned bungalows. He had no reason not to. Their discomfort at his hospitality fired the abstract alarm the plain Mr. Jones gave hini. There was something quite horrible about Mr. Jones; he was so unnecessarily pallid. Even the spice of the trade winds gave him, Heyst noticed, only the unpleasant greenness of decay. Heyst felt him to be very unhealthy. Of course, appearances . . . He was afraid for Alma, too, as he had come to call the white girl. These men . . . their attitudes ... a woman alone, as Alma was . . . Suddenly Heyst felt himself to be very much a man and Alma very potently a woman, needing his protection, needing him . . . The blood so long quiescent in his veins awoke and pounded. How wrong his father had been I What a false premise his negation had been ! Or else, how long and how bitterly he must have starved and thirsted ! That was it, perhaps, someone had long denied him and decried him ; someone very dear to him, as Alma might be dear . . . Heyst felt, suddenly^ none of his former pride in his father, cold tribute, but burningly sorry for him, bitterly compassionate, yearning . . . It became apparent almost at once, certainly to Alma, that these men were here for a purpose. Ricardo, she soon learned, included her in his purpose. She had one desperate encounter with him and sent him spinning across the room, after which his attitude was more, rather than less devotional. Still later, he became consuming. He would be dangerous. Alma knew, dangerous to Heyst. With the cunning of a woman who loves Alma knew that the safe way for Heyst was for her to dally with Ricardo, to worm their motives from him, to lead him on. For herself . . . she was accidental, anyhow, a fragment conjured out of some detached nothingness ; it had been easy to come; so would it be easy to go back. But Heyst . . . Heyst was different. Heyst must go on living, a god, apart. "The love that loves for love" came to the girl's mind . . . without thought of any other thing than that love's sake . . . and it came to her, too, that it might not be unpleasant to sleep on this fruitful island lullabyed by the seas . . dust, some day, beneath his pass (Eighlyone) Millions ojT People Can Write Stories and Photoplays and Dorit Know It/ THIS is tlie startling assertion recently made by E. B. Davison of New York, one of tlie highest paid writers in the world. Is his astonishing statement true? Can it be pos>ible there arc countless thousands of people veaniing to write, who really ciin and simplv ha^'Cii't found it outf Well, come to think of "it, 'most anybody can tdi a story. \\'\\v can't 'most anybody urite a story? Why is writing supposed to be a rare gift that few possess? Isn't thi> only another of the Mistaken Ideas the past iias handed down to us? Yesterday nobodv dreamed man could fly. To-day he dives like "a swallow ten thousand feet above tlie earth and launhs down at the tiny mortal atoms of Iiis fellowmen below ! So Yesterdav's "impossibilitv" is a reality to-day. 'The time will come," writes the same authority, "when millions of people will be writers— there will be countless thousands of playwrights, novelists, scenario, magazine and newspaper writers— they are coming, coming —a whole new world of them!" And d<> you know what these writcrs-to-be an doing now? Why. they are the men — armies of tlu-n^ — ycung and old, now doing mere clerical work, in oflices, keeping books, selling mcrcliandisi-. or even driving trucks, running elevators, street cars, waiting on tables, working at l)arber chairs, following the plow, or teaching schools in the rural districts; and women, young and old. by scores, now poun(!ing typi-writcrs. or standing behind counters, or i-mining spindles in factories, bending over sewing machines, or doing housework. ^■es — voit may laugh— but these are the Writers of Tomorrow. For writing isn't only fur geniuses as must people think. Don't yoH believe the ercalur mivc you a storyuritivij faculty just as he did the gycatcst ivritcr' Only mavl/c ; you are simply "Muffed" Ijy the thought that you "haven't j the gift." Many people arc simply afraid to try. Or if I they do try, and their first efforts don't satisfy, they simply five up in despair, and that ends it. They're througli. hey never try again. Yet if, Ly some lucky chance, tliey \ had first learned the simple rules of writing, and then given the Imagination free rein they might have astonished the world! But two things are essential in order to become a writer. First, to learn the ordinary principles of writing. Second, to learn to exercise your faculty of Thinkingf, By exer cising a thing you develop it. Your Imagination is something like your right arm. The more you use it the stronger it gets. The principles of writing are no more com pie X than the principles of spelling, arithmetic or any other simple tiling that any hod y knows. Writers learn to piece together a story as easily as a child sets up .1 miniature house with his toy Mocks, It is amaiingly easy after the mind grasps ttie simple "know how." A littic study, a little i)atience, a little confidence, and the tiling that looks hard turns out to he iust as easy as il seemed aifficult. Thousands of people imagine ihey need a fine eilucatinii in order to wiite. NothiiiK is farther f r o m the truth. The greatest writers were the poorest scholars. People rarely learn to write at scliools. They may get the principles there, but they r,ally learn to 7Vritf from the great, wide, open, boundless Book ol Humanity! Yes, seething all around you, Cjvery day. every hour, every minute, in the whirling vortex — the flotsam and jetsam of Life — even in your own home, at work or play, are endless incidents for stories and plays — a wealth of material, a world of things happening. Every one of these has the seed of a story or play in it. Think! If you went to a fire, or saw an accident, you could come home and tell the folks a 1 t about it. Unconsciously you would describe it all very realistically. And if somebody stood by and wrote down exactly what you said, you'd be amazed to find your story would sound juat LETTERS LIKE THIS ARE POURING IN! "With this volumu Iwfore lilm. Ihe verlrat novice should bo able to build atorlea or pUoloplvi that wUi And « ready markni, Th« lie«t trtatlBe of Us kind I liars cncounttxed In 24 years of newspaper and literary work."— H. PlKHCE W E L L B H, MaNAOINO Kiutoh.ThkBinuhamton I'rkss, "I aold my tint play In lesa than tluee wwitB after getting jour IJOuk/'-THELUA ALMKH. Helena. Mont, "Mr. Irvlmt ha» »o slnipllflcd ■tory and photoplai' wrltlna that anyone with ordinary InlelUgence ought to master It qulcWy. I am having no trouble In selllrg my siorlta and playa now."— 11. M. Jamcb. Dallas, Tbxab. "I hav8 already aold a aynopala —written according to Mr. Irvtnf'a lii»truciloii»~for $500.00, and some short aketcliei for smaller mmi»."—DATio Clakk. I'OBTLAND, Ore. "Your book opened my eyea to great poMlbUUlM. I recelvtMl my first check to • d a y— $175.00.' — H. Barlow. Lodibville. Kr. "It la tha moat compli^te and practical book ever written on the subject of writing."— Habbt BCHULTZ. KiTCMBNER, ONT, "The book Is all. and more, than you claim it to be."— W T. Watbqn, Whitkhall, N. Y. "I am delighted with tbe book beyond the power of word* to expreaa."— I^adba Davib, WbnATCHBB, Wash. MIks Hcli-'iio I'liiidwlfk, versniiU scncii ^liir, now loading lady for Tom Miwri uf ll.ddwyii l-'|lm I'uiiittutiy, (tB}pi; .IS iineresting as many you've rea<l in magazines or seen ■ 111 the screen. Now, you will naturally say, "Well, if Writing is as simple as you say it is. why can't / learn to write? Who says you can't f Listen! A wonderful free book has rocently been written nil this very subject — a book that tells all about a Startling New Easy Method of Writing Stories and Phoiop!Bty». This amazing book, called "The Wonder Book for IVnters." shows how easily stories and plays are Cunceived, written perfected, sold. How many who don't dream they can writPj suddenly tind it out. How the Scenario Kingi and the Story Oueens live and work. How bright men and women, without any special experience, learn to their own amazement that their simplest ideas may furnish brilliant plots for Flays and Stories. How one's own Imagination may provide an endless goldmine of Ideas that bring Happy Success and Handsome Cash Royalties. How new writers get their irnmes int'i print. How to tell if you arc a writer. How to develop your "story fancy," weave clever word-pictures and unique, thrilling, realistic plots. How your friends may be your worst judges. How to avoid discouragement and the pitfalls of Failure. How to win/ This surprising book is absolutely free. No charge. No ohligation. Your copy is wailing for you, \Vrite for it «oif. Get it. It's yours. Then you cnn pour your whole soul itito this magic new enchantment that has come into your hic—itoty and {"lay ivriting. The lure of it, the love of it, the luxury of it will fill your wasted hours and dull moments with profit and pleasure. You will have thii noble, abnorbin^, money-malcing new profession! And all in your spare tune, without interfering with your regular job. Who savs you can't make "easy money" with your brain! Who «;ays you can't turn your Thoughts into cash! Who says you can't make your dreams come true! Nobody knows—but the Iwok u-ill tell you. So why waste any more time wondering, dreaming, waiting? Simply fill out the coupon below — you're not &i(,virtj7 anything, you're getting it absolutely free. A book that may prove the Book of Your Destiny. A Magic Book through which men and women, young and old, may learn to turn their spare hours into cash! Get your letter in the mail before you alcep to-nisht. Who knows— it may mean for you the Dawn of a New To-morrow! Just address The Authors' Press. Dept. 52, Auburn, New York. The Authors* Press, Dept. 52. Auburn, N. Y. Send me absolutely free "THE WONDER BOOK FOR WRITERS." This does not obligate me in any way. City and State.