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254 DRAMA Holmes stories. Here tlie crimes are not the objectives of the stories, but serv'e merely as the ,base from which starts the story of the detec- tion of the criminals. The plots so erected gain their charm not through their connection with crime but through the cleverness with which the detective operates. On the other hand stories of the Raffles type gain interest not through the commission of crimes but from the cleverness with which these offenses are planned. In pass- ing, it is worth noting that already the Sherlock Holmes stories have proven more lasting than the Raffles series. 15. An aggravation of the offense is found when crimes are com- mitted by criminals of the lower grades. Police reporters and settle- ment workers know that there is nothing picturesque about tlie under- world. Most of its denizens are stupid and ignorant with few, if any, redeeming traits. It is not possible to invest such persons with tlie halo of seeming romance. Some stories of the '"Salvation Nell" and "Kindlings" type are interesting, if unreal, but they do not make the same appeal that a cleaner environment would give. 16. Drama should be the presentation of the more interesting and attractive phases of life, but of life and not of distorted images of life. A play appeals only when it seems real and convincing. It may be unsual, but it should not be unreal. Your personages should seem to be real people and not fictitious characters. This is more important in photoplay than in fiction work, since real people will play the parts and must be permitted to act as real people would and not ,be re- quired to perform the antics of the clown in the serious play. You must create upon the screen the suggestion of reality, and it is for this reason that many incidents are barred, not because they could not have happened, but because they are so unusual as to seem unreal. 17. Stories with sombre themes should be avoided. All writers have to go through the early stage of development wherein they write of disappointed love, of brides dead on their wedding days or of men who go through life with broken hearts. This stage is as much a part of the study period as the later development wherein we write of the man whose wife thinks him too much engrossed in business to love her, or of the man who saves his rival for his wife's affections. It must be done, so do it, but remember that stories of the he-never- smiled-again type are salable only when they are most cleverly done and then only in limited degree. There are enough shadows in real life, and the sodden, gloomy story merely adds to the burden. There are some stories to which happy endings would be unconvincing as well as inartistic. It would not pay to distort these to the happy ending type. It will, however, pay to write other stories instead and leave the black bordered script to others. Only the most experienced and adroit can efface tears with laughter and the story that is all tears is in small demand. Play upon the heartstrings as skillfully as you may, but use a plectrum and not a club, remembering that if you would be affluent you must first be cheerful. 18. Turning from the prohibited to the permissible, it should be