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CHAPTER LX 299 individually and one is dropped before another is picked up so that they do not run together. Here the story hangs over from week to week and there is never a distinct closing episode until the finish of the entire play. 12. Series stories may be run for as long as interest in the character may be held through fresh developments. "The Hazards of Helen," at the time of this writing, has been running for more than a year with a change in the leading player, and is still popular. The serial story must eventually arrive at some definite climax since it must first aim at a climax. Few continued stories are told in less than ten parts. From fifteen to thirty seem to be the more general limits. Fifteen is a better number of installments than thirty, for the story that runs too long is apt to drag and lose the interest of those who were originally admirers. Few true continued stories are good enough to last more than twenty parts. 13. Not many of these stories are bought in the open market. Sug- gestions will be welcomed, but it is seldom that they will be accepted because as a rule a company first gets an idea for a serial and then gets someone to write it for them. It will hardly pay the free lance to make much of an effort to develop these stories, attractive as the idea may seem, but where an effort is made to sell a serial, it should be submitted in synopsis form and not in full action. ■ 14. This synopsis should consist of a brief synopsis covering in a general way the entire series, not as to story, but as to intent. It tells of the leading characters and the main theme of the plot. This is to be accompanied by a more detailed synopsis of each part. If the story is of the series type each story should be given on a sheet by itself. If it is a continued story then the synopsis runs on without breaking to a new page at the end of each part, but each part should be clearly indicated as "Part I" or whatever may be the number of the part. This should appear in the centre of the page between the parts with two or three lines of white space above and below. In the series stories the individual subjects should, if possible, be a trifle stronger than the preceding one. It is scarcely possible to imagine fif- teen or twenty stories of absolutely equal merit. Save the better ones for the concluding numbers. It has been advised that the strongest story be placed first, but this is unwise if the difference between the best and poorest is so marked as to make it appear that the series has fallen away after a good opening. Put one of the better ones first, but not the best unless the weakest can stand comparison without det- riment. In a serial it is even more important that there shall be a constantly growing interest. Some of this may be gained from the previous action, but the author must feel assured that the advance- ment of interest is marked. These individual synopses must accom- pany the general synopsis to show that the interest can be held. No studio is apt to be interested in a general idea for a serial. It wants the details. 15. In writing the script, each installment is written as a unit, with