ng the script, either in whole or so far as
to permit his trained judgment to pass fairly upon it. The editor who
does not do this honestly either does not exist or will soon lose his
position, for he will be sure to overlook valuable material by his
negligence.

At the very outstart resolve to _be professional in your methods, be
businesslike, and play fair_.

The advisability of constantly abiding by these three rules of the
photoplay writing "game" must be apparent to any intelligent person.
Though the field for the sale of photoplay scripts is likely to become
much larger, and the prices paid promise to become better as time
goes on, every day some new writer of proved ability (in the field of
fiction writing, as a rule), enters _this_ field. Against him, with
his superior experience and knowledge of literary usages, you must
compete. Therefore, in order to win, you must do as he does. _He is
fair to himself._ From a mechanical point, his scripts are likely to
be all that they ought to be; he sends them out knowing that they are
in correct form to receive the proper consideration of the most
exacting editor. _And they do._ In the same mail with his script comes
one from a beginner. This unknown writer may have an idea--that _most_
important requisite in picture-play writing--which is really fresher
and even better than that embodied in the story of the experienced
writer. But the merit of the idea is hopelessly concealed under a mass
of misleading and unnecessary language; the script is poorly
written--in longhand; it is badly spaced; spelling, punctuation,
everything, betray ignorance or carelessness of what is expected in a
properly prepared script. What chance, then, does it stand when placed
beside that of the trained writer? And whose fault is it?

_Give yourself a fair chance._ From the day that you write your first
photoplay, write it so carefully, prepare the script with so much
regard for the accepted rules, that no editor will be able to point to
it with a sigh and exclaim: "Oh, well, it has to be read. Here goes!"
Make it a script that he will dive into with keen anticipation of
finding something as good as its mechanical preparation would cause
him to expect.

We now add a number of items of practical advice.

[Illustration: Essanay Producing Yard; Two Interior Sets Being
Arranged for a Historical Drama]

[Illustration: Players Waiting for Their Cues in the Glass-Enclosed
Selig Studio]

THE PAP