Your advice about breaking into other markets than fantasy is one I’m trying to follow, so far without success. I have so little time to write, and so many things to be done in that spare time after working hours, and I’m so lazy anyhow, that somehow I don’t seem to get much done. Otis Kline is tutoring me, and with his help maybe the day will come when I can expand a bit in my markets. Meanwhile your encouragement helps a lot. With your experience you should know what you’re talking about, and I’m extremely flattered and pleased.

      Do you really like writing for a living? You must have bad times when you can’t write anything. Doesn’t it scare you? Or perhaps you have a separate income. Of course it’s a comfort to have a steady job such as mine, with salary coming in whether my mind’s a blank or not, but I certainly haven’t much time to write. What I need, of course, is someone to stand over me with a long whip to raise a welt on me every time the typewriter lags.

      Well, I’ve a passionate longing to visit Sweden – can’t imagine why – so maybe that will prove an incentive. Anyhow, I’ll keep your letter and read it over at low ebbs for encouragement.

      I am much awed by the fact that you were writing a movie. Was it your first? Why did you have to go to Hollywood to do it? How’d you get the chance? And how badly do you expect to get gypped? I’ve always heard that unless you’re someone like – Oh, Wodehouse or Galsworthy or somebody – you could just expect to be wretchedly underpaid and miserably treated and brazenly pirated if you write for the movies. I have an aunt and an uncle both of whom did a bit of scenario writing years ago, with all the above results. But maybe the Hollywood morals have improved since. Reading over the above, I realize it’s somewhat on the order of the famous – “So the wolf left Little Red Riding Hood lying in a pool of blood, torn limb from limb...good ni-i-ight kiddies, sweet dreams!” I didn’t really mean to paint the picture in such horrid colors, and doubtless you know much more about it than I do. I hope you can dispel my nightmarish impressions and tell me that all is sweetness and light at Columbia Pictures.

      I’m on the lookout for BUCKSKIN BRIGADES, which sounds very pleasant. It’s going to be fun reading more of your work – I like it very much indeed.

[Picture]       Have you an agent? And what do you really want to do – write novels, or for the movies, or for the slicks, or what? How do you intend to go about working toward the desired end? I wouldn’t hesitate to ask questions for fear of being thought inquisitive, of course. You seem to be at the place I hope to reach in a few years – writing widely for the pulps, with a book or two out, beginning to cast glances into the greener pastures beyond. And any technical advice you can give me will be deeply appreciated....

      Anyhow, thanks a great deal for all the encouragement, and for liking my gilded-gingerbread style of writing.

Gratefully,
    Catherine Moore

 




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