Vintage Writing Instruction

Today's article is, "A Climax by Suggestion," by J. Albert Mallory. It originally appeared in the June 1908 issue of "The Editor." and is now in the public domain.

By C. William Harrison Originally Published in the July, 1944 issue of Writer's Digest, now in the public domain. Being a writer vs an author of crime fiction.

By Arthur Wallace Peach. Originally published in the December, 1908 issue of "The Editor". A quick discussion of some things that will never go out of style in fiction.

By Bill Rendered. Originally published in The Writer's Monthly in 1920, and is now in the public domain. I strongly suspect the author's name was just a joke pseudonym of the magazine's editor, or another anonymous author.

By Leon Mones, originally published in the February 25, 1918 issue of "The Editor." Brief discussion of how to shape a horror story for emotional impact.

By Lester Dent. From "The Writer’s 1940 Year Book" This was a follow up to his now-famous Master Pulp Plot, and now in the public domain.

Thoughts on writing better dialogue. By that master of spicy detective stories, Robert Leslie Bellem. Originally published in the July 1944 issue of Writer’s Digest. Now in the public domain.

By John Gallishaw. From Twenty Problems of the Fiction Writer, which is now in the public domain. This article presents the origin of the Scene/Sequel method which would later be popularized by Dwight V. Swain. It describes a way to plan scenes such that the plot is continually moving forward and is providing interesting events for the reader.

By Leigh Brackett. Originally published in the July 1944 issue of "Writer’s Digest," now in the public domain. Winner of the 2020 Retro Hugo Award for Related Work.

By John Gallishaw. Excerpted from "Twenty Problems of the Fiction Writer" published in 1929 and now in the public domain. One of the best articles I have ever found on what makes readers interested in reading your story.