Show I I I Writing a First Book Book I BY DAVID ANDERSON I H Hw docs does it feel to lo write a n first book and see your name splashed all allI allover I over ocr the counters and windows s o oL time alers 1 Fine J I JL r YOU dont don't dontI believe it just write a 11 novel for fifteen years for years for the thc waste waste hasket I have Im havea I a Jot lot of novels still in t the he waste basket basket basket-a a bushel or so of them I Id I'd like to sell them by the bushel The Blue Noon Moon is my one nos novel noyel cl that escape escaped time the waste basket hasket I 1 It ic ic i n n nf nl tl th nol FItt nf or In- In I a r dl diana dlana seventy years yeats n na ago ago ago-a a story r of the thc c out doors of or the rivers and hills hills hills- I with a n Ji big man a little girl and aull a l few other othor folks thrown In Tho The critics have o said saM sorno somo nice nico things s a about bout time the book bool ail the thc Tho The critics An And mo mc thinking thinking- time the they were a 1 bunch burch of lean chaps with ba bad livers ers who took their grouch out on novelists would bo and other other- wise And tile thc they didn't know Inow how much sandpapering it took tool to get Tho The Blue Moon ready for their oe eyes The day dayI I finished time the scraping and polish polishing lug lug- I 1 took tool the story myself to the thc Dobbs Dobbs- Merrill company to company to save postage And nd when the they accepted It lt 1 I thought Id I'd collapse from from sheer sur surprise and de lle- lle lI light hl Oh its it's a great ret timing thing tho the first tune limo you ou sell a l manuscript I And no now I J understand the movie molo I people want The Blue Moon Can you ou I think of anything the thc movie moie people dont don't want want and dont don't get et Now ow that tile the they have the tIme moon and the thc stars there is nothing left for them to go o after but the sun This particular first book boole of mine was written In Cort forty states You see sec Ive I've been running running- about over America on a lecture tour and The Blue Moon loon was written during these tramps arid and travels In the tho woods in iii the open on hilltops within sl sight ht and sound of or two I oceans in wayside railroad stations In iii I hotel lobbies on the desert a desert a paragraph paragraph para para- graph raph here an and a chapter there there and and that Is s tho the way the thc manuscript that cs escaped aped the waste basket was written w Oh yes and some borne of or It was written on the ranches of the the- far northwest where thc thie have lIao but two t seasons t ten n months I of winter Inter and arid two months of ot spring spring- and where the thc ranchers listen to COotes coyotes coyotes coy coy- j i otes Instead of katy katydids onal I am ani As to m my mr per personal appearance afflicted with the thc sort of face that makes me inc an aim cas easy mark marJ for tor people with hard luck stories I 1 have e a n good well well well-of of mornings s. s digestion and Hh sleep ep Mv f hair hall wont won't sta stay stav on an any more but to offset that my roy smile wont won't come collie oft off In Tn spite of or all th these HC g good points thou though h. h I J have often otten been mistaken mi for formen formen men loan really uglier than I am mini am To go bO buck back to the book bool for another word the word tho greatest st thing that the time writIng writIng writ- writ Ing lug of It h has 8 meant to me mc and I T suppose sUPpose sup sUP- pose this is tru truc tru of ot flu all any new writer is istha friendships h I Iwas Iwas that tha t it 11 has t brought t me mc Time The able ahle to sonic some things In was wal Im say New lew Moon toon that tiit are arc rather rathel difficult to cg negotiate in ordinary Intercourse with wih ith ithone's ones one's fellow men a anti and because the they nl were said sympathetic souls souis responded and amid now letters leters come In COer every lla day from al understand These kindred spirits who friendships T I prize c above o o er th In I Ielse with else Memory tho the continent 1101 them themes Yes es It I is these friendshiPs friendship that stand put ut n OH the greatest and most mOt to first he desired result of a fellows fellow's book hool And n 1 I am certainly grateful that lp Blue Rlue Moon escaped the then n waste tc I basic basket e t. t |