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Gallery IV
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aycox
was a severe taskmasterto himself. He dressed as a businessman
and worked nine to five every weekday at his downtown Portland office,
turning out at least five pages each morning. Afternoons were spent
editing, reading, and handling correspondence. He amassed a large library
of Western and Civil War history, which he incorporated into his books,
giving them his trademark stamp of realism. He insisted that his popular
books were no more than entertainment, although he knew he had it in
him to write something he considered substantial. His last two books,
The Earthbreakers and The Adventurers, both published
posthumously, show that he was on track.
He said there were three stages to becoming a successful
writer. "The first is to break into print somewhere with
something and get money for it. The second is to consolidate
in that field...to such a point that your stories will be good
enough to sell whenever written. The third stage is the desire
to do something permanent, something at least bordering on the
field of literature. The first two stages can be accomplished
by sheer muscle and sweat. The third is an entirely different
problem."
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