And, a few death rays can be used in the story. Select a fitting color, (some authors prefer pink). I would suggest lavender, which would just match the heroine's pocketbook, and have it wipe out millions by merely a few puffs. However, if you could do it all in a puff and a half, that would merit you another point. Then you must have the hero invent a ray that stops the lavender death rays. Yellow would be best for this. It makes such an excellent color scheme.
Throw in a few space ships, a couple fights, a shot in the dark, four or five corpses, a high official who turns traitor, a last flight for help, and end it up with a lone man battling hundreds. Mix thoroughly, and type out on paper, forgetting to double space your lines, as all editors request that you doublespace, thereby showing them that you are really original.
No plot is needed, as mentioned in paragraph one, but if you want one, read one of Grimm's Fairy Tales, and borrow a plot. It makes no difference what kind, as they are all fairy tales, anyway. As a final bit of advice, fold the manuscript several times, and send it to the editor with no enclosed postage for its return. By doing this the editor will not have to go to the trouble of returning it to you, and, so long as the Chief Waste Paper Basket Monitor doesn't get snoopy and start reading the refuse, there will be no ill effects on anyone—(providing the editor hadn't read it in the first place—and in the case that he did—well, there's places for people like that. New editors are cheap nowadays, anyway.)
FAMOUS FANTASY FANS
2—Conrad H. Ruppert
Heart disease was CHR's means of becoming introduced to science fiction. Confined to bed he was given a copy of Science and Invention which he read and re-read many times, liking its science fiction story, "The Man on the Meteor" by Ray Cummings, best of all. He never lost one whit of his interest in fantasy fiction, and has become a keen judge of what is best in this field.
Always retiring in nature, he first came to notice in a vigorous campaign he conducted for increasing the membership of the International Scientific Association, and for innovating a Science Fiction Week. Hugo Gernsback was so pleased with this latter idea, and with CHR's work in trying to put it over, that CHR was awarded a $50 prize in the "What I Have Done for Science Fiction" contest that Science Wonder Quarterly conducted at that time.
His pet idea for many years was to issue a science fiction fan magazine. The Depression decided him upon the desperate expedient of launching the SCIENCE FICTION DIGEST without adequate preparation. Unwilling to take any credit for the work he appointed Maurice Z. Ingher as the Digest's editor, but when Mr. Ingher was forced to resign because of other duties, he reluctantly took the editorship. There is plenty of testimony to satisfy all as to the success he has attained with his little magazine, the SCIENCE FICTION DIGEST.
As for his age, and other personal points, he is 21, unmarried, and considers life quite thrilling. He is a printer by occupation, being one of the partners of the ARRA Printers, who have given the fans several science fiction pamphlets.
Though he declares he is not modest, he cannot be convinced that he has done anything unusual. It is his courage and determination that has carried the 'Science Fiction Digest' through the rough spots of its career, and it is stern judgement that selects the articles and stories which so please the readers of SFD, or FANTASY Magazine, as it will be called.