For my unconquerable soul.

And again in the same poem, "Invictus":

I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

There sings the spirit that will carry a writer to success in
vaudeville or in any other line of writing; and it is this inspired
attitude you should assume toward the present book of instruction.

These chapters, carefully designed and painstakingly arranged,
contain information and suggestions which, if studied and applied
by the right person, will help him to a mastery of vaudeville
writing. But they should be viewed not as laying down rules, only
as being suggestive. This book cannot teach you how to write--with
its aid you may be able to teach yourself.

Are you the sort of person likely to make a success of writing for
vaudeville? You, alone, can determine. But the following discussion
of some of the elements of equipment which anyone purposing to
write for vaudeville should possess, may help you find the answer.

1. Experience in Other Forms of Writing Valuable

Let us suppose that you have been engaged in writing for a newspaper
for years. You started as a reporter and because of your unusual
ability in the handling of political news have made politics your
specialty. You have been doing nothing but politics until politics
seems to be all you know. Suddenly the sporting editor falls ill,