Literary experts estimated that author Zane Grey wrote 9M words during his lifetime. Like most writers, he had dry spells. When in the mood, he could write 100K words in a month. Born in 1872 in Zanesville, Ohio as Pearl Zane Grey, he set up a dental practice in 1896 as Dr. Zane Grey, DDS. He wrote to escape the boredom of dentistry.
He met his wife Lina “Dolly” Roth on a canoe trip in 1900. They married 5 years later. Dolly, a teacher, liked his writing and encouraged him to write. His first novel Betty Grey was rejected by Harper Brothers in 1903. He self-published it successfully and Harper came calling. Grey wrote over 90 books; he created the Lone Ranger. His works were turned into the first movies and were the start of Paramount Pictures.
He lived a great life doing what he loved to do. After Zane Grey’s death, October 23, 1939, Harper continued to publish his works up until the 60’s. The Lone Ranger became a popular TV series; Zane Grey Western Theater produced 145 episodes. Pearl Zane Grey didn’t have the confidence to be a writer; fortunately, he married Dolly who recognized his talents when the publishers of the time didn’t.
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