As detailed in
The Writer, Herron's first piece to be accepted for publication was her short story "The Still of Ballywan." She had written it originally as a sophomore for a school assignment, and she had "written [it] hastily one night at the close of the term[.]"
McClure's magazine went on to publish it in 1906. Over the following sixty years, Herron would go on to write many short stories, several plays, a serialized novel, and an illustrated book of protest poetry. Her work was sometimes republished in collected short story volumes. For example, 'The Americanizing of André François', was republished in 'Among the Humorists and After Dinner Speakers, Part Two'
. were also made into silent films, and filmmaker
Thomas H. Ince bought the rights to her short story "An Adventurous Day" in 1920, though it never went into production. Ince paid Herron $500, a substantial figure at the time. She was known for her prize-winning stories in various magazines, including "An Adventurous Day", and one trade journal even reported that, "Her work received the personal compliments of the late
Theodore Roosevelt." == Personal life ==