What do you write with?

[Duke_of_Kuln]

(Excuse me this has been asked to death -- if so, it was beyond my queries of the search function!)

Mr. Moorcock,

I am curious what you initially compose your stories with (pen, typewriter, notebook, Quill/Kwll) if it's not a trade secret.

I would also love to know if this method has changed drastically from your earlier days as an author.

Thank you,

Markus / Duke of Kuln

[Michael Moorcock]

I use a mixture. I usually start off making notes in long hand. Then I might type an initial chapter, if it's a novel. On the WP, of course. But I also sketch out my novels (even my 'realistic' novels) in a storyboard form, which goes back to my early days of doing comics. That is I want a scene to carry maximum informtion -- story, character, theme, plot
and so on and this can often be done best by visualising it as it it were a comic strip. I used to compose directly onto the typewriter, one draft, no looking back. Most of the fantasy books until I came to do the von Bek and later Elric books were done like that. I didn't even re-read the draft, but got someone else to do it, then it went straight to the publisher.
In more recent times (well the past twenty years, say) I've taken a much more thoughtful approach to everything, because I have deliberately raised the bar on the fantasy novels, which makes them more difficult to write and harder to think about. This is because I don't want to give readers the mixture as before and the books would lack vitality if I was absolutely certain how and where I was going. What gives books their life is the author not knowing for sure what's going to happen next.
Even when I've sketched out the storyboards, I might change something and go in an entirely different direction, whcih will require more storyboards. One thing I've always done, however, is work out the structure of the book, as well as the tone, before I begin. Once I have those, I can go where I like within a form. Form is very important to me. I think it even reflects the moral quality of the book. You'll find me discussing much of this in the book I did with Colin Greenland on technique. It's called Death Is No Obstacle. I was asked to write a book on structure. I said I could only write a book on how I structure,
and that's essentially what the book is -- different methods for different kinds of book. I'm very lucky in that I've had a lot of experience writing for different media and on different subjects. This gives me a large
toolchest, as it were, into which I can dip when I need a specific answer to a technical question. One of the things which makes many people
find themselves 'blocked' or not knowing where to take the plot is not working out the form ahead of time. The form then creates its own demands. With those, you have a better idea what to do and where to go.

[Duke_of_Kuln]

Thank you for that most insightful and comprehensive look into that aspect of your writing!

I must confess, being an amateur writer, I used to drive some of my teachers crazy by using the "one draft" method. I don't think that I was lazy, I just found the spontaneous structure suited to what I was working on at the time.

Apparently (according to my teachers at the time) no "real" writers would ever do such a thing, and that "writing was about Re-Writing".

Later on I learned to "fake" prior drafts to satisfy the curriculum requirements!

I wish I had known about your techniques (and writing) during my school years, I would have had proof that "real" writers successfully use a one draft method!

If you happen to see this, would you care to comment on the word processing software that you are currently using? I've often found programs like MS Word are too cluttered for my tastes and I'm curious as to your preference. Have you ever tried voice recognition for writing?

Thank you again for your previous reply!

Markus / Duke_of_Kuln

[Michael Moorcock]

I just use Word. Find it works well enough for me, though I tend to stop all those little popups and paperclips and stuff. Very annoying. I wouldn't mind someone inventing a game where you get to shoot little smiling paperclips and the like.

[Jerico]

:lol:

[Michael Moorcock]

Hi, you seem to be writing a letter!
Too right, you nosey bastard.
BLAM.

[Jules]

Pretty insulting when you're starting a new novel!

[nalpak retrac]

I didn't even re-read the draft, but got someone else to do it, then it went straight to the publisher.

Mike:

Was this a friend, or did it go to the copy editor? Also, to what degree can you rely on the editorial department's copy editor: 1) to catch and correct simple mistakes? 2) to "smooth out" a wordy, illogical or awkward sentence or passage?

Thanks.

Carter

[Michael Moorcock]

These days, Linda is my best editor. On one recent manuscript, for instance, she forbade me to send it in to the publisher until I'd done another draft! I had been so long with the book, I wanted it to be finished. In my heart, I knew it wasn't! In the early days it was friends who happened to be good natural copy editors -- Jim Cawthorn and Mike Harrison being the main ones. I am still hugely grateful for a good copy-editor, even if sometimes I am at odds with them or when their literalism gets in the way! Americans tend to over-edit and Brits tend to under-edit. I'm happiest with a balance between the two. I have a very good
copy editor, for instance, at Warner books at the moment, as well as a good editor. I hate rewriting, so am sometimes initially resistant to suggestions. Almost always, however, I come around to thanking the copy-editor. I don't use spell-checks or other functions on my WP, however. I hate them. But a good human editor is worth their weight
in rubies.