Fantasy Writers' Pens?

[Rincewind]

Does anyone have info on pens used by fantasy/sword and sorcery fiction authors?

 

I'd dearly love to know what pen Robert E Howard (writer of the superb Conan the Barbarian stories and many more) used. I do know that he used an Underwood No. 5 typewriter for bashing out his stories for Weird Tales and other pulp magazines. Sadly, he committed suicide in 1936.

 

It's well established that fountain pen addict and 'cosmic horror' legend H.P. Lovecraft used inexpensive BHR Waterman pens, most likely a plain, undecorated '52', to write such stories as 'The Call of Cthulhu'.

 

What about other fantasy writers, Golden Age or modern?

 

- Stuart

[RandyE]

Neil Gaiman uses a fountain pen - he talks about it in the audio version of Stardust, at the end in an interview. He said that when he decided to write the story he knew that the only way he could do it justice was with a fountain pen and good paper. Sadly, he did not say what his pen of choice was, but I do know that he responds to to fan email from his website...

 

- R

[Shangas]

I wonder if JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter drafts with a quill?

[Philip1209]

I wonder if JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter drafts with a quill?

 

I highly doubt it- can you imagine how inefficient writing with a quill would be? Also, I highly doubt that she used fountain pens while writing the original book (pre-international fame). She's never really struck me as an epicurean person, so I think she would stick to more traditional pens.

 

I wonder if some fountain pen-using authors could be determined from that Mont Blanc 149 advertising campaign/charity fundraising drive they did a couple years ago.

[El Mocho]

Neil Gaiman uses a fountain pen - he talks about it in the audio version of Stardust, at the end in an interview. He said that when he decided to write the story he knew that the only way he could do it justice was with a fountain pen and good paper. Sadly, he did not say what his pen of choice was, but I do know that he responds to to fan email from his website...

 

- R

 

Gaiman mentions he uses a Lamy 2000 and a "regular" Lamy here:

 

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2003/12/mani...e-shirts-in.asp

 

"I'm writing my novel with two different fountain pens (a Lamy 2000, and a regular Lamy) filled with two different coloured inks (a greenish one and a reddish one), and I'm alternating pens each day, which means I can see at a glance how much writing I've actually done that day, or that week. More than five pages in the same colour of ink must have been a good day. The Lamy 2000 days are my favourites because the regular lamy, although a good pen for signing in, is less happy writing a novel, and handwriting like mine needs all the help it can get. "

 

They had public entry at the 2006 Nebula Awards and I got be in the audience for a panel called "Tools of the Trade: Fountain Pen Neepery" with Joe Haldeman, Ellen Klages and Diana Gabaldon. At the time I hadn't discovered FPN and continued my harrowing journey into fountain pen addiction. All I had was a Waterman Phileas with about a zillion miles on it and a loose, claspless cap. Diana Gabaldon had a Phileas fan had given her, but she only used it for editing. Haldeman and Klages talked about a calligraphy shop in Venice with fine paper-- and I couldn't get close enough to them to find out where!

 

Ellen Klages also said she bought out the last huge lot of Big Chief Tablets that Wal-Mart had in a warehouse. She sells them to Connie Willis.

 

As to Howard, Howard Payne University in Brownwood might be a good place to start. They had a collection of his papers. The town of Cross Plains has a Howard Museum, but I don't know how much would be left. Howard was the only son and the family line ended with him. I suppose probate in the county courthouse would show where his father left possessions; Howard's pen might be among them.

 

Alternatively, what pens could you find in that part of Texas in the 20s and 30s?

 

[winea]

Neil Gaiman uses a fountain pen - he talks about it in the audio version of Stardust, at the end in an interview. He said that when he decided to write the story he knew that the only way he could do it justice was with a fountain pen and good paper. Sadly, he did not say what his pen of choice was, but I do know that he responds to to fan email from his website...

 

- R

 

I remember going to a Neil Gaiman signing about 2 years back and feeling like such a nerd when I asked him about what fountain pen he was using. He was so nice about it and let me take a look at it. It was an Omas (Paragon I think) from 1980s or so he said, he bought it second hand from some pen store. He signs using Montblanc Bordeaux because he says it reminds him of blood. =)

[RandyE]

Neil Gaiman uses a fountain pen - he talks about it in the audio version of Stardust, at the end in an interview. He said that when he decided to write the story he knew that the only way he could do it justice was with a fountain pen and good paper. Sadly, he did not say what his pen of choice was, but I do know that he responds to to fan email from his website...

 

- R

 

I remember going to a Neil Gaiman signing about 2 years back and feeling like such a nerd when I asked him about what fountain pen he was using. He was so nice about it and let me take a look at it. It was an Omas (Paragon I think) from 1980s or so he said, he bought it second hand from some pen store. He signs using Montblanc Bordeaux because he says it reminds him of blood. =)

 

He's a very approachable person - very unlike many 'celebrities' these days...

 

- Randy

[Songwind]

Does anyone have info on pens used by fantasy/sword and sorcery fiction authors?

 

I'd dearly love to know what pen Robert E Howard (writer of the superb Conan the Barbarian stories and many more) used. I do know that he used an Underwood No. 5 typewriter for bashing out his stories for Weird Tales and other pulp magazines. Sadly, he committed suicide in 1936.

 

It's well established that fountain pen addict and 'cosmic horror' legend H.P. Lovecraft used inexpensive BHR Waterman pens, most likely a plain, undecorated '52', to write such stories as 'The Call of Cthulhu'.

 

What about other fantasy writers, Golden Age or modern?

 

- Stuart

 

So far they are only published for short stories, but when they make it big you can say that Songwind told you that Marissa Lingen uses a Pilot Knight and Michael Merriam can be found with a Waterman Phileas.

[Titivillus]

Neil Gaiman uses a fountain pen - he talks about it in the audio version of Stardust, at the end in an interview. He said that when he decided to write the story he knew that the only way he could do it justice was with a fountain pen and good paper. Sadly, he did not say what his pen of choice was, but I do know that he responds to to fan email from his website...

 

- R

 

He mentions the Lamy 2000 in another intro. And Steve King used a cartridge waterman for parts of the Dark Tower series

 

 

Kurt

 

[El Mocho]

He mentions the Lamy 2000 in another intro. And Steve King used a cartridge waterman for parts of the Dark Tower series

 

Kurt

 

King also mentions a Waterman in the introduction or afterword to Dreamcatcher. He said it afforded him chances not given by typing, such as writing by lamp or candlelight. A little bookstore I used to live near had promotional material for the book that showed his handwritten manuscript. It may have shown a Waterman Phileas with it, but my memory gets fuzzy at this point: I wanted to show the bookstore owner that I, too, had such a pen. There was mild flirtation involved.

 

I suspect that among other reasons, King could have had an easier time in longhand while recovering from his accident, which would make sense when he was completing The Dark Tower.

[Kushana]

I am certain Rowling is not familiar with writing with a dip pen: her descriptions make the jump from whatever-the-Dursleys-would-have-had-around to quills like nothing.

 

-Kushana (who spends a lot of time with dip pen written manuscripts)

P.S. Ursula K. LeGuin mentioned writing by hand in one of her recent essays, but she didn't specify with what.

Edited May 13, 2008 by Kushana

[zenctheo]

Jonathan Carroll (http://www.jonathancarroll.com/) also writes with a fountain pen. He is a fountain pen addict.

I don't think that Rowling writes with a quill or a fountain pen. She doesn't seem like this type of writer.....(whatever that means)

 

 

[Rincewind]

This is all good intel, folks - many thanks! I will take careful note, and make some contacts to see what can be found out about Robert E. Howard's pen(s) and those of JRR Tolkien.

 

I believe JK Rowling is a biro user, but I will look into that further.

 

Cheers!

 

- Stuart

[Deirdre]

I thought I'd pose this to the private SFWA group and see if anyone would come out as a fountain pen user.

 

Laura Anne Gilman says that she writes with fountain pens, and also has some glass dip pens. She also likes the interesting colors in bottled inks.

 

Reportedly, Harlan Ellison signs with a fountain pen, but he wasn't the last time I happened to see him. Next time, I'll pay more attention.

[Kakaze]

I am certain Rowling is not familiar with writing with a dip pen: her descriptions make the jump from whatever-the-Dursleys-would-have-had-around to quills like nothing.

 

-Kushana (who spends a lot of time with dip pen written manuscripts)

P.S. Ursula K. LeGuin mentioned writing by hand in one of her recent essays, but she didn't specify with what.

 

 

But, they're magic quills so you don't need to dip them and they write just like ballpoints.

[Deirdre]

David M. Harris also writes with fountain pens, though he's a science fiction writer (rather than fantasy).

[Pictrix]

Although not quite sci-fi/fantasy... I understand Neal Stephenson penned the "Baroque Cycle" with a montblanc.

[Songwind]

Although not quite sci-fi/fantasy... I understand Neal Stephenson penned the "Baroque Cycle" with a montblanc.

 

Stephenson wrote The Diamond Age and Snow Crash, both of with definitely qualify as science fiction. I say he counts.

[mucephei]

Fascinating thread. I know a couple of SF writers but they are firmly PC users. I'd like to know of more FP users though.

[Deirdre]

Fascinating thread. I know a couple of SF writers but they are firmly PC users. I'd like to know of more FP users though.

There are some who use FPs occasionally, but not habitually.