Book-writing by computer

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33775, 22 February 1975, Page 9

Book-writing by computer

(N.Z. Press Assn—Copyright) LONDON, Feb. 17. Tfie top-selling thrillerwriter, Desmond Bagley, has taken what he describes as “the next logical step from using a typewriter” — he has bought a 7500 computer with which to write his books.

Mr Bagley, whose latest novel, “The Snow Tiger," set in New Zealand, tops the “Sunday Times” best-selling list, said yesterday that his computer would enable him to reduce corrections and retyping by 75 per cent

“Using only the middle finger of my left hand on an electric typewriter, I reckon I must have turned out around 5 million words since my first novel in 1963, at around 20 words a minute,” he said. "1 do at least two drafts of each 96,000-word novel, sometimes as many as four, and the computer will give me a lot more time for creative thinking.” Mr Bagley will type the first draft of his next book direct into the computer, which will produce two copies, one of which has each line and page numbered. For subsequent drafts, he has merely to type his approval of passages he wants to keep, type deletions and corrections, then leave it to the computer to print as many revised copies as he needs.