Michael Moorcock is one of my favourite science fiction-fantasy writers of our time, having written dozens of novels and short stories. Many of his books involve a hero called The Eternal Champion, who exists in all times and dimensions. The "Eternal Champion" is engaged in a constant struggle with not only conventional notions of good and evil, but also in the struggle for balance between law and chaos.
My own personal favourite aspect of the Eternal Champion is Dorian Hawkmoon from The History of the Runestaff series. This novel is set in a post nuclear holocaust future where science and sorcery co-exist and the Dark Empire of Granbretan (Great Britain) is expanding across Europe. Dorian Hawkmoon is German and thus story an interesting reversal with us Brits being the bad guys.
In one interview, Michael states, "I am an anarchist and a pragmatist. My moral/philosophical position is that of an anarchist.... My books frequently deal with aristocratic heroes, gods and so forth. All of them end on a note which often states quite boldly that one should serve neither gods nor masters but become one's own master."
Anyway with all that being said now we can get on to Michael's 10 Tips for Good Storytelling:
- My first rule was given to me by T.H. White, author of The Sword in the Stone and other Arthurian fantasies and was: Read. Read everything you can lay hands on. I always advise people who want to write a fantasy or science fiction or romance to stop reading everything in those genres and start reading everything else from Bunyan to Byatt.
- Find an author you admire (mine was Conrad) and copy their plots and characters in order to tell your own story, just as people learn to draw and paint by copying the masters.
- Introduce your main characters and themes in the first third of your novel.
- If you are writing a plot-driven genre novel make sure all your major themes/plot elements are introduced in the first third, which you can call the introduction.
- Develop your themes and characters in your second third, the development.
- Resolve your themes, mysteries and so on in the final third, the resolution.
- For a good melodrama study the famous “Lester Dent master plot formula" which you can find online. It was written to show how to write a short story for the pulps, but can be adapted successfully for most stories of any length or genre.
- If possible have something going on while you have your characters delivering exposition or philosophising. This helps retain dramatic tension.
- Carrot and stick—have protagonists pursued (by an obsession or a villain) and pursuing (idea, object, person, mystery).
- Ignore all proffered rules and create your own, suitable for what you want to say.