Novel 6 Suggestion & Criticism Thread
scaramanga1
The English RivieraPosts: 845Chief of Staff
This Thread is for the development of AJB's Sixth Collaborative Novel.
Here are the necessary guidelines to ensure this project works. Please Read!
1) Read All of what has gone on before! (by familiarizing yourself with the tale, so you get to know the characters etc.)
2)Post suggestions for the plot in the suggestions and criticism topic. These will be responded to, in the form of a PM. (So that way the tale remains linear. If an idea is thought to be not suitable, an explanation will be provided. Please do not post a scene without it having been vetted!)
3) Follow the running order and be aware of time constraints, and follow outlined procedures when you are unable to post.
4) Spelling! Although we are not all perfect, and do sometimes make mistakes - it is wise to take care with grammar and punctuation - so that everyone can read the story fluently, and without hardship! If you do not know how to spell a word or name - ask! Or use a dictionary. There is the Cambridge online dictionary available when actually posting your contributions.
5)Abuse - Anything thought to be abusive, racist and offensive
will be deleted by a Moderator if its thought inappropriate.
6) How often can I contribute? You can contribute as often as you like, providing you allow others a chance, and inquire as to whether you can do a particular part. (This is where PM's come in!)
7) Already planned scenes. some scenes will have already been discussed between various contributers - consequently no key characters can be killed or injured without the say so of ALL contributers. That includes both goodies & baddies!
8) Fun! This is not a serious novel, although we are passionate about it, we are doing it for pleasure. Remember we are a friendly community, so if there are issues that are making your participation not fun. let me (Scaramanga1) or a Moderator know, and we will try to help.
9) when you post a contribution to the novel can you make sure that you do not include your signature in the post.
This will make for easier reading and help the flow of the story. (The option to include your signature is underneath the Message text box on the post page).
10) Copyrighted material, please be advised that MGM created James Bond characters should not really appear in the novel, it would be advisable to create original characters (excluding the obvious essential characters).
These guidelines are here to help. If you have any questions about them, don't hesitate to send me a Private Message. I will be happy to help.
In the meantime - enjoy the writing when it commences - and reading another of the Greatest Fan Novels Ever!
Here are the necessary guidelines to ensure this project works. Please Read!
1) Read All of what has gone on before! (by familiarizing yourself with the tale, so you get to know the characters etc.)
2)Post suggestions for the plot in the suggestions and criticism topic. These will be responded to, in the form of a PM. (So that way the tale remains linear. If an idea is thought to be not suitable, an explanation will be provided. Please do not post a scene without it having been vetted!)
3) Follow the running order and be aware of time constraints, and follow outlined procedures when you are unable to post.
4) Spelling! Although we are not all perfect, and do sometimes make mistakes - it is wise to take care with grammar and punctuation - so that everyone can read the story fluently, and without hardship! If you do not know how to spell a word or name - ask! Or use a dictionary. There is the Cambridge online dictionary available when actually posting your contributions.
5)Abuse - Anything thought to be abusive, racist and offensive
will be deleted by a Moderator if its thought inappropriate.
6) How often can I contribute? You can contribute as often as you like, providing you allow others a chance, and inquire as to whether you can do a particular part. (This is where PM's come in!)
7) Already planned scenes. some scenes will have already been discussed between various contributers - consequently no key characters can be killed or injured without the say so of ALL contributers. That includes both goodies & baddies!
8) Fun! This is not a serious novel, although we are passionate about it, we are doing it for pleasure. Remember we are a friendly community, so if there are issues that are making your participation not fun. let me (Scaramanga1) or a Moderator know, and we will try to help.
9) when you post a contribution to the novel can you make sure that you do not include your signature in the post.
This will make for easier reading and help the flow of the story. (The option to include your signature is underneath the Message text box on the post page).
10) Copyrighted material, please be advised that MGM created James Bond characters should not really appear in the novel, it would be advisable to create original characters (excluding the obvious essential characters).
These guidelines are here to help. If you have any questions about them, don't hesitate to send me a Private Message. I will be happy to help.
In the meantime - enjoy the writing when it commences - and reading another of the Greatest Fan Novels Ever!
Comments
Locations are integral to any 007 tale and as a consequence it is good to have an idea of where 007 is likely to travel so as to generate plot ideas.
For example I have an idea that would have 007 investigating identity theft -with the initial start off point being a cellphone company based in Delhi -this in turn can develop into the stolen identities being appropriated by terrorists so that they can move about freely through the world causing whatever chaos is on their agendas. 007 can be posing as a businessman hoping to start up his own call center in Delhi -and then by meeting executives from the said company is able to see how their system works -and then with a little spywork on his part ascertains who at this level might be stealing the identities and then is able to pressure that person into passing on the information of who it is he/she is contacting with the stolen information. Straight forward I know but hopefully a clear example of how a location develops plot ideas.
So therefore my obvious suggestion at this point is Delhi.
Lets hear yours!
P.S.
I will start the PTS now but don't worry this is just a chance to get the ball rolling and doesn't even have to be linked to the main plot.
I have started it in the first person -but it can change - I just felt with the start it would be an interesting way to go. Perhaps the prologue can be in first person -and then the main tale in the third -we can just see how it all pans out to begin with.
I like the Identity Theft idea but does our villain, whoever he/she is, have some really big and devastating plan that will require the ability to infiltrate with stoelen identities? This has already been done in movies like Never Say Never Again and Thunderball.
I would like to see the villain's character and goals sketched out next. Who is he/she and why is he/she a terrorist - what does he/she want to accomplish? Is he/she motivated by ideology, greed, pure chaos, revenge or some other reason?
Also Lets hear what other places we'd like to see 007 visit.
Lets see your sketched outlines for the villain -and also lets decide do we go for the big meglomaniac -or just one of the lower echelons of the terrorist heirarchy?
This thread is for those thoughts and ideas.
Once we have a few of these ideas written down we can then start the writing properly and I can draw up a running order of contributers.
If we are using identity theft, I'll be interested to know how MI-6 becomes concerned with the issue enough to send their best man for the job. I had an idea about having a weapons dealer being the main villain, and MI-6 sends 002 to investigate, and at the end 002 winds up dead, though MI-6 only knows she stopped contacting them. Reluctantly, M sends 007 to find out what happened to 002 and at the same time, finish 002's job.
Who knows maybe the villain(ess) could use identity theft in the distribution of various sorts of weaponry, sending (technically 002 and) 007 on a bunch of dead ends (which could add to his frustration in the hunt for 002's whereabouts)
I know I'm probably drawing up a really huge plot here, but these were just some thoughts that came up.
An idea that popped into my head the other day was to see Bond investigate a 'perfume' manufacturer. This is a high dollar business and is very unique and classy. The idea that a scent is made up of several unusual individual scents ('notes' as they are referred to in the industry) seems like a good avenue for bio-terrorism. It also seems a suitably sexy venue for Bond to step into for a brief episode.
I was considering having the 00 as the main Bond Girl, but then again - the villain(ess) isn't THAT threatening; this isn't a Thunderball or Tomorrow Never Dies where the entire world is one instigator away from WWIII
I'd be curious to see what sort of Bond Girl develops out of a story like this (let alone the Bond-Moneypenny exchange
That thought occurred to me to. The idea in OHMSS wasn't quite developed fully, though. In the small amount of research that I did, I found that the big perfume names actually buy their formulas from large 'research' houses who actually design the scent. Blofeld created a pathogen and used the atomizers to smuggle the chemical. My thought was what if one of these 'research' houses created a chemical and used one of the distributors (i.e Estee Lauder) to unwittingly dessiminate it.
Just a thought, and one I certainly wouldn't want it to be the crux of the plot.
Suppose Bond had to track down four or so individuals with stolen identities -- each one having some unique yet coordinated terror plot in the works? So often, the plots involve some megalomaniac who has one basic plan (poison the water, nuke a city, etc.) What if the villian or villianess had a plan to create several seemingly unconnected terrorist events. While governments would think they were politically motivated attacks, perhaps the underlying motive is actually something more personally motivated. For instance, the antagonist is arranging several 'disasters' that would kill hundreds as a means to destroy certain individuals...perhaps to gain control of an organization or crime syndicate.
Again...just brainstorming.
Thanks Daren.
As a child Max Obsidian witnessed the brutal extermination of his entire family when a group of thugs armed with submachine guns broke into the family home and killed everyone except him. The shock of the experience put him into a coma and when he awoke about 6 months later he had total amnesia. His family was wealthy and he grew up to be a playboy but always haunted by the fact that he had no connection to himself. He became bored with the playboy lifestyle and developed a fascination with identity fraud. Having no real identity of his own due to the amnesia he found solace in stealing the identities of others. Eventually he faked his own death and dropped out of sight completely. The psychosis arising from the unresolved trauma of his childhood turned him quite literally into Mister X which is what MI6 and the CIA call him. His goal is power which he achieves by straling the identities of more and more powerful individuals. He would like to destroy all intelligence organisations that keep records of the identities of people so his targets are MI6, the CIA etc. In the course of the story he would try to infiltrate them and find a way to discredit them. He will try to set up Bond and others (eg M) to get them into trouble with the government. At a pivotal point in the plot, Bond could echo off his signature line" "I know who I am. Pity you don't."
One included a weapons dealer who distributes various sorts of weaponry to terrorist organizations (Bond takes out the terrorists' "supply line").
Another involved using perfumes as a means to conduct bio-terrorism.
And another involved a group using stolen identities to cover their means of using various and carefully orchestrated terrorist attacks which at first seem unrelated.
In the "sister thread", we have plots that involve the Internet, earthquakes, speed, food, fashion, techno-piracy, the Middle East, movies, real estate, and (essentially) a DAD or CR remake.
Potential subplots included Bond going to the Olympics to either stop a terrorist attack or further acquaint with the villain, Bond doing a significant amount of spying to identify a villain who is one no one would expect, cryptography, and a PTS that involves "Bond, a British Naval ship, and a stunning female Lieutenant Colonel".
Locations included Canada, the Netherlands, and the Middle East (see above).
Wow that's a lot right there
In that list are a bunch of ideas (and I'm sure there'll be a few more to come). We do have some that could be placed together, (just about all the subplots could fit with another subplot and/or fit in with any "major" plot), and there are some that could be standalone, such as any PTS ideas (will the PTS be relevant to the main story at all?)
IRT the whole "four terrorists with stolen identities" plot, I will say that it does have potential - good plot seed too, I'll add. I'd be interested in seeing what this would develop into first, though (what's meant by 'disasters' for example...).
Some feedback.
a) Dehli is an excellent location but may need more (see below).
b) Identity Theft is good too.
c) I like the expensive perfume idea - although this could veer one into filmBond territory.
Methodology.
i) What length is the novel to be?
ii) Should one work out structure first?
iii) LitBond should be treated realistically with an eye to the regional global geopolitical tensions. However, not overtly political - a classic good vs. evil.
iv) Think story first, then character, then formula elements (if even necessary) last. Character names should fit with all of the above.
Some Suggestions
1) A suicide terrorist attack somewhere in EU. Bond involved.
2) Clues lead to liquid explosive in perfume bottles - liquid explosive plot recently uncovered in London and foiled in Indonesia. BTW, the most expensive part of the perfume is the bottle - specially hand-crafted glass). Bond contacts the glass-blowing artisan who makes glass (possibly female). We get a whole lot of stuff about glass. Hmmm, is this too Moonraker (film)?
3) Trail leads to India - geopolitical hotspots are north on the border with Pakistan (with associated global terrorist links e.g. Kashmir/Al Queda). However, data call centres (presumably centre of ID theft for use by terrorists above) are all south in Bangalore etc. Bond arrives in Dehli and hooks up with a member of the Research And Analysis Wing (the Indian SIS).
4) Plot is that a rich industrialist is using all his/her powers to stoke the War On Terror while they profit. Said villain may not even be a fanatic, merely a ruthless opportunist.
Further Ideas
5) True life: arms were shipped around the Middle East in vats of honey. Inspectors would not look in them. Can one do something like this using perfume? The scent or fragility of the bottles?
6) Can one have a single female who Bond falls for?
7) Can one have a Colombo/Kerim Bey character for India?
I'm new at this and think I have abided by the rules up top. Is any of this firing any imaginations?
I will make a list of contributers soon and put them in what I feel will be a good running order. Remember this order is not set in stone -but is as a guideline as to when people write their parts -if for example there is a certain scene you would like to write -you can always ask the person who is next if you can swap places providing it is agreed by everyone that you can write that given section. As with the previous novels the time for writing your contribution is usually three days -if you need more time you need to alert the team -but please do not hold up the writing process more than necessary.
I will post the list of contributers tomorrow -once I've received a PM from all those who want to take part.
Sc1
What do you think about making the India contact a female? No Indian heroines in Bond's history come to mind.
BTW, what would you guys (and girls?) think of a Jaws-like individual? Someone who's a recurring character but under completely different storylines in each appearance. He or she could make appearances from Novel 6 to... say Novel 8. Again, throwing a thought into the wind...
1. Bond steals identities all the time in the course of his work, but for good rather than evil. The villain may be a secret agent wannabee or resentful of this.
2. Its good to have characters who reflect difernet aspects of the theme idea:
1) characters who steal identities (the villain, Bond)
2) characters whose identities have been stolen
3) characters who restore stolen identities (Bond)
4) characters whose identities cannot be stolen for some reason
5) characters who want their identitiy to be stolen for some reason (eg a criminal who wants other criminals off his back or someone in witness protection)
6) characters who fear their identities being stolen (the rich and powerful)
7) characters who can recognise a stolen identity (Bond)
8) characters who take everything at face value (are gullible)
Etc...
Bond might have his identity stolen and be set up for a crime he didnt commit to undermine his relationship with the British Government, M etc.
I was thinking along similar lines myself. I think it would be very interesting if the villain turned Bond into a target for british intelligence. I think that there is a lot that we can do with that, although some might say it smacks a little of Bourne. I still think it's a very good idea though.
We could create a double-oh agent who is assigned to work alongside Bond. He is a fairly new agent who is still learning the ropes. Bond doesn't get on well with him, and the two agents frequently rub each other up the wrong way. The new agent is very arrogant and is very full of himself now that he has been made a double-oh. Bond voices his concerns to M . However, through a bit of luck, the new agent makes a big breakthrough. The villain wants to kill the double-oh agent, he decides to frame Bond as the killer, since Bond's dislike of the new agent is well known, and he hopes that this will make M believe that Bond killed the new agent because he was jealous and wanted to take full credit for the operation. This would lead to Bond having to escape both friend and foe in order to successfully complete the mission and prove his innocence.
Well, that's my idea. What do you think?
I like the idea of someone 'posing' as Bond on a mission. Since he's a secret agent, it seems like an easy enough thing to do to someone who's never met him.
... and because of that, how is someone going to learn of his (Bond's) real identity?
It would have to be done by someone with connections...much like Red Grant stole the identity of the agent that Bond was supposed to meet in FRWL.
I would see the double-oh who accompanied him as a rookie who might get killed while Bond was trying to stop his double from committing a crime.
Perhaps it could be with the help of an inside job or one who knows how to find information (ie, hackers). Or it could be with that "rookie 00", although that may turn him into some a bit too similar to 006.
Anyway, I had a plot idea which is quite a bit different from anything we've discussed so far (I know, it's probably a bit late for this idea considering the consensus on the previous) - How about Bond tries to stop an organization bent on the revival of the Soviet Union? IMO it'd be ideal for a "blunt instrument of the Cold War" such as Bond. As I said before, it's probably a bit late for an idea like this, and the idea itself is probably trying to revitalize a dead horse (Bond's out of the Cold War, let's keep it that way), but I thought it was something worth considering.
(BTW I will post the list of contributers today. Just working out the best way to go.)
SC1