Ever tried writing your own stuff??

EDOG51 · May 2009

Hi guys,
really strange post here as it has nothing to do with Bond! ive for years been a fan of john le carre, robert ludlum and of course the main man Ian Flemming, aswell as lesser known writers robert littell and jon stock. In the last 6 months i decided to give it a go at writing my own. So far i have 10 chapters which to be honest i am quite pleased with
My lead man is somebody called nathan foster, a former member of the scotish military who was given honoable discharge following the death of his wife to look after his 12 year old daughter.
2 years down the line, at the age of 37, alone after his daughter recieved a scholorship to attend bording school in bedfordshire. Foster's talents are going to waste doing part time body guard work for vaious low calibre political figures in the Scotland and the north of England, without giving too much away our man is given the responsiblity of escourting a member of the british cabinet from glasgow airport on saturday 30 june 2007 following the election of Gordon Brown as prime minister. Foster is thrust into action in limitting the number of casualties during the terrorist attack and is very quitely given recognition for his efforts and due to his background is offered a low level position in the british SIS (secret intelligence service) keen to be closer to his daughter he accepts the position and is sent on a low key recognizance mission in Albania, to gather information on a small organisation known as Hoxha10, a percieved group of Albanian extremeists. Fosters aparent low key mission becomes blown wide apart as he discovers Hoxha10 are involved in a terrorist movement from the Gulf planning a terrorist attack on the UK. Our story takes a twist when foster is incarcirated in an albanian prison for suspsion when he is found phontographing Hoxha10's activities, it becomes apparent that the corrupt police have no intrest in investigating this apparently powerful and hostile organizations plans on aiding a terrorist attack. With only days on his side foster now has a race against time to escape the clutches of Albanian incarciration and alert SIS of the goings on. Foster now has to blow off the cobwebs of what was once pure instinct and bring down Hoxha10 single handedly before its to late... so far the story has been cast across the UK, Tirana (Capital of Albania), Skopje, leading up to a great chapter i am trying to write in the Albanian alps, And ending hopefully in Budapest. I was wondering if anybody would be interested in proof reading my work? all i ask is for honest oppinion. Be kind haha

)

Golrush007 · May 2009

A number of AJB members (myself included) have written their own James Bond novels, short stories and screenplays. Unfortunately with the migration from the old site to the new site the fan fiction page is not available at the moment. But when it returns be sure to check it out.

Also, AJB members regularly collaborate on writing a full length novel - usually annually. Keep checking the forums if you're keen, there will probably be one written later this year.

I am unfortunately a bit too busy to with exams to proofread your work at the moment, but in a couple of weeks I should be able to have a look and let you know what I think.

Hardyboy · May 2009

This isn't a Quantum of Solace topic and--as you say--it's not even a Bond topic; however, I think the Literary forum is the best place for this post. Therefore, it's now moved there. Oh, and you might want to get the spelling of Fleming's name right--people here are awfully picky about that (and with good reason)!

Loeffelholz · May 2009

As it happens, I'm nearing the end of a first draft of a novel. No, it's not a Bond novel---I've never actually tried to write one of those, since I'm so desperate to get my career on the right track that I can't afford to expend a lengthy effort on something that has no chance of making any money---but kudos to my talented AJB associates, who have written many fine stories about Bond that I highly recommend.

My own novel, with the working title of Blood & Ashes, is set in 1941 Miami Beach, Florida, and features a private detective in the rather classic mold---a mystery with 'old school' action-thriller trappings.* I've very much taken my inspiration by Fleming's approach to storytelling---as Fleming himself drew inspiration from novels featuring the likes of Mike Hammer and Bulldog Drummond. For one thing, unlike so many P.I. novels, I'm doing mine in third person, rather than the more ubiquitous first person: a kind of restricted third person perspective employed in early Fleming Bonds like CR and LALD.

Once I finish my rewrite, I hope to set up a website in preparation for shopping the book around in search of a publisher...and at that time will begin to solicit a 'test audience.'

Stay tuned!

* _{For example, my hero drives a supercharged 1935 Ford Roadster...thanks to Donald Grant for the info on the supercharger!}

thesecretagent · May 2009

I wrote a novel ten years ago this june as it happens. It was published and sold well and I made a bit of money out of it. However, somewhat like George Lazenby, I had a terrible agent and some equally terrible advice and thought with a selling novel under my belt I could go on to larger publishers and better things. My next work was bounced around the literary world and with a succession of agents and publishers and different deals on the table, the second novel never actually went into publication.
My career took a different turn as I had to live and work and pay bills, and after five years of trying to get back into the literay world I had strayed too far.
I don't generally give advice, but I'll say this. Get a Writers' and Artists' Year Book and find a good representative. Forget dreams of money and notoriety and aim merely to get into print. So don't quit your day job. Hire a professional proof reader and keep all your work close to your chest. Forget friends and family and their opinions - they are not professionals and their comments could prove unhelpful. Don't sign the first contract that comes along. Write, read and emerse yourself into the literary world. My unpublished work is much better than my published novel - so practice is essential. It may be your pride and joy, but it could well be a warm up for better things to come. I know I'll be published again, family, business, home-life, mortgages, all need to be worked around now, so I can be patient. And in writing, patience is everything.
If you are interested you can PM me and I can give you details of my book or answer any queries about the publishing/submission process. This is your thread and I don't want to be accused of advertising my book on here for everybody to see.
Good luck!

Gassy Man · May 2009

I've been dabbling for years but haven't produced anything worth sending out . . . yet. But I have co-authored a successful textbook, as well as written dozens and dozens of nonfiction pieces for corporate and nonprofit organizations. I know a few people who have published fiction but with nowhere near the profitability to quit the day job -- publishing at nearly every level is a critical and commercial crap shoot. Since in the next month or so I will have reached the top of the promotion ladder, I may actually begin to spend serious time with drafting thrillers. I do wish you luck, as your idea sounds good!

DAWUSS · May 2009

I've scribbled a few things, mostly fan-fiction postings on forums (that have since gone to the wayside). I'm starting to branch out to original IPs, but I still might crank out another Bond thing or two.

And TPTB need to get the fan fiction list back up and running

Barbel · June 2009

I wrote a Bond pastiche many years ago (when I was in my teens) which I'm embarrassed to admit I still have a copy of in my loft, and it was called The Omega Plan. Utterly terrible. Revolving around a submarine, hijacked by the baddies (this was around '73).

Since I quickly found it was much less time-consuming to write a song rather than a novel, I later wrote some Bond-inspired pieces and even had the gall to send one called "Licence Revoked" to EON when that was still the title of what later turned out to be LTK. As any composer will tell you, when an instrumental piece is finished thinking of the title for it may be the hardest part- I called a few guitar or piano melodies after unused Bond titles such as "The Belles Of Hell" or "The Rough With The Smooth". Gave this up after a year or two, as well.

Ever tried writing your own stuff??

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