116 replies to this topic

[Trident]

If you don't understand the thing you want to push, you won't know how, how far and where you can push it.

Before one writes, one must read.

I have other such profound sayings kicking about. You won't want to read them.

Oh, but of course!

I find this a very good point, especially where pushing the envelope is concerned.

Pushing an envelope is very easy. Envelopes are not heavy. Here is an envelope. I am pushing it. Ooh, the effort. Pushy pushy, envelopy-welopy.

Bugger, paper cut. Ouch.

Told ya!

[Scrambled Eggs]

Most of the stories on these pages are very respectful aren't they?

I'd have thought that by now there'd be tonnes of material in which a gay Bond gets it on with Superman, or M and Moneypenny are revealed to be Harry Potter's parents.

But no.

[Jim]

Most of the stories on these pages are very respectful aren't they?

I'd have thought that by now there'd be tonnes of material in which a gay Bond gets it on with Superman, or M and Moneypenny are revealed to be Harry Potter's parents.

But no.

...hastily rewrites twist ending of Just Another Kill.

[MkB]

Most of the stories on these pages are very respectful aren't they?

I'd have thought that by now there'd be tonnes of material in which a gay Bond gets it on with Superman, or M and Moneypenny are revealed to be Harry Potter's parents.

But no.

...hastily rewrites twist ending of Just Another Kill.

You mean twisted, don't you?

[Trident]

Most of the stories on these pages are very respectful aren't they?

I'd have thought that by now there'd be tonnes of material in which a gay Bond gets it on with Superman, or M and Moneypenny are revealed to be Harry Potter's parents.

But no.

...hastily rewrites twist ending of Just Another Kill.

You ever do that , there's a rendezvous with a carpet beater coming up somewhere in the future...

[Joyce Carrington]

Most of the stories on these pages are very respectful aren't they?

I'd have thought that by now there'd be tonnes of material in which a gay Bond gets it on with Superman, or M and Moneypenny are revealed to be Harry Potter's parents.

It is remarkable. There are other sites out there with Bond fanfiction that have these sort of plots, but over here...

Do CBners just have great taste?

[Trident]

Most of the stories on these pages are very respectful aren't they?

I'd have thought that by now there'd be tonnes of material in which a gay Bond gets it on with Superman, or M and Moneypenny are revealed to be Harry Potter's parents.

But no.

I suppose somewhere on the net there's a place that stuff like that calls its home. It just seems to be not here, although I have to confess that I haven't read everything in the FF section on CBn, so there might at least be a little of this hidden in a corner.

[ImTheMoneypenny]

Most of the stories on these pages are very respectful aren't they?

I'd have thought that by now there'd be tonnes of material in which a gay Bond gets it on with Superman, or M and Moneypenny are revealed to be Harry Potter's parents.

It is remarkable. There are other sites out there with Bond fanfiction that have these sort of plots, but over here...

Do CBners just have great taste?

I talked about this in one of my posts here. Thank goodness that the stories here are respectful, which IMO is one of the many reasons that makes CBn ff the the best fan fic around!

[clinkeroo]

Ah, the unknown knowns. Or known unknowns. Good old Rummy.

Sad day, today . John Mortimer RIP at 85; a life well lived.

[Harry Fawkes]

I was skiving school once, with a mate of mine. We were in this park in Swindon. I was about thirteen. It was a lovely day, nice and warm, something of a dreamlike quality to it all. Out of the blue my mate asked me what I wanted out of life and I remember looking out at the hills in the distance, the clear blue sky that offered so much hope and promise out of life, and it suddenly hit me like a bolt.
I wanted to become a writer.
I wanted to write stories and I knew (or rather believed) I had it in me.
Something living, warm, wild even, wanted to burst out of my body and mind – a powerful passion that needed to escape, needed a life of its own and the irony of it all was that I’d never written anything at all before then.
I suddenly felt I had a purpose.
I went home and began writing. The fact was I was crap (still am).
No education, see.
I hated school – simple and stupid as that.
Till the very day I left, at sixteen, I couldn’t stand it...


Although my writing was poor I enjoyed it immensely, enjoyed putting what I saw inside my mind down onto paper.
The scenes, the feelings, and the characters I had inside my mind.
It was so powerful.
My dad, God bless him, knew I was crap at school but knew I was determined to write and the first thing he told me was to read a book which I hadn’t until then.
I remember finding a book in my mates flat. Jack Higgins’ A Prayer For The Dying, the very first book I ever read.
Damn it was so good.
I couldn’t put it bloody down.
It was as though I was blind and opening that book gave me sight.
I was in pitch black and somebody lit a candle inside me.
Then my girlfriend gave me Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale.
Again, I was so overwhelmed at what this book had to offer.
James Bond and his outrageous adventures.
I was hooked...


As for writing, well unfortunately I went on in my life to join the army – met a lot of interesting people, then killed them.
The army changed my life, took much of my time, still does...
I kept writing though – every time I had a chance.
Published a couple of articles in the Times, wrote a couple of film scripts and almost, almost, published a book (the bastards wanted to change a few things and I refused believe it or not and all at the cost of ‘them’ shutting the door in my face).


My mates ask me why I waste my time and energy on Bond stories that’ll never see the light of day.
Why don’t I try writing something else and try and get published again, they ask.

Truthfully, I am so happy writing fan-fiction (and reading it).
Happy because I can use what Fleming created and put him into my world, my situations, amongst my people and my dilemmas and build upon him my way, leaving my mark on Bond’s world.

As for the writing itself – I know, I’ve still got a long, long way to go…


Harry Fawkes

[MkB]

I went on in my life to join the army – met a lot of interesting people, then killed them.

Harry, replace "army" with "SIS", and that's one of the most powerful summaries of Bond's life I've ever read. Seriously!

Hold on to your dream. You'll make it come true

[clinkeroo]

Now, that's a testament worth reading . Can I get an "Amen?"

We are all the better for your choices.

[Mister Asterix]

Amen.

[clinkeroo]

Mr. *,

Done any interesting fan fiction reading lately?

[Mister Asterix]

Mr. *,

Done any interesting fan fiction reading lately?

I’ve read a nice first chapter of a new serialised fan fic novel that I’m trying to work on a cover for. Very promising.

[Scrambled Eggs]

Are you two leaving it at that or do we get anymore little teasy winks?

Its the Q helps Buffy defeat Sauron story isn't it?

[ImTheMoneypenny]

I went on in my life to join the army – met a lot of interesting people, then killed them.

Harry, replace "army" with "SIS", and that's one of the most powerful summaries of Bond's life I've ever read. Seriously!

Hold on to your dream. You'll make it come true

Totally agree!

I left school at 17. Couldn't stand being there. I educated myself after I left. I knew one thing I wanted to tell stories and I wanted to be an artist. Actually one of the worst bits of advice I got from a friend of mine was that I had to choose writing or art as I couldn't do both. I chose both and got away with it! The second worst bit of advice I got was from an ex-teacher. He said to give it up, I'd never make money drawing monsters and vampires. LOL! Ah yeah. . .

Some of the best writers there were never went to school to learn the trade. They lived!

[Mister Asterix]

Are you two leaving it at that or do we get anymore little teasy winks?

Its the Q helps Buffy defeat Sauron story isn't it?

I’ve only read the first chapter, but it does have Bill Maxwell from ‘Greatest American Hero’.

[clinkeroo]

Loved that show. Always loved Robert Culp. I Spy was my favorite American 60's spy show.

Sauron had it coming.

[Trident]

Loved that show. Always loved Robert Culp. I Spy was my favorite American 60's spy show.

Sauron had it coming.

Shouldn't have messed with Girl Power. Fatal mistake, should have left that to Mrs. Sauron...

[Hitch]

A view from the other side of the fence:

Cory Doctorow: In Praise of Fanfic

[Trident]

The fanfic habit is a literary habit.

Writers can't ask readers not to interpret their work. You can't enjoy a novel that you haven't interpreted — unless you model the author's characters in your head, you can't care about what they do and why they do it. And once readers model a character, it's only natural that readers will take pleasure in imagining what that character might do offstage, to noodle around with it. This isn't disrespect: it's active reading.

Hitch, some really most interesting points; a thought-provoking article. Thanks for sharing!

[Harry Fawkes]

A view from the other side of the fence:

Cory Doctorow: In Praise of Fanfic

Very interesting, Hitch. Thanks for sharing

[Trident]

I'd like to hear people's opinions on a technical writing detail/question.

Generally, I like to have a story ready in my head before I start typing the first sentence. Ready, as far as most of the plot, characters and scenes (how many/structure/location/time/setting/flashback(s)?) are concerned. This partially stems from my being a creature of the good old days of the typewriter, when rewriting/altering used to be a hell of a lot more work than it still is today. And it's a perfect excuse for a lazy old bastard as me not to have written much more up to now.

Now, I've once more arrived at that point where I think one old idea of mine is 'ripe' and I just might be ready to write it down. There's really only this minor irk. But it irks me nonetheless. The structure I think I'd prefer for this just doesn't seem right. I won't bore you by going into any tedious detail. Suffice it to say that a flashback within a flashback doesn't seem like a terribly good idea to me.


What would the more seasoned hands around here advise? Should I

a)just think 'bugger structure' and write the thing, regardless of my uncomfortable feeling, or

b)drop (part of) my original structure and tell the story chronologically, or

c)start with the parts that I feel bear no such problems and wait for some kind of enlightenment while writing, hoping it might rid me of the necessity of one of the problematic scenes, or

d)wait till I've worked out a solution in my mind, probably around autumn 2028, or

c)just forget the whole bloody affair of writing as I'm clearly not fit for the activity, put my whole money into energy-saving bulbs, make a fortune, retire?

Suggestions?

[spynovelfan]

My advice would be to start with the parts that you feel bear no such problems and wait for some kind of enlightenment. Otherwise you'll never write it. I don't plan as much as that, but I'm always finding excuses not to write, and 'I don't know how to get around such-and-such structural problem' is one. It's your brain's way of stopping you. You just have to write, and it will work itself out. Give yourself an external deadline to complete it if possible (by external I mean tell others it will be ready by a certain date).

[Trident]

My advice would be to start with the parts that you feel bear no such problems and wait for some kind of enlightenment. Otherwise you'll never write it. I don't plan as much as that, but I'm always finding excuses not to write, and 'I don't know how to get around such-and-such structural problem' is one. It's your brain's way of stopping you. You just have to write, and it will work itself out. Give yourself an external deadline to complete it if possible (by external I mean tell others it will be ready by a certain date).

And I had hoped so dearly you'd advise the energy-saving bulbs...

No, just kidding. Many, many thanks Jeremy! It's what I suspected all along.

Now to find a deadline...

[Harry Fawkes]

I see outlines of the story in my head before I get down to writing, like a film playing inside my mind.

I also have a tendency of straying-off from what I originally set out to write in the first place though (which is why my stories are unreadable ).

I like planning the character or story to take a ‘left turn’ and when it comes to writing it down I make the character or the story take a ‘right turn’ instead.

I try and give it a life of its own, the story.

I like it being unpredictable in that not even I, the writer, knows exactly where, how or when something is going to happen.

It’s more of a challenge that way and it remains fresh even to me.

I sit down, put some of my best incidental music on and write away.

I like believing that it is the story taking the writer for a trip.

When it’s finished, say a chapter or a couple of paragraphs, then I sit back and consume it.

I pretend to be the reader and try hard to imagine what he/she would feel or think when reading it.

Mind you, it’s not the first time I look back and curse myself for taking such and such a direction, especially when a new, fresher idea hits me like a bolt from the blue.


Harry

[Jim]

Make it up as you go along. And if the form in which you tell the story doesn't fit what it is you want to tell, change the form until it does. Jigger the reader up a bit.

[ImTheMoneypenny]

I see outlines of the story in my head before I get down to writing, like a film playing inside my mind.

I also have a tendency of straying-off from what I originally set out to write in the first place though (which is why my stories are unreadable ).

I like planning the character or story to take a ‘left turn’ and when it comes to writing it down I make the character or the story take a ‘right turn’ instead.

I try and give it a life of its own, the story.

I like it being unpredictable in that not even I, the writer, knows exactly where, how or when something is going to happen.

It’s more of a challenge that way and it remains fresh even to me.

I sit down, put some of my best incidental music on and write away.

I like believing that it is the story taking the writer for a trip.

When it’s finished, say a chapter or a couple of paragraphs, then I sit back and consume it.

I pretend to be the reader and try hard to imagine what he/she would feel or think when reading it.

Mind you, it’s not the first time I look back and curse myself for taking such and such a direction, especially when a new, fresher idea hits me like a bolt from the blue.


Harry

I write in a similar fashion. I have a loose skeleton of the story that keeps me on track, but along the way if I come up with a new idea it's easily integrated. There are times characters, or situations, change in a way I didn't see coming but since my original idea was just a skeleton it doesn't hurt to change it. It usually makes the story better.

Before I type a word, I hand write what I have thought out several times. When I'm satisfied with what I have come up with, then I type it. Now as I go along and my story fleshes out more I don't rely so much on handwriting out the portions. Unless I'm stuck, then I'll tinker with ideas and passages in a notebook before typing. I read what I typed a handful of times before submitting here. That I read a couple of times as I'm posting and will make changes there as well.

[MkB]

Before I type a word, I hand write what I have thought out several times. When I'm satisfied with what I have come up with, then I type it. Now as I go along and my story fleshes out more I don't rely so much on handwriting out the portions.

Funny, that's exactly how I write (fanfic and else). I cannot really start something digitally, I need the open space of a white sheet to diddle on, shaping the material in a rather graphical way, with layers of editings piling up around the text. But once I have put some flesh on the bare bones of my document, I can write directly in a text editor.

I suppose it makes the two of us specimens of a generation torn in two between the paper age and the digital age...