 Action/Adventure: March 14, 2007 Issue [#1591] |
  Action/Adventure
This week: Edited by: StephBee  
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1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
Hello, I'm StephBee and I'm excited to be a guest editor for this addition of the Action/Adventure Newsletter.
When you think Action/Adventure who is the first hero to come to mind? For me it's...
"Bond. James Bond."
I thought I'd take a look at Bond through Ian Fleming's eyes. To do that, I just finished reading Casino Royale. Let's take a peek at Fleming and his agless hero. |
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Ian Fleming, the man behind Bond
Did you ever wonder who Ian Fleming was and how he came up with James Bond? I sure did. What I discovered was there was a little bit of Fleming in his action/adventure hero - and that's what made James Bond human.
Ian Fleming was born in London, England in 1908. His father was killed in action during World War I. Fleming attened Eton. Afterwards, he briefly went to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. Upon leaving Sandhurst, he worked at Reuters, a news service. When World War II broke out, he was commissioned as a lieutenant commander in the British Navy. Not surprisingly, he worked in intelligence. When he left the navy after the war, he retired to Jamica and wrote his first book, Casino Royale with the intent to write "the spy story to end all spy stories."
Casino Royale, the first book featuring James Bond, was published in 1953.
What makes James Bond appealing?
For me, it's the firm grasp Fleming has on Bond's background. Fleming writes from what he knows. It's no coincidence that James Bond and Fleming have the rank of "commander" in common. Both have navy experience. Fleming understood the spy network and from his days in navy intelligence and this spills forth in his James Bond novels.
Fleming's writing has been described as concise and accurate, and as I read Casino Royale I would have to agree. Fleming is very direct in his writing and to the point. He doesn't believe in wasting words. That said, Casino Royale is a quick read. Casino Royale's opening line:
The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning.
Fleming's Action/Adventure writing
Action should be vivid and fluid, easy to see in the mind's eye. I found Fleming's action writing is simple, direct, yet visual.
Subtle action that paints a vivid scene:
"She accepted one of Bond's cigarettes, examined it, and then smoked it appreciately and without affection, drawing the smoke deeply into her lungs with a little sigh, and then exhaling it casually through her lips and nostrils."
Describing action:
"He (Bond) then took from under his shirts in another drawer a very flat .25 Beretta automatic with a skeleton grip, extracted the clip and the single round in the barrel, and whipped the action to and fro several times, finally pulling the trigger on the empty chamber."
Action, concise and to the point, Fleming's syle:
"Bond shook himself. He hastily paid the bill, not waiting for the change. He pushed back his table and walked quickly through the entrance without acknowledging the good nights of the maitre d'hotel and the doorman. He hurried through the gaming room and looked carefully up and down the long entrance hall. He cursed and quickened his step."
As a reader, I found Casino Royale was very action oriented. Fleming's plot moved at a fast pace, just like the Bond movies. In that regard, the movies have done a wonderful job bringing the action of Bond to life.
 Biographical information about Ian Fleming was taken from his website, IanFlemingCentre.com. |
Here are some Action oriented picks this week:
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#1226880 by Not Available. |
My note: simply arranged, the action is effective and it's easy to visualize the chase.
| |  | Leaving (13+)
Flash Fiction:Write a story in which a character startles someone:300 words or less
#1222171 by Desii  |
My note: The action is easy and conveys a choice the character is making.
| | | Hunter (13+)
An action fantasy that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end!
#1227432 by Blake Wolf |
My note: A good opening action sequence that grabs the reader's attention.
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#1023148 by Not Available. |
My note: While Chapter 4 of the novel, there's a great action sequence where Macey and Shiela are being pursued.I thought the action was concise and direct.
My note: A personal favorite. The opening action puts the adventure in motion.
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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I'd love to hear feedback on my topic of Fleming & Bond. While I'm guest editor and I don't have feedback from previous letters, I thought I'd enclose some recent feedback regarding the newsletter on Interactives.
Bmao
Well, this is an interesting newsletter you have here. I've written an interactive story of my own "Realm Drifter", and have more than 500 chapters on it. The problem is, I've begun to suffer writers block on where I should go.
Another inherent problem with interactives is that most of them are of the growing/shrinking/vore/fur variety, and the writing quality of such stories tends to be low. However, they are my favorite type of story on writing.com, and thanks for granting exposure to this genre.
I agree, interactives can be fun. It's a good tool just to work on your writing craft.
StephBee works as a 911 Dispatcher for LAPD. Married, with children, she has three self-published books. She received an "Honorable Mention" in the 75th Writer's Digest Contest in genre fiction writing for "The Music Box."
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