Share your story ideas for BOND 26

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  • Posts: 6,144
    That’d be cool! I can see it more as an inciting incident rather than necessarily part of the villain’s main caper (in a similar way the Faberge eggs are a way of getting OP’s plot going). But I like it.
  • Posts: 16,179
    007HallY wrote: »
    That’d be cool! I can see it more as an inciting incident rather than necessarily part of the villain’s main caper (in a similar way the Faberge eggs are a way of getting OP’s plot going). But I like it.

    I must say, I quite like when a first crime lead to the discovery of a bigger crime, when a seemingly small but unpleasant incident leads to a sinister conspiracy. Or even better: when something already sinister and catastrophic happens but leads to something even more grievous.
  • Posts: 6,144
    Ludovico wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    That’d be cool! I can see it more as an inciting incident rather than necessarily part of the villain’s main caper (in a similar way the Faberge eggs are a way of getting OP’s plot going). But I like it.

    I must say, I quite like when a first crime lead to the discovery of a bigger crime, when a seemingly small but unpleasant incident leads to a sinister conspiracy. Or even better: when something already sinister and catastrophic happens but leads to something even more grievous.

    I know what you mean! Like, you just know that art burglary in a Bind film is going to escalade into a madman wanting to blow up a major city or something.
  • Posts: 16,179
    007HallY wrote: »
    Ludovico wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    That’d be cool! I can see it more as an inciting incident rather than necessarily part of the villain’s main caper (in a similar way the Faberge eggs are a way of getting OP’s plot going). But I like it.

    I must say, I quite like when a first crime lead to the discovery of a bigger crime, when a seemingly small but unpleasant incident leads to a sinister conspiracy. Or even better: when something already sinister and catastrophic happens but leads to something even more grievous.

    I know what you mean! Like, you just know that art burglary in a Bind film is going to escalade into a madman wanting to blow up a major city or something.

    Might be too close to OP, but how about someone stole the jewels of the crown, Bond is sent on a mission after the thieves, looking also for their potential customers/buyers. Turns out the thieves are not selling the jewels, they're giving them as payment to another criminal for a service (obviously something big, like using a nuke or similar).
  • SeveSeve The island of Lemoy
    edited October 20 Posts: 783
    How about Bond not falling head over heals in love, not being betrayed, not quiting his job and not dying?

    I think that would be a good start
  • Posts: 16,179
    Seve wrote: »
    How about Bond not falling head over heals in love, not being betrayed, not quiting his job and not dying?

    I think that would be a good start

    I know you're speaking in hest, but you can't define with negatives. Sure, Bond can't find in love every movie, but that doesn't give us anything: you still need to define the kind of relationship (if any) he has with the Bond Girl(s). Betrayal is a pretty wide and at times concept, especially in the espionage world. There's elements of betrayal and double crossing in DN, FRWL, LALD, TLD, LTK, GE and that's at the top of my head. Not quitting is job, that's great, so now what to do with his job once we agree that he won't resign this time?
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,793
    007HallY wrote: »
    That’d be cool! I can see it more as an inciting incident rather than necessarily part of the villain’s main caper (in a similar way the Faberge eggs are a way of getting OP’s plot going). But I like it.

    Very cool! And funny enough, when I read about the heist, I also thought “Bond”!!
  • edited October 20 Posts: 6,144
    Ludovico wrote: »
    Seve wrote: »
    How about Bond not falling head over heals in love, not being betrayed, not quiting his job and not dying?

    I think that would be a good start

    I know you're speaking in hest, but you can't define with negatives. Sure, Bond can't find in love every movie, but that doesn't give us anything: you still need to define the kind of relationship (if any) he has with the Bond Girl(s). Betrayal is a pretty wide and at times concept, especially in the espionage world. There's elements of betrayal and double crossing in DN, FRWL, LALD, TLD, LTK, GE and that's at the top of my head. Not quitting is job, that's great, so now what to do with his job once we agree that he won't resign this time?

    I know - I'm pretty sure Bond gets betrayed in some form in most movies! TSWLM, TB, YOLT, DAD, DN, TWINE, OP, to name a few others.

    He did tend to fall in love quite a bit in a fair few of the Fleming novels. Honestly, I like a good, tangible relationship between Bond and the leading lady whatever way. Falling in love with two women during the Craig era seems fine for me story wise. Whatever works.

    Quitting his job... I guess he does so twice in NTTD/SP and briefly in CR? More than the average for Bond eras perhaps (except OHMSS and I guess NSNA, and both resignations were pretty pathetic by comparison).

    I'm sure Bond won't die in the next era. I agree at any rate that he shouldn't do so moving forward... otherwise that was a pretty poor original post ;)
  • SeveSeve The island of Lemoy
    edited October 20 Posts: 783
    Ludovico wrote: »
    I know you're speaking in jest, but you can't define with negatives. Sure, Bond can't find in love every movie, but that doesn't give us anything:

    Yes, but I think in the case of a character who has been around as long as James Bond, I can also argue that you can use them as a valid starting point

    After 25 movies Bond has probably been through just about every emotional permutation that anyone can imagine, so it can be a matter of deciding which combination of already existing elements in the toolbox to leave out and which to include in the next iteration

    There's nothing inherrently wrong with "True Love", "Betrayal" or "Disillusionment" as plot elements, other than that they have featured so prominently during the Craig-Bond era and been recycled often enough in recent times, that I think they are due for a rest.
    Ludovico wrote: »
    you still need to define the kind of relationship (if any) he has with the Bond Girl(s). Betrayal is a pretty wide and at times concept, especially in the espionage world. There's elements of betrayal and double crossing in DN, FRWL, LALD, TLD, LTK, GE and that's at the top of my head. Not quitting is job, that's great, so now what to do with his job once we agree that he won't resign this time?

    Sure, Bond should be attracted to women, but not commit to a lifelong relationship for a while. Bond can be mislead by villains and their minions, but not be betrayed by anyone close to him for a while. Bond should have faith in his country and the agency for a change and they can be shown to act in good faith toward him. In the real World not every politician and bureaucrat is self serving and corrupt and sometimes government and civil service can be on the same page, rather than conspiring against each other.

    However what is really needed is a story concept which puts the mission front and centre, rather than being merely a hat-rack upon which to hang Bond's personal dramas

    Something more compelling than cornering the market in water in Bolivia.
    In that regard I felt NTTD was very close, but they alowed the "Grand Scheme" element to be overshadowed and obscured by the "Personal Revenge" element.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 19,408
    Ludovico wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    Ludovico wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    That’d be cool! I can see it more as an inciting incident rather than necessarily part of the villain’s main caper (in a similar way the Faberge eggs are a way of getting OP’s plot going). But I like it.

    I must say, I quite like when a first crime lead to the discovery of a bigger crime, when a seemingly small but unpleasant incident leads to a sinister conspiracy. Or even better: when something already sinister and catastrophic happens but leads to something even more grievous.

    I know what you mean! Like, you just know that art burglary in a Bind film is going to escalade into a madman wanting to blow up a major city or something.

    Might be too close to OP, but how about someone stole the jewels of the crown, Bond is sent on a mission after the thieves, looking also for their potential customers/buyers. Turns out the thieves are not selling the jewels, they're giving them as payment to another criminal for a service (obviously something big, like using a nuke or similar).

    I don't know if Bond would get sent on a mission to stop thieves, but I could buy that he might happen across a theft plot as part of his investigations, which then lead to a bigger plan as mentioned above. I do like the idea of a heist being part of it though, it's something which hasn't really been seen much in Bond.
  • edited October 20 Posts: 6,144
    Seve wrote: »
    Ludovico wrote: »
    I know you're speaking in jest, but you can't define with negatives. Sure, Bond can't find in love every movie, but that doesn't give us anything:

    Yes, but I think in the case of a character who has been around as long as James Bond, I can also argue that you can use them as a valid starting point

    After 25 movies Bond has probably been through just about every emotional permutation that anyone can imagine, so it can be a matter of deciding which combination of already existing elements in the toolbox to leave out and which to include in the next iteration

    There's nothing inherrently wrong with "True Love", "Betrayal" or "Disillusionment" as plot elements, other than that they have featured so prominently during the Craig-Bond era and been recycled often enough in recent times, that I think they are due for a rest.
    Ludovico wrote: »
    you still need to define the kind of relationship (if any) he has with the Bond Girl(s). Betrayal is a pretty wide and at times concept, especially in the espionage world. There's elements of betrayal and double crossing in DN, FRWL, LALD, TLD, LTK, GE and that's at the top of my head. Not quitting is job, that's great, so now what to do with his job once we agree that he won't resign this time?

    Sure, Bond should be attracted to women, but not commit to a lifelong relationship for a while. Bond can be mislead by villains and their minions, but not be betrayed by anyone close to him for a while. Bond should have faith in his country and the agency for a change and they can be shown to act in good faith toward him. In the real World not every politician and bureaucrat is self serving and corrupt and sometimes government and civil service can be on the same page, rather than conspiring against each other.

    However what is really needed is a story concept which puts the mission front and centre, rather than being merely a hat-rack upon which to hang Bond's personal dramas

    Something more compelling than cornering the market in water in Bolivia.
    In that regard I felt NTTD was very close, but they alowed the "Grand Scheme" element to be overshadowed and obscured by the "Personal Revenge" element.

    Here's the asterix I'd put to all that practically/for anyone making one of these films: disregard any personal story preference or 'rule' rather than censor yourself or craft a bad Bond film.

    That's all it comes down to. Tell the best story you can or indeed think best. A lot of what you've said wouldn't necessarily give us a very good Bond film.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 19,408
    Certainly ruling out having betrayal in a story about a spy seems an odd choice.
  • SeveSeve The island of Lemoy
    edited October 20 Posts: 783
    007HallY wrote: »

    Here's the asterix I'd put to all that practically/for anyone making one of these films: disregard any personal story preference or 'rule' rather than censor yourself or craft a bad Bond film.

    That's all it comes down to. Tell the best story you can or indeed think best. A lot of what you've said wouldn't necessarily give us a very good Bond film.

    It wouldn't "necessarily" give us a bad Bond film either
    Potential plot elements in abstract are neither good or bad
    But I think overuse of same elements is less likely to succeed than changing things up
    mtm wrote: »
    Certainly ruling out having betrayal in a story about a spy seems an odd choice.

    Perhaps we need to clarify what is meant by "betrayal"?

    Betrayal is the violation of trust, confidence, or a presumptive contract, resulting in moral and psychological conflict.

    Betrayal means "an act of deliberate disloyalty,"

    It's not just about lying or misleading, it's about trust and loyalty
    007HallY wrote: »
    I know - I'm pretty sure Bond gets betrayed in some form in most movies! TSWLM, TB, YOLT, DAD, DN, TWINE, OP, to name a few others.

    How is Bond betrayed in Dr No?
    Miss Taro and Prof Dent are enemy agents and never trusted by Bond, so they can't betray him.

    Thunderball?
    Fiona Volpe uses her womanly wiles to catch Bond off guard, but I don't think there is any suggestion that he ever considered her a trusted associate, so she doesn't betray him.

    You Only Live Twice?
    The Spy Who Loved Me?
    Can you explain for me?
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    edited October 20 Posts: 19,408
    The aspect which has fascinated most spy fiction writers over the years is the one of trust and betrayal, surely? It’s kind of intrinsic to the genre as it’s key to the world spies occupy and is ripe for producing dramatic situations.

    As mentioned above, and as we’re using dictionary definitions, ruling things out is not ‘story ideas’.
  • Posts: 16,179
    mtm wrote: »
    Ludovico wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    Ludovico wrote: »
    007HallY wrote: »
    That’d be cool! I can see it more as an inciting incident rather than necessarily part of the villain’s main caper (in a similar way the Faberge eggs are a way of getting OP’s plot going). But I like it.

    I must say, I quite like when a first crime lead to the discovery of a bigger crime, when a seemingly small but unpleasant incident leads to a sinister conspiracy. Or even better: when something already sinister and catastrophic happens but leads to something even more grievous.

    I know what you mean! Like, you just know that art burglary in a Bind film is going to escalade into a madman wanting to blow up a major city or something.

    Might be too close to OP, but how about someone stole the jewels of the crown, Bond is sent on a mission after the thieves, looking also for their potential customers/buyers. Turns out the thieves are not selling the jewels, they're giving them as payment to another criminal for a service (obviously something big, like using a nuke or similar).

    I don't know if Bond would get sent on a mission to stop thieves, but I could buy that he might happen across a theft plot as part of his investigations, which then lead to a bigger plan as mentioned above. I do like the idea of a heist being part of it though, it's something which hasn't really been seen much in Bond.

    If the thieves were to sold something extremely valuable to Britain, not merely financially but culturally and historically, as per the Louvre burglary, I can definitely Bond sent on a mission to find the thieves. Heck, given the commotion of the Louvre burglary, you could add MI5,MI6, Scotland Yard AND some private investigation firms to the mix. It's pretty much what's happening in France right now.

    @Seve Miss Taro is 100% a traitor, given that she works for the British Government. You could add that Dent is a traitor to his country. When there's espionage, there's traitors somewhere, at various degrees. FRWL is all about double dealings, sometimes triple dealings.
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