Heeeelp Pleeease!

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Comments

  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    I don't know if it is acceptable to post an image here. If not then if one of the Mods decide to delete this post then no problem. Otherwise as already stated you've seen the Director & Chief of Staff. This what I had in my minds eye (in terms of looks only) as Harry Flynn when I was writing the book.


    George_Lazenby_2_1.jpg
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    And this is the visual inspiration for leading lady of the work:


    veronica_lake.jpg
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    Lastly for now I hope the brief passage I posted gives a little insight into how I write & what the reader can expect.
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    Lexi I did reply to your post, I didn't mention you by name (my mistake I suppose) when I said it was my intention to publish on kindle. I looked at your links & read the resulting sites but as stated from the off this is my hobby & I have no money to devote to it so cannot pay for help.

    I will ask permission from the Mods beforehnd but I would like to place a dedication in the book which will read something like "To all my friends on AJB. Thank you for your assistance. I appreciate it"
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    JCRendle I will post about the book cover in detail later as I am a little pressed for time now. In the meanwhile thanks for all your efforts, they are very much appreciated.
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    That would be a nice little Extra -{
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • DR NO-ahDR NO-ah AustraliaPosts: 104MI6 Agent
    I find the whole "meet (insert name here)" to be a bit cliche. I think it still works by having his name and eliminating the "meet." Just my two cents...
    "Mango, banana and tangerine. Sugar and ackee and cocoa bean!"
  • JCRendleJCRendle Posts: 60MI6 Agent
    @stag how's the novel coming along?
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    Hi JC. I've been otherwise engaged this past couple of weeks. I've just begun the first read through/rewrite. When I've done that I'll leave it again then go back for one final sweep before going live.
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    I'm about halfway through the first rewrite. I have made some extensive alterations to the text thus far. When this is done I will leave the thing for a couple of weeks before doing a last read. It will then be ready to hit the electronic shelves.

    In the meantime, while I had left the think to 'settle' so I could read it with a fresh eye, I have assembled the bones of the plot for Harry Flynns second outing.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Congratulations Stag, glad to hear everthing is moving forward nicely
    for you. -{
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    I'm into the last third of the rewrite. I just realised that Flynns own body count extends to at least eight enemy, two of whom he has accounted for with his bare hands!

    Jellyfish may be interested to know that Flynns last fistfight of this book is in some ways reminiscent of the Bond vs Van Der Byl fight in my 'BLOWBACK' story insofar as it is he against a very large & powerful man.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Out of interest Stag, I know from your posts that you do know much
    about the time period etc, but did you have to do much research in to
    Weapons, uniforms, command structures and general technology of
    those times ?
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    Out of interest Stag, I know from your posts that you do know much
    about the time period etc, but did you have to do much research in to
    Weapons, uniforms, command structures and general technology of
    those times ?

    Not really. Though everything is absolutely correct in a historical context re weapons etc I already knew enough about it to make it accurate so research was minimal but done where required though in the main this concentrated on SOE training & procedures.. As for the command structure of Harry Flynns own department because it is a fictitious arm of the intelligence community that was of my own making, though in keeping with general protocols of the time & his department actually fills a gap which was present in the real WW2 secret services. The techniques which Flynn uses are again correct & as taught to British SOE agents so, for example, when he has a hand to hand fight with someone he will mostly rely on that training to overcome his opponent(s) If shooting he will use techniques as actually taught to SOE. Although Flynn isn't a member of SOE he underwent their training (why is explained in the book). The enemies own structures are also correct as are details relating to vehicles, aircraft, clothing etc etc so you can be confident if you read it when it comes out then, in the context of the period, I am not making things up as I go along. (The main reason why Flynn won't be doing any freefalling!).
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    :))
    Oh Don't worry I'll be getting a copy {[] it will be interesting
    To read up on some of the older techniques, one of the reasons
    I love the Fleming books, is that trip back in time.
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    I've attempted to weave fact & fiction together as seamlessly as possible, though it is up to others to judge whether or not I've been successful! Harry Flynn has some other non governmental related skills which are put to good use - though as already said all will be revealed in the book.

    Coincidentally he has three fist fights in the book of which two he is able to fully utilize his unarmed combat training, none are written in an 'instruction manual' manner but in the same vein as the BLOWBACK story, indeed in that hotel room fight I had Bond using exactly the same methods.
  • David SchofieldDavid Schofield EnglandPosts: 1,528MI6 Agent
    stag wrote:
    I Thought I'd post an extract from the first draft. As mentioned the book will now be subject to a rewrite to polish & hone it:

    Flynn has been captured by an Abwehr special action group & has been undergoing interrogation. We join the action at a point where he is being taken for another round of questioning. Please forgive the fact that I have starred out a couple of things including the name of the lead baddie, it's just that I don't want to reveal some things at this point.



    Exactly thirty minutes after he had last spoken with ****, Flynn was dragged from his bed & roughly manhandled down a long poorly lit & windowless corridor. The two men, whom he hadn't seen before, were both as big as he & had him by each arm as they frogmarched him swiftly along. It was hurting even when Flynn breathed so being manhandled in this fashion was nothing short of pure agony. His feet, horribly bruised & swollen, could not support his weight & his only alternative was to leave them dragging across the stone floor. The men right turned him through an open doorway & into another room. This, like the others, was cold & damp & lit harshly by a couple of naked lightbulbs. Towards the back wall was a desk behind which was sitting ****. He was smoking a cheroot & watched without emotion as Flynn was dumped into the chair opposite. Efficiently & without speaking the men handcuffed Flynns arms to the cross members on the underside of the seat, then bound his shins to the legs with thick leather straps before withdrawing. **** regarded Flynn for what seemed like an age. “You will please forgive the shackles” He began. “but you have proved yourself a very dangerous man. Even in the condition in which you now find yourself I feel it is best not to allow you any further opportunity for violence.” Another long pause followed as **** drew deeply on the cheroot. He continued to fix his stare on Flynn & Flynn reciprocated. Eventually **** Stubbed out the cheroot into a small nickel plated ashtray which sat on the right hand corner of the desk. “Well I do hope as a result of our last conversation that we understand each other better. As you are now aware I do know almost everything about you. I know you are a British agent, I know you have been in conference with the ** **** **** &, critically, I know you are in part responsible for the death of one of our own men. As you see I have the big picture, all I need from you is to fill in the detail.” Flynns stomach was knotted tightly in fear of what was soon to come & he girded himself before spitting an obscenity at ****. There was no reaction from the German, it was if Flynn had screamed but no sound had left his mouth. “There is no doubt that you are a brave man” **** said softly. “but sadly it would seem you have been overtaken by stupidity. I thought that your identification by our informant would have loosened your tongue. You know I will make you talk so simply speak now & you will be spared much pain.” Flynn remained silent as he anticipated **** next move. To his rear Flynn could hear the shuffle of feet. Slowly & seemingly unconcerned **** drew another cheroot from the silver case on the desk top & lit it with the lighter Flynn now recognised as his own. The chair scraped loudly against the stone floor as **** stood up & walked around the desk to sit on its corner to Flynns left side. Flynn saw him look up & nod to the owner of the shuffling boots. Suddenly a pair of strong hands clamped his head tightly & pulled it back, offering it to ****. Flynn tried to struggle but was unable to. He was panting hard as he saw **** take a final pull on the cheroot before leaning forward. Flynn screamed a primeval scream & struggled desperately yet in vain as the red hot tip of the cheroot made contact with his left eyelid. **** held the cheroot in place for a couple of agonising seconds before lifting & pressing it down at another point of the lid. Sitting back **** calmly drew on the cheroot as he studied the results of his action. Flynn slumped in the chair but the hands held onto his head so it continued to face his tormentor. Flynns good eye, his right eye, opened just enough to see the expression of the man who had just visited this indescribable pain upon him. **** looked relaxed, his eyes hard, the beginnings of a thin smile playing about his lips. “Your eye is in bad shape.” **** said quietly. “It is very swollen. I think you may be in danger of losing your sight. Please, listen very carefully & answer my questions then I promise I will get you medical attention.” There followed another long pause to allow Flynn to digest his words before **** began. “Tell me about your mission. Why were you sent here? What were you doing with the terrorists?” Flynn groaned in reply. “Tell me.” The red hot poker tip of the cheroot was stabbed back onto his eyelid before Flynn knew it was coming. He screamed. **** held it longer than before, pressing harder & then jabbing it at other points. “You are a fool!” He snapped as he returned to his position on the desk. **** barked something in German to an unseen accomplice but by now Flynn was hovering too far over the precipice of unconsciousness to understand. It may have been seconds or it may have been minutes later, Flynn couldn't tell, but a mirror was handed to ****. “Take a look at yourself.” He said with mock concern. “See how badly you have been injured.” Flynns good eye slowly focused on the mirror as it was held to his face. One thing was for sure **** wasn't exaggerating, for all intent & purpose Flynn looked like he had completed sixteen rounds against the world heavyweight boxing champion. There was a deep open gash on his left temple, perhaps as a result of being caught by a ring during his fight with the guards. Although that wound had stemmed itself the flow of blood from it, now baked dry, went down the side of his face & onto his neck. His left eye looked as bad as it felt. Heavily swollen, it & the surrounding tissue were every colour of bruise imaginable. On the lid he could clearly see the fresh vivid red welts where the cheroot had been applied. His nose had been bleeding at some point though the flow had also been stemmed. It was then he realised he couldn't breath through it. His right cheek was swollen & painful as was his bottom lip. He indeed looked in a very sorry state of repair but he concluded that much of the damage was little more than cosmetic. Even his eye, whilst appearing severely damaged, was not in danger of irreversible harm. The question was, how much more punishment did he feel it necessary to take before he broke into his deep cover story?

    “Tell me what I want to know.” **** said flatly. Flynn cursed. Suddenly there was the crack of shattered glass as the mirror was brought down hard across the top of his head. At the same instant he found the chair being toppled backwards, sending it & him crashing to the floor. From nowhere a gaggle of men appeared about him, all armed with short lengths of rubber hose. As one they began to rain blows down about his legs, striking hard at his shins & thighs. Flynn screamed in agony, turning his head just far enough to see **** standing aside & apparently savouring the beating. When he had seen enough **** shouted an order, The barrage of blows stopped & the men broke, unshackling Flynn from his bonds. In one move he was pulled up & across the desk. A man on each arm, pinning him face down onto the desk top while others bound his ankles with rope. This was a well practised routine & in no time they had Flynn at **** mercy. “Why were you sent here & what were you doing with the ** **** ****?!” **** barked, his voice hoarse & high pitched. Flynn knew, that whatever punishment he was to face, he could not give up yet. THWACK! The rubber hose struck him hard across the buttocks. Flynn cried out in agony. Again, again & thrice more the hose landed. “TELL ME!” **** screamed, he had stepped aside far enough to come into Flynns eyeline & he could now see that it was **** himself who was administering the beating. The hose struck once more, after which Flynn lost count, he was being struck as hard as **** was able & he was working his way systematically up & down the back of Flynns legs............


    Will you be using the modern convention of paragrahs at all?
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    Will you be using the modern convention of paragrahs at all?

    That is a very good point which I thank you for making. As stated the extract I posted was the first draft, written quickly without regard for formatting. Thirty five years of report writing where paragraphs are not used tends to become something of a habit & carries over into projects such as this. Yes, the finished article will be presented correctly but I have encountered a problem. I use open office & have found when I hit the enter button to begin a new line it skips one thus appears as follows.

    They came

    They saw

    They conquered.

    I'm sure you will agree that this doesn't look good good. I'm looking for a fix for this within the system but, as I am saving formatting for the third & final re read then I have time to sort it out.
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    Unfortunately personal events conspired to keep me away from this project for a little while however I'm back to complete the formatting & final re read/write.

    I did have a pen & notepad to hand while I was away & used my time profitably to begin work on Harry Flynns second outing.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I remember reading that J. K. Rowling, wrote all the Harry Potter
    Books in long hand. So still a place for a pen and notebook. ;)
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    JCRendle, is it okay for me to use your enhanced design for front & back covers?

    If so could you please post the back cover complete with German eagle insignia but devoid words etc as I will add the blurb to it myself.

    I have worked out a short passage on the dedication page to thank everyone at AJB who has supported me in this project.
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    Well I'm into the final half of the final rewrite! I must say the book has really come together on this pass & up to now I'm as happy as I can be with it. I'm confident enough to say that anyone who enjoys reading the Bond books should enjoy reading this. My character isn't Bond though, far from it. When I am ready to publish the thing I'll post the first chapter at AJB (getting Mod consent first of course) so anyone interested can get a flavour for the book.

    It has proved a task & a half. The fact that I can devote so little time to the project means it has taken far longer than I first anticipated. Still I hope it will be worth it in the end - my main objective being that those who read it enjoy it.

    Just as an aside. Here's how I picture Harry Flynn:


    harry_flynn_4_Copy.jpg

    It is only through AJB that I have returned to writing so I once again take the opportunity to thank everyone for their help & support.
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    Well AUA was all done & dusted but I have since decided to drastically alter the climax of a quite long action sequence at almost the end of the book. This means that I have delayed myself in publishing the book until this & tweaking of the following pages to allow for the change is complete (I'm still in no rush anyway). I think it will be worth it in the end.
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    I've finally got chance to sit down for an hour!

    Here's another extract from AUA. Yes I know its out of context with the others but I hope it gives a further indication of my style of writing.


    ............Flynn had already seen the place name on the small blue ceramic sign affixed to one of the buildings & instantly recognised it as his destination. Glancing casually about as if watching for the traffic, Flynn crossed to the gaggle of stalls. Losing himself among the shoppers & while feigning a perusal of the goods on offer Flynn was now in a position to give the area a more thorough appreciation. He could see that the place where he was scheduled to meet his contact was a somewhat dilapidated building which appeared to have been converted into an apartment block. Taking in the approaches to the square, Flynn's eyes soon fell upon a lone figure leaning with his back against the wall on one of the corners. Flynn's antennae immediately began to twitch. This man, innocently reading his newspaper while blending in well with his surroundings, could have been anyone yet Flynn's nose for trouble told him a different story. From his position Flynn could see that the man had a commanding view of the square, the roads leading into it & most importantly the entrance to the apartment block itself.
    Although he couldn't be sure, principally because of the distance & the fact that the man was wearing his fedora tilted forwards slightly to shade his eyes, he thought that he looked of pale & decidedly un-Spanish complexion.
    Flynn took his time now, casually yet carefully scanning the remainder of the square where he thought other people may be positioned until he satisfied himself that the man, whoever he was, was alone. Flynn chewed over his options. He could now abort, withdraw & contact MI9 HQ to report his suspicions or go ahead in the hope that he was mistaken or that no action other than watching would be taken.
    If he approached the apartment block he would be registered by the observer who in turn would make a detailed mental note of his description, this in itself could cause issues further down the line. He, Flynn, wasn't wearing a hat, a mistake given the circumstances & this meant he had nothing to help disguise his face.
    All in all it would appear that the first option would be the most sensible of the two. Flynn made another detailed visual sweep of the square. Pressing a few notes into the palm of an appreciative flower seller he was given a large bunch of vivid red blooms in return. He broke cover & casually made for the main entrance to the apartment block, knowing full well he was now under observation, Flynn pressed the buzzer for flat nine. Presently the door opened just enough for him to see a short, portly, rather scruffy looking middle aged man whose deeply lined unshaven face regarded him suspiciously.
    "Si?" He said.
    "I am told I can get a bed for the night however I don't want to stay.” Flynn replied in English, making sure he was smiling widely for the benefit of the watcher on the corner as he spoke. The man grinned nervously, showing a row of crooked yellow teeth as he digested the code words before stepping aside & opening the door wide enough for Flynn to enter. Without further invitation Flynn was over the threshold. He was gambling that the flowers & his jaunty manner would serve to convince the observer that here was someone visiting a girlfriend for an afternoon of illicit passion in one of the apartments & as such had no connection with his target.
    Inside the hall & the stairway were dark, the flaking mustard coloured walls inadequately lit by a few feeble electric bulbs. The lingering aroma of fried onions pervaded. He could hear a poorly tuned wireless set playing music from somewhere inside & a raised voice from behind one of the doors, a womans voice, most probably chastising her husband for some infraction. Following the mans pointed finger as he closed & bolted the door Flynn took to the stone stairs & made his way quickly to the top floor. As he reached the final flight he saw a man blocking his way onto the landing. He was tall & slender, with a hint of muscularity & quite handsome in a robust sort of way. His jet black hair had been subjected to quite a severe dousing of brilliantine yet somehow this seemed to enhance his appearance. He was wearing black loose fitting trousers pulled in at the waist by a wide brown leather belt, the white shirt was worn with sleeves rolled, over which he sported a tan brown leather waistcoat. About his neck he had a red neckerchief worn with the knot wedged tightly under his Adams apple. He looked every inch the pirate Flynn had been told to expect & all he needed to complete the look, Flynn silently opined, was a dagger between his teeth. Flynn noticed that, although his arm was down by his side, he was holding a compact semi automatic pistol loosely at the ready................


    BTW I hope to offer it free the first week after it (finally!) gets published as a thank you to all here who have helped & encouraged.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    A very generous offer Stag -{ , it must be nice to, finally have your work finished and you can
    now relax ? :)) and like in all those old film. Sit back and wait for the reviews to come in.
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    A very generous offer Stag -{ , it must be nice to, finally have your work finished and you can
    now relax ? :)) and like in all those old film. Sit back and wait for the reviews to come in.

    It's just as a thank you to all who offered help & encouragement. I think I'll only be selling the book for 99p anyway as money is most definitely not my motivator. Without selling tens of thousands of copies I could never recover what I have invested in terms of my time. The main driving factor is to have produced an action adventure which people will enjoy reading. I have the basic plotline for Flynn's next outing & hope to begin on that after AUA comes out.
  • stagstag Posts: 2,083MI6 Agent
    One thing about UAU is there is plenty of action throughout. AUA establishes him Harry Flynn a character (readers will be surprised at his background & his uneasy relationship with the establishment) along with those in the department he works for & their 'ungentlemanly' remit within the British war effort.

    Anyway I'm planning to release it early in the New Year. I'll announce it here at AJB - I already have permission for a dedicated thread from the Mods - so those who are interested can bag their free copy.
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,644MI6 Agent
    Thanks for keeping us posted, stag. I'll certainly be getting a copy! :) -{
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
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