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READER FRIDAY: Should the Internet stay free? What would you pay for?
![By EFF (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://killzoneblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Do_Not_Track.png)
By EFF (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
FOR READERS: How much do you value your privacy? Would you be willing to pay for social media and email in exchange for your privacy?
FOR AUTHORS: For authors conducting promo business on Facebook or Twitter, what service would you like to see or have improved? Would you be willing to pay for that service?
Reader Friday: The Best “Bond Girl”?
Last week, we polled TKZers about which actor best portrayed Ian Fleming’s James Bond character. In the interest of equal gender-time, today let’s say who we think played the best Bond Girl. (Although I choke on the word “girl.” But it is what it is, as they say.) This was a tough assignment–turns out there have been about a bazillion Bond Girls–the Good, the Bad, and the Very Good When They’re Very Bad. I’ve only skimmed the surface of some of the better known Bond Girls in this post. Add your nominations for any I missed in the Comments.
Have at it!
Dr. No
Dr. No had almost too many Bond gals to keep track of. Here are some of the top Bondesses.
I mean, come on. Can anything beat Ursula Andress emerging from the waves as Honey Ryder in Dr. No? (Well, maybe Bo Derek topped that Venus rising moment in Ten, but as a non-Bondess, Bo doesn’t count.) Eunice Gayson (as Sylva Trench) also appeared in Dr. No and several other Bond films. She is famous for introducing herself to Bond as “Trench. Sylvia Trench.” Bond picked up that intro line and made it his mocking trademark way of introducing himself. Zena Marshall also appeared in that film as Miss Taro, Evil Spy Extraordinaire.
From Russia With Love
Daniela Bianchi, hot Russian chick turned reluctant spy “Tatiana Romanova”, who winds up falling for Bond. What could be more fun?
Goldfinger
Pussy Galore, Goldfinger, you get the idea. Played by Honor Blackman. “Jill Masterson”, played by Shirley Eaton, also played a doomed Bondess in the film. She died Midas-like, covered in gold paint.
Thunderball
Claudine Auger played Domino Derval, mistress of an evil SPECTRE agent.
You Only Live Twice
Mie Hama played Kissy Suzuki, who had a mock wedding with Bond during the film.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
James Bond fell in love with Teresa di Vicenso, played by Diana Rigg in this film. Can you blame him?
Diamonds Are Forever
Jill St. John played Tiffany Case, a diamond smuggler. And Trina Parks played judo Bondess Thumper. Wowzer.
Seriously, there are so many Bond Girls, I can’t profile all of them in one shot. Here are some other notable Bond Girls:
Britt Ekland as Mary Goodnight in The Man With The Golden Gun.
Barbara Bach as Anya Amasova in The Spy Who Loved Me.
Lois Chiles as Holly Goodhead (!) in Moonraker.
Maud Adams as Octopussy in Octopussy.
Grace Jones as May Day in A View To A Kill.
Izabella Scorupco as Natalya Simonova in Goldeneye.
Teri Hatcher as Paris Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies.
Halle Berry as Jinx in Die Another Day.
Last but not least, we have a character who didn’t get a name; she was simply called “Bond’s lover” in Skyfall, played by Tonia Sotiropoulou. I guess people were too busy freaking out about James Bond as a blond to give her character an actual name. Bond Girls nowadays need to “lean in” and get some better stature in Hollywood, I’m thinking.
Phew! There are many, many more Bond Girls in films that aren’t mentioned here. Are any of these your favorite, or is it one that I missed? Now let’s all go over to Netflix and binge out watching Bond flicks. Happy Friday!
Reader Friday: What’s Your Title?
Reader Friday: Enthusiastic Foolishness
Reader Friday: How Important Are Book Discussion Questions?
Reader Friday: How Well Do You Know Your Protagonist?
Reader Friday: Your Favorite Inspirational Quote About Writing?
The TKZ Monthly Critique Group: The Shattered Kingdom
Note: Let’s approach today’s critique as a virtual critique group. We’ll go around our virtual “table” here at TKZ, giving constructive comments on today’s submission, THE SHATTERED KINGDOM. It’s described as “YA High Fantasy.” I’ll put comments at the end to get the ball rolling, and y’all take it from there!
The Shattered Kingdom
Lyria crouched in the deepest shadows, waiting for her target to make his move. The pommel of her knife stuck uncomfortably into her side through her jerkin; she shifted and impatiently hoped he would make it soon.
Commotion at the front of the manor caught her eye and she shifted her fingers against the worn leather wrapped around the belly of her bow. The rattle of an opening portcullis broke the silence and a flash of light from a torch lit the side of a small cart emerging through the gatehouse.
This was it, he was running. Lyria stood, grabbing her full quiver from the ground. She hooked the quiver to her belt and nocked an arrow to the bowstring. Shaking back a lock of loose hair, she waited for the small cart to roll into range. The hilly terrain gave her an excellent vantage point and in the moon’s light she saw two men, one whipping the single horse into a swift trot and another hunkered inside the cart. “Got you,” Lyria muttered, drawing the bowstring back.
The driver urged the horse to a canter, swiftly bringing the cart and its occupants into range. The driver was either well acquainted with every rut and turn of the road or an imbecile to drive in the dark at such speeds. Lyria suspected it was the second as the horse threw its head and the cart lurched and bounced.
They hurtled closer, the cart’s wheels clattering in the silence. Lyria sighted along the arrow at the man hunched behind the driver, tensed to release and put an end to this man who thought he could cheat a demon.
Something wasn’t right, instinct stayed her fingers. She eased her bow down and studied the man in the cart.
“Curse it,” she spun on the spot, silently dashing into the thick crop of trees where her horse waited. The horse spooked slightly as she jumped into the saddle.
Clutching her bow, she grabbed the reins with one hand and turned the horse’s head, urging her to a fast trot through the trees. They burst onto the road in front of the speeding cart. The driver shouted in terror at the black clad figure and yanked hard on the reins. His horse squealed and reared, its panicked eyes showing white. The cart skidded to a stop mere feet away from Lyria.
***
My thoughts: Even though YA and fantasy aren’t genres I typically read, I enjoyed this setup. The writer uses lots of “muscular” verbs, which are appropriate for an action scene (“hurtled,” “tensed,” “burst,”). That is good! My main suggestion to the writer would be to use shorter sentences. Action scenes are driven by short sentences and strong verbs. Using short sentences will add lots of punch to the verbs that are used here so well. For example: instead of
“Got you,” Lyria muttered, drawing the bowstring back.
Break it up as follows:
“Got you,” Lyria said. She drew the bowstring back.
Instead of:
Something wasn’t right, instinct stayed her fingers.
Break it up as follows:
Instinct stayed her fingers. Something wasn’t right. (I changed the order of the phrases because I think her thought should follow the physical instinct.)
Try to rewrite the scene so that there is no more than one action per sentence. When the sentences are broken up, I think this will be a strong opening scene. I did have a bit of confusion over the object of Lyria’s focus. At first, I assumed her “target” was an individual. I got confused when it shifted to “cart,” and then went back to “he.” That potential confusion could be avoided by including the moment when Lyria (and by extension, the reader) realizes that the hunkered down figure is, in fact, her target.
But these are all easy fixes! Overall, a promising start. Thank you for the submission!
Now I let’s go around our TKZ table. Please add a Comment with your notes for our brave writer.