The James Bond web site Mi6 offers part two of the conversation between the latest James Bond continuation author, William Boyd, and the Times literary editor, Erica Wagner.
EW - How was your process of writing different, having to
create characters from scratch?
WB - It is slightly different, but that was the advantage of
re-reading the books, because there is a phenomenal amount of information there,
which most people have forgotten about. Fleming tells you a huge amount about
Bond: From his inner thoughts; his softest emotions to his most savage; his
background, where he lives. Bond's flat is in Chelsea, in Wellington Square,
which is about two hundred yards from where I live, which was another bonus.
Fleming's mother lived in Chelsea. So, getting all that information allowed me
to make Bond seem real in my mind. But then, of course, I had to invent a
villain and various antagonists. I had to come up with two very interesting
women for him to meet and have a relationship with. So, there was a lot of
invention to be done, not just plotting - my plots are always very elaborate and
complicated, so I had to construct a very elaborate and complicated plot - but I
had to populate that world with creatures of my imagination, not just the ones
that Fleming had.
There is "M" and there is a brief Moneypenny moment, but otherwise, they're all mine. So, it is ninety-five percent imagination, I would say, and then all this information that Fleming provides for you.
You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:
And you can read part one via the below link:
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