Secrets Unveiled: A Spy's Intriguing Beginnings
Secret Agent
Write the opening to a spy novel, introducing the
main character.
W
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What sort of spy will you create? Use the prompts below
to help you build up a sense of your character.
•
Codename?
•
Strengths?
•
Vulnerabilities?
•
Favourite gadget?
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What or who do they fear?
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Who are they working for?
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Who are they spying on?
•
What is their mission?
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On the next slide are the opening lines to ten spy novels
– from classics such as James Bond to recent novels for
young adults. (You can find out the authors and titles on
slide 8.)
•
Read the different openings and choose the one that
most makes you want to read on.
•
Share your choices in chat, with your reasons.
•
Stretch your spy-writing muscles by writing the next
couple of sentences for the opening you chose. Try to
imitate the style as closely as possible.
•
Scroll through chat to see how other people have
continued the openings. Choose one or two you think
work particularly well and explain why.
1.
The Secret Service holds much that is kept
secret even from very senior officers in the
organisation. Only M and his Chief of Staff
know absolutely everything there is to know.
2.
I returned from the City about three o’clock
on that May afternoon pretty well disgusted
with life.
3.
The truth is, if old Major Dover hadn’t
dropped dead at Taunton races Jim would
never have come to Thursgood’s at all.
4.
‘How long have we been sitting here?’ I said.
I picked up the field glasses and studied the
bored young American soldier in his glass-
sided box.
‘Nearly a quarter of a century,’
5.
When the doorbell rings at three in the
morning, it's never good news.
6.
How does one describe Artemis Fowl?
Various psychiatrists have tried and failed.
7.
I wanted to be heroic and I pretended I was.
8.
It’s hard to smile when you’re having dinner
with Nazis.
9.
I scanned the room I was about to break into
from the inside of the ventilation shaft.
10.
It is cold at six-forty in the morning of a
March day in Paris, and seems even colder
when a man is about to be executed by firing
squad.
B
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s
p
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o
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f
e
•
Drawing on your spy profile and using what you have
learned from the spy novels on the previous page,
write the first paragraph of your own novel.
Don’t worry about getting it exactly right – this is only a
first draft.
•
Read over your draft and identify at least one thing
you really like about it.
•
Share both your draft opening and your comment on
it in chat.
E
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n
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B
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t
r
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-
d
r
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f
t
e
d
!
The extracts below show the way in which Ian Fleming
redrafted the opening sentence of the first James Bond novel,
Casino Royale
.
•
Read the three versions and in chat comment on the changes
Fleming made.
•
Use your experience of looking at these drafts to think about
how you might alter your own work.
Draft 1:
Scent and smoke and sweat hit the taste buds with an acid
thwack at three o’clock in the morning.
Draft 2:
Scent and smoke can suddenly combine together and hit the
taste buds with an acid shock at three o’clock in the morning.
Final:
The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three
in the morning. Then the soul-erosion produced by high gambling – a
compost of greed and fear and nervous tension – becomes unbearable and
the senses awake and revolt from it.
You can read the novelist
Antony Horowtiz’s thoughts
on the different versions
here:
https://www.waterstones.co
m/blog/the-birth-of-a-
legend-anthony-horowitz-
on-ian-flemings-casino-
royale
I
t
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s
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i
m
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o
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R
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E
O
N
!
Write the opening to a spy novel,
introducing the main character.
1.
The Secret Service holds much that is kept secret even
from very senior officers in the organisation. Only M and
his Chief of Staff know absolutely everything there is to
know. (Ian Fleming:
The Man with the Golden Gun
, 1965)
2.
I returned from the City about three o’clock on that May
afternoon pretty well disgusted with life. (John Buchan:
The Thirty-Nine Steps
, 1915)
3.
The truth is, if old Major Dover hadn’t dropped dead at
Taunton races Jim would never have come to Thursgood’s
at all. (John le Carré:
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
, 1974)
4.
‘How long have we been sitting here?’ I said. I picked up
the field glasses and studied the bored young American
soldier in his glass-sided box.
‘Nearly a quarter of a century,’ (Len Deighton:
Berlin
Game
, 1983)
5.
When the doorbell rings at three in the morning, it's never
good news. (Anthony Horowitz:
Stormbreaker
, 2000)
6.
How does one describe Artemis Fowl? Various
psychiatrists have tried and failed. (Eoin Colfer:
Artemis
Fowl
, 2001)
7.
I wanted to be heroic and I pretended I was. (Elizabeth
Wein:
Code Name Verity
, 2012)
8.
It’s hard to smile when you’re having dinner with Nazis.
(Alan Gratz:
Projekt 1065
, 2018)
9.
I scanned the room I was about to break into from the
inside of the ventilation shaft. (Meghan Rogers:,
Crossing
the Line
2016)
10.
It is cold at six-forty in the morning of a March day in
Paris, and seems even colder when a man is about to be
executed by firing squad. (Frederick Forsyth:
The Day of
the Jackal
, 1967)
44 creative tasks to develop students’ writing muscles
Write On
is designed to give older secondary students the
space and freedom to hone their writing skills through
guided experimentation. By completing a number of
beautifully illustrated activities, students:
•
develop the ability to write for multiple audiences and
purposes;
•
learn how to think and plan for a wide range of writing
tasks;
•
build confidence to tackle unseen GCSE writing tasks
with originality and flair.
Available at
https://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/publications/write-
on-print
In a world where secrets abound, the mysterious main character of a spy novel is introduced. With the backdrop of espionage and hidden agendas, the character's strengths, vulnerabilities, and favorite gadgets shape their journey. As the story unfolds, the reader delves into a thrilling narrative of espionage, missions, and personal fears, creating an immersive spy experience.
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Presentation Transcript
Write On online Secret Agent Write the opening to a spy novel, introducing the main character.
Whos your spy? Creating a spy profile Who s your spy? Creating a spy profile What sort of spy will you create? Use the prompts below to help you build up a sense of your character. Codename? Strengths? Vulnerabilities? Favourite gadget? What or who do they fear? Who are they working for? Who are they spying on? What is their mission?
Grabbing the readers attention Grabbing the reader s attention On the next slide are the opening lines to ten spy novels from classics such as James Bond to recent novels for young adults. (You can find out the authors and titles on slide 8.) Read the different openings and choose the one that most makes you want to read on. Share your choices in chat, with your reasons. Stretch your spy-writing muscles by writing the next couple of sentences for the opening you chose. Try to imitate the style as closely as possible. Scroll through chat to see how other people have continued the openings. Choose one or two you think work particularly well and explain why.
1. The Secret Service holds much that is kept secret even from very senior officers in the organisation. Only M and his Chief of Staff know absolutely everything there is to know. 5. When the doorbell rings at three in the morning, it's never good news. 6. How does one describe Artemis Fowl? Various psychiatrists have tried and failed. 2. I returned from the City about three o clock on that May afternoon pretty well disgusted with life. 7. I wanted to be heroic and I pretended I was. 8. It s hard to smile when you re having dinner with Nazis. 3. The truth is, if old Major Dover hadn t dropped dead at Taunton races Jim would never have come to Thursgood s at all. 9. I scanned the room I was about to break into from the inside of the ventilation shaft. 4. How long have we been sitting here? I said. I picked up the field glasses and studied the bored young American soldier in his glass- sided box. Nearly a quarter of a century, 10. It is cold at six-forty in the morning of a March day in Paris, and seems even colder when a man is about to be executed by firing squad.
Bringing your spy to life Bringing your spy to life Drawing on your spy profile and using what you have learned from the spy novels on the previous page, write the first paragraph of your own novel. Don t worry about getting it exactly right this is only a first draft. Read over your draft and identify at least one thing you really like about it. Share both your draft opening and your comment on it in chat.
Even James Bond got re Even James Bond got re- -drafted! drafted! The extracts below show the way in which Ian Fleming redrafted the opening sentence of the first James Bond novel, Casino Royale. Read the three versions and in chat comment on the changes Fleming made. Use your experience of looking at these drafts to think about how you might alter your own work. You can read the novelist Antony Horowtiz s thoughts on the different versions here: https://www.waterstones.co m/blog/the-birth-of-a- legend-anthony-horowitz- on-ian-flemings-casino- royale Draft 1: Scent and smoke and sweat hit the taste buds with an acid thwack at three o clock in the morning. Draft 2: Scent and smoke can suddenly combine together and hit the taste buds with an acid shock at three o clock in the morning. Final: The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning. Then the soul-erosion produced by high gambling a compost of greed and fear and nervous tension becomes unbearable and the senses awake and revolt from it.
Its time to It s time to WRITE ON WRITE ON! ! Write the opening to a spy novel, introducing the main character.
1. The Secret Service holds much that is kept secret even from very senior officers in the organisation. Only M and his Chief of Staff know absolutely everything there is to know. (Ian Fleming: The Man with the Golden Gun, 1965) 6. How does one describe Artemis Fowl? Various psychiatrists have tried and failed. (Eoin Colfer: Artemis Fowl, 2001) 7. I wanted to be heroic and I pretended I was. (Elizabeth Wein: Code Name Verity, 2012) 2. I returned from the City about three o clock on that May afternoon pretty well disgusted with life. (John Buchan: The Thirty-Nine Steps, 1915) 8. It s hard to smile when you re having dinner with Nazis. (Alan Gratz: Projekt 1065, 2018) 3. The truth is, if old Major Dover hadn t dropped dead at Taunton races Jim would never have come to Thursgood s at all. (John le Carr : Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, 1974) 9. I scanned the room I was about to break into from the inside of the ventilation shaft. (Meghan Rogers:, Crossing the Line 2016) 4. How long have we been sitting here? I said. I picked up the field glasses and studied the bored young American soldier in his glass-sided box. Nearly a quarter of a century, (Len Deighton: Berlin Game, 1983) 10. It is cold at six-forty in the morning of a March day in Paris, and seems even colder when a man is about to be executed by firing squad. (Frederick Forsyth: The Day of the Jackal, 1967) 5. When the doorbell rings at three in the morning, it's never good news. (Anthony Horowitz: Stormbreaker, 2000)
44 creative tasks to develop students writing muscles Write On is designed to give older secondary students the space and freedom to hone their writing skills through guided experimentation. By completing a number of beautifully illustrated activities, students: develop the ability to write for multiple audiences and purposes; learn how to think and plan for a wide range of writing tasks; build confidence to tackle unseen GCSE writing tasks with originality and flair. Available at https://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/publications/write- on-print
