Suspense writer Raymond Benson is most notably famous for writing 007 James Bond novels, but he is also known as the author of a five-book serial, The Black Stiletto and most recently a mystery novel inspired by an empty house next door to his The Mad, Mad Murders of Marigold Way. He started his talk with Barrington Writers Workshop members at Barrington’s White House saying, “There are no rules.” With that he shared what works for him as a writer.

Planning

He’s a plotter, a planner, an outliner. He wants to know how his stories end before he begins. He builds his outline with a concept, an idea in mind, based on what interests him, what’s going on in the world, or ideas that just pop into his head.

“I write an outline in block paragraphs describing what happens in each chapter. I can move the blocks around if I need to.” This usually takes him two months to write. He also recommends writing a blurb paragraph on what the book is about to stay focused and act as reference.

Setting

Some of his research focuses on the location where the story will take place. This could be the house next door or hotspots in the world that might be of interest to his audience. Once he settles on a location, he learns about it, contacts possible sources and often visits the place. “If unable to visit, Google maps can put you in a place virtually.”

Plot

To develop a plot, he thinks about who would be upset about the situation he’s created in the story. Who has stakes in the game?

Daily Goals

When he’s ready to write, he relies on his outline and sets daily goals. “I complete a chapter from beginning to end each day.” He puts it aside then reads it later that night and edits it. “Fix it. Don’t rewrite,” he says. This daily effort goes on until a first draft is finished. This is the pace he has established. “Keep your story moving at your own pace,” he says.

Action scenes

Being a suspense writer, action scenes are important to Benson. “Action is tough. Write one sentence at a time. Bit by bit, in moments, add emotions. At a key point, move fast, then slow the motion. Add sensory details. What does the character see, feel, hear?”

Revisions

After letting some time pass, Benson suggests taking a fresh look at your work. “You know where you’re going. Plug in foreshadowing, a gripper first sentence or striking first paragraph. Imagine actors playing out the scenes.”

Beta readers

Finding good beta readers can be a challenge for writers. Benson first relies on his wife. “I trust her and know she will point out areas that need work.” He chooses other beta readers based on their tastes, intelligence, expertise on a subject, what they read, and if they have a good eye.

When his work is completed, it is then scrutinized by his agent and a publisher editor.

A note about The Bond Phenomena

For those who weren’t able to attend the public talk at Barrington’s White House, Benson did reveal how he was selected to be the first American to write original James Bond novels. In 1984 Raymond Benson wrote The James Bond Bedside Companion. He dedicated the book to Ian Fleming. In it he describes and shares his knowledge of all things Bond. Since he was very familiar with the world of Bond, he became one of the successive writers to continue the legacy. Between 1997 and 2002 Benson wrote six Bond books.

BWW members were thrilled with Raymond Benson’s talk and very much appreciated all that he shared with us. You can order his books and read reviews at his website: https://raymondbenson.com/