1. Steve843

    Steve843 New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 14, 2022
    Messages:
    15
    Likes Received:
    16
    Location:
    South West england

    Introducing Stephen Bishop.

    Discussion in 'New Member Introductions' started by Steve843, Jan 23, 2023.

    I thaught starting my introduction with a snappy whizz bang title would be the way to go. Well you can see how well that worked out for me. Sometimes simple messages are the easiest to hear, so this is me.
    The urge to write took hold of me about six years ago, my first foray was self published and more about proving I could write a good story, some say I did, those who said I couldnt, they have maintained a blissfull silence.
    So having made as many mistakes as humanly possible first time out the adventure begins again. However, I have learned where to put commas, and full stops, (Periods) for those on the wrong side of the pond.
    I know what a paragraph is and how it is formed, meaning my next endevour will be better recieved. I will also employ a good editor.
    My favourite reading is military fiction, detective/crime thrillers, and wine bottle lables. However most contempory military thrillers seem to be cut from the same stone. Ex navy seal ex SAS former Delta opperator or disgruntled former CIA or MI5. with an axe to grind against the world. With too many paragraphs of weapon descriptions copied and pasted from guns and ammo or tits and trigger monthly.
    There has to be something better, in my own humble opinion (insert your sarcasm here).
    Thinking long and hard with my best friend vin rouge, I now have a believable central character, with a military background. I also have three partly developed plot lines and having recently retired my time is my own to enjoy the writing experience.

    I am also looking forward to sharing my time exploring the Avenues and Alleyways of this forum.
    Regards
    Stephen.
     
  2. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

    Joined:
    Dec 24, 2019
    Messages:
    12,460
    Likes Received:
    13,504
    Location:
    Way, way out there
    I don't suppose you're this Stephen Bishop? He made some really nice mellow music in the 70's. Pretty sure he's American though. And that you're not him. That's ok though, we'll accept you for who you actually are (though it would've been really cool if you were him). Welcome to our little hideaway.
     
    B.E. Nugent likes this.
  3. Steve843

    Steve843 New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 14, 2022
    Messages:
    15
    Likes Received:
    16
    Location:
    South West england
    Hi thanks for your hello
    No I am not that Stephen Bishop. I'm the other one. As for my musical talent I couldnt carry a tune even if it was put in a bag. I was famous for being the heavyweight boxing champion on the island of lilliput I also famously wrestled the kraken into submission during a fight lasting several days stopping only for rum and mermaids every hour
    I also tell lies
     
    Xoic likes this.
  4. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

    Joined:
    Dec 24, 2019
    Messages:
    12,460
    Likes Received:
    13,504
    Location:
    Way, way out there
    Well, I guess you pass the writer's exam then! :supergrin:
     
    Jlivy3 likes this.
  5. Steve843

    Steve843 New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 14, 2022
    Messages:
    15
    Likes Received:
    16
    Location:
    South West england
    Do I now get a certificate ?
     
  6. Xoic

    Xoic Prognosticator of Arcana Ridiculosum Contributor Blogerator

    Joined:
    Dec 24, 2019
    Messages:
    12,460
    Likes Received:
    13,504
    Location:
    Way, way out there
    You get to lie about having one—that's even better. Some of us though are definitely certifiable.
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2023
    Madman likes this.
  7. Steve843

    Steve843 New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 14, 2022
    Messages:
    15
    Likes Received:
    16
    Location:
    South West england
    :supercool:
     
  8. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

    Joined:
    Feb 12, 2015
    Messages:
    18,851
    Likes Received:
    35,471
    Location:
    Face down in the dirt
    Currently Reading::
    Telemachus Sneezed
    I agree with your assessment of military fiction, and a lot of it seems to be consumed by a certain class of middle-aged men who almost joined one service or another but never quite got around to it. I'd love to see what you come up with that deviates from the "tits 'n triggers" mode. After all, if it's not to my taste there are still 631 Mack Bolan novels I haven't gotten around to reading yet :)

    So welcome aboard from the other side of the other pond!
     
  9. Catriona Grace

    Catriona Grace Mind the thorns Contributor Contest Winner 2022

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2021
    Messages:
    6,260
    Likes Received:
    5,506
    Welcome, Stephen. Shame about the music, but the kraken lie was pretty interesting.
     
  10. off

    off Banned

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2022
    Messages:
    75
    Likes Received:
    37
    Location:
    Canada
    Currently Reading::
    Obstructed by Lightning; Unsalted Boundaries; And: The Separation of Nouns, verbs and Adjectives in Prehistoric Languages
    First of all, Welcome, Stephen Bishop. Are you really a bishop, or merely a pawn?

    To your dismay, the military/spy novels are written on the same structure. You're absolutely right. Notice, however, that all spy novels' heroes' backgrounds are in the secret service of Western Nations who are Nato allies. Their modi operndi are similar, because they all work to the same corporate manual of spies, standardized by the second Vatican Sinod.

    To get around this block, try learning Russian and Chinese, and read their spy novels. They are quite different. Ivanovitch Stroganoff Iosef Ivan, for instance, spent twenty years sitting non-stop on an American military toilet to learn the military secret of why they are so expensive. Alas, he was on the verge of discovery, when he was recalled back to Russia for a faulty water pump.

    Then there was the world-famous Albanian spy that nobody has heard of (you are supposed to stay secret, in the secret service), who stole the Jakobi Transfer convention from the American Bridge league. He made billions, selling it to the world's biggest secret superpower, the San Marino Mariners, who outbid the licits from Liechtenstein and Andorra.

    Then there was the feared and fearsome Chinese spy, Arnold Schwartzenegger, who was a double agent, and landed himself a beautiful film career, by acting as his own double-agent. It's a bit like self-publishing your own book.

    Finally, there was the clever Israeli agent, Henry Kissinger, who was instrumental in convincing Leonid Brezhnyev to recall Ivanovitch Stroganoff Iosef Ivan, just minutes before the man could psych out the real reason behind the best known little secret of American army toilets two minutes before his entire twenty-years worth' of work was flushed down the toilet.
     
    Last edited: Jan 26, 2023

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice