--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I wrote the first [Bond novel] in…" description: "\"When I wrote the first [Bond novel] in 1953, I wanted Bond to be an extremely dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened... when I was casting aro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/ian-fleming-1862_bond_when-i-wrote-the-first-bond-novel-in-195_326281.jpg" --- # When I wrote the first \[Bond novel\] in 1953, I wanted Bond… ![“When I wrote the first [Bond novel] in 1953, I wanted Bond to be an extremely dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened... when I was casting around for a name for my protagonist I thought by God, [James Bond] is the dullest name I ever heard.” quote by Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/ian-fleming-1862_bond_when-i-wrote-the-first-bond-novel-in-195_326281.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/ian-fleming-1862_bond_when-i-wrote-the-first-bond-novel-in-195_326281.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/ian-fleming-1862_bond_when-i-wrote-the-first-bond-novel-in-195_326281.jpg) > “When I wrote the first \[Bond novel\] in 1953, I wanted Bond to be an extremely dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened... when I was casting around for a name for my protagonist I thought by God, \[James Bond\] is the dullest name I ever heard.” [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Bond was intended as a bland, passive figure, but became an iconic hero. **In simple terms:** Original intent was a dull protagonist. Key Takeaway Recognize that characters can evolve beyond creator intent. Themes literature character development unexpected fame Mood reflective creative Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - writing workshops - character brainstorming - film adaptations - marketing strategies Key Concepts authorial intent cultural impact Questions to Reflect On - How do readers influence a character’s evolution? - Can a creator’s intent limit a story’s potential? A Different Perspective Audience expectations can reshape a character’s nature. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bond/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [Protagonists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protagonists/) [Things happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-happen/) ## Related quotes > [One of the bibles of my youth was 'Birds of the West Indies,' by James Bond, a well-known ornithologist, and when I was casting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/one-of-the-bibles-of-my-youth-was-birds-of-the-west-indies-by-james/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [And he said that he wrote the Bond character based on the character of David Niven. That's how he saw Bond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/and-he-said-that-he-wrote-the-bond-character-based-on-the-character/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [“Mr Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: 'Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/mr-bond-they-have-a-saying-in-chicago-once-is-happenstance-twice-is/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [I'm getting very sorry for the Devil and his disciples such as the good Le Chiffre. The devil has a rotten time and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/i-m-getting-very-sorry-for-the-devil-and-his-disciples-such-as-the-2/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [Mine’s Bond – James Bond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/mine-s-bond-james-bond/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Her breasts were showing and Mr. Player, who was a very strong Quaker, didn't think that was quite proper.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/her-breasts-were-showing-and-mr-player-who-was-a-very-strong-quaker/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Who is this man?' 'Chinaman, or rather half Chinese and half German. Got a daft name. Calls himself Doctor No - Doctor Julius No.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/who-is-this-man-chinaman-or-rather-half-chinese-and-half-german-got-a/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Hm,' said Bond. 'Bogeyman stuff.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/hm-said-bond-bogeyman-stuff/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“It is not just a question of blowing up a building or shooting a prime minister. Such bourgeois horseplay is not contemplated. Our operation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/it-is-not-just-a-question-of-blowing-up-a-building-or-shooting-a/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“I've found that one must try and teach people that there's no top limit to disaster-that, so long as breath remains in your body,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/i-ve-found-that-one-must-try-and-teach-people-that-there-s-no-top/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“They had a table near the rail round the huge floor. Bond was spellbound. He found many of the girls very beautiful. The music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/they-had-a-table-near-the-rail-round-the-huge-floor-bond-was/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“The naked man who lay splayed out on his face beside the swimming pool might have been dead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/the-naked-man-who-lay-splayed-out-on-his-face-beside-the-swimming/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [ “He had seen how the spirit, the reserves in \[Bond\], could pull him out of badly damaged conditions that would have broken the normal… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/he-had-seen-how-the-spirit-the-reserves-in-bond-could-pull-him-out-of/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Bond looked at the beautiful day and smiled. And no man, not even Mr. Big, would have liked the expression on his face.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/bond-looked-at-the-beautiful-day-and-smiled-and-no-man-not-even-mr/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“James Bond, with two double bourbons inside him, sat in the final departure lounge of Miami Airport and thought about life and death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/james-bond-with-two-double-bourbons-inside-him-sat-in-the-final/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) ## More by Ian Fleming > [Most marriages don't add two people together. They subtract one from the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/most-marriages-don-t-add-two-people-together-they-subtract-one-from/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [All women love semi-rape. They love to be taken.It was his sweet brutality against my bruised body that made his act of love so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/all-women-love-semi-rape-they-love-to-be-taken-it-was-his-sweet/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Shooting hell out of a piece of cardboard doesn't prove anything' was his single-line introduction to the Small-arms Defence Manual.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/shooting-hell-out-of-a-piece-of-cardboard-doesn-t-prove-anything-was/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Danger, like a third man, was standing in the room.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/danger-like-a-third-man-was-standing-in-the-room/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Those who deserve to die, die the death they deserve.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/those-who-deserve-to-die-die-the-death-they-deserve/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Mr Bond, they have a saying in Chicago: 'Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/mr-bond-they-have-a-saying-in-chicago-once-is-happenstance-twice-is/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“There was no sign of life round the domed emplacement of the Moonraker, and the concrete, already beginning to shimmer in the early morning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/there-was-no-sign-of-life-round-the-domed-emplacement-of-the/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [The World Is Not Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/the-world-is-not-enough/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Somebody said that to become very rich you have to be helped by a combination of remarkable circumstances and an unbroken run of luck.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/somebody-said-that-to-become-very-rich-you-have-to-be-helped-by-a/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [Worry is a dividend paid to disaster before it is due](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/worry-is-a-dividend-paid-to-disaster-before-it-is-due/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Bond smelt the smell of danger.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/bond-smelt-the-smell-of-danger/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [All the greatest men are maniacs. They are possessed by a mania which drives them forward towards thier goal. The great scientists, the philosophers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/all-the-greatest-men-are-maniacs-they-are-possessed-by-a-mania-which/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Surround yourself with human beings, my dear James. They are easier to fight for than principles.' He laughed. 'But don't let me down and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/surround-yourself-with-human-beings-my-dear-james-they-are-easier-to/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/the-scent-and-smoke-and-sweat-of-a-casino-are-nauseating-at-three-in/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Was it true what The Big Man had said, that she would have nothing to do with men? He doubted it. She seemed open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/was-it-true-what-the-big-man-had-said-that-she-would-have-nothing-to/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) [Explore all 199 Ian Fleming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) ## More Bond quotes > [I always wanted to make a 'James Bond' film, and they only seemed to hire British directors, and I'd made 'Swingers' - they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-always-wanted-to-make-a-james-bond-film-and-they-only-seemed-to/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [“The bonds between a family are strange indeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/the-bonds-between-a-family-are-strange-indeed/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [No action hero is more closely associated with cars than James Bond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hammond/no-action-hero-is-more-closely-associated-with-cars-than-james-bond/) [Richard Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hammond/) > [I hope I will not be typecast as a Bond girl for the rest of my life. I'm very proud of being a part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-green/i-hope-i-will-not-be-typecast-as-a-bond-girl-for-the-rest-of-my-life/) [Eva Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-green/) > [Without wanting to claim that I'm really like James Bond I would certainly prefer to be thought of as closer to James Bond than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/without-wanting-to-claim-that-i-m-really-like-james-bond-i-would/) [Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/) > [From '86 until the summer of last year, wherever I went, people would say, You would have made a great James Bond! Weren't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/from-86-until-the-summer-of-last-year-wherever-i-went-people-would/) [Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/) > [Apparently, Daniel Craig said I'd be a great Bond. Daniel, why did you say that? Dropped me right in it! What an honor it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idris-elba/apparently-daniel-craig-said-i-d-be-a-great-bond-daniel-why-did-you/) [Idris Elba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idris-elba/) > [Don't hold against me that I don't own - that I don't own a single stock or bond. Don't hold it - I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/don-t-hold-against-me-that-i-don-t-own-that-i-don-t-own-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [I will be the first black James Bond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dhani-jones/i-will-be-the-first-black-james-bond/) [Dhani Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dhani-jones/) > ['Lakshmi' is a dance film, a musical that deals with the emotional bond between the guru and his sishya.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prabhu-deva/lakshmi-is-a-dance-film-a-musical-that-deals-with-the-emotional-bond/) [Prabhu Deva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prabhu-deva/) > [When blacks become humanly visible, when their true beliefs are known, their mask shatters and their symbiotic bond with whites is broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-steele/when-blacks-become-humanly-visible-when-their-true-beliefs-are-known/) [Shelby Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-steele/) > [Once are such precious people, and I wouldn't trade our bond for anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dahyun/once-are-such-precious-people-and-i-wouldn-t-trade-our-bond-for/) [Dahyun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dahyun/) > [My word is my bond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-word-is-my-bond/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am honored to be a Bond girl and be a part of the Bond legacy, To star in a video game with Connery,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-menounos/i-am-honored-to-be-a-bond-girl-and-be-a-part-of-the-bond-legacy-to/) [Maria Menounos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-menounos/) [Browse all 863 Bond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bond/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I wrote the first [Bond novel] in 1953, I wanted Bond to be an extremely dull, uninteresting man to whom things happened... when I was casting around for a name for my protagonist I thought by God, [James Bond] is the dullest name I ever heard.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ian Fleming" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/when-i-wrote-the-first-bond-novel-in-1953-i-wanted-bond-to-be-an/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bond" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/when-i-wrote-the-first-bond-novel-in-1953-i-wanted-bond-to-be-an/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/ian-fleming-1862_bond_when-i-wrote-the-first-bond-novel-in-195_326281.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/ian-fleming-1862_bond_when-i-wrote-the-first-bond-novel-in-195_326281.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/197/ian-fleming-1862_bond_when-i-wrote-the-first-bond-novel-in-195_326281.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I wrote the first [Bond novel] in 1953, I wanted Bond to be an extremely dull, uninteresting man to…” — Ian Fleming", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ian Fleming", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I wrote the first [Bond...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/when-i-wrote-the-first-bond-novel-in-1953-i-wanted-bond-to-be-an/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/when-i-wrote-the-first-bond-novel-in-1953-i-wanted-bond-to-be-an/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```