So, is anyone else actually writing about ninjas for NaNo this year? I am, and am feeling a bit pleased with the sheer gratuitousness of it all. A novel with ninjas! And possibly pirates!
Anyway, is anyone else writing about ninjas? If so, what time/place/world is your novel set it? And what sort of ninjaly powers do your characters possess?
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77,000 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2007 - 03 38
Well, I've got a retired space ninja as a supporting character in mine. She used to be a black ops assasin, and now she runs the cat club and gives tea parties. She's kind of snooty about the fact that she has a real cat and not a robot one.
I want her to do something ninja-ry during the final battle for the space station.
Erm, my story is a serious drama, I promise!
5,930 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2007 - 04 20
Mmm, ninjas...
*ahem*
'Kay, my story involves a girl that was training to be a ninja, but then her tutor died (/murdered, haven't actually worked out the tutor's backstory yet), so she goes in search of her old tutor's brother, and on that journey she meets my MC!
Yeah. And the time is ye oldeish medievaly times, except fantasy-alised, so that a trainee ninja on a journey to find her murdered uber-ninja tutor's brother would be perfectly normal. Ish. Yes, those are words.
Good luck with the ninjas,
And have a fun Nano.
-Spo.
----------~Dreaming On.
~We got the dreamers disease.
~And these dreams keep you awake.
~Dreams come to one person, and one person alone. That's why dreamers are lonely.
~Spo.
55,228 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2007 - 08 44
ninjas rock. i'm currently working on a story set in the modern-day Ninja Training Center in California. originally the NTC trained volunteers, but applications have tapered off to such a degree that the Center has taken to 'drafting'. essentially kidnapping likely candidates for ninjahood.
ryan is one of those unlucky drafted teenagers. after saving a child from a burning building, mr guru, head of drafting, decides he's a good candidate and whisks him away to the NTC where he is trained. fortunately (or unfortunately, as the case may be) he already has great prowess at martial arts, earning him the hatred of the martial arts instructor who likes to humiliate those under her training. ryan is too skilled to be humiliated. he ends up getting deployed to Ireland not three days after his arrival to help Tynan, the Grey One, restore the balance of mischeif that has been upset by the loss of the leprechaun's pot of gold.
yes, it starts out sounding cool and then gets hokey. so what? i'm writing in the tradition of lemony snicket. anything, no matter how strange or impossible, can happen.
i might try to work ninjas into my nano, but right now i'm not even sure which of my two plots to go with. *sigh* it'll come to me. i hope...
----------2+2=5.
for large quantities of 2.
50,520 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2007 - 09 36
Oh dear, the ninjas. I try to keep them out. I try *so hard*. Admittedly it was a lot easier to keep them out when I was writing Sci-Fi. This year it's set in a version of Tokugawa Japan, so I'm afraid they'll probably jump out the moment I run out of plot for my two mains.
50,472 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2007 - 10 36
If you don't think you can keep them out then aim to keep them real. Write them as sneaky peasant bushwhackers and resistance fighters, rather than invisible super-assassins who can drop dozens of samurai with the batting of an eyelid.
----------Five years of NaNo, first Frenzy.
5,073 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2007 - 11 00
speaking of keeping them grounded, how are you all handling the ninja abilities your ninjas have? I think I'm going to attempt to keep them at least somewhat grounded in reality. Well, at least as grounded as you can when you're talking about, you know, ninjas. I'm trying to keep away from the "and then he magically turned himself into a tree through his ninja arts" and more towards the "through years of specialized training he can move faster than would seem humanly possible." It's still not realistic, persay, but I like to leave at least the possibility of a scientific explanation for things, even if it's scientific in the way sci-fi space travel type stuff is "scientific." :P
How are you all dealing with it? Are your ninjas pretty much really sneaky wizards wearing black, or are they more towards to just really good at martial arts side of things?
50,472 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2007 - 12 44
If it's any help, a reasonably good compendium of ninja history and folklore can be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/A575642
----------Five years of NaNo, first Frenzy.
77,000 / 50,000
Oct 28, 2007 - 02 32
How are you all dealing with it? Are your ninjas pretty much really sneaky wizards wearing black, or are they more towards to just really good at martial arts side of things?
Mine are just martial arts experts, who are especially good at sneaking about and getting into place to kill people. They aren't ninjas in any classical sense, they just get called that in a slightly mocking way by other people - hence "space ninjas". So no turning into trees. :D
50,300 / 50,000
Oct 28, 2007 - 05 31
I love the ninjas in my story. They're kickass priestess guardians. I can't wait to let them loose (finally my karate expertise will pay off!)!
3,450 / 50,000
Oct 28, 2007 - 17 38
I'm doing a ninja story. yeps yeps yeps.
Location Japan, tokyo
Time: have not really figured it out.
but if u need a little help on ninjas watch this show called naruto. It's really good. it's anime ya'know japanese animation.
okay dokays. i hoped that helped a little.......yhea........bye's bye's ^_~
My ninja is emo......bet you never herad that one before. lol
----------It's so funny how, we see things so clear, when we have no time! Left to live!
~*~Underoath~*~
994 / 50,000
Oct 29, 2007 - 16 24
This is why Kingdom Hearts FanFiction is fun, I have a Ninja, I have Pirates, I have Faries, Mermaids, Wizards, and a Space-Time Traversing Genie!
----------NaNo 2007: We're All In This Together: A Kingdom Hearts Fan Fiction.
NaNo 2006: Neewollah High: 50 Miles West of Normal 1500/50,000
4,356 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2007 - 02 16
I have ninjas in my story... sort of. In a nutshell 'ninja' is something like a slang term to my story's universe, though there are some characteristics that fits the definition of ninja.
Time/Setting: The World, post-nuclear war era.
Role: Secret police, or to be specific, assassins.
Ninja-isms: Stealth, skill, and discipline, though most of them have a major screw loose (sadists in a sense). Most of my ninjas skip the traditional ninja weapons in favor of guns and modern warfare... sort of.
5,075 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2007 - 18 12
Well, my characters aren't exactly ninjas, they just kind of fit in that general genre. They're a highly-skilled, extensively trained group of political assassins (by which I just mean their motivations are a little more complicated than those of your average hit-men), whose cover organisation is a travelling circus. Think Cirque Du Soleil. With swords. It's very exciting.
----------I like listening to you talk about your mother. It's like hearing Orestes gripe about Clytaemnestra.
www.firstgiving.com/danicolman - please sponsor my madness!
33,046 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2007 - 04 43
Amen! FFVII has a built-in ninja (YAY YUFFIE!); she's going to battle pirates. *grin*
~Ally~
Life is like a box of chocolates ... Someone always eats the strawberry ones, so you're left with the icky marzipan.
----------16,823 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2007 - 06 31
I don't think there are any ninjas per se in my story, but there are kung-fu fighters, mysterious martial artists, and Tong thugs galore. :)
53,337 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2007 - 06 46
I am doing a novel about ninjas! I was actually inspired by three pictures I found and took off with ideas! I'm very excited.
50,071 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2007 - 06 47
Of course I'll have ninja. Of course my ninja is in the form of a motorcycle, but what's a great novel without ninja?
12,666 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2007 - 08 35
My NaNo is mostly about the zombie apocalypse, but I'm going to try and work some ninjas into it if it kills me. Zombie-ninjas, perhaps...
27,694 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2007 - 12 16
I have a ninja, which basically means he's sneaky, kicks ass at pretty much all martial arts, uses misdirection and other stuff to put people off guard. In terms of ninja powers: strength, speed, and kick ass martial arts.
Piece set slightly in future, this planet different universe, one with magic(though more indiana jones style magic than harry potter magic), and he doesn't wear black pyjamas all the time. He's too cool for it
10,518 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2007 - 02 22
I don't have just any kind of ninjas, I have Antarchtic Ninjas! That's right, born from the depths of the permafrost the nijas rise. My story really has nothing to do with ninjas other than the fact that I use the Antarchtic Nijas as a source of ridicule and jokes. They just kind of show up at weird times and since they don't talk nobody knows what they want. I haven't decided if they are good or bad or if I'll kill them off or what, but they're there.
----------Lance Kilcoyne
5,382 / 50,000
Nov 3, 2007 - 14 54
The main character in several of my novels has been a ninjutsu student, but it's all very realistic (in the interests of full disclosure, I've been studying authentic ninjutsu for almost twenty years now.) The best way to think of ninja (if you're interested in keeping it as authentic as possible) is to view them more as the feudal Japan version of CIA operatives or specops commandos. From that perspective, what they can accomplish within the framework of your novel will be a lot more believable.
Resources, if you're interested:
Do a google search for "Bujinkan" (this is the organization I belong to) and Masaaki Hatsumi (the current Grandmaster of Togakure-ryu ninjutsu and several other schools).
Of course, if you're shooting for the other end of the spectrum, heh heh, then anything goes...
Nice to see so many folks writing about ninja though, I'd thought their popularity had waned somewhat. Very cool to see that I'm wrong!
Best,
----------Jon
http://www.jonfmerz.com
Jon F. Merz - Official Website
5,382 / 50,000
Nov 3, 2007 - 15 06
The main character in several of my novels has been a ninjutsu student, but it's all very realistic (in the interests of full disclosure, I've been studying authentic ninjutsu for almost twenty years now.) The best way to think of ninja (if you're interested in keeping it as authentic as possible) is to view them more as the feudal Japan version of CIA operatives or specops commandos. From that perspective, what they can accomplish within the framework of your novel will be a lot more believable.
Resources, if you're interested:
Do a google search for "Bujinkan" (this is the organization I belong to) and Masaaki Hatsumi (the current Grandmaster of Togakure-ryu ninjutsu and several other schools).
Of course, if you're shooting for the other end of the spectrum, heh heh, then anything goes...
Nice to see so many folks writing about ninja though, I'd thought their popularity had waned somewhat. Very cool to see that I'm wrong!
Best,
----------Jon
http://www.jonfmerz.com
Jon F. Merz - Official Website
5,382 / 50,000
Nov 3, 2007 - 15 12
The main character in several of my novels has been a ninjutsu student, but it's all very realistic (in the interests of full disclosure, I've been studying authentic ninjutsu for almost twenty years now.) The best way to think of ninja (if you're interested in keeping it as authentic as possible) is to view them more as the feudal Japan version of CIA operatives or specops commandos. From that perspective, what they can accomplish within the framework of your novel will be a lot more believable.
Resources, if you're interested:
Do a google search for "Bujinkan" (this is the organization I belong to) and Masaaki Hatsumi (the current Grandmaster of Togakure-ryu ninjutsu and several other schools).
Of course, if you're shooting for the other end of the spectrum, heh heh, then anything goes...
Nice to see so many folks writing about ninja though, I'd thought their popularity had waned somewhat. Very cool to see that I'm wrong!
Best,
----------Jon
http://www.jonfmerz.com
Jon F. Merz - Official Website
4,926 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2007 - 07 51
The temptation of adding ninjas to my story is taking me over slowly. The good thing is that since I have no real plot for my story, adding ninjas in should be no problem and will not mess up my current pot because, hey, I don't have one! *cough*
Anyway, I'm thinking of adding in some kind of super cool assassin guys who act all ninja-y.
50,329 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2007 - 10 25
I got some pirates in mine that train with ninjas... hehe... They know all of the stealth skills, and have learned a lot about fighting in the 500 odd years that they have been alive. Currently, they are international terrorists, but I think that I am going to write this whole section about thier ninja training somewhere in there... How much has ninja technology changed in 400 years?
83,693 / 50,000
Nov 28, 2007 - 09 59
Anyway, is anyone else writing about ninjas? If so, what time/place/world is your novel set it? And what sort of ninjaly powers do your characters possess?
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My story has ninja's in it--- as well as pirates, shamans, ghost/soul hunter, dragon user/raiser, elemental users, and SO MANY more... But, even though there are SO many different types of people/user's in my story, the first thing that is discussed is my MC meets a ninja (well, a WHOLE class of ninja 'students'). But, he becomes close friends with only one kid (second MC- I guess you can say). He's not explained in my novel excerpt or anything because he was so early in the 'game' of my story (I'm SO far from him now). My MC only stays with the ninja kid for 2 chapters before he meets others etc. But, I guess I'll share it to you (I don't see why not, I display my story all over the internet anyway).
Time It Takes Place: Year 3010X (I have NO idea what the 'X' stands for yet- it just sounds cool)
Place It Takes At: A planet called, "Planet Zali"
World: "Planet Zali" at a school called 'CFL' (go to my profile to find a link to my story about the meaning for 'CFL')
INFORMATION ABOUT MY NINJA:
I tried to keep my ninja from doing anything to 'magical' unless I have some kind of explanation. So far, I managed to stay away from the whole 'Naruto/DBZ' thing (a lot of people call it that now and days). My ninja used only shurikens so far and I only described real martial arts as far as I could tell. The only thing I added that could make them do 'weird' stuff- is 'ki'. But, I don't think I'll be making him do any of that 'shooting-balls-out-of-his-hands-thing'- at least not yet (if I do, I need to come with a reasona dn so on- *sigh*). Anyway, the whole 'story' of my ninja character is below. Enjoy! (Side note, if you like him so much- go read my story online- which the link is provided on my profile).
NAME: Uraka Koshi
AGE: 12
GENDER: Male
RACE: Japanese
WEIGHT: 95 (has not really been determined)
HEIGHT: 5’6 (has not really been determined)
CAREER CHOICE: Ninja
QUICK DESCRIPTION: “The kid that just came looked around the room quickly with astonishment on his face. His hair was orange and was in a bushy pony tail. He was wearing black from head to toe. His long sleeved shirt was black, with a black vest over it. His pants were black, a little baggy, but not falling off of him. He was wearing black shoes also, but they looked more like boots than shoes. His eyes were the color red, but a light red. His eyes were somewhat slanted, but not completely.” (From Chapter 3; page 2)
LIKES: J-POP (Japanese Music) from different Anime shows, Anime and Manga, cool people, experienced girl fighters, traveling, adventure and action games, violent movies, hanging with his friends, making up new techniques, tough challenges, surfing the Internet, and meditating.
HATES: Lazy people, studying, reading, waking up early in the morning, being grumpy, romantic movies/anime/manga, losing, and people that pollute the earth.
FAVORITE FOOD(S): Sushi, rice balls, fried fish, salads, cheese pizza, and spicy noodles.
LEAST FAVORITE FOOD(S): Miso soup, chocolate cake/ice-cream, tacos, and jello.
FAVORITE QUOTE(S): “I will become the best ninja in the world!”/ “Let’s play a game or two!” / “Do you like Anime or reading Manga?”
INFO: A very energetic and ‘happy-go-lucky’ kid. He spends most of his time improving his ninja skills and coming up with new techniques, although most of them are failures…. He gets mad at himself for failing, but after a few minutes- he is back to his normal self. However, his life was full of misery- his parents ‘died’ from unexplained natural causes when he was at the age of 6 (explained in Chapter 3; page 55). He had 4 brothers, but they all died from cancer, poison (from eating puff fish), or serious injuries (not explained in story yet…). He is the youngest of the Koshi family, and his main goal/dream is to be the best ninja in the world. He tries to be like the famous ninja, Karahi Jin.
STORYLINE: Has not been revealed yet- to you, the reader(s)- at least… (Keeping this as a secret- at least- until I get to his story, ^_^)
50,383 / 50,000
Nov 28, 2007 - 11 58
Didn't really go the Ninja route for my story, as most of the fights in my novel have been gunfights with Operatives and Triad thugs. The only guys who even come close to being as badass as ninjas are the Operatives, who are more Agents/Men In Black/Blue Hands than shadow warrior assassins, along with Nora herself and whoever sniped off Wu-Sheng Cole.
62,249 / 50,000
Nov 28, 2007 - 22 47
Me, I've got evil 25th century Ninja women clones with active camo in their outfits. Also they have poisonous fangs...
Good Luck all
----------The Force Will Be With You Always
75,445 / 50,000
Nov 30, 2007 - 13 36
I got Mathematical ninja's. :D
Through the power of Mathematics and powerful precise calculations, they beat their opponents every single time. They are also my realm's living internet, because they have the biggest information network. Mathaguri Clan forever!
----------NaNoWriMo 2006: Natalia's reis (Won!)
PeNoWriMo 2007: Plotholes in Natalia's journey. (Success!)
NaNoWriMo 2007: The Pride of King Julius (Won again!)