I am in the brainstorming phase of my ninja story and i was wondering in your opinion what is necessary to include in a story like that
A ninja. A setting. An objective. Obstacles to overcome. It's your story. You need to come up with the specific plot elements. It's one thing to ask for suggestions on some point in a mostly-developed plot where you find yourself stuck, but you're asking us to create your story for you.
Ooo - I have an opinion. Lots of them, in fact. The primary opinion seconding what Cog wrote. I know, it's a pain to come up with plot elements, but really and truly...how else would you consider yourself having truly written the story? There's a best selling author currently selling books like hotcakes, and I'm absolutely appalled by the sheer amount of his/her storylines that are taken from various other places. I mean, it's like a huge collection of other people's creativity, put together by a very savvy person. It doesn't feel like writing to me, but that's just my personal opinion.
First and foremost, make sure you know what a ninja is. Don't use the wrong word there, as everything else will probably fall apart. From the way to describe it, it sounds like a fighting book with no real plot, so you need to know the basics
Oh, and there's always a little Yoda-esque character. Yeah, need one of those fellah'. Check out the first Ninja Scroll movie and also Wicked City. You'll see what I mean.
thanks wreybies and to everyone else, im not asking for plots or storylines, i was asking what do you think was key to a ninja story like equipment or places or people etc. i am writing this on my own and have a ideas down on paper and i dont ask for plots or anything, sorry if it sounded like that
The only really necessary thing you need prior to writing is to do a huge amount of research. There are plenty of sources smattered about the internet that will give you the information you need to stay accurate to your chosen era and region. Also, attractive females. Lots of them, preferably semi-nude.
Then I would say that one thing you, as a writer, will need is to more clearly articulate what you are looking for. Pliny is correct. You will need to do focused research. Asking our opinions is really not very productive for that purpose. You should learn all you can about the ninja history, lifestyle, culture, and combat methods. Backed by that knowledge, you should read ninja fiction to understand the sub-genre. If you have done your research well, you will be able to distinguish which of your fiction authors did THEIR research, and you can focus on their stories as a model for your writing. I'm afraid there are no shortcuts. This is one part of the advice, "Write what you know." For a new writer who may not yet have the patience to put a lot of time into researching an unfamiliar subject in depth, writing about something you already know well will help you focus on developing and improving your own writing style.
It depends on whether you want accuracy or not. If you do, then do some research. If not, then go ahead and make a fantasy movie with an apparently historical setting (not naming any films here, but Braveheart is a good example of this) Ninjas weren't uber-fighters, trained from birth to be the best in a shogun's armies. So don't assume they will be in your story, either, unless you're only taking the name 'ninja' and reusing it.
Gallow is on the right track there. Remember that Ninjas are not the same thing as Samurai, though they are likely to use some of the same weapons. The Ninja Scroll movies are a good place to start to show you what they might have been like. Next, research Japanese history.
