What distinguishes a well-written female protagonist from a poorly-written one?
What are some common mistakes? When do they go right?
novel writing
Music to Write By. Samurai Stories
The soundtrack for Shogun Assassin is where my writing music started. Here Lone Wolf defeats three ninja women who are disguised as dancer acrobats in the circus de soleil of their day. Some writers like to immerse themselves in the place and setting of the action. We put on our music and takes us to another world. Music helps the author visualize place, mood and setting. And it is not just in samurai novels....
Dancing in Samurai Film
Painting the life of the common people in a world where the major daily chore was finding enough food, can lead readers to think they are indeed being presented with a bleak world. And yet, the Japanese culture has always been one of songs and dance and laughter. Some genre readers are excited by the swordplay, but wonder why the farmers (they are never called “peasants” in Yamabuki books) are included....
Film Score Composer John Horner Killed in Plane Crash
It is very sad to hear that composer John Horner was killed when his light plane crashed yesterday, June 22, 2015. Many remember his scores for Avatar and Titanic, but over the last several weeks, with my headphones on, I had listened to his score for The Hunger Games and A Beautiful Mind as I worked on my latest novel. I was inspired by Horner’s music in writing many of the passages in my story....
A Woman Samurai in the Era of Genji
There were a number of women warriors in the 12th century, most of which appear in the Yamabuki series.