New Book: Ninja Girl Adventures – From Non-Fiction to Fiction
How do you develop your writing abilities? Try switching from one type of writing to another. Me? I decided to enter the world of fiction. Here, the center of creation is all about great storytelling. Not that writing non-fiction isn’t rooted in storytelling but there is extensive world-building along with character-creation in fiction. So what did I discover that might help you? Here are three ways that switching from non-fiction to fiction writing can benefit you by:
- Building your writing muscles. It’s fun but also tense and even painful to write fiction, at least for many of us. You are constantly questioning your abilities. But I know enough after working on hundreds of non-fiction books that once you complete your first round of writing, you feel a sense of happiness that you actually completed something that so many will never be able to complete in their lifetime. The fact here is that the more you write, the more you can write. From there, the more you write, the more you develop your writing muscles.
- Blending your knowledge of non-fiction with fiction. As the saying goes, “Truth is stranger than fiction.” Are you similar to me in that you particularly enjoy books and movies that are based on a real story? Many people love books that are even loosely developed from something that actually occurred. Examples here include: “Murder on the Orient Express” by Agatha Christie and “Schindler’s List” by Austrian Novelist, Thomas Keneally, which was made into an award-winning movie by Steven Spielberg.
- Taking your wisdom you developed while writing non-fiction and using it to craft a compelling fiction book that provides life lessons and honorable values to the next generation. This is what I like to do. To this end, I spent the last three years partnering with a Ninja expert (Phil Elmore) to create a book for girls (Phil has a daughter who loves the Ninja world of martial arts) to write a book on the subject. We titled the book, “Ninja Girl Adventures,” the story of three sisters led by middle-sister, Moira, who has a lot of common sense for a fourteen-year-old.
Here’s an overview of the book:
NINJA GIRL ADVENTURES
Moira Mackenzie is just 14 years old. Her sister Mindy is 15, and their younger sister Marci is 9. The girls have lived their lives until now believing their father, Scottish billionaire Stephen Mackenzie, is simply a businessman whose KogaTech Consolidated (KTC) is the world’s most successful technology company. Their father was married to a Japanese woman, Kameko, whom the girls are told died in a car accident.
The girls’ idyllic existence in New York, where KTC headquarters is located, is shattered when their father disappears. He is legally declared dead by their Uncle Jiro Akiyama, Kameko’s brother. Uncle Jiro wants to possess the company for himself. What he doesn’t know is that Stephen Mackenzie changed his will so that Moira inherits the entire corporation.
An overwhelmed Moira must contend with the unraveling of her family. She has the help of Morton Gerardi, Stephen Mackenzie’s best friend, but he’s not the girls’ father and there’s only so much he can do. While Mindy rebels and Marci, a child genius, disappears deeper into her computer, Moira is further frightened by an intruder who invades the girl’s Manhattan apartment. Not long after this, Moira is visited by Uncle Jiro himself, who offers to provide for the girls financially as long as Moira signs the company over to him.
Becoming a Ninja
Moira considers giving in but doesn’t. Suddenly, out of nowhere, black-clad figures, who can only be the mythical ancient ninja of feudal Japan, attack the Mackenzie sisters. The girls are saved by an elderly Asian woman who heads a ninja clan of her own. That woman removes her face mask to reveal that she is Aiko Akiyama, the girls’ grandmother. Moira immediately has many questions. Why has Aiko only now revealed herself?
Aiko explains that Kameko, as Aiko before her, was a member of a Koga ninja clan of Kunoichi — a female ninja. Aiko was forced to fake her own death because of Jiro’s ambitions. She vows to teach Moira to become a ninja warrior and fulfill her family destiny. As Moira beings to learn the ways of the ninja, Aiko’s Yoda-like lessons give her greater self-confidence as well as physical martial arts skills. She passes these lessons to her sisters… but there’s more. Legends claim the ninja were shape-changing tengu, forest spirits with magical powers. Aiko reveals that these stories are true. If Moira wishes, she can learn these mystical abilities. Jiro himself can become a wolf and other ferocious beasts. Moira can learn these same skills, just as Aiko has.
Sister Power
As Moira trains and learns more about herself, she helps her sisters to grow more confident and more disciplined as well. Soon, Mindy is using her gymnastics skills to have ninja-style adventures of her own, as genius Marci helps both of her sisters using her knowledge of computers.
As they grow in their abilities, the girls uncover a plot by Uncle Jiro to misuse “sleep learning” technology developed by KTC. This is why Jiro wants the company. He believes the technology can be used to control minds, ultimately giving him control over the city — and perhaps, one day, even more than that. As the girls use their new abilities to chase down clues that point them to Jiro’s sinister ambitions, Jiro grows tired of holding back. He instructs his ninja to kidnap Mindy and Marci. He then tells Moira she has no choice but to sign KTC over to him if she ever wants to see her sisters again.
To get her sisters back, Moira will have to face her greatest fears. With only partial training, she must conquer her own doubts and apply the lessons of empowerment and confidence that Aiko has given her. The story climaxes in a battle between the two rival ninja clans wherein Moira must first save her sisters and then defeat Jiro himself. The fate of New York City hangs in the balance, as does the fate of Moira’s family and of her father’s company.
Bonus and The Mentor Momentum Movement
You might not realize the power of fiction. But I can strongly recommend that you consider writing some type of fiction book as there is a continual high demand for all age groups — from picture books to chapter books to middle grade, YA, and New Adult books. I recommend that you take the time to explore the potential of writing fiction. In the meantime, check out Ninja Girl Adventures. As is the case with all of the books I promote, I take half of all the proceeds from my books to help at-risk youth get mentored by myself and my authors in what I am now calling The Mentor Momentum Movement. In everything I do going forward I will share the impact of what I know mentoring the next generation can do to improve the lives of so many.
As always, thanks for stopping by!