Your Chance for Immortality

[Kaminari]

Note: I'm not trying to put down your writing or anything like that, this is just my opinion and my suggestions.

 

Yes, it does seem as if she's the James Bond clone type of character. With a few flaws (not so gorgeous looks, less than perfect skills at something, etc. etc.). Everybody has their flaws, and the more believeable a character is, the more the reader will be able to relate to the character, hooking them in. Also on the subject of flaws, perhaps she could lose a fight, or at least come out of it hurting, to make things more believeable (from what I've read, it sounds like she wins everything and is good at almost everything, etc.). Once your reader can relate to the character and can see it actually happening (even if it is just a small chance), they'll really enjoy it, for there aren't too many out there who like to read stories about perfect heroes.

 

Good luck with the book.

[Writer]

A person can be perfect in image and have flaws in other ways, or just be enigmatic. Star Wars wouldn't have been the same if Princess Leia had had a big wart on her nose. Cynthia Rothrock never did it for me. She's very plain looking and her career stayed in the video stores (although she could have used some better choreography ala Jackie Chan. Guess she studied the wrong kind of MA to be a movie star.

 

I think we'll see a rebirth of the ninja. They'll just have to quit covering their faces (unless someone wants to create a ninja mummy).

[SevenStar]

cynthia's MA is great. many of the guys you see in movies today - chow yun fat, jackie chan, jet li, etc. were already big hits overseas before they made it big here. Cynthis didn't have that in her favor. When you don't have that popularity established, it can be hard to make it in MA movies. look at guys like yuen biao - most people will be like "who is that?"

 

in this day and age, people dislike secrets in the MA... I don't think there will be a major revival of the ninja in films.

[benkendrick]

FWIW - If you want real inspiration for what you're looking to write (IMHO) you should pick up one of the MANY books in "The Destroyer" series...

 

Remo is bad but NOBODY tops Chiun when it comes to being a Master Assasin (Ha! Ninja, Schminja - Nothing can compare to the art of Sinanju...)

[zerohour]

I haven't read all of the replies to this topic, so I don't know if anybody has already suggested this, but why don't you make up your own martial art for your character to use? I guess it depends where and when your story takes place.

 

And maybe you should go and watch some classes or demonstrations of different martial arts - so you can imagine your character using the same techniques, etc....

 

Just a thought. Good luck with the story.

[Writer]

I liked Remo the movie. My old roommate read everone of his books. Much of my character's action sequences don't involve MA, per se, just pure athleticism. I finally went with ninjitsu as I recall and threw in a little about underground circuits in southeast Asia. It was just mentioned in dialogue to add a little beef to the character. But I don't want the reader to know too much about her. I like the idea that nobody knows for sure just what makes her so damn good. Is she even human? Had she been genetically altered before conception? In any case, unless someone has an incredibly hot MA that's very "in" (something mind blowing like when Kato hit the scene on the Green Hornet), I think we can consider the topic closed. It's been nice chatting and thanks for all the suggestions!