Last summer, I had a really interesting conversation with Scott Calhoun of the Inner Typewriter about Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey® and how authors can use it to enrich and focus their writing:
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Among other things, I look at Risuko, and how my work on it reflects the Hero Journey.
The Hero’s Journey is a registered trademark of Joseph Campbell Foundation (JCF.org)
A radio interview that I gave recently is now up as a podcast!
I talked with Gil Mansergh, host of KRCB’s Word by Word, about Risuko, including what inspired the book and what it was like to write , and how my work with Joseph Campbell Foundation on books like The Hero with a Thousand Facesand Pathways to Bliss influenced my writing. I also read some fun sections of the book aloud — my version of Kee Sun probably reminds you of another literary character (not intentional)!
We’ve completed recording on the audiobook of Risuko!
Risuko narrator Julia Kudler
Here’s an interview by author David Kudler with audiobook narrator Julia Kudler — who happens to be his daughter. They discuss kickass female characters, character voices, dialects, and the joys of recording a book she first read when she was twelve: Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale.
NOTE: CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS!
Samurai, Assassins, Warlords…
And A Girl Who Likes To Climb
Though Japan has been devastated by a century of civil war, Risuko just wants to climb trees. Growing up far from the battlefields and court intrigues, the fatherless girl finds herself pulled into a plot that may reunite Japan — or may destroy it. She is torn from her home and what is left of her family, but finds new friends at a school that may not be what it seems.
Magical but historical, Risuko follows her along the first dangerous steps to discovering who she truly is.
Historical adventure fiction appropriate for young adult and middle-grade readers
John Byrne Barry, award-winning author of political and crime thrillers, interviewed Risuko author David Kudler for the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association web site on the day of Risuko’s release.
In the interview, Kudler discusses the writing process, including:
what it’s like to write the first book in a series,
how to balance leaving your readers wanting more with leaving them satisfied,
where he falls on the “plotting vs. pantsing” spectrum,
what inspired him to write the teen historical novel,
Starting June 1, YA Bound Blog Tours will be organizing a week-long series of reviews, feature articles, and guest posts on Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale and author David Kudler! (See the schedule below.)
David Kudler (author): My friend Sue has been helping run a podcast for a number of years. Called PotterFicWeekly, it was originally dedicated to discussing Harry Potter fanfiction, but over the years they’ve branched out. Poufwa Exchange is their podcast for discussing other fandoms — and on the most recent podcast, they discussed Risuko and interviewed me!