What’s Your Superpower?
Everyone has one.
I know someone whose superpower is the ability to work diligently at something until it’s just right to his ears and his soul.
Someone else’s superpower—and I’m not sure she even knows this—is finding rainbows in the rain (metaphorically speaking).
An acquaintance’s superpower is telling the time within a couple of minutes WITHOUT A WATCH!
My SIL’s superpower is putting people at ease and remembering their stories (dreams, hopes, fears).
Why are superpowers important and what do they have to do with children’s fiction…or any fiction…or life?
Pick up the novel you’re currently reading.
I’ve got Ferris by Kate DiCamillo.
Ferris, the main character, has a superpower that she’s not aware of at the beginning.
But her grandmother has whispered it into her ear until it settled in her solar plexus (where all superpowers are felt): See the love story in every story.
Pretty good superpower.
In Charlotte’s Web, Wilbur has a superpower that tends to be a superpower for a lot of MG characters—his willingness to help himself.
He’s not going to let Charlotte do all the heavy lifting.
In Sara Pennypacker’s Leeva at Last, Leeva’s superpower is persistence.
She doesn’t give up in her quest to find the answer to a burning question: What are people for?
How about Winnie-the-Pooh?
His superpower is positivity.
It draws friends to him and makes his life happier.
When writing a story, find the main character’s superpower.
Then think about what would happen if that power was tested, opposed, or taken away.
That’s the seed of your story.
In dealing with the chaos that ensues from opposition, one of two things will happen.
Your character will determine that their power is so strong, it can save them from not only this conflict, but any future conflict.
Or, they’ll find out they have a new superpower that’s even better than the one they started with at the beginning.
How does Wilbur’s superpower of helping himself get thwarted?
The farmer is determined to kill Wilbur because pigs are for slaughter.
But once Charlotte shows up and spins her web of words, Wilbur summons up his courage to live up to those great adjectives.
His determination to survive is not even squelched when (spoiler alert for the one person who hasn’t read this book) Charlotte dies and leaves Wilbur to carry on for himself.
Winnie-the-Pooh’s superpower of positivity gets tested in lots of ways.
He gets stuck in Rabbit’s front door because he ate too much.
He awakens a beehive when he tries to get honey.
Rabbit and Eeyore and their constant negativity frequently test Pooh’s superpower.
And on and on.
This is kind of a fun party trick (I don’t get out much).
But once you learn the superpower of any character in a book, you can predict the plot of the story.
Can you predict the outcome?
No.
But you know it’s going to end in two ways: the superpower wins the day or it doesn’t.
So I ask you, what’s your superpower?
Have a great week.
Until next time,
~ Gail
Countdown: 35 more weeks of 2024
Before you go, don’t forget to sign up for my mailing list, below:
This is such a great way to think about character arc in a story! Thanks for the tip.
I loved all the stories you talked about here!
Thanks, Emily! You know I’m always impressed by you. Your superpower is kindness and persistence. 🙂