This week's topic:
What are your writing and publishing superpowers (drafting? beta-reading? writing queries? plotting? character creation? etc.) -- and what's your kryptonite?
Look at my favorite superheroes -->
(Maybe it would be a little more of a favorite if that lead guy with the dumbass hood was replaced by his wife, or Ro, or really anyone. Ignore that.)
What I like about the X-Men is that they are a team. The Justice League, sure, they work together to battle intergalactic threats, but they really don't need the help most of the time. They can get by on their own. Supes, he's got flight, and x-ray vision, and super strength and whatever else you can think of. Bats, he's got technology and stealth and little boy sidekicks in colorful underpants, and let's not forget Alfred (really, Alfred, I want that). But the X-men each have one, maybe two, superpowers at the most, and that's a lot more realistic.
My writing superpower is actually a pretty awesome one. I can get words on the page.
I'm pretty fast, not super fast, but speedy. I'm dedicated, most days. But if I sit down and focus, I can write. And sometimes, I can write a lot.
But that's where the superhero team comes in. The writing's on the page. Now I need the other superheroes to swoop down with their awesome critiquing powers, and send me back out the door, armed and ready to fight the beast of a manuscript. Maybe this is my book, the eponymous monthly magazine about my adventures, and I've always been a bit of a loner, but the X-Men don't let each other go it alone (ignoring truth for the sake of metaphor here). When I need them, I can count on them to bring their support: Beast's tech, Emma's mind reading, Kitty's stealth. And the calvary will help me blow all that kryptonite away.
There is always a lot of kryptonite. I love my plots, but they're not always... coherent. I love my characters, but someone needs to tell me if they're being whiny lazy brats and should get going and do something. And sometimes I need a Charles Xavier type to look stern and say 'I know you can be better. Do not fear your powers. Truly attempt to exploit every ounce of skill you possess.'
Because the real kryptonite? (To paraphrase/bastardize the words of JF Kennedy...)
The only real kryptonite is fear.
We have Green Lantern for fear lol j/k
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, I understand you. Writing is a team work, even though it seems (and sometimes feels) lonely.
As far as fear, that's where the team comes in again, to encourage you ;)
And it's only kryptonite if we let it control us! :)
ReplyDeleteI love your metaphor! It's so true--my superpowers are small in how they help my draft compared to when my CPs have at it and blast away MY kryptonite with their own superpowers :)
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, fear is the only true kryptonite!
ReplyDeleteYour 'bastardization' of Kennedy is bang on (Blam!). I think we all struggle with fear even in the moments where the words are pouring out on the page.
ReplyDeleteHee, great post!
ReplyDeleteLet's hope your team can defeat the fear.
I totally call Storm, if only because I can have really really cool hair.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I call my writing partner a superhero all the time.
Speaking of Green Lantern - check out my RTW.
Love the X-men and your spot on with fear being the only real kryptonite!
ReplyDeleteThe X-men are the best! It's wonderful when you have friends who can point out things in your story you can't see for yourself. I couldn't get along without them.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!