How being a writer is like being a superhero

Well, since we’re talking superheroes today, of course I have to include this photo of my
favorite superhero…my nephew. I get to see Ollie in 17 days…not that I’m counting or anything. 🙂


I was never all that big into superhero movies…that is, until my sister married a guy who likes comics. And together, they double-teamed me until I gave in and watched, oh, I think every superhero movie of the past 10 years except Green Lantern…which they promised me is epic proportions of horrible.

Turns out I actually like the superhero genre…mostly, I think, because of all the backstory that goes with it. But that’s a post for another day.

Today I’m meshing two worlds: superheroes and writing. Why? Because my debut novel releases two months from this date!! So, you know, it only makes sense. Which is why I present:

The Top Ten Ways Being a Writer is Sorta Like Being a Superhero


1) We chase things. Superheroes go after bad guys. Writers chase ideas. Um, sometimes they’re bad, too. Like the time I thought maybe I could write a Ted Dekker-ish thriller. More chance of Lex Luther needing hair ribbons than that particular story ever seeing the light of day.

2) We’re branded. Superheroes tend to wear their brand on their chest (Superman’s “S,” Batman’s bat, Robin’s encircled “R”) or sometimes their whole body. Spiderman, anyone? Writers are branded most often by genre and voice. There’s something fun about finding your writing sweet spot and knowing it’s where you belong.

3) We get knocked down. A lot. (Cue Chumbawamba…and um, sorry if Tubthumping is in your head for the rest of forever.) Only difference is superheroes get up again because they’re all super and stuff. Pretty sure the reason writers get up again is because we’re all a little crazy.

4) We often wear tights and boots. Oh WAIT, maybe that one only applies to this writer. I love boots, okay? 

5) We have alternate identities. And no, I’m not going to go into a spiritual metaphor on the masks we wear and how we should all be more real. When I say “alternate identities,” I’m talking pure writer schizophrenia. When a scene goes well and my characters cooperate, I’m 100% Clark Kent wide-eyed and happy. When my book is falling apart and my plot stinks and my characters rebel, I’m emo Bruce Wayne all the way.

6) Hammers. Er, okay, once again…potentially just me. And Thor. He uses his to hit the ground and save people. I wrote a book about a homebuilding/DIY guru so of course a friend gave me a toolset. So there you go. (Yeah, totally reaching on that one, but come on…how could I not include Thor?)

7) Our backstories contribute. Captain America would not be nearly as cool without the journey that led him to become all shieldy and strong. Writers, and thus the writing we produce, is shaped by our pasts, our experiences, our dreams and fears.

8) It takes a while to figure out how to harness and wield our “powers.” And yeah, sometimes there’s frustration in that honing season. But there’s also a lot of fun. Like smiley Henry Cavill doing the flying thing in Man of Steel or Andrew Garfield aka moodiest-Spiderman-ever figuring out his web jump/flying in The Amazing Spider-Man.

9) We need other people. I can’t think of a single superhero who didn’t have someone at his side spurring him on. The ultimate is probably Batman’s Alfred…and (serious moment) when I start thinking of all the Alfreds in my own life, it overwhelms and amazes me. 

10) We wear our underwear outside our pants. Superheroes, often, literally. Writers, figuratively. By which I mean, we get all sorts of vulnerable when we share our stuff with the world. I never feel more conspicuous and self-conscious as when someone’s reading an early draft of my story…which (totally guessing here) is exactly how I’d feel if I wore my underwear outside my jeans. 

Okay, so what did I miss–other ways writers are like superheroes? And who’s your favorite superhero? Favorite superhero movie? 

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    Comments 29

    1. LOL, Love this post! Yup, we’re all a little crazy. I’m wishing the nasty villains in my world didn’t keep messing with my “power” to see my characters’ futures! I don’t have a favorite superhero, although…I remember watching Wonder Woman as a kid and it was pretty cool how fast she could spin and get changed. Wish I could whip up a new outfit like that. 🙂

    2. You make me laugh 🙂 My son LOVES superheros, so I know all about them now. Writers do have a lot of similarities. I agree, Andrew Garfield is a moody Spiderman. I really like Thor and his back story lately.

      1. Oh Thor…he’s definitely one of my faves. Because, um, well…Chris Hemsworth BUT I also think I’m kinda a sucker for brother stories…where one is good and one is bad.

    3. I totally laughed my way through this! Especially the underwear thing. Made me think of Quail Man. Don’t tell me you never watched Doug as a kid.

      I think one of my favorite superheroes is Thor. But only because he’s played by Chris Hemsworth. 😉

      And yaaaaaay for it being 2 months till your book releases!!!!!!!!

      1. I did not watch Doug…is this bad? I really didn’t watch much at all as a kid except movies and MacGuyver. Haha! OH and Dr. Quinn. And when I was reaaally little, Punky Brewster…which might explain my fashion sense (or lack thereof)…

        Yay for only two months!! Which also means it’s only two months til I get to hang out with you again!

    4. I loved the post, cool, funny, and I’m sure uplifted my husband as he is pursuing writing a graphic novel about Ollie. By the way, I think you should have had a picture of yourself in a superhero costume for this blog (especially one with underwear on the outside of the costume)! Ha ha!

      1. I can’t wait for Chip’s graphic novel! You guys are the greatest.

        UMMM I just don’t think I would look good enough in a superhero costume to wear one. HAAA! And my hair will never be as great as Thor’s. But as I wrote it, I did randomly start remembering the time in college prep class when I gave a speech and dressed up as superman–we were supposed to talk about our chosen career path, so I started off talking about being a reporter, then halfway through switched it up, took my top shirt off and started talking about how reporting would be a cover for my “real” profession of saving the world. I still remember this guy coming up to me at my locker later and saying, “Are you the girl who jumped off a chair in college prep class and pretending you could fly…?”

    5. Such a fun post! Another way writers are like superheroes is the fact that they save the world, granted it’s from boredom not death but still I can’t imagine how awful life would be without books to read! My all around favorite superhero is definitely Captain America (you just can’t beat him!) but I do like most of the others too! Still need to see the Batman movies and Man of Steel as well as the Amazing Spiderman!

      1. Haha, I love the idea that we’re saving the world from boredom. 🙂 And all those movies you mentioned at the end are great…probably the one I’ve heard the most conflicting opinions on is The Amazing Spider-Man–I know people who loved and people who hated it. I enjoyed it, but I’m not well-versed in Spiderman lore. 🙂

    6. What a fabulous post, Melissa – love how you incorporated superheroes into this. Gotta’ love those dudes (and ladies!). And, your family is right: Green Lantern is AWKWARD. I mean, I like Ryan Reynolds and Katie Cassidy but, yeah… that one was not cool. 😉

      Fav superhero!? Golly how to pick. I probably like Captain America as a character best just because he’s so “good” and has a moral code characters rarely live by. That movie was a bit slow-moving in places though so maybe ‘Avengers’ is my pick for “best” movie. But… then there is ‘Amazing Spider-Man.’ Hmm… so many things to consider! 😉

      Love number ten! Made me smile and still, it’s quite true!

      Aw! What a cute pic of your nephew – hope you have a great visit and those 17 days go fast! 🙂

      1. Isn’t he adorable? He’s been through SO much in his short life but you’d never know it by his constant smile.

        I think it’s hard to pick a superhero fave too!

    7. My kids have been watching The League of Incredible Vegetables (A Veggie Tale Movie) lately! I can’t even write that title without breaking into song in my head. 🙂 I love the analogy of writers being like superheros–especially your last point. Although, I haven’t contemplated what it would feel like to wear my underwear outside my pants, I can imagine I’d feel pretty vulnerable. Ha! That’s a funny thought. 🙂

      I think writers are like superheros because we have a gift (or power) that no one else has. Each of us could be given the same premise for a story, and we’d all deliver a very different version. That’s because we’re each given a different gift to express the story God has laid on our hearts. That’s pretty cool. 🙂

      1. So true, Gabe, about each of us being given the same premise and delivering different versions. Actually, I’ve had people ask me before if I’m worried about sharing story ideas with others–what if the other person steals the idea? My thought is, they’ll never be able to write the story exactly like I would and vice versa. Haha!

    8. Melissa, you always make me smile… wonderful post.

      We also have an arch-enemy: The Resistance! That fights us each and every day to keep us from our writing.

      PS. Green Lantern is my fave super-hero, but your sister is right, the movie wasn’t very good.

      Bless,

      1. You know, I don’t really know my Green Lantern lore, so I wish the movie had turned out better and I wouldn’t have been warned away. Haha…maybe I should just wikipedia Green Lantern to learn his story. 🙂

        Thanks for stopping by, Ian!

      1. Ooh, I should’ve linked to the video when I mentioned it above…Just be warned: the song will never leave your head. I wrote this post on Saturday, I think, and I’m still singing it internally… 🙂

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