Avengers and human vulnerabilities

This is probably going to come as a surprise, out of nowhere kind of thing, but I'm going to let the cat out of the bag anyway. I think Joss Whedon is a genius. And I don't know... I think it might just be possible that I'm not the only one who thinks that... When people ask who my Author Crush is, I've always been wishy-washy. Apparently I just needed to think beyond books. It's been Joss since before I started writing.

Anyway, to get to the point, I read an article on Huffington Post by Maureen Ryan called 'Avengers' Fans: Thank TV For That Awesome Movie. If you're a fan of Joss, click on that link and read the whole article. It'll make you feel good all over. (I have no idea who Maureen Ryan is, but anyone who starts out an article with "There's a cloud to the silver lining of "The Avengers'" record-smashing success: We've probably lost its screenwriter and director Joss Whedon to the movies forever" is pretty worth reading in my book.)

And wow. I still haven't gotten to the point. (I just saw Avengers last night, so I'm kind of on an Avengers high. I swear I'll make my brain stay focused.) There are several ways to make your character sympathetic, likeable and relateable to your readers. If you make a character that is perfect in every way, how is anyone going to be able to relate to that? No one is perfect! It's kind of hard to see yourself in the shoes of someone who is. We don't find ourselves rooting for the perfect characters. Yet one of the ways we can make a character likeable is to make them REALLY GOOD at something. We like characters who are just downright awesome at things. So how do we make them still likeable and relateable while keeping their awesomeness intact? In her article about the The Avengers' opening night success, Maureen Ryan gave a few incredible writing tips. So I'm going to let her take it away.

[Whedon] makes us relate to the specially chosen and the super-powered because he shows them experiencing self-doubt, self-loathing and fear. 

Yes, these men and women are exalted and special, but they're vulnerable too. That's what makes us love them, and Whedon has always understood that. 

It's their reluctance -- the kind of reluctance exhibited by every major Whedon character -- that makes their sacrifices all the more meaningful. It's easy to be on a character's side when we know what their choices have cost them, and what flaws they had to overcome to make a meaningful contribution to the Big Plan for Battling Evil. We can't relate to being indestructible or unspeakably powerful (though of course, these movies tap into those aspirations), but we all know what it's like to have doubts about our own abilities, to fear letting people down and to wonder whether we can trust other people (especially others who appear to be every bit as flawed as ourselves).

Well said, isn't it? So those characters that are hugely good at something become relateable to the reader when they also have very human vulnerabilities.

By raise of hands, who has seen The Avengers?

Z is for Zzzz benefits

Anyone else feel the need to take a snooze after finally making it to the end of the A-Z challenge? Whew! Twenty six letters never seemed like quite so many. Well.... except for maybe in third grade when they were teaching cursive handwriting. 

But this post isn't about that. It's about the benefits of ZZZZZZZZZZzzz...

No, I'm not talking about the kind of benefits like the fact that your brain works better when you call it a night early enough to get the sleep you need before that way-too-early alarm (or that early-bird child) sounds. Or the benefit where if you SKIP several hours of sleep, you can get in several hours of prime writing time. :)

Photo Credit Link: Whisperfall at Deviant Art

I'm talking about the benefits of dreams.

How they can influence you. Inspire you. Possibly even make you think that your subconscious is WAY more crazy than your conscious is. I read a post a couple of weeks ago at The Secret Archives of the Alliterati by Alliterati K. Marie Criddle about how dreams affect her writing, and I've gotta admit-- it fascinates me!

I've heard a lot of people say that they go to bed thinking about their next scene, and their brain works on it all night. Sometimes they figure it out just as they're drifting off to sleep, sometimes they wake up in the middle of the night with the solution, and sometimes they just wake up the next morning with everything all worked out.

Is this how it works for you? I've got to admit-- I'm a little envious. I posted once about my theory on super powers, and told what mine is. You see, my super power is that I can fall asleep in under two minutes. Sometimes, it's under 30 seconds. And then I seriously don't move an inch-- not even to roll over or even attempt to be a cover hog-- until the alarm goes off. I actually really love my super power. It's a mighty powerful one. BUT, like every super power, there is a downside. My downside is that I can't turn it off! I can't lay in bed and ponder my story without falling asleep a few seconds into it. Sigh. Yes, there are a million worse things in the world. Like insomnia. (Recently, I took some medicine, and the warning said it could cause insomnia. I said YES!! I'll be able to plot in the middle of the night! Yeah.... It turns out insomnia isn't as great as I thought it'd be. Although I do credit some cold medicine-induced imsomnia for me finding my MC's voice in my WIP a couple of years ago. That girl talked to me for hours. So I guess sometimes it can be cool. But more than one night in a row? Not so much.)

So I guess the point is, when we stop running around like a crazy person and finally relax, our brains can do some pretty amazing things. Do you ever remember your dreams? Do they ever influence your writing? Have you ever magically figured something out during the night? Come on, share! I need to live vicariously here.

I've Got a Theory: Super Powers

I have a theory that EVERYONE has at least one Super Power.

And there are about a billion different super powers. I know people with Super Powers like being a baby whisperer, or having a massive aura of happiness, or magically making everything clean and organized, or to combine colors beautifully, or to remember everything read, or to STOP TIME. (I know. Jealous.) I even have a friend that has a Super Power for developing talents.

My point? There are LOTS of different kinds of Super Powers, and they are POWERFUL. (Otherwise, they wouldn't be called Super Powers. They'd be called LTICD. Lame Things I Can Do.)

My other point? That it's important to recognize your Super Power(s) and to appreciate them. Because if you're not grateful... Well, I have this other theory that says they'll go away.

Oh, and my other point is to use them. That's why you have them.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love fortune cookies? No?! Let's just say I don't think I could ever tire of reading fortune cookie fortunes. Super Powers are like that, too. I'LL NEVER TIRE OF HEARING ABOUT THEM. 

So... I'll tell you my Super Power if you tell me yours! I'll even illustrate mine. But you don't have to illustrate yours, because that's kinda hard to do in the comments.

Okay. So, everyone has this switch in their brain. When it's time to go to bed, you turn the switch off, and you go to sleep, right?

Easy as pie.

Except for one problem. The switch is at the VERY BACK of your brain.

And there's all this STUFF in the way. Things that you've stuck in your brain to worry about, and it's blocking your path. Family stuff, weeds in the flower beds, the leaky faucet, the to-do list, work / school, money issues, that book you've been reading, and that book you've been writing that you can't figure out / can't stop thinking about.

And that switch seems SO FAR AWAY. So you stop at each thing, and say in your most soothing voice, "Shh. Quiet down. It's time to go to bed now."

Except those little things are like two-year-olds, and they are anything BUT good at quieting down and going to bed. And there's always one or two that have eaten MORE SUGAR than a two-year-old should EVER have, so it's running around, jumping up and down, yelling "PAY ATTENTION TO ME!" and it keeps getting between you and the switch, and hours later, you're exhausted and hoarse, and you think you might die if the sugar high doesn't wear off soon. 

Deep breath.

Here's where my Super Power comes in. I have incredible leaping abilities! I'm even graceful. (See picture below for proof.) With my leaping powers, I can leap over all thoughts vying for my attention, and land RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE SWITCH.

And I can turn it off in under TWO MINUTES. I'm not kidding. See that little space under your desk? Give me a pillow and two minutes, and I can fall asleep even there. 

Pretty powerful, right?

Unless I'm trying to stay awake for a bit to work out the next scene I need to write, I love my Super Power.

So now it's your turn! Tell me. What's your Super Power?

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