Writing Characters With Superpowers

Writing Characters with Superpowers

Look! Up on the blog! It’s a novel! It’s a poem! No - it’s a new SOC Original!

Anyone who knows anything about my writing knows that the one thing I love to write, more than anything else in the whole world, is characters with superpowers. Why? I don’t know. It might be my childhood obsession with X-men: Evolution, or my subsequent obsessions with Static Shock, Batman: Beyond, the Justice League, or any other number of cartoon superhero shows. I started writing about superheroes when I was twelve years old, and I have never gone back.

Of course, writing about superheroes (and supervillains!) for over fourteen years teaches you a few things about how to write superpowers - and how not to. A few people have requested that I make a post about what to keep in mind when writing about superpowers, so here it is!

First of all, when you’re writing a character with superpowers, ignore anyone who says that if you give your character the same powers as another character you’re cheating, being uncreative, or whatever else. Listen, there’s nothing you can write that hasn’t been written, or at least there isn’t much. What counts isn’t the powers, it’s how your specific character chooses to use them! Just because you have a character who is super strong and who can fly doesn’t mean that you’re writing Superman - maybe your character isn’t quite as “Good” or as law-abiding as Superman, or maybe your character is afraid of their own strength and chooses not to use it at all, or maybe they just don’t have a lot of control. There’s a lot of wiggle room, so don’t be afraid to wiggle!

Second, when you give your character superpowers, give them limitations or drawbacks. These don’t have to be directly connected to their powers - they can be a part of your character’s personality instead. For example, I have a character who can unleash devastating amounts of telekinetic force, but she chooses to suppress her abilities instead of using them because she’s afraid that she’ll hurt someone - a fear that stems from her past, where she might have accidentally killed someone with her powers. Her fear of her own strength is a limitation on that strength and on her willingness to use it. You can also take this in the other direction and have a character who is so confident that they are helping that they end up doing more harm than good, or a character who so firmly believes that their powers are the answer to all of their problems that they completely miss the simpler solution. There are lots and lots of ways you can do this!

Another thing to think about, though, is powers-specific disadvantages. Yes, we all know the “Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex” trope/joke, but honestly, most superpowers have some kind of drawback associated with them, especially when they first manifest. If your character is a telepath who doesn’t have great control over their telepathy, they might hear things in other peoples’ heads that they wish they hadn’t, or they might get overwhelmed by the amount of mental “noise” around them. An empath could be overloaded by other peoples’ emotions, especially in a crowd, and a pyrokinetic always has to worry about starting accidental fires, of course. Figure out what kind of trouble your character’s powers cause for them. This can also be a list of “superpower cons” - reasons why your character might want to give up their powers.

That leads me to my next point - figure out how your character feels about their powers! Are they afraid of them? Are they awed? Do they think their powers are super cool, or are they angry that they can no longer lead a normal life? Do they think they need help learning how to deal with them?

In the same vein, figure out who your character can tell about their abilities - every hero needs someone they can trust enough to be their true selves with. It’s not good for people, psychologically, to have to wear a mask all the time, even if the mask is invisible. Your hero needs someone they can turn to in times of sorrow or doubt, whether that’s a friend or a sibling or a parent or a butler.

Your superpowered character needs to have a life outside of their superpowers, but their superpowers should affect that life, too. What I mean is that there are some things that can’t be separated from who we are as people, and superpowers fall into that category. Your psychic character won’t only have migraines when they’re wearing the mask. Your superstrong character doesn’t only have superstrength when they’re wearing tights. They still have lives and families and jobs and things that they have to do that don’t involve stopping (or starting) the latest crime wave, but their powers don’t go away. Show your readers the impact that has on them.

And, last of all, when you’re writing a superpowered character, think about what drives them. Think about what their morality is, and think about their motivation, and think about how that affects the choices they make with and without their powers. Don’t be afraid of the gray areas - sometimes that’s where the most interesting stories happen, in the struggle between what a character wants to do and what they know they have to do.

I hope this helps you out when you’re writing your superpowered characters. Good luck!

-Kyo

More Posts from Nostarcanshinebrighter-blog and Others

success story﹟48

MANIFESTED AN SP (+ da bonus)???

there was this really hot boy in my dream once. he kept looking at me and he’s soo mysterious. he has brown armin arlert hair, dark green eyes with those pretty eyebags, 2 shades lighter than i am (he’s Russian, help), had this gauze wrapped around his left hand (found out in the dream that he pierced it with a very sharp object. so uh he has Jesus hands, slayyy); basically, he’s a tim burton character. “well, what does this have to do with manifesting an sp?” you see, he’s my literal dream boy; ever since i saw him (in a dream 😭) i kept visualizing that he would be my neighbour and we’d go to the same school and we are dating. ive been doing this for like weeks (i was also visualizing having my dream face & body).

guess who i saw few hours ago.. MY DREAM BOY, PLEASE. When I went out of my apartment (more like ‘our’ since, my parents are paying the rent) to get something from the shoe rack, I SAW HIM (with a mom and dad talking to him IN RUSSIAN) HE WAS EXACTLY LIKE THAT GUY IN MY DREAMS, SPEAKS RUSSIAN, THE ARMIN ARLERT HAIR CUT, THE JESUS HAND; LITERAL HEAD TO TOE. AND THEN WE MADE EYE CONTACT AND I JUST KNOW HE SMIRKED LIKE AEHEAHAHEH.

Literally, my manifestations CAME in time, bcs I also just got my desired appearance a few days ago (had to revise that my parents thought i always looked like my da since few weeks back cuz im scared they’ll think im an intruder). Now I’m just manifesting I go to my desired school… Oh wait, I already did 😳

note by daphne: I‘m out of words tbh because reading success stories by you guys feels like reading my own :,,). ARGHHH I AM SO EXCITED FOR HOW THIS WILL END!! I adore sp stories/manifestations so much :,(.

"If you ever feel like you are lying to yourself while manifesting"

There are infinite number of realities, and in each reality there is a version of you experiencing it.

That version of you is YOU, its just a piece of YOUR consciousness. YOU ARE EXPERIENCING IT RN!! You are on your way to watch a movie with your sp RIGHT NOW, You are doing a concert RIGHT NOW, you have your df RIGHT NOW, you are fighting a bunch of villains with avengers RIGHT NOW!! just in a different reality! IT IS ALL YOU !! That piece of consciousness is not a different person, SHE IS YOU AND YOU ARE HER!! Just embody the version of consciousness that you desire by assuming that you are them THAT YOU ALREADY ARE!!

The only reason why you aren't experiencing your desired reality is because you are keenly aware of this reality of you not having your desire and this version of yourself. Switch your focus to what you desire and not the things you dont desire

So when you say you have your desire you aren't lying at all cause you do have it!! when you affirm you are talking from the perspective of your desired version of yourself that truly exists AND IS LITERALLY A PART OF YOU !! IT IS YOU!!

Sometimes you have to see discourse and go “wow, so you don’t understand the character or the material” and then leave. For your own mental state.

~ WHAT ARE PLACEBOS? HOW CAN YOU USE PLACEBOS TO MANIFEST? (WITH IDEAS & EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU CAN USE) ~

Long Post Alert ⚠️

the placebo effect is when an improvement in medical symptoms is observed, despite using a non-active treatment. it possibly occurs due to psychological factors like assumptions or classical conditioning.

• placebos are used in the form of fake treatments, pills, injections etc. which if taken with certain assumptions in mind can produce effects of an actual treatment. for instance, in one study, people were instructed to consume placebo sugar pills and explained instead that it was a stimulant. after taking the pill, their pulse rate sped up, their blood pressure increased, and their reaction speeds improved. (keep in mind that the pills were fake!)

• possibly, the placebo effect is caused due to a person's expectations and assumptions. if a person assumes a pill to do something, then it's possible that the body's own chemistry can cause effects similar to what a medication might have caused. the placebo effect demonstrates the powerful and undeniable connection between the mind and body in what we feel and experience

• in a lot of cases, despite people being aware that they are being given a placebo, they assumed it to work & it was still mostly effective & showed improvement. placebos can be used in manifesting to trick our mind into setting intentions & assigning meanings to actions that are in favor of our desires. which means you can perform certain actions and decide that it has a certain effect on your desire. these actions may or may not be directly related to your desire. you don't necessarily need to take actions or use any techniques to manifest. this is simply a helpful tool.

~~ USING PLACEBOS FOR MANIFESTING ~~

any action taken with a preconceived assumption repeatedly, creates a placebo. in law of assumption, we can form our own beliefs/assumptions by affirming & persisting in our desired reality. we assign meaning to everything in our reality & by affirming or our dominant thoughts, we retain those assumed meanings or change them in order for them to be in the favor of our desires.

• your placebos can/cannot be directly or logically linked to your desire & that's perfectly okay. for example, if you're manifesting a good singing voice, you could assume :

1) every time i drink hot milk, my singing gets better.

or something like

2) everytime i practice, my singing gets better.

here, in the first example there's no connection between milk and - having a good voice but it would still work if you assume it does. and in the second example we see a conventionally conditioned belief that practicing or hardwork can bring our desires - and it will, if you assume it does. so everything really comes down to what you assume & how you train your mind to dominantly think.

why this works : everytime you drink hot milk and reaffirm that it is giving you a better voice or everytime you practice, you assume it is making you a better singer, IT WILL- your assumptions eventually create your reality. you're god, your rules work here! i mean think about it why do superstitions & rituals sometimes work? it's because the people doing them assume & believe it does!

~~ AFFIRMATION IDEAS/EXAMPLES FOR PLACEBOS ~~

specific person:

• everytime i wash my face, SP calls me.

• everytime i snap my fingers, SP falls deeper in love with me

• everytime i eat apples, SP does something special for me

• everytime i listen to hozier songs, SP misses me

• everytime i think of SP, SP thinks of me

money, career & job :

• everytime i spend money, it comes back to me tenfold

• everytime i see a traffic signal, i get a thousand dollars

• everytime i feed my dog, i get a promotion

• everytime i jump twice, i get praised for my work

• everytime i wake up early, i get a salary raise

desired body:

• everytime i go for a walk, i get a slimmer nose

• everytime i drink water, my waist gets tinier

• everytime i sing a song, my eyes become more hazel

• everytime i call my bestie, my hair grows longer

• everytime i do my homework, my lips get plumper

for school/university :

• everytime i sleep early, i top my exams

• everytime i take an evening walk, i become more interesting

• everytime i look at my crush, they fall in love with me

• everytime i charge my laptop, i become more popular

• everytime i touch my books, i get smarter

for manifesting abilities :

• everytime i clean my room, i become better at manifesting

• everytime i have dinner on time, i maintain a perfect mental diet

• everytime i meditate, i instantly manifest

• everytime i flush the toilet, i release limiting beliefs (xD)

• everytime i write an affirmation, it instantly turns true

for being treated like royalty:

• everytime i do my skincare, everyone spoils me

• everytime i smile, i get free clothes, makeup & bags

• everytime i comb my hair, i get endless compliments

• everytime i exercise, everyone worships me

• everytime i eat oats, i become irresistible

feel free to use any placebo for any of your desires. you can customise them according to your daily habits or whatever you find easy, fun and comfortable! happy manifesting ♡

INVEST IN YOURSELF. become the person you’ve always dreamed of, refocus your time and energy on the things that you really want, fill your mind with positive beautiful thoughts and watch those thoughts flourish into your reality. change your thoughts and you will change your reality

Attune yourself to the energy of opulence, abundance, luxury. Hair conditioned and glossy with health. Skin clear and moisturized. Lashes long and curled. Clothes and jewelry top-tier quality. Living in the house of your dreams. Visualize it, embody it, feel it, manifest it. You deserve the best. You are wreathed in abundance and so it is.

She’s Coming. DOCTOR STRANGE: IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (2022) | Dir. Sam Raimi
She’s Coming. DOCTOR STRANGE: IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (2022) | Dir. Sam Raimi
She’s Coming. DOCTOR STRANGE: IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (2022) | Dir. Sam Raimi

She’s coming. DOCTOR STRANGE: IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS (2022) | dir. Sam Raimi

☁️🌷🎀🩰🫖🐷🌸💗

☁️🌷🎀🩰🫖🐷🌸💗

the law is real like very real and works. it is extremely easy to apply and to win. once i understood that i am god, creation is finished and there is no action needed my whole world flipped for the better. i basically decided that there is no point in worries fears or doubts and just said that they are no longer apart of my life and they haven’t been ever since.

yes, it really is this easy and simple. you don’t have to take action, you don’t have to lift one finger, you don’t have go through a bridge of incidents and you don’t have to wait. the 3d is changing every single second and is malleable like putty. actually there is no time, there is only now the present moment. so when you decide you want something you now have it in your reality, you have already shifted to the reality where it exists and where you have it in the flesh.

be bold. be confident. be brave. just be. this is all really magical and beautiful. this is what we are here on this earth to do. fulfill our desires and all of our wishes. decide that your life is full of blessings, miracles and magic everyday. decide that everything only goes your way. decide that you are just built different and are the exception and you somehow always get what you desire in the 3d in less than a day. decide that you have special powers that allow you to always win and succeed. this doesn’t have to be boring. i believe all of this. i believe blessings miracles and magic fill my whole entire life. i believe i’m built different and somehow just do everything right and constantly win. i believe my life is a magical fairytale because it is and why not?

i do not feel guilt jealousy or regret because it’s a waste of time when i know i am god the creator of my reality. i dwell in love, happiness, joy, knowingness, fulfillment and calmness.

since i am living my fairytale magical life, that means everyone else can too. i’m stubborn and impatient but i used this to my advantage. i took those two traits and worked with it. i’m stubborn and impatient, not in a whiny 6 year old way but in a ‘i am in full control and this is my fate to always succeed and my life be my haven every second of everyday’. and do you wanna know what? it freaking worked rapidly fast like crazy fast. it all went smoothly because i let it happen smoothly.

this is your life. no one else has any say on how you decide to live it. everyone is you pushed out right? we are all one! so decide that the people in your life support you and your decisions and it will just make everything easier. they don’t make the decisions for you but it will make you feel better to know no matter what you are supported. i did this with my parents and siblings i decide that they support me with everything. i didn’t have to do that but it makes it easier.

life is this easy. life is beautiful. life is full of magic. life is absolutely amazing for me and i want it all for you too. simplify it for yourself. you have everything right now and more. you are already in your perfect reality.

i am never disappointed

everything goes my way

i have faith trust and lots of pixie dust

my physical world is perfect beautiful and magical

i have proven to myself that it is easy

only good things happen to me

everything gets handed to me like i am royalty

☁️🌷🎀🩰🫖🐷🌸💗

☁️🌷🎀🩰🫖🐷🌸💗
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