Ok so this girl who is 13 is just starting to notice she cannot get cold (it later leads to her power of Fire Manipulation) and I'm trying to decide whether or not to turn it into romance or danger/action or fantasy or.......the list goes on and on. Here's the last paragraph I've written: I tripped and nearly fell face first into the white blanket of fresh snow, forcing a giggle out of Lucy. My mom tossed me the keys and buckled a shivering Lucy into the backseat while I started the car. Cold air came pouring out of the vents, not yet warm from the night, and I noticed something odd- when the heat finally came on, I was already burning up. She ends up getting Invisibility, Flight, Fire, (should I add strenghth??) Should I make it a crazy people coming after her sci fi/comicy almost or should I make it kind of she's an outcast and hiding her powers kind of story??
Jeeze, that's all up to you. But, if you do choose something, you gotta make sure you stick with the plot. My opinion? I was thinking maybe she shouldn't have so many powers. Just one in fact. Then I would focus the plot on her devolopment of that power, and the stuggles of keeping it secrete. I wouldn't have a concrete advasary (such as a secret organazation trying to kill her). I'd base the story soley of the stuggle of controling her new power, trying to balance her life and her power, and the struggle of keeping it a secret, under control, and deciding what to do with it. Then, I might add something to where the power is discovered and then she has to face whoever finds out and who else is told. But seriously, that's just me. If you do decide something though, stick with it and don't stray from the plot.
I agree with GuitarSolo, I don't think she should have that many powers - it's just too much. The questions you asked are pretty much for yourself to answer. It's really up to how you want to write the story and what you want to happen. What would fit more...for a 13 year old girl...crazy people coming after her or her hiding her powers...which one matches her personality more- hiding it or showing it off??? Remeber just because you decide (for ex.) turn it into a danger/action doesn't mean you can't add romance or fantasy into it...
I think that the super power this girl has should not be fire. And if you stick to fire, do not make it a hide-my-powers type of story. Why? Because there's already a novel about a girl (teenager) with fire manipulation powers who tries to hide her powers. Its called Fire Starter, written by Stephen King. Check it out on Wikipedia.
Well, just because one guy wrote a book about a little girl who tried to hide pyrokinetic powers doesn't mean the concept is off limits to everyone else; the merit of a story isn't based on the originality of it's premise but the quality of it's execution. As long as WriterGirl081 doesn't commit outright plagiarism, she should be alright. On topic, you should probably make a decision on the overall mood of the story before you get started. Do you want it to be light-hearted or dark? Do you want it to start out light and progressively get more serious and dark in tone as the story progresses? After that, you should probably settle on a general theme for your story. It's not absolutely vital, but it does make mapping out your plot easier. As far as the setting, that's really up to you to decide. I would suggest that you try writing a story for each setting and then compare the two to see which one you like better. There are a few questions you should ask yourself before you get to writing though: How would a 13 year old girl realistically react to suddenly developing superpowers? How would her friend and family react to such a startling development? What would the consequences of her developing superpowers be? What kind of challenges would she have to face? What does she use her powers for? Why would crazy people come after her for having superpowers? Why would she feel like she has to keep her powers secret? As for the powers themselves, it's your story so choose whatever will work for you. Just remeber to steer clear of Mary Sue territory, as flawless all powerful characters tend to be dreadfully boring Hope this helps.
I would avoid the hiding powers thing. It's been done over and over. Instead, why not make it so that she loves her powers and really goes for it against something terrible. I view superpowers as an analogy for personality traits, qualities, etc. For instance, Superman was based on secular Jewish ideas of what makes a good person which was designed as counter propaganda for the Nietzschean ideals coming from Germany. Superman is a communal guy while Nietzsche suggested a ruthless pitiless person as the ideal. So, Superman's superpowers aren't as important to the story as is his approach to using them. He's a comment to the readers about how they should act. I'd like to see your female character put forth the question: what would a young woman do if she had the power to make things happen.
You're right, the quality is what matters. But originality does matters, too. It's like if someone wrote a story about a small boy who survived the attack of a dark wizard and attends a school of witchcraft and wizardry, and he has a scar in his forehead and he play a sport in flying broomsticks. And do not forger the story is written by Stephen King, so the number of people who have read the book is higher (I think, not a fact). And in the story Fire Starter, I think the girl is the same age. These aspects can be modified easily, for example making the girl be older or younger and something like wind manipulation. Or something.
Wow. That's awesome. It finally explains why I don't like Superman (Nietzsche guy !). Thanks for the info on that, gotta research more on it.
Oh yeah, that's 100% fact. I like Adlerian psychology and I think Superman is patterned after what was considered by Alfred Adler as being mentally healthy. Adler was extremely popular in the 30s and I think his ideas were a big influence. I know they were in the classic crime film Concrete Jungle. Note: Mark Twain said about racists that you better hope someone with a lighter shade of skin doesn't come around. That goes double for Nietzscheans!
How could she even fathom the sensation of being cold if she's never felt that way? Mentally stimulating!
Come now, Nietzsche wasn't that bad. Sure he was more than a little arrogant and his concept of the Ubermensch was kind of psychotic, but you must admit he did make a few good points.
I've read and reread much of his stuff and I've also read about his personal life. I think that his best book which is an indictment of religion is The Antichrist. The Ubermensch concept is an example of the guy's neuroticism (doing the opposite of what you are) in that he was a man who was small, afraid of girls, and so forth. In fact, towards the end of his life he hugged and defended a horse which was being beaten. I think self-disgust made him say the exact opposite of what he really felt in life. He's like the short tough guy stereotype, the bruiser who cries at cartoons, etc. I get a certain amount of amusement from reading him in reverse. If he says this, then I must assume that he means that.
I'd stick with the heat/fire control thingummy, but nothing else. The thing I never liked abotu Superman was he could do pretty much anything... And I disagree with earlier comments. I'd say go the whole hog and have a villain who is more powerful than she is. And i wouldn't have her hiding her powers, I'd have her showing them off! That's what I'd do if I had super-powers!
