I am still a child at heart and maybe a bit of a nerd. I’m a big fan of the X-men and other superheroes. My fascination with superheroes started when I was a little girl. When I was a child I became ill too often and I would live vicariously through the stories, TV shows, and movies I enjoyed from my sick bed. I would imagine I was off on some amazing quest or saving the innocent from evil. I even used to imagine that my illnesses were slowly mutating and transforming my body, so one day, I’d wake up and find I too had some great superpower. It was a wonderful way to pass the hours away until I was well enough to play again!
Even all these years later, I don’t think I will ever tire of superheroes. I believe there is a desire in all of us to be special…to have a talent or power that no one else has. When we watch or read about superheroes we see a little of ourselves in them, as well as the strength and invincibility that we all wish we had. We long to make a difference in this world, and how much easier it would be with superpowers at our disposal!
With some of my story writing, I’m inspired to explore these desires. I try to create characters that are believable and everyday individuals. Yet, I often give them horrible limitations or difficult challenges that they must overcome. I love to explore how ordinary people face improbable or even impossible situations. Will they crumble under the pressure? Or will they somehow rise above their obstacles and become something more…something stronger and better? Will they, in a sense, find their own superpower and use it to help themselves and then others?
These characters reflect my own internal struggle. As an individual with a painful chronic illness, I’m still exploring what I’m meant to do with my life and how I can make this world a little better. Consequently, when I write my stories I learn from my characters. Being in the thick of all the chaos, it is difficult to think clearly or to understand anything. However, as I watch my characters’ lives unfold and see how they react, struggle, and try to overcome the impossible, I can see my own life a little clearer and understand myself a bit more. Ultimately, when I’m peering into the souls of my characters I can see a glimpse of my own.
Amanda R. Dollak 