(This post is in response to the prompt “What’s your Storytelling Superpower” for the DIY MFA Book Club. To learn more about the club, click here. To take the quiz yourself, click here.)
It comes as no surprise that my “superpower” came back as Survivor. The stories I’ve enjoyed most from childhood on have had a main character(s) facing a formidable enemy, oftentimes while simultaneously fighting their own inner demons. My own survivor story got its start during my childhood years. Ever since that time, I have been drawn to books involving teens and pre-teens facing impossible situations and finding a way to overcome them. Even as a woman in my 40s, I still enjoy reading about Harry Potter or Lucy Pevensie or Meg Murray facing their struggles both in and outside of themselves and winning against all odds. I find hope in their pages.
In hindsight, I can see this is why the novel I wrote is centered around a preteen girl, facing insurmountable odds on the outside while fighting her perceived inadequacies on the inside. I was working on a memoir of my years as an adult college student at the time of its inception. One doesn’t generally go to school as an adult without some backstory. In breaking through the walls of my comfort zone, I had to peel away layers of scar tissue as I faced my fears. Writing about that time brought everything rushing back and I believe that through writing I will ultimately find healing.