We often talk about identifying our character’s Superpowers. But I haven’t thought about my own. Until I saw a video by a high school English teacher (Whitney Kelley, Lebanon Trail High School, Frisco, Texas).
With her permission, here’s what she said that struck me:
“The ability to influence others with mere words, written language or speech, that’s a Superpower.”
She went on to say that the Superpower of English involves more than “writing syntactically correct sentences and reading for comprehension.”
I confess pride that she’s talking about my great-niece, as she recognized her writing abilities. But any writer can relate to the desire to have this said: “When she writes, there’s substance, insightfulness. When she writes …it’s like I’ve entered into her journey with her. I understand what she’s seeing. It’s a Superpower.”
Yes, writing is a Superpower.
Ms. Kelley continued:
“Many superheroes don’t always know right off the bat that they hold this Superpower. I’m betting that might be the case…I don’t know that she knows just yet how much power she has in the area of English, …how much power she wields. I’m going to give her this word of advice given to one of my other favorite superheroes: ‘With much power comes much responsibility.’ As you move forward in your journey, there’s a whole lot of power that comes with that ability to write and to speak, the power of language. There’s no end to what you can do when you can command language, so I encourage you to use your power for good….Continue to grow, continue to nurture that power.”
Thank you, Ms. Kelley, for this reminder that what we write matters.
As Christian writers, we have been called to share our stories with the world. If we are called to write, we’ve been given a Superpower.
Whether you are a high school student beginning your writing journey or have been writing for many years, this is valuable advice and encouragement.
Let us each continue to grow, to nurture our calling, and to use our power for good.
#quote ‘There’s no end to what you can do when you can command language, so use your power for good.’@mwcoutu @MaryAFelkins #amwriting #superpower #SeriouslyWrite
Marie Wells Coutu finds beauty in surprising places, like old houses, gnarly trees, and forgotten treasures. When she’s not writing about finding restoration and healing through God-designed journeys, she enjoys taking broken things and making them useful.
She is currently working on historical romance novels set in the 1930s. One manuscript won the 2019 Touched by Love Contest and the 2019 Sheila Contest, and a second novel also won in the Sheila Contest.
Her published novels are women’s contemporary fiction. Her debut novel, For Such a Moment, won the Books of Hope Contest. The Secret Heart, her newest release, and Thirsting for More, the second book in the series, were finalists in several contests.
You can find more about Marie and her novels on her Facebook author page and her website, MarieWellsCoutu.com
Follow her on Twitter @mwcoutu or on Amazon.
