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“Create a new superhero. What are his/her/its powers? What does the costume look like?”

This is where Noah Scalin has nudged me today, on this 231st day of 365: Make Something Every Day and Change Your Life.

All day I’ve been churning ideas for a superhero of the writing world. A few characteristics I know for sure:

• Female. The superworld needs more women. So this hero is a strong, intelligent female.
• Adventurous. Sure, she knows the rules. Grammar, punctuation, story arcs, plot twists, and all that. But this hero also bucks the system and makes her own way. She invents words, writes fragments, and misuses punctuation. She’s a rebel.
• Armed but approachable. Everyone’s a critic. My writing hero can take a direct blow from professional editors as well as amateur hacks. She decides whether to let their feedback ricochet off her armor, to lob it back with strategic defense, or to absorb it and make her writing stronger.
• Empathetic. Great writers “get” people. Whether she’s intuiting the reader’s mind or defining a character’s flaws, this hero understands and cares about humankind.
• Connected. Though she is independent and confident on her own, this superhero trusts and calls upon a network of superfriends. Sometimes they see things she can’t, and she values the diverse powers they bring to each writing project—whether creativity, accuracy, brevity, humor, or some other storytelling gift.

She’s powerful.

What does she look like?

She’s incredibly sexy, of course. But not because of giant breasts, curvaceous hips, or stiletto heels. No, what you’ll notice first are her eyes: warm and smiling and perceptive and always trained on something of interest. You’ll be so drawn in by the power of those eyes, you’ll want to tell her your story.

Then you’ll see how her entire face reflects you and the rest of the world, revealing her extraordinary emotional sensitivity.

But when she speaks, you’ll realize she’s not just a soaking sponge. She’s got courage and wit. She keeps herself together, even when the plot thickens.

She’s fit, too, because she has the good sense to get up from her writing and move.

What I don’t know is this superhero’s name. Word Woman? Story Girl? Editoria, Empress of the Writing World? I could use some help here. Toss me a few ideas.