I like to think that my own zany imagination and sense of adventure inspire my plots, but then I'd have to go and explain what inspired
them in the first place. Popular culture, history, theoretical physics, science fiction, and classic literature are probably my main influences in terms of
theme. I consider characters to be an inspiration of their own, really. They're what makes or breaks a story, and if they aren't up to par, whatever you're writing simply
won't be readable. That is to say, you might have a fantastic setting and a riveting plot, but unless your characters are larger than life, you're sunk. You absolutely
must cause the audience to
care about the characters.
When you hear
this song, is there a fictional character other than Superman that comes to mind?
(I immediately think of Julian Bashir from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, because he's genetically engineered and he's got superhuman strength, but sometimes the connection isn't that literal.)