Wonder Woman. Batman. Spider-Man. The X-Men. I’ve always loved watching and reading about them. When I was about five or six, I draped a towel over my shoulders, climbed up a metal trellis at my grandma’s, and deflected imaginary bullets with my bare wrists. (Because I didn’t need any stinkin’ magic bracelets like Wonder Woman, although I always wanted her supercool tiara.) I even got an old piece of twine and pretended that was my Lasso of Truth.

So, it’s not too surprising that my debut book, Karma Girl, is set in a world full of superheroes and ubervillains.

Or that I think we all have our own superpowers.

Superpowers, you ask? We don’t have superpowers. We can’t crush diamonds with our bare hands. Or teleport across great distances in the blink of an eye. Or create fireballs with just a thought.

No, we can’t.

But we can do other things that make us just as super. For example, take my superpower – writing.

In high school and college, it always confused me when people said they couldn’t write to save their lives. The other kids always dreaded the essays and term papers and creative writing assignments. Not me. I loved ‘em. Even the fifty-page research paper I did on sexism in fairy tales.

When someone would complain to me about writing, my response would be something like: Why? It’s so easy. And so much fun too! This sentence was always said in a cheery tone with a smile stretching across my face. And it was always greeted with a dark look and some mumbling that sounded like Geez. What a nutjob.

But I could always write, whether it was for school assignments or for my own twisted pleasure. My best friend used to call me the Queen of … well, let’s just say the initials are BS, and it doesn’t stand for bachelor of science. Admittedly, I don’t always write well (hey, even Spider-Man’s powers go on the fritz from time to time), but I always enjoy it. Writing always makes me feel strong, empowered, and yes, special.

So that’s why I consider writing to be my superpower. But it’s not the only one out there.

My mom can do things with sugar and flour and vanilla extract that boggle the mind. My significant other takes gorgeous photographs and sees things in a camera lens I can’t even imagine. My grandfather is the kind of guy who can build an entire civilization out of tin cans, used motor oil, and banana peels.

So what do you think your superpower is? Because everybody has one. If you’re a writer like me, maybe you’re great at dialogue. Or can describe a scene so vividly people can see and smell and even taste it. Or can write sex scenes that make women rush off to find their significant others.

Even if you’re not a writer, you still have a superpower just like the rest of us. Are you an accountant? Maybe it’s your ability to keep people from being audited by the IRS. A librarian? The ability to help people to discover the joy of reading. A teacher? The power to impart knowledge to others.

And superpowers aren’t just related to your job. Your love for your kids. Your sense of duty. Your desire to do the right thing and be the best person you can be. They’re all superpowers in their own way. They all make you strong and special and the kick-ass heroine (or hero) of your own life.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that we’re all Wonder Women. So figure out what your superpower is. Embrace it. Celebrate it. Be proud of it. I am of mine.

Now, if I can just get my hands on Wonder Woman’s tiara …