Guest Post - JS Lewis - Changelings

GUEST POST

JS LEWIS

CHANGELINGS

J.S. Lewis, co-author of the Grey Griffins series, shares his love of comics and challenges us to act like changelings in our everyday life.  I think he’s on to something!

Deep breath. Okay, here I go. I have a confession to make. I love comic books. There, I said it. And you know what? It feels good to get it out in the open.

I suppose it all started when I was six years old. Every Saturday morning I’d wake up before my parents, grab a bowl of Fruity Pebbles and hunker down to watch the Super Friends. That’s where I first met Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the Justice League of America.

When the show ended, it was time to head to the grocery store with my mom. Back then, comics were sold in grocery stores, and I’d beg her for new books until she finally gave in. Annoying? Yes. But it was effective. I’d come home and pour over the colorful pages before I pulled out my own paper, pencil and markers to draw them for myself.

It’s only natural that all these years later, comic books somehow end up in every novel that I write. The Grey Griffins series is no different. Okay, so outside of Agent Thunderbolt, changelings don’t give themselves heroic names or wear loud costumes, but they’re still superheroes.

Derek Benz, who I co-author the series with, is a huge X-Men fan. It’s about a bunch of misfit teens with mutant powers who attend Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. We thought it would be fun to have a small part of Iron Bridge Academy dedicated to training super powered kids, just like Xavier’s school.

 

 It’s a fun concept, but it needed some depth. Great storytelling is rife with tension, so Derek and I had to make sure the changelings breeze through life without any worries. After all, everything in life comes at a price.

Changelings get their power from faeries. Ernie got his from a blood transfusion. Once the faerie blood mixed with his, he not only ran fast, he could see in the darkness, and he healed at a super human rate. In fact, he’ll never be sick. Sounds great, right? There’s a catch!

 Like all changelings, each time Ernie uses his power, the faerie essence gets stronger. If Ernie isn’t careful – if he uses his power too much – he’ll eventually lose his humanity and become a faerie. He won’t remember his name, his parents, or his friends.

Even knowing that, it’s hard for Ernie to resist. Think about it. If you had the ability to fly through the clouds, would you be able to hold back? What if you could read people’s minds? See through solid walls? I have a feeling I’d cave in every time.

What I love about Ernie is that he truly wants to use his powers to help people. He even tried to recruit some of the other changelings to make a superhero team. Most of them made fun of him, but he didn’t stop. Ernie believed he had a calling in life, and if people wanted to mock him for it, so be it.

Spider-man got great advice from his uncle: with great power comes great responsibility. Ernie lives by that code. How about you? Are you willing to use the gifts you’ve been given to help others? After all, you don’t need superpowers to save the world.

What if you and your friends opened a lemonade stand (or if it’s too cold outside, hot chocolate will do) and gave all the money you earned to a charity? If you’re a gifted artist, you could make the signs. If you’re a talented baker, maybe you could add chocolate chip cookies to the menu. Maybe you’re really good at organizing? You could bring everyone together. Do you have a lot of friends? You could be in charge or marketing so tons of people stop by.

Just like changelings, we all have a gift. Once we figure out what it is, nothing can stop us from making an impact for the people who need our help. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s exciting!