Writing a Superhero Story

Common Superhero Day Job, Part 1

Journalist/Photographer

+: Can be easily tied into almost any plot.  Whether Godzilla’s attacking, a meteor is about to hit Metropolis or every car in town has mysteriously turned bright pink, a journalist will have something to do.
+: Good opportunity for conflict (with his editor, with his co-workers, with the people he’s covering, etc.)
-: Cliche.  Between Superman and Spiderman and Tin Tin and Spider Jerusalem, journalists have been used a lot.

Tip:  If you use a journalist, give his media outlet a distinct style.  That will help differentiate him from Clark Kent and Peter Parker.

Businessman

+:  Like journalists, businessmen can usually be involved in a plot fairly easily.
+:  Businessmen may have access to interesting and exotic resources.  That will give you room to shake things up a bit.
-:  Less potential for conflict with a boss.  A journalist will have an editor, but a corporate executive doesn’t really have a boss.
-:  Corporate intrigue is usually harder to follow than journalism.

Tip: Make him low-ranking.  That will help keep him relatable. Also, try to avoid complicated plots where one businessman does corporate battle with another.

Scientist

+:  Character flexibility.  There are a ton of scientist archetypes, but here are a few that come to mind:  quiet and brilliant, eccentric and brilliant (Einstein), restrained-and-professional (CDC), wacky-and-professional (DARPA), etc.  Your character will probably be some flavor of smart, but aside from that the sky’s the limit.
+:  Science is fairly easy to work into stories.
-:  In his lab, he’s probably boring.
-:  It’s hard for an author to fake scientific competence.  You may have to do research to make the character sound believable.

Tip:  Get him out of his lab as much as possible.  Field research is more interesting and has more storytelling potential than lab research.

Detective/Cop

+: Built-in audience.  There are a lot of people that like reading detective stories.
+: This doesn’t require as much research as a scientist, and there are many excellent cop shows.  (I recommend the first few seasons of Law and Order and The Wire).
+:  Good potential for conflict between superhero and police.
-:  Poor plot range.
-:  These stories tend to feel like rehashes of Law and Order or Sherlock Holmes.

Tip:  If your hero is a cop, it’s particularly important to make the hero and the villains stylish.  That will help distinguish you from Law and Order.

Private Investigator

+:  Usually easier to write than detectives and cops.  (Less legal jargon means less legal research).
-:  Not particularly well-suited for a wide range of plots.
-:  Less potential for conflict than most other professions here, because a PI usually doesn’t have a boss.

Tip:  Have him work for a PI agency.  That will give him someone to fight with at work.