If you imagine your real life as storybook, and each chapter of this storybook is filled with the actions and clashes of heroes and villains, who would be the heroes and who would be the villains?

Whether we live in the forest, in a small town of humans or The City, there are always real acquaintances who, when we sit back and study them a bit longer, make us think of something else!

A tiny girl with a sweet face might actually feel more like a curious mouse.  A much older brother who is always looking after us and always looking out for us might feel more like a character with superpowers.

As for the villains, they can be just as plentiful!  And we do not have to despise someone to see them as a starting place for a villainous character.  Possibly they have a laugh or a walk or some other feature that makes us think of a villain—possibly assigning far too much reading for one night!  In a flash, a cackling villain suddenly springs to life!

New idea:  If ever, in a story, we are stuck for a new hero or villain, we can look nearby.  Inspiration might be right next door or right in front of us…