The Big Damn Heroes Who Inspired Gail Z. Martin to Create Her Own

As a child, I found my heroes in the pages of books, on TV, and bigger-than-life on the silver screen. Unquestionably, they influenced my life and my writing. Sometimes, we’re lucky enough to know or meet real people who are heroes. And of course, there are real, unsung heroes all around us—medical professionals who save lives, first responders who risk their own lives to save others, people of quiet courage who make a life-changing difference.
But often, fictional heroes inspire us most—particularly when real people let us down. In a book, on TV, or at the movies, we find men and women whose courage, tenacity, witty rejoinders in the face of adversity, and sheer cussed determination encourage us in our bleakest moments to be our best selves.
I was an only child in a small town. Adventures were hard to come by, and exploring the world wouldn’t be an option for decades. So I found my heroes in fiction of all types, and they influenced how I viewed the world, helped to form my moral code, and kept me going when times got rough.
Here are some of the heroes who have given me courage, inspired my work, shaped my perspective, and enriched my life.

My captains
James T. Kirk, Mal Reynolds, Han Solo, and John Sheridan taught me about courage under fire, fierce loyalty, and doing the right thing even when the cost is high. They challenged me to be my best self, to push my limits, to never give up and never give in.

My mentors
Albus Dumbledore, Camber of Culdi, and the Doctor. They taught me to do the hard thing when it’s the right thing, to look for creative and unexpected solutions even when all seems lost, to never take things at face value.

My heroes
Harry Dresden, Sam and Dean Winchester, Alaric Morgan, Harry Potter. They all faced their own versions of the apocalypse and won, even when the sacrifices were great. They made mistakes, paid the price, made things right, and got back up to fight again. They remind me  no threat is unbeatable, no enemy is invincible, and what matters most, when the chips are down, is family—of blood and of choice.

My heroic outsiders
Vanyel Ashkevron and Asher Lev. I didn’t fit in growing up. I was a smart, mouthy girl in a fundamentalist setting that wanted me to shut up, step back, stop asking difficult questions, and stop threatening the status quo. Asher and Vanyel taught me to be true to myself, even if the cost was dear, because it would be far worse to pretend to be something I wasn’t.

My role models
Delenn, Minerva McGonnagall, Molly Weasley, Hermione Grainger, Ellen Harvelle, Evaine MacRorie, Kethry and Tarma. Fiercely independent, smart women who stood their ground, knew and spoke their minds, loved with all their hearts, and were loved in return. They remind me that life and love are risky, but it’s a risk well worth taking in order to surround ourselves with those people who sustain us.

As a writer, I hope my characters resonate for others like these did for me. My most cherished emails have come from fans who got through a difficult time in life—a tour of duty, a loved-one’s illness, a personal hardship—with the companionship and encouragement of the heroes in my books. For me, that’s the highest praise, because I know just how much those fictional heroes can mean when you’re lonely, confused, frightened or unsure. Those heroes made me who I am, and I will always be grateful to them and to their creators.
Scourge: A Darkhurst Novel is available now.