Grades 5–12
Fantasy/SciFi, NarrativeLessonsTony Weaver, Jr. is an award-winning writer and educator who creates diverse stories that make young people feel seen and valued. After seeing the impact that media stereotypes had on students in his community, Tony embarked on a journey to create new media narratives that would challenge the status quo. He is the author of Weirdo, a graphic novel for middle grades that celebrates self-acceptance and belonging.
This lesson is part of 826 National’s 2026 anthology project. Please visit Write Your Power with Tony Weaver, Jr. to find a video from Tony, a facilitator guide, and more.
In this lesson, students will develop a complex character that defies traditional archetypes.
Students will design a complex character and create a piece of superhero fiction that features this character.
This lesson aligns with the following CASEL Competency:
5 Minutes
To begin, ask students to take out their writing journals or a piece of paper. Tell them they’ll have one minute to draw a superhero—any superhero. They can draw their favorite superhero or simply the first superhero image that pops into their head. Stick figures and messy sketches are welcome here—the goal of this quick sketch is simply to capture the first image of a superhero that comes to mind.
After one minute, invite students to share their images with a partner or small group. Then, ask for volunteers to share features of their sketches: what physical attributes, costumes/clothing, or special gadgets did they include? Note common elements on the board.
Share with students that their mission today is to create a new character to be featured in their own superhero story. The catch? This character should be entirely original (unlike any other character they have read about or seen in shows or movies). It should also demonstrate some unlikely or unexpected qualities. Maybe their character is a hero who is irrationally afraid of cats, or a villain with a secret motivation to find some true friends—they can let their imagination soar.
Remind students that they already know a lot about characters that typically show up in superhero fiction—you may even have some superhero experts in the room! From the books they’ve read to the movies they’ve watched, they likely have clear ideas about what to expect from a hero versus a villain, for example.
Then share that there are certain types of characters in stories that appear so often, and in such common ways, that they are known as character archetypes.
Share with students that in the next step, students will dig into four character archetypes: heroes, villains, mentors, and sidekicks. Then, they’ll work together to brainstorm a character that defies those expectations.
10 Minutes
Ask students to tear a piece of paper from their journal or notebook, fold it in half, and then fold it in half again, creating four boxes on the page.
Ask students to label each square with a different archetype: Hero, Villain, Mentor, Sidekick.
Then, as a whole group, share one-word descriptions that come to mind for each archetype. Gather at least five characteristics, including both external and internal traits, as well as one or two existing example characters for each. For example, a list for the mentor archetype might look like this:
Example: Celine from KPop Demon Hunters
15 Minutes
Next, tell students they will work together to develop a character whose traits go against the traits of these traditional archetypes. They may choose to use this character in their own superhero story.
Divide the students into small groups, with three to four students per group. Assign an archetype to each group (or, have the group choose!). Alternatively, you can work together as a large group and design one character together.
Distribute the Character-O-Matic — Handout to each student. It’s important that every student records ideas on their own copy, because they may choose to incorporate this character into their superhero story later!
When students finish, ask for a volunteer from each group to present their character, emphasizing the ways in which their character defies archetypal expectations. This is a great time to push students’ thinking further by asking questions about the unexpected traits they came up with. For example, if students share that their hero is lazy, ask them to describe how—do they love to sleep in, are they a master procrastinator, do they play Roblox for hours, etc.? Whenever possible, ask students to connect how these traits and details could be central to the action or conflict in a story.
10-15 Minutes
Next, display the chosen mentor text(s) on pages 1-4 of the Heroes (and Villains, Mentors, & Sidekicks) of the Future — Handout and ask for volunteers to take turns reading it out loud:
As students read the piece, ask them to star character traits that stand out to them as examples of traditional archetypal traits and circle any unexpected traits.
Then, ask students to share their thoughts about the character they read about:
10 Minutes
Next, pass out another copy of the Character-O-Matic, this time for students to complete independently. Students will now create their own, entirely original protagonist that defies archetypes for their superhero story—it could even be a version of themselves! They may choose any archetype they wish for their main character.
Note that if students want to use the character they just co-created in their own superhero story, they can! They should then use this time to create a character for a different archetype. They can choose to feature both characters in their story. If students do not want to use the character their group created in their story, that’s okay!
As students complete the Character-O-Matic, encourage them to think about which aspects of their archetype they may want to keep, and which aspects they’d like to change. For example, they may want to create a hero who is internally motivated to help others but defies some of the common external traits that we expect from heroes.
Remind students that creativity is their own superpower: while they’ve thought of some excellent examples of these archetypes today, dreaming up a new character is what’s at the heart of this piece.
Ask and/or display these questions to help get their ideas flowing:
30-60 Minutes
Tell students they will now bring this character to life by writing a superhero story! Share with students that this process is called characterization, or character development.
Students have already started this process by completing their Character-O-Matics. Now, as they write, they should try at least two strategies that authors use to develop complex, believable characters. Project or share the checklist below, found on page 5 of the lesson handout, and ask students to choose at least two to use in their story—or try them all!
Characterization Checklist:
For students who would like more support getting started, share these prompts as a jumping-off point:
30 Minutes
After students have a complete first draft, it’s time to revise!
We recommend dedicating at least another thirty minutes, or an extra day, on revision if possible. Feel free to use whichever structures for revision you may have in place, or try some of the following ideas:
Conclusion:
826 National wants to publish the next generation of writers—that means the young people in your community and learning spaces! Students, families, and educators can submit writing from this session to 826 National, now through January 20, 2026, for a chance to become a published author.
Submissions are open now through January 20, 2026!
How to Submit:
Students and families, submit your work using these links:
Educators and program providers, submit work from multiple young people using this link:
Guidelines:
The piece creatively explores the science fiction genre and short story/poetry forms, including a variety of narrative and/or poetic devices.
The piece is written with a clear and compelling voice. It includes intentional, effective word and stylistic choices, leaving an impact on the reader.
The author’s work clearly aligns with the theme and speaks to the prompt(s). The writing explores the prompt in a unique way or point of view.
Character-O-Matic — Handout (English)
Heroes (and Villains, Mentors, & Sidekicks) of the Future — Handout (English)
Personaje-mático — Hojas de trabajo
Héroes (y villanos, mentores y compañeros) del futuro — Hojas de trabalo
Download Resource PDF: Heroes (and Villains, Mentors, and Sidekicks) of the Future by Lisa Lutz, 826 Valencia
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