Spiderman has one. So does Wonder Woman. What about you?
I came to appreciate comics late in life — and mostly through big-budget film adaptations, which puts a big “dilettante” target on my back. Still, one of my favorite aspects of the genre is how characters, superheroes and supervillains alike, get to have a compelling, poignant origin story: a pivotal moment that made them who they are, and set them on their respective paths of altruism and destruction.
Real-life narratives are obviously far messier than the neat arcs of the latest Marvel release. (Also, luckily, far cheaper.) Yet we all, on some level, create and retell the story of our own becoming-who-we-are — including in our writing, art, music, or photography.
I thought about this as I was reading some of our latest Discover features. Here, for example, is illustrator Jesse Kanelos Weiner talking about her first steps on the road to becoming an artist:
Growing up in Chicago, my mom was an art teacher and my dad is a passionate musician. My childhood was equal parts jam session and art all-nighters.
And here’s the radically different story of Mica Angela Hendricks, which nonetheless led her on a similar path towards a life as a visual artist:
When I was younger, people didn’t really know who I was. We moved a lot, and instead of getting to know people in a school that I’d probably leave in a year, I dove into my sketchbook and spent all of my free time drawing.
I love how these anecdotes are at once simple and rich: how, almost like folk tales, they tell us everything we need to know, yet make us want to know more.
For this week’s challenge, tell us your own origin story, in whatever medium or genre you feel like. The scope can be as wide or as narrow as you see fit: the trip that made you forever love the outdoors. The day in the kitchen when, as a kid, you first realized how happy working with dough made you. Or an early episode of disappointment that somehow marked your future endeavors, for better and for worse. Feel free to get creative with your storytelling — or even to invent an origin story that explains who you are better than the boring, nonfiction version.
I look forward to digging into your stories!
I came from one messed up family and soon discovered I could escape this world through music. At about 10 years old I sat with a book and a $50 Magnus Chord Organ bought at Sears. I learned to play and later realized it was one of the main gifts God had given me. Then God got a hold of me and I dedicated myself to learning and sharing God’s word, even through music.
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Thanks for sharing. I love how God can bring something so amazing out of lousy circumstances.
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I like this one!!!!! You can read my story on my blog about redemption
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Love how you fit in this feature photo with the topic of your story!
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I checked out your story on your blog! Keep encouraging people!
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Thanks! So far no one’s seen my stuff but this was a kind comment from you
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Did you delete the blog?
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Nope. I think you meant to put this comment to the author of this article. I was just a commentator, but thanks anyway! 🙂
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Oh okay sorry!
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That’s okay! Have a good one.
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I like the little mask on the little due there. Awesome picture! 🙂
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Blogged in response to the Prompt here: https://comeinsitdown.wordpress.com/2016/06/07/prompt-running-against-a-wind/
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I love your post and I like your enthusiasm and how you expressed your feelings and put it out to the world
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I don’t know why my post doesn’t show — I did create a pingback as per instructions… Hmm
Here it is: https://comeinsitdown.wordpress.com/2016/06/07/prompt-running-against-a-wind/
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Odd — apparently there was an issue with the post URL; I’ve now changed the post slug, so hopefully the new URL should work? Thanks for letting me know if it still isn’t working.
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Hey Ben, today’s challenge links to a 2013 post.
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Odd — apparently there was an issue with the post URL; I’ve now changed the post slug, so hopefully the new URL should work? Thanks for letting me know if it still isn’t working.
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The ping back isn’t working
27 Years Begins My Origin
Discover Challenge: Origin Story
A few days short of 20 weeks pregnant, my husband rushes me to the hospital. I trapse between the emergency …
Faith,discoverwp,poetry
https://reignoffaith.wordpress.com/2016/06/07/27-years-begins-my-origin/
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Odd — apparently there was an issue with the post URL; I’ve now changed the post slug, so hopefully the new URL should work? Thanks for letting me know if it still isn’t working.
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This is such a great, inspiring prompt! I look forward to writing my own. And reading others, of course! 🙂
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Thank you! I enjoyed reading your origin story. Here’s mine 😊 https://rubygeeblog.wordpress.com/blog/
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That was amazing. I was the same way until the past few months.
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Thanks for sharing and opening the door to learn how we have much more in common than we can imagine.
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I like this inspiring Prompt! And your expression in the post.
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I loved comic books when I was a teen. About a year and a half ago I got back into it and haven’t stopped drawing since! It’s nice to have something to escape to.
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https://jyoti701.wordpress.com/2016/06/08/is-it-really-difficult-to-be-a-women/
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https://sugarchells.wordpress.com/2016/06/08/it-is-only-the-beginning/
I hope you all like my story
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Fiction or Life stories they do have a way of telling people who you are even fictional once you can kind of get a good idea of the person.
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Lovely Batman face.
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I published a post with the pingback.. but it isn’t showing in the responses.
Please follow link to read: The road to Self Discovery
https://maria9saif.wordpress.com/2016/06/08/the-road-to-self-discovery/
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It was an enjoyable read.
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Love the Batman Mask
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My pingback also doesn’t seem to be working, for either this prompt or the one-word Daily Prompt (Connections) so here’s my link: https://tuckedintoacorner.wordpress.com/2016/06/07/origin-story/
Is anyone else having trouble with their pingback on the Connected prompt?
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I have posted a response (i have added a pingback link) but it is not appearing on the response page
________________________________
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Hi, Ping backs are not working I guess. So sharing my post here:
https://makingpeacewithlife.wordpress.com/2016/06/08/the-daily-post/
Please do read and share your feedback.
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A love story
https://angieinspired.wordpress.com/2016/06/08/to-say-my-story-is-to-tell-theirs/
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ATTENTION BEN OR OTHER WP ADMINS:
Pingbacks still not working here (stuck at 3 responses since early yesterday aft), for today’s prompt Embarrassing (none showing though I’ve seen some via my Reader), or for yesterday’s prompt, Connected (stuck at 118 since Tue early aft but saw some in Reader).
Looking forward to catching up on all the reading once this glitch get worked out!
Marianne
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Marianne, I’m having the same issue and also asked for help. Argghh!!
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Seems to still be a problem with the last few and today’s prompt too. Hope they get it fixed soon, I try to read as many as I can daily and I’m missing that this morning. 😦
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I know. It seems kind of pointless to participate in the challenge if you can’t see pinkbacks to the posts.
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I just posted a note in the support forums about it, hope they see it there!
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Go to my latest post for the link to the support post I added so you can add a note saying you’re having the same problem!
https://alongthesideoftheroad.wordpress.com/
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We’re really sorry for this problem — at first I thought it was a local issue, but seems to be much bigger now. We’re looking into it — apologies for the inconvenience!
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Thanks very kindly for the reply Ben, appreciate knowing the update. May I be so bold as to suggest a post go out from the DP folks to let us know when all has been resolved? Might be worthy of a sticky note in the forums too perhaps as I know myself and a few others have raised the issue there too.
Thanks again, looking forward to some great catchup reading soon I hope! Marianne
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http://tezhazirlamaofisi.com/tez-hazirlama-ve-yazimi-merkezi/
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https://wordpress.com/post/tezofisi.wordpress.com/18
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Ben, who do I contact to fix an issue with pingbacks? I’m doing everything I’ve always done, but it doesn’t seem to be working. I had the same issue on Friday with the photo challenge.
In the meantime, I’ll share a link for Origin here.
https://maryjmelange.wordpress.com/2016/06/08/origins-reconnecting/
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I see 3 posts here, and I also believe there is an issue with the daily prompt with 0 posts. I believe there is something wrong here.
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