Here are the key steps to creating your own fictional hero: 1. Decide on gender, age and whether to base them on real people. This will shape their personality and backstory. 2. Determine how they obtain powers/abilities - innate gifts, scientific accident, supernatural means etc. Their origins influence their worldview and motivation. 3. Choose a role - superhero, vigilante, antihero etc. This defines their methods and moral code when facing challenges. 4. Design a signature look with costume/disguise elements if a public figure. Visuals help establish their brand and what they represent. 5. Craft a backstory covering origins, education/occupation, relationships and personality.

1. Merlin

2. How was Merlin created?
• Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard
featured in the Arthurian legend.
• the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's
Historia Regum Britanniae, written in 1136, and is based on
a number of historic and legendary figures.
• Geoffrey combined characters from existing stories, who
had nothing to do with King Arthur, to create Merlin
Ambrosius.

3. Where did Merlin come from?
• According to later writers Merlin was born from a mortal
woman and fathered from an Incubus, a non-human from
whom Merlin inherits his supernatural powers and abilities.
• The name of Merlin’s mother is not usually
mentioned, however it was once stated as being Adhan.
• The name of Merlin’s father is not known.

4. What is the link with King Arthur?
• As Merlin aged and his powers grew, he was involved in
creating Arthur.
• Magic was used in order to impregnate Arthurs mother.
• It has become a popular belief that Merlin mentored Arthur
throughout his life.

5. What happened to Merlin?
• It is often believed that Merlin was mentor to Arthur
throughout his life, until Merlin met The Lady of the Lake.
• Merlin loved The Lady of the Lake, however, she refused to
give him her love until Merlin taught her all his secrets
about his supernatural powers.
• Merlin told her everything, and afterwards, The Lady of the
Lake used her powers to trap Merlin in either in the trunk
of a tree or beneath a stone, depending on the story and
author.

6. Appearances

7. Task

8. Create your own hero
• Male or female?
• Age?
• Are you going to base them on real people?
• Were they born with powers or did they develop them
from other means?
• Are they a super hero, out to save the world?
• Do they wear an outfit? A mask?
• Do they have an alias?
• Background. Where do they come from? Do they have
a job? Are they in education?
• What is their fatal flaw?