Daniel Sherrier Talks The Flying Woman

What inspired you to write this book?

I’ve read superhero comics since I was nine years old, and I’ve always wanted to make my own contribution to the genre.

My first serious attempt at a superhero story was actually a play I wrote in college, called Super!, which was eventually performed in a small Chicago theater in 2008. That story focused on the secret identities behind the cartoonish superhero facades, and it was partially inspired by watching old Superfriends cartoons full of stalwart superheroes tackling ridiculous threats, without any personal problems. What if this surface-level perfection was just their professional demeanor, but they were struggling with personal issues in the backs of their minds?

I’ve always felt I could do more with the characters from that play. I attempted a television pilot script at one point, but novels ultimately wound up being the way forward. The execution needed to be very different, though. The stark contrast between cartoonish superheroes and their more realistic, down-to-earth, flawed secret identities worked well on the stage—it was indeed very theatrical. But in prose, I needed to fill in the space between those extremes to make it work.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in The Flying Woman?

The main character, Miranda Thomas, is a 22-year-old aspiring actress. Acting is all she’s ever wanted to do. It’s the main thing she’s studied and trained for, and nothing less than phenomenal success will suffice, even as she realizes what a long-shot that is.

But then, after an encounter with a dying super-woman, she develops super-powers, and she has to navigate new possibilities—and, more importantly, new responsibilities that she never expected.

With Miranda, I tried to make the most human superhero possible, someone who is generally a good person and has a solid moral compass, but someone who also has plenty of doubts about her ability to live up to these new expectations of her. How do you become a perfect superhero when you know you’re human?

How did you come up with name of this book?

I was originally calling it Terrific, which wound up being the series name. I love that one definition of the word is “wonderful,” and another is “terrifying,” which captures the extraordinary responsibility of a superhero quite well—any extraordinary responsibility, for that matter. But it does work better for the series as a whole rather than just the first book.

The term “the flying woman” arose organically in the manuscript as a general reference to Miranda as she’s just starting out as a superhero. I knew I didn’t want to use her actual superhero name, Ultra Woman, as the title, but my editor suggested The Flying Woman, and I agreed that it sounded like the right approach.

About Daniel Sherrier

Daniel Sherrier is a writer based in central Virginia. He is the author of the novel The Flying Woman. A College of William & Mary graduate, he has worked for community newspapers, written a few plays that have been performed, and earned his black belt in Thai kickboxing. And there was that one time he jumped out of an airplane, which was memorable.

About The Flying Woman

The Flying Woman Terrific Book 1 by Daniel Sherrier
Genre: Superhero Fantasy

Synopsis

The impossible has become reality! A masked man possesses extraordinary powers, and he’s using those fantastic abilities to fight crime and pursue justice. Meanwhile, Miranda Thomas expects to fail at the only thing she ever wanted to do: become a famous star of the stage and screen. One night, Miranda encounters a woman who’s more than human. But this powerful woman is dying, fatally wounded by an unknown assailant. Miranda’s next decision propels her life in a new direction—and nothing can prepare her for how she, and the world, will change.

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