Powerhouse v. The Illusive Plot

On the blog, I'll address a couple criticisms that my work's gotten, not as a defensive measure but to explain the methods of my madness.

If there's criticism that Tales of the Dim Knight is the seeming lack of a central plot. Some have even suggested the book should be a short story collection.



However, I'm comfortable with it as a novel, though I guess people could consider it a braided novel if they like. I will say that the book is a little different, so it throws people for a loop. There are three things that make the book different and throw people for a loop.

First, humor was a priority because it's very much a comedy and a parody. Many authors use humor as something that they mix in with their plot. What's different about my approach with Tales of the Dim Knight is that so much of the basic superhero stories are told for the parody and humor value. So the plot is at least partially built around the gags rather than the gags being put in around the plot.

Second, my overall style for the story is tied to the way I encountered superheroes growing up which was mostly in episodic television. And in the best superhero TV shows like Spider-man: The Animated Series, the stories may stand on their own but they were usually leading somewhere and somewhat inter-related. I hope that appeals to people who grew up watching Saturday Morning cartoons as part of that nostalgic feel.

And that brings me to the third point, the overall dramatic story in here is about Dave Johnson's journey. He gets his ultimate dream when he becomes a superhero, but that has an impact on his family and there's all ready trouble to begin with, so the story of the relationship between Dave and his family holds the novel together dramatically.

Obviously, the style we use here is not for everyone, but I'm very satisfied with it and how it turned.

If you'd like to try out, we are having a give away on Goodreads with the prize being an autographed copy.