Those of you with long memories may recall that, during November 2011, I took part for the first time in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). My book was entitled The Return of the Purple Puffin and my daily drafts were published on this blog, and are still available in the Archives, under Novels.
Well, it’s taken a long time, including a pretty expansive re-write and a slight change in title, but I am proud to announce that The Revenge of the Purple Puffin has finally been published through Lulu.com, and that details can be had – and purchases made, hint, hint – on the following link: http://www.lulu.com/shop/martin-crookall/the-revenge-of-the-purple-puffin/paperback/product-21693281.html
I usually include an extract at this point, so you can see what the book’s like, but instead let’s share another link, to Day 1. Don’t think you can just go back and read those blogs, that was the First Draft and things have moved on since then, however slowly.
The Revenge of the Purple Puffin is my seventh published novel, all of which can be bought through Lulu.com. The preceding six can all be bought for the Kindle as well, and I’ll be preparing a Kindle version of Puffin shortly, and will announce its availability as soon as that’s done. With links.
Martin Crookall - Author For Sale 
Now you finally got me hooked…
I’ve been following your blog for a while now – stumbled upon your JSA entries while seaching google, and decided to follow it because I like how and about what you write.
Of course I had to peek into your new book and now I’m going to buy it, because I finally found a well-written superhero novel.
I’ve read all your entries about writing because I am trying to become a writer as well – and want to write about superheroes, too, hehe.
By the way, your “money in writing” article cracked me up for at least five minutes, because the only thing I managed to publish so far was a short story within an anthology – and I still wait to see any money, because I have to make 20 € out of it, before they send it to me….
Can you recommend me any other good superhero novels or give me advise on writing my own?
Hello Alex, and thank you already: you’ve made my day!
The only other superhero novel I’d genuinely recommend is “Super-Folks” by Robert Meyer. It was published in the early Seventies and you’ll need eBay/Amazon to locate it, though I don’t expect it to be too expensive. It’s a spoof in the way I originally intended Purple Puffin to be (my novel ended up having a more serious story underneath it than I’d ever planned), and its central character is a very thinly-veiled Superman. It was a seminal influence on Alan Moore.
As for any others, I’ve read very few, because if you’re approaching them on any kind of serious level, they just don’t work in print. Straight superheroes depend on visuals: print takes you into deeper areas that are often very interesting but which are inimical to the basic appeal of the superhero. Elliot S! Maggin’s two Superman novels, published as tie-ins to Superman and Superman 2, are excelent despite having nothing to do with the films (again, try eBay/Amazon) but his novelisation of Kingdom Come was a flop in all respects. Marv Wolfman’s novelisation of Crisis on Infinite Earths was even worse.
Roger Stern’s novelisation of the Death and Return of Superman and Dennis O’Neil’s novelisation of the Breaking and Restoration of Batman are well done, but the comics are better.
As for your own, the only advice I can give you is to work out your point of view. Why do you want to write about superheroes, what stance do you want to take, what individual idea do you have that you want to pursue and, most important of all, why is your idea better for a novel than in a comic? Puffin is a comic expression of underlying thoughts I’ve mulled over for years, thoughts that tend to be ignored in comics because, if accepted logically, they undermine the whole concept. I wanted to set that in a very mundane setting, in England, in Manchester, in Local Government, because I wanted to see superheroics through the eyes of the banal.
Among my future projects is a sequel to Puffin. So far, I have an opening situation, three years on from Puffin, and a title which also relates to the villain. At the moment, I can’t see what’s necessariy going to be comic/ironic about it, so a lot’s to be done before that gets properly started.
All the best with your writing, and remember that the only serious advice that’s worth listeniong to is: Write, for ****’s sake!
Martin
Hi Martin, thank you for your long answer and the advise 🙂
Is there any other way to get your book besides lulu.com?
They only take Credit Cards or Paypal and I have neither yet (being from Germany I am used to EC-Cards, bank transfer or getting bills… and they told me via e-mail, that I can`t use my EC-Card as Credit).
I even asked my book store, but they can’t order via Credit Card either (- yeah I know, happens only in Germany… -.-)
The novel I am working on will be sort of a coming of age story within a semi-realistic urban fantasy setting including low-profile superheroes. It has a touch of realism and deconstruction as well, but at the bottom line it is rather a reconstruction as my hero finds himself growing into the role of a superhero.
I think it could work great in drawn form, but considering all the inner monologue that is going on, it would be very difficult to convey all the emotions in good pictures and I guess, that would take up a lot of panels and probably make the comic three times as long (- aside from that I can’t draw very well myself and would need to get an artist interested in my idea as well).
So for now, I am writing it as a novel and occasionally try to make a page of comic script, too.
Do you think something like that could work well?
Greetings, Alex
Hello Alex
Apart from Amazon Kindle, I know of no other reputable and reliable self-publishing outlets. Sorry /i can’t help you there.
As to your novel, hero comes of age is a reliable and standard form of story – for instance, the Astro City Graphic Novel, ‘Confession’, or, indeed, the whole of James Robinson’s Starman. It’s certainly a viable idea, but of course its success depends on what you can bring to it that’s fresh and distinct.
Go for it. The very worst that can happen is that it doesn’t work, yet the time will be invaluable for you in learning lessons for what will work. And of course, it is IS good…
Martin
No problem, just the more reason for me to finally get a Credit Card so I can read your book. Hehe, I reread all your posts about it, and can’t await to get the whole novel now. Robinson’s Starman run was really great and “Confessions” was pretty good, too – if I could ever be as good as them… well, that would be certainly something 😉
Yes, it would Alex.
But don’t let yourself be intimidated by what others have done, and don’t let them dictate your vision. Be yourself and let your book be YOUR book. That’s what matters most of all.
Let me know when it’s ready to read.