“It would be what we call good summer reading, not requiring a map to find your way through the plotlines,” Domeier said. “Obviously, if you like superheroes or comic books, you might enjoy this, but I've also had people who aren't into that at all telling me it was a fun read.”
He happily reports that the initial writing process went on without a hitch. The first draft of 50,000 words was shoveled out in two weeks time. Sometimes, he’d even look at the clock and realize that an hour had already passed.
“Once I got going, it was hard to stop,” Domeier said. “I was writing every opportunity I had. There was just something about my basic idea that leapt easily to the page. I had planned out some of the basic plot, but it's amazing how many new ideas I added. For instance, I hadn't planned on a female character that would interact with the heroes, but I suddenly was struck with a Lois Lane-like idea and ran with it.”
But just like the two protagonists in his book, Domeier is still fine-tuning his talents.
“One should never be truly satisfied with writing,” Domeier said. “True revision is all about tearing down and building back up, preferably after a time away from the work. This summer, I need to make a harsh cut of unnecessary words and, at the same time, look at ways to spruce up some of my descriptive portions.”
Almost two years in the making, Heroics 101 has been under more than one editing eye. Fellow colleague, Doug Wilhelm, kindly took a look at his novel.
“Doug is the one who has set me on the path to a ‘scrupulous edit,’” Domeier said. “It's tough to look at your own work and find too many faults; another set of eyes, especially ones experienced in the publishing process, can only help.”
He’s also had some valuable feedback from fellow NRHEG English teachers. Two of his students actually encouraged him to post his story on wattpad.com, a Web site where writers can publish works and get feedback from others.
“It's always exciting to see how many people have visited my story,” Domeier said.
Heroics 101 isn’t aimed for any particular age bracket, but based on outside feedback, the younger generation seems to be his target audience. Grades 5-9 will especially get a good kick out of it.
“I really don't remember where I first got the germ for this basic idea,” Domeier said. “I have scores of notes scattered on my desk with story ideas, and I happened to pick this one to write.”
If he could choose one plot detail he’s most pleased with, it would be the flashback scenes in the first half of the book. His students actually helped him refine those areas to make sure they were smooth as glass.
“The interweaving of past and present is integral to the success of this story,” Domeier said.
Much of the book requires a sound imagination, but Domeier felt it necessary to add in some elements of reality. He did some researching into science and weather, so as to make the villain’s actions plausible.
“It's such a great feeling to hold my book in my hands and know that this is my work,” Domeier said. “I have a batch of ideas for other books, including a sequel to this one.”
This summer, he hopes to e-publish his book, as self-publishing is cost-prohibitive right now. Another local writer, Jeannie Larson, went this route too.
“I've found it's less cost up front since there are not any paper costs,” Domeier said. “In the grand scheme of things, I'd really look at breaking even as a winning situation.”
With a sequel already in the mix, he can’t seem to keep his superhero fantasies stowed away. It’s an obsession that has been festering since kindergarten, when his parents bought him his first comic book.
“That issue of Fantastic Four led to a subscription to Spider-Man, and 8900 comics later, I'm still hooked,” Domeier said. “Comics are a great escape into another world. I always related to Spider Man because his alter-ego of Peter Parker was so similar to me.”
He believes comics have great potential to be a valuable part of teaching. Unlike many books, comics provide an entertainment, allowing students to enjoyably develop their reading skills.
“I'm a prolific comic book reader, but I read all manner of fiction,” Domeier said. “I'm currently finishing up the “Hunger Games” trilogy, which is enthralling teen fiction and is well worth a read. I make it a point to try to read a lot of popular teen fiction so I know what my students are enjoying.”
And for all the writers out there, he encourages them to write down every idea, no matter how “ludicrous” it may seem.
“You never know when you might find a great way to develop that idea, even if it takes years,” Domeier said.
