Organisation is definitely another key element of writing a novel. Too many backup files and changes in one directory make for lost edits -a novelist’s nightmare. This is why I prefer paper.
Here is the real Draft #6, with major changes to the chapter headings, and far cleaner prose, but still two main hero(ine)s.
And then I submitted a (very bad) synopsis:
Submitting old material -ouch! This, submitted yesterday, was what I thought was a synopsis of my most recent Draft, but is actually a major revision ago! (Book of The Catalyst, i.e., is now Book of Hayat!!)
Too late.
Synopsis: “Creator, Friend or Foe? Book One -Beginnings
by Shira Destinie Jones
Chapter 1. Before The Beginning/Encounters
In the moment … Worst place to be; Alone? Why bother to exist?
-from “The Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
An energy being, the Ancient One, lonely, forces a younger energy being to join him.
Chapter 2. Cooperation Lost
Community is one of the key values in our philosophy, because constructively cooperative and fully inclusive community strengthens the ability of every being to reach its full creative and loving potential. -from “The Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
The Ancient One insists on running an experiment which the younger considers unethical, leading to his deception and then banishment of the younger being.
Chapter 3. Light Bearer
“Just as a catalyst is not the end result, but merely what triggers or brings about the process leading to that result, so light is not the end result, but rather makes it possible to arrive at the goal.” -from “The Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
The Ancient lonely, unlocks the parallel universe to which he had bannished the younger, then pressures the younger being, now called The Light Bearer, to help him carry out his ‘sentient-biengs’ experiment.
Chapter 4. Stages
Cultivating seed / Cultivating a friendship … Sounding the depths -from “The Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
They create a universe with Guardians for the galaxies and animals. Disagreements as to how the experiment should be run keep tension muted, displayed visually/ironically.
Chapter 5. Evolving Creation
Hold the Creator to account
For his misbegotten creation
For his ill-conceived plan
-from “The Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
The Light Bearer argues for patience, fights the orders given by the Ancient One. Humanity’s intelligence is helped along, despite argument over interference in the experiment, breaking a fundamental rule, and increasingly violent confrontations. Man is modified, monitored, then threatened lightly before a female is created as his companion. A key agreement:
”Then we shall take care to intervene as necessary to prevent or correct gross abuses, and instill a code of ethics as they develop. The guardians will help see to it. You have my word, Young Creatrix. Proceed as you wish.”
”I am not sure I trust your word, …” and woman, as soon as she is created, falls in love with The Creatrix, instead of the man.
Chapter 6. How Rage Took Form
By all of the turmoil, roiling
By every good thought, turned
…
My case shall be heard
-from “the Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
Various guardians argue amongst themselves, pick sides with the Ancient One or the Light Bearer, show contempt or love for humanity after an earth-scorching argument between Creator and Creatrix. Creatrix must decide: risk her destruction and that of the experimental universe for justice. Small tendril of rage begins to form self-awareness.
Chapter 7. Eternal Love (thought I’d changed this chptr name)
Quiero hacerte temblar
Sentir nuestros pechos juntos…
-from “The Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
Light Bearer asks woman how she plans to build a world with the first man, getting ideas of children
and family, shared land, with a mischievous cat in the way. Woman kisses L.B. And is gently put off, for humanity’s own good. Romantic tension begins. Same-sex marriage in community context agreed good, full potential for all children via cooperation. Love-making scene after caution.
Chapter 8. Mars and Venus
“My quest, though stopped
Is not yet done…”
-from “The Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
Man develops, Creator gives orders, LB protective of creation, especially of the First Woman, wary of loving her, as she must marry the man. Rage-monster gains in power. (this is cut out of the novella…)
Woman explores and names animals and plants with several different words, but man uses his own word for each animal/plant, and yells at woman when she speaks differently. LB wants to protect, hindered by Creator, who insists on observation only.
Chapter 9. The Bet
“I play the role You bid, Mourning within
Each failure, Every loss,
Despairing, each time I ‘win’”.
-from “The Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
The Creatrix sends woman on learing quests. Creator insists humans mate immediately. Parting of ways over planned tests of endurance once human population is large enough.
Marriage ritual used to delay forced procreation.
Story told to build a sense of cooperation, and gave a power to the oldest women then sad parting.
Ominous entity watching. Creator growing more impatient as LB works to bring man and woman together gently to avoid worse fate.
Chapter 10. Expelled
How I long to climb
To go up to the mountain
There to rest, and reflect.
-from “The Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
Creator pissed off, LB fights to prevent rape of woman by man, gives knowledge to woman, who shares with man, causing Creator to expell both into cold area, sending LB into hiding. Ominous rage entity hiding with humans, waiting. Everyone is miserable. Flaming sword = volcano, various guardians are demoted or promoted, first woman is named Hayat, children, misses Creatrix. Hayat starts to create writing, arguments grow over languages and names and stories. First murder, kidnapping, punishment, rape.
Her guardian began to cry.
Chapter 11. Thinking of Escapes
Your place of birth marks you … Whether you like it or not.
-from “The Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
Aclima remembers childhood, longs to go home, to mother Hayat, endures abuse. Hayat refuses to have other children, is finally persuaded by L.B. To save all by having more sons. But on condition of being together w/L.B. At end of Hayat’s life.
Rage entity openly in charge of city.
Chapter 12. How Tyrants Fall
When I arise, trembling,
It shall be with sword drawn
To see justice done.
-from “The Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
City is tyranny, ready to make war on first family. Aclima kills brother.
Chapter 13. Becoming Artemis
I will arise, again, to fight … As the light always returns
So do I, to the strugle. -from “The Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
Entity stunned, Aclima flees, guardians confused.
Chapter 14. The Pleasant Drummer
Put aside your rages, righteous, true
No more can they help now, only harm
-from “The Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
Guardians negotiate while women run, soldiers pursue, names change. Back West, missing messengers sent to city to reconcile family provoke worry.
Chapter 15. Discoveries
Your fury, Father, I feel
your anger, I know
-from “The Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
Son of first murderer discovers body, orders executions. Back West, first man and woman still trying to have more children, with L.B.’s help. L.B. Intercepting guardian messages to keep Creator from destroying everyone. Destroys rage entity. Creator losing control of his secret.
Chapter 16. Contention in the Wind
Let my wings embrace you
As my arms
Hold each part of you…
-from “The Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
Guardians arguing, manipulating humans, amassing power.
Lilith ritual prepared.
Chapter 17. Heroes and Lies
“Alas, how few
True words are heard.”
-from “The Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
Aclima/Artemis and Naamah found after Lilith ritual in city. Allowed to leave as exiles, on pain of death.
Chapter 18. Home Comings
“Hold me tightly, gently
…
Tell me that all will be well”
-from “The Book Of The Catalyst Of Illumination”
Reunion of first mother and daughter, romantic possibilities with Naamah and young man, funerals, leaving to form new community. Lawlessness and mixing among human beings and hybrid guardian offspring leads Ancient Warrior, destroy all:
“Tell the Light Bearer that I am amenable to allowing the children of her precious first woman to continue, if she insists, through the family of this Reposo, who seems to be the best of the lot. He is the only one who has found my favor, so if she insists on continuing this experiment, it must be with him. If the young Creatrix agrees, then perhaps my compassion will overcome my judgment. Now go.”
Fin “
I should have written the synopsis before writing the novel: “Moving between and across multiverses, powerful beings, sentient fields of energy, exist, and they want to know why, and where they come from. To find out, one Creator proposes an experiment. As the experiment begins, these ethereal beings disagree, and a long quarrel ensues. As the newly created human race begins to reproduce, suffering follows in its wake. As creators and created fight among themselves, then start to come together, the threat of total destruction follows.
Drawing most heavily on Jewish midrashic sources, as well as Muslim, Christian and even ancient Greek and Native American stories of the first men and women to populate the earth, this time around, the book explores the nature and origins of existence, free will, struggle, and love. The scaffolding of the book is Parashat Bereshit, the first 6 chapters and 8 verses of the book of Genesis. Physics, evolution and creationism combine in this often erotic tale of feminine survival where creators do battle, and human women take the lead as they love, teach and do battle, each in her own way, with forces both physical and spiritual.
The first chapters outline the overall objective, to find out where they come from, and central ongoing conflict, that of defining justice, of the two co creators. The second quarter of Book 1 show the results of human life on earth. The third half of the novel sees the results of ethereal and human beings coming together in direct contravention of creators orders, excacerbating the tension between the sides of obedience versus cooperation. The last chapters bring to a head and finally resolve, albeit with some uncertainty, the conflict between the co creators and their ideals.
Starting in the void all alone, the co creators, electromagnetic beings able to convert energy into matter, and back again at will, wish to understand their origins. The Ancient Warrior and the Light Bearer therefore embark on an experiment, designed to test a hypothesis that they originally had bodies of substance, but not without dissension even before the experiment begins. Once underway, the newly evolving universe advances in ways not anticipated, leading to further tension between the two creators, as human beings variously get protection or act in defiance of one or both creators. The first man fathers a son who murders his brother, kidnaps his twin sister, and drives his mother, Hayat, to refuse further sexual contact with her husband. Battling between strict non-interference and tender protection, the creators make and break policy toward their creations as their helpers begin to play games of their own, forcing human and ethereal beings to choose sides in what may become a show-down between the creators themselves, with the entire experimental universe caught in the middle. As one branch of human beings again begins to reproduce, the other branch has begun preparing to make war, allying themselves with forbidden forces, using brutality to maintain their regime. As war approaches, Aclima, the first daughter of human kind must decide how to avert the coming disaster, building on hope and community in an increasingly lawless world where magic is fast becoming reality, bringing down the threat, in the end, of complete destruction by the Creators of all human and animal life on earth.
Major characters include the creators, the Ancient Warrior and the Light Bearer. These are ethereal yet often gender-identified beings able to transform shape at will, according to the known laws of physics (e = mc2) who though working together by necessity, are at odds with one another. The Ancient Warrior, aka the Great Creator, wants to know His origins, and thus iniciates an experiment to determine whether corporeal beings can evolve into sentient energy beings. He has a secret weakness which the Light Bearer, also variously known as the Creatrix, and the Child of the Morning, is slowly beginning to discover. The Light Bearer is the offspring of the Ancient Warrior, and contributes a vital part to the experiment. Other characters are described in the detailed synopsis.
The hierarchy of supervising guardians are individually minor characters, but collectively play a major role in Book1, able to take on corporeal form with great difficulty under limited circumstances. They were intended to be only temporary monitors for various parts of the experimental universe, since the creators have vast but still limited capacity for controlling the experiment. When they begin to interfere in the experiment, the creators must make difficult choices regarding the existences of mortals such as Hayat, the first woman. –