The complete links for the Book of Josiah are here, organised both in the order as released and by timeline (in case you want to read them that way, no idea if that makes any sense).
2 CHRONICLES
I wrote last time about the genesis of the Book of Josiah, what the original conception of the book was, and then how I tried writing it as coordinator of a group project, which ultimately didn't work.
After I realised that this had to be my own work, I got back to writing it but the process was very slow - while my overall structure was extremely clear, the details of the plot were still vague. The next major step in my writing process was sketching out the entire novel chapter by chapter, filling in the major details of plot for each section, making sure that I coordinated all the important moments of synchronicity between the timelines.
But it wasn't until I got to university that I pushed myself to finally finish writing the novel - what was my secret? I allocated myself an hour of writing time every week day, and mostly stuck to it.
By the way, these remain my two best tips for how to get your book idea on to the page - develop a plan, and schedule your writing time.
More after the jump...
MAJOR SHIFTS
In the journey from initial idea to final draft, the Book of Josiah went through some major changes.
First, it used to not be called the Book of Josiah at all. Originally it was titled 'Perchance to Dream', hinting at the strong undercurrent of dreaming and madness that underlies the book.
So why the change? First, I realised that I was far from the first person to use the title 'Perchance to Dream', and second I liked that 'The Book of Josiah' felt unique and hinted at the Biblical/religious underpinnings that had become stronger in the writing process.
The first thing I ever wrote for the Book of Josiah, and the piece I rewrote the most, no longer appears in the finished book - namely a prologue featuring 'patient 56' of the epilogue, that led straight into Josiah waking up in chapter 1.
But then I realised that it just delayed getting into the main body of the story and that it hinted at the unreality of events before I was really to suggest that. It also seemed to me that prologues are rather cliché these days, especially in Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels.
Another change that I considered for a really long time but never went with, was using real world quotes at the head of each chapter. I even collected a pile of quotes for this purpose, choosing the appropriate one for each chapter, but then felt that it would have been distancing for the reader, removing them from the flow of the narrative.
So what do you think? Do you like the new title? Would you have wanted to have a prologue? Do you want to see the quotes I would have used?
SHADOW OF 9/11
A major change that occurred from my initial draft came about after 9/11. My original draft had the spaceship crash into Luna City, causing mass destruction, but after 9/11 it felt too close to reality to be a subject of fiction. In the end, I think I prefer the version I ended up with but it's strange to remember the feeling at the time that I just had to change it.
Now some other little details that you might have missed:
ELIPHAZ
The character of Eliphaz from the Joe timeline, is named after one of Job's 'friends'. I wanted to get at the idea of Job's comforters, both a friend and not a friend. This is also the name of Esau's oldest son, and the interplay between these two ideas really appealed to me. Then I also liked the parallels between the characters of Eli(phaz), Eli(jah) and Eli(sha) - friends and false friends all.
HOSEA
One of the key inspirations for the Book of Josiah comes from Hosea, particularly chapter 1. The prophet Hosea experiences a profound betrayal as his wife leaves him, commits adultery, but then comes back in repentance. This becomes a moving metaphor for the relationship between God and the Jewish people.
Josiah too has interesting and complex relationships with the women in his life/lives, feeling constantly that he is betraying them one way or another, or being betrayed by them in turn.
With the similar sounding names, Hosea and Josiah, I based the idea of (Lo)-Ammi and (Lo)Ruchama on Hosea 1, switching the sons of Hosea to the women of Josiah's life.
EQUIVALENT CHARACTERS
There are many characters and situations that appear in multiple storylines, so if you're into those Where's Wally? games (Waldo for my American readers), here are some things to look for:
-Jonah appearing in Josiah's plotline.
-The three scientists from Josiah in Jos' timeline.
-The man with glasses that appears in every plotline.
-The Archangel from Josiah appearing in Jos.
-The number 56 (or variations thereof, such as 'five to six', 'five or six', and multiples and powers of the same.
THE TIME MACHINE
A final easter egg to look for is a direct quote from H G Well's 'The Time Machine', in which he describes the machine as containing rock crystal. This image recurs multiple times throughout the novel.
FEEDBACK
I would love to hear what you think about the Book of Josiah, whether about these ideas I've just mentioned or about anything else. Please send me your thoughts!
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