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Several years ago, one of my favorite speculative fiction writers, Orson Scott Card, started creating an online community of readers, a community that continues to thrive to this day. As I recall, during my first exposure to the community Scott was posting chapters of the book he was writing at the time, and giving people the opportunity to comment and make suggestions.

I thought, "What a great idea," and promptly stored it away for future use. Well, the future is here now as I pull a writing Purpose Project from the backburner to the front burner. I envision the Amberlin Series to be just that -- a series of books chronicling the life and times of Amberlin Gentry, a spiritual genius who's born into an ultra conservative spiritual community known as Golden Acres. There she is raised by her grandmother, Rose, who is the great-granddaughter of the founding father of Golden Acres, and her grandfather, Jonathan, who quietly practices an 'eclectic spirituality' while living in the fundamentalist community.

Since I started writing this visionary novel about a year ago, I already have several chapters roughed out which I will be posting over the next several days. My plan is to then continue to post chapters as they are written.

I invite your participation by reading the saga of Amberlin as it's being written and offering constructive questions and comments. I'll also post more about what I'm particularly looking for that falls under the heading of "constructive questions and comments."

Ok, here's the start of Chapter 1 of The Goddess Returns:

7-year-old Amberlin watched as her favorite ducky drifted towards the spiraling waterspout as the water drained from the mammoth Victorian-style tub. As the clockwise current of water drew the floating toy into its influence, she smiled and waved her index finger in a counterclockwise motion, then giggled lightly as the spout changed direction and the toy duck followed suit soon after. After a few moments, Amberlin stopped her finger, and the water quickly resumed its customary clockwise motion, until once again she impressed her own will upon the water. She continued playing like this for several moments, enchanted by the game without noticing her grandmother, Rose, quietly observing her, until suddenly:

"What in God's name are you doing? Oh my Lord," Rose shrieked. "Jon, Jon. Come up here at once," She yelled to her husband, but even before he arrived, she took matters into her own hands, as she was accustomed to doing. "You stop that right now, you hear. That's a bad girl." Rose grabbed Amberlin's hand and slapped it sharply across the knuckles. "You mustn't do such things. Dear God. Jon, Jon. Are you coming or not?" Amberlin tried to stifle her cry of alarm and pain, but a whimper escaped despite her best effort. As she tried to pull her hand from danger, a pair of tears escaped, coursing down her ruddy cheeks.

Continue the chapter by going to:

http://lifeonpurpose.typepad.com/life_on_purpose_weblog/2005/11/chapter_1.html

©2005 Brad Swift of Life On Purpose Institute, Inc. This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and this resource box are included.