Transformation: Interludes and Prelude

I thought it was about time I gave an update on the progress through the first draft of Transformation.

Executive summary: sloooooowly.

As I mentioned before, the novel has four main parts. In between those parts, I have three short interludes. These form the back story of the intervening years since the end of Integration, and how one of my two main characters, Katinka Farkas, ended up where she did at the start of Transformation.

I'm not going to give any more details than that–even the name Katinka Farkas is a minor spoiler for Integration, but not of any significance to the story really.

Anyway, those three interludes are now complete. It was quite hard work, and I suffered a bit of a crisis of confidence in the middle as to whether I was up to writing this novel, but I got there in the end.

As well as the interludes, there's also a slightly longer prelude, also from the perspective of Katinka Farkas, before the first main part. Today, I finally completed that, and it helped me regain my confidence. I'm pleased with the way it turned out, and it acts as a nice bridge to take you from the world of Integration into the transformed world of Transformation.

So, now I'm ready to start with the main body of the novel in part one, which starts in the world of Juno, where Long Division is set–but around a hundred years later. I'll start with my other main protagonist, young Nevin, attending his first religious service with his new girlfriend.

Unlike with Integration and Long Division, I'm not going to give any early previews of the opening chapters. They'd contain way too many spoilers for the events of both of the earlier novels, and that would be rather silly, especially at this stage when neither of the Tamboli Sequence novels have been released. I may revisit this decision once these first novels have been out for a while, and I've made enough progress in Transformation to ensure I'm happy with how it starts. Even then, there will need to be copious spoiler warnings.

Oh, all right. Just to whet your appetite, here's a few phrases from the Prelude: the Continuity Church, The Guardian of the Afterlife, the Disciples of Saint Raj, the Archbishops of the Afterlife. Getting a theme yet? And the Safirans are mentioned, which may mean something if you've read The Stream...but of course could mean something very different here.

First thing to do in the morning...decide on the name of Nevin's girlfriend. And her mother, who will be important too, as will the True Indra.

In my last post about the planning for Transformation, I gave the names of the interludes and sections that I was planning. Well...I changed my mind, as I moved some content around. This is what I'm currently calling them:

Prelude: Ordination

Interlude: Conversion

Interlude: Epiphany

Interlude: Consecration

Part 1: Proselyte

Part 2: Apocrypha

Part 3: Bardo

Part 4: Pralaya

I'm pretty sure parts 1 & 2 will change, but expect the name of part 3 will stick. As to part 4...I'm not even sure whether that will end up being split into two parts at this stage. It's going to be a surprise to me, but will evolve out of the earlier ones.

Watch this space...but don't hold your breath.