Yes, I'm working on a new book
And it's about human origins.
Usually, I like to keep my work to myself and surprise people with the finished product, but I'm working on something so big now that I can benefit from additional advice and even encouragement. This book started out as a short work that was going to be like The Quest, where I mercilessly cut material out so that I could craft a good, light, compelling narrative. I was hoping to pop out a nice quick book(let) on human origins that I could give to people wanting to understand what I research and why. And I was hoping to finish in six weeks.
As I continued writing, I realized three important things. First, my plan was too ambitious. I was working very hard to write the creationist book about human origins that I always wanted to read. I want the book to integrate science and theology, and I want it to address issues that are typically ignored by everyone. I also want it to be beautiful, with great artwork and diagrams. That's a lot to expect in just six weeks, but I dutifully pushed on.
The second thing I realized was how amazing integration would be and how much it would suck me in. Initially I thought the "integration" would simply be a section on theology, a section on science, and then a section on what it all means. As I went along, the Lord began to show me some amazing things that really opened my eyes, and I yearned to address some scientific questions in the theology section. In a sense, the biblical text invites this treatment, as it presents us with such abbreviated narratives that leave us with a host of questions. Plus, I've begun to get a bigger glimpse at the whole tapestry of human origins, purpose, and destiny, and it all leads back to Jesus Christ, our Creator, Sustainer, and Savior. It's thrilling! There's so much I want to dive into and talk about now, which leads me to my third realization.
I can't write a short book. I can't do this subject justice in a short book, and I can't share the astonishing wonder of God's work in humanity without addressing all the things I was trying to ignore. I have to write the longer, more comprehensive book I didn't think I wanted to write in the first place, but now I really want to write it.
So I'll be writing a much bigger book, which will take more like six months (or sixteen months) to finish. But I'm really excited about the work, and I can't wait to share the outcome. I hope it's going to be a great book, but I can't guarantee that I'll succeed at that goal. Instead, I'll just promise that this is going to be a book like none you've ever read.
As I work on this project, I'll be posting some thoughts and questions and sneak previews, and I invite your feedback. What do you want to see in a creationist book on human origins? What past mistakes or pet peeves would you like me to avoid? What questions have you always wondered about? What interesting discoveries have other creationist books missed? Let me know what you think. Shoot me an email and share your thoughts.
Feedback? Email me at toddcharleswood [at] gmail [dot] com. If you enjoyed this article, please consider a contribution to Core Academy of Science. Thank you.
Have you read my book? You should check that out too!
