A hint of the theme of my first book:

The study of genetic brain function must be conducted along with environmental factors.

Specific environmental accommodations are required for specific genetic brain function. When a suitable environment is not provided it should not be a surprise when dysfunction and often immoral coping/reactive behaviors result!

How is resistance, depression, anxiety, rage and violence not to be expected if a person is forced to live in a way that is psychologically abusive to them? It is much like placing a wild animal in a small cage and punishing it for instinctive behavior by further limiting it's access to a natural way of life? What is to be expected from intelligent humans who are treated as idiots by peers or artists who are not allowed to be creative, or active children who are forced to sit all day... especially when their natural behaviors are scorned, punished and a cause for telling them they are immoral? Why should we be surprised if anyone such individuals grow up hostile?

When we study genetic intelligence we should both take into consideration the environmental affects on DNA as well as hold in our hearts the intrinsic value of every individual regardless of genetics. Only then can mankind resist the past tendency to use science to build more cages for people and further abuse those who are not 'as good' as the rest.

I believe genetic research needs to be done on how we think, but if we are to be moral agents, we must use this knowledge to help those who are wired differently than the norm by not just declaring them unfit for the normal environment but rather, attempting to create environments which suit them best...

Every individual has an inalienable right to freedom and to flourish.

Questioning genetic intelligence is not racism

By JAMES WATSON

*SNIP*

One in three people looking for a job in temporary employment bureaus in Los Angeles is a psychopath or a sociopath. Is this a consequence of their environment or their genetic components? DNA sequencing should give us the answer. The thought that some people are innately wicked disturbs me. But science is not here to make us feel good. It is to answer questions in the

service of knowledge and greater understanding.

In finding out the extent to which genes influence moral behavior, we shall also be able to understand how genes influence intellectual capacities.

Right now, at my institute in the U.S. we are working on gene-caused failures in brain development that frequently lead to autism and schizophrenia. We may also find that differences in these respective brain development genes also lead to differences in our abilities to carry out different mental tasks.

In some cases, how these genes function may help us to understand variations in IQ, or why some people excel at poetry but are terrible at mathematics.

All too often people with high mathematical abilities have autistic traits. The same gene that gives some people such great mathematical abilities may also lead to autistic behavior. This is why, in studying autism and schizophrenia, we believe we shall come very close to a better understanding of intelligence and, therefore, of the differences in intelligence.

We do not yet adequately understand the way in which the different environments in the world have selected over time the genes that determine our capacity to do different things. The overwhelming desire of society today is to assume that equal powers of reason are a universal heritage of humanity. It may well be. But simply wanting this to be the case is not enough. This is not science.

*snip*

Genetic Progress and my novels predictions

In my novel genetic enhancements are very common, and here is an article about research in this area:

Genetic engineer could make doping obsolete

Speed, strength and endurance — the qualities of every athletic competition — could develop on a new front that is virtually undetectable and involves no use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Several experts in genetic engineering told congressional staff members that information on the connections between genes and performance is accumulating so quickly that it will inevitably lead to a day when illegal use of steroids and other strategies are replaced by genetic engineering.

Schemes to install genes that stimulate greater production of red blood cells or greater muscle growth already are being promoted, said University of California, San Diego geneticist Theodore Friedmann.

“They’re clearly hyped, they’re clearly overblown, they’re clearly wrong, in my opinion,” he said, “but this science is inevitable, and it’s not too early to think about public policy in this area.”

My progress

I have spent the last couple of months reading, editing, and organizing chapters. First I formated in a standard I read about on a writers forum I started to go: couriernew, 12 font, double spaced, footer with title, chapter and page...and then I printed it. Over 1000 pages, wordcount: 282,831 And that's with 3 chapters not written.

Then I wrote up a basic outline and printed out a page for each chapter to write notes on as I read through it. I marked what I really liked, crossed through anything that wasn't necessary, checked the bits that needed to be rewritten or condensed and wrote down anything I needed to think about. Just by doing that I was able to cut out nearly 100 full pages, maybe more... which is significant because that's not counting large sections that were marked to dump but left in the pile because I wanted something that was on the page.

It was very interesting reading it from start to end like that, it was the first time I ever did it and I saw very clearly how most of the subplots were just distracting and a few of the secondary characters in them were unnecessary. So they are gone. I also noticed where my main characters weren't coming off as I wanted and some of the backstory was either not needed in the book (but stays in my brain), or was redundant or overly expanded. So a lot of that is gone as well. HOWEVER, I am considering something of an appendix. we'll see.

Reading this straight through also helped me focus on the major theme I have decided on this summer and figure out ways to bring that out more. It does mean rewriting chapters that I thought were complete... but you have to do what you have to do!

Another help of the process was seeing/feeling how long the chapters were and figuring out how to break them up and shuffle them around to a digestible size and logical sequence.

After the preliminary print editing process, I sat down with the outline and revamped it totally... adding in chapters here, moving chapters there... I wrote down the date and time of each chapter and the location of each character. It was time consuming, but I found a few spots that needed to be tweeked, and was glad to see I hadn't painted myself into a corner!

I also mapped out my big bang finish, which was something I had only grasped vaguely.

So, now I am working chapter by chapter again, reading out loud to make sure it flows and captures the mood I am trying to create. I have completed chapters 1 & 2 and am writing a new chapter 3 this week.

For those who are following my progress and interested in the book, I thank you for taking the time to read this!! :)