Thinking through a story

[readingredhead]

So I have something like two weeks in which to write this story that I've been pondering since sometime last semester -- the one about the Satan. I know who he is (sort of), I understand the hierarchy of the world that he's working in, and I know that somewhere there's a person that even the devil would feel guilty for tempting or for submitting to the travails and hardships of life.

The problem is that I don't know who this person is. The only thing I know about him is that he's male and that I don't think he's a kid, though I might not be right about that, either. I know that the identity of this person depends as much upon who this new Satan is as it does upon general notions of goodness and innocence, but I still feel like I don't know where I'm going with this. I need this person, this catalyst for the story.

The problem is (and I just realized that this is exactly how the previous paragraph started) that when I think about who this person could be, he always turns into some other character already existing in a world someone else has created -- somehow undeniably flavored with something not mine. I don't really know him, and I don't know how to know him, but he's significant to the story. I feel like it's cheap to make him like Job, with kids and a wife, not just because that makes it too biblical, but also because I am NOT going to kill off people. Or rather, I don't know if I can make the Satan do it. Which I think is because I can't do it?

I'm also worried that the major critique I'm going to get on this story is, "What's God's motive? Why does he want the Satan to do such bad things to people? Why does he allow it?" And in the end, my only real response to that can be, I don't know, I asked Him but he still hasn't been too forthcoming about any answer.

Comments

[eristocracy.livejournal.com]

To the best of my knowledge, no one has written about you. Make yourself male and run with it. Anyone who questions God's motives is an infidel, and I refuse to answer their questions. The easiest answer to why God allows evil things to happen that he does not (evil does not exist); things we perceive as bad happen in service of a greater good because destruction must happen before creation (post-initial creation), Satan tempts us to test our faith/character. I can't wait for philosophy of religion class.

"The other day I went to Mars and talked to God and he told me to hang tight and don't worry because the answer to everything. is. death." -rh
(^ this is unrelated to the story about going to Jupiter and seeing cats march on rainbows, though that is also important to consider)

[readingredhead.livejournal.com]

You're pretty damn awesome, you know that? You'll have to tell me how that philosophy of religion class goes. :)

[readingredhead.livejournal.com]

PS where is that comment about the answer to everything being death from? Because I would love to have God tell the Satan that "the answer to everything is death" so that the Satan can get pissed about how he can't actually die, since he's an angel (except I have this feeling that if you're the Satan and you get fed up enough with the job to leave, you become human and mortal and are required to deal with the vagaries of mortal life? so perhaps Satan could, in this scheme, finally die and get the answers!).

[eristocracy.livejournal.com]

Answers are in the mail. Don't know if you still check your Yahoo box or not.

[readingredhead.livejournal.com]

I do still check that e-mail, and thanks! I will have more coherent responses by the time the story is done, I imagine, but right now I'll just say that I find what you have to say very helpful. We'll see what happens...

[pippins-smile.livejournal.com]

I like your answer; I'd be satisfied with it.