I’ve been tagged in the 2014 Work in Progress (WIP) Blog Tour, offering authors the chance to share snippets of their current Work In Progress. Cynthia DeKett, who tagged me, didn’t miss a beat when I told her, “but my book just came out; I don’t have a new WIP yet.”
“Just tell us about your blog,” she said. So I shall. Thank you, Cynthia, for the opportunity.
And So it Goes began two years ago and continues as a work in progress, so it fits right in with the “work in progress” theme.
The rules for the WIP tour are simple:
- Link back to the post of the person who nominated you (Check; see above)
- Write a little about and give the first sentences of the first three chapters of your current Work In Progress
- Nominate four other writers to do the same.
While I’m entertaining a few ideas about my next book, my writing time has been spent here on my blog for the past few months. Here, in chronological order, are the opening lines of my next four three blog posts.
Nov. 5 Deviating from the script
My post for next week, the day after election day, sprung from a question a GOTV caller asked during one of the campaigns I worked on. Remember, I wrote this in October; I certainly hope this rings true come November 5. Here are the opening lines:
Now that the election is over and life has returned to normal, …
In the weeks leading up to this year’s midterm election, I served as a support volunteer for one of the many organizations that focus on getting out the vote (GOTV) on Election Day. Our callers would call registered voters who hadn’t voted in 2010 — the last midterm — and encourage them to vote.
My job was to respond as problems arose. When a volunteer caller (calling from home through the use of a whiz bang new computer program) had a problem, he or she was directed to send an email or call a phone number. Either way, they often got me.
It was not a difficult job, as volunteer jobs go. The organization was particularly well organized, and they offered a list of recommended answers I could pull from: a simple copy and paste, personalize the response, and send it off if an email. And a similar set up with the phone calls.
Of the many templates, I particularly liked one entitled, “Can I deviate from the script?”
How often have I wanted to “deviate from the script” of my life?
And on I go …
Nov 12 The One Lovely Blog Tour
I’ve been tagged for the One Lovely Blog Tour, which I first heard about on Carol Bodensteiner’s post a few months ago. Through it, I discovered a few great blogs I’d never heard of before and I thank Carol for that. But she didn’t tag me. Bummer. 🙂
…
The rules for the One Lovely Blog Tour are similar
- Thank the person who nominated you and link to that blog (Check; see above)
- Share seven things about yourself.
- Nominate bloggers you admire (as many as you can think of!)
Tune in on November 12 to see who I thank, which blogs I tag, and just what are those seven things I came up with about myself. It was a fun list to put together.
Nov 19 A Guest blog from Hallie Putorek: Culture Shock
My guest this week is a young college student, Halie Putorek, whom I first read of in an article she wrote for her school paper about her trip to Tanzania. I loved how she addressed the cultural differences she found there, so, of course, I reached out to grab her for my blog.
And the four writers I will nominate for the 2014 WIP Tour, in alphabetical order, are:
I know. I did five. I’m working on flexibility in my later years. 🙂
All but Susan are memoir writers. Susan writes Middle Grade fantasy, as does Cynthia (writing as C. A. Morgan) who first tagged me. So, I’ve now brought us full circle.
I hope you’ll use the links and visit their sites “early and often” (as we like to say at election times).
Small Print goes here: none of the four five are under any obligation to play tag. But I hope they do; I’m looking forward to reading a bit of their current Work In Progress. So, “Tag; Jessica, Kathy, Marian, Patrick, and Susan. You’re it.”
[box] Interested in reading At Home on the Kazakh Steppe? I hope so.
Click here for the PAPERBACK and eBook versions.
Amazon makes it easy. And, you can always order it from your local independent bookstore.
If you’ve read it, leaving a review on Amazon will help bring me closer to being able to offer a weekend with a discounted price. (just in time for you to fill your family’s Christmas stockings) 🙂 [/box]
Marian Beaman
Unlike tag in grade school, I’ll not run and hide but will try to comply in the next week of so. I’m honored to be listed among such find authors, Janet. Meanwhile I’ll check the links of the other nominees.
marianbeaman
Oops, I think I confused tag with hide and seek – ha!
Janet Givens
Hi Marian, I’ve been enjoying your articles that are coming out of going through your mom’s things. What a treasure trove. So, I look forward to seeing what you’ll come up with now that you’re “tagged.” And Tag was often played on the same afternoon as Hide and Seek, as I recall. Though that was an awfully long time ago now. I as more a “double dutch” girl.
Susan Navas
Thanks for tagging me, Janet. I’m very happy to be breaking the mould of genre in your nominees and hope that I’ll also be able to write my blog post in the next week or so, like Marian. I will do my very best to find four willing victims to pass on the baton. Can’t wait to see everyone else’s blogs! 🙂
Janet Givens
Thanks Sue. Good to see you here. I do love mould breaking. Wakes us all up from time to time. “Willing victims,” now’s there’s a visual … I look forward to seeing where you go with this.
Kathleen Pooler
Thank you, Janet for the nudge to start thinking about my next work-in-progress memoir, Like you, having just published my first memoir, I’m in need of an incentive to get back to that grindstone and start writing again. I am honored to be on the list and will pay it forward on my blog, 11/24. What a great idea to help each other get back in gear. You also have an impressive list of upcoming blog posts. Congratulations on having the next four spots scheduled!
Janet Givens
Hi Kathy, Glad to be of help. 🙂 I’m leaving on another trip soon and this Tag tour helped me get organized for that. And, I’ve heard now from three others; my “tagees” are making connections among themselves. How great. Looking forward to your blog on the 24th.
Thanks for stopping by.
Jessica Talbot
Hi Janet,
Thank you for inviting me. I’m trying to work out how I can play, given my next project is just a very vague idea at the moment. A novel this time! I’ve been crazy busy just trying to get ‘picaflor’ in flight! I had a 40 min radio interview about the book, all in Spanish, last night, so I’m testing myself big time! This is a great way to see other wonderful writer’s work, thank you. I will let you know if I can play, but truthfuly I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed. We are also building our first home!
Janet Givens
Hi Jessica and welcome. I’m finishing Patrick Youngblood’s book, The Coconut Chronicles, today. It’s his account of refurbishing (totally) an old house on Vieques Island. The book is a fun romp and I’m thoroughly enjoying reading it. Which brings me to you …. You’re building a new house. Do I see an article on the stress of it all? (I had a builder in another life who said my hubs — at the time — and I were the “best fighters” he’d ever worked with) It can be very hard on a relationship. There’s a story there. Or, a story in Patrick’s ilk of just how downright crazy it all can be. You know the old adage: Writers write. I saw a poster the other day, “The first draft doesn’t have to be good. But it does have to be written.” So, all these ideas float around my brain. AND, sometimes when it’s our turn to play, we just have to pass. Perfectly adult thing to do. Still, I’m glad you were involved. Always good to chat with you.
One Lovely Blog Tour |
[…] I’ve been tagged once again. Back in October, I was tagged for the 2014 WIP tour. […]
The Work-in-Progress Blog Tour | Memoir Writer's Journey
[…] Janet Givens is a good friend and colleague of mine and I have come to know her as a creative, fun-loving and adventuresome person. Let’s face it, anyone who can sell off most of her material items and take off for an unknown land–which I am finally learning to spell correctly– has got to have a sense of humor, among other strong qualities. […]