I’m sorry! I was cleaning out the spam this morning and came across that gem of a title. I just had to use it.
What I mean by it is: here is a report on book writing progress. The book’s content is between eighty and ninety percent done (hard to say exactly). The more I write the more I like it, but it is not yet done. Five of my closest colleague-friends, those who may see what I have written before anyone may see what I have written, have received “early-early” review copies of the incomplete book. All others on the reviewer list (and I thank each and every one of them for their patience) will receive the “early” version for review as soon as anybody may see it.
However I will show you the high-level table of contents, in case you have any feedback on the book’s structure, and so you can see that I am still writing it. Color key:
- new writing in red
- writing from the blog (cleaned up and improved) in blue, blue for blog
- writing from the original book (cleaned up and improved) in green, green for growth
- parts yet to be finished in shocking purple
The contents:
Part One: Introduction and Evaluation
Chapter 1: Introduction
What this book is forWhy I wrote this bookThis book and youNotes on the bookChapter 2: Why Work with Stories?
Why work with stories?Why work with stories?Why work with stories?SummaryResourcesActivities[Summary/Resources/Activities repeat in each chapter, some done some not]
Part Two: Fundamentals of Story Work
Chapter 3: What Is a Story?
The ant and the doveDefinitions of story, stories of definitionA working definitionChapter 4: What Are Stories For?
Stories are maps of experienceStories are sounding devicesStories are elements of playStories are packages of meaningChapter 5: How Do Stories Work?
Stories in societyStories in conversationStories in useStories in storiesStories in personalities
Part Three: A Guide to Participatory Narrative Inquiry
Chapter 6: Introducing Participatory Narrative Inquiry
PNI definitionsPNI phasesPNI principlesChapter 7: Project Planning
Mini-collectionMini-sensemakingMini-returnKnowing your storytellersKnowing your topicConsidering privacyChapter 8: Story Collection
Methods of story collectionAsking people to tell storiesDiverse questions for diverse motivationsHow many stories to collectAsking questions about storiesFacilitating group story sessionsStory collection exercisesChapter 9: Narrative CatalysisChapter 10: Narrative SensemakingChapter 11: Narrative InterventionChapter 12: Narrative Return
Part Four: Advanced Topics in PNI
Chapter 13: Advanced Introduction to PNI
PNI justifiedPNI in contextPNI opportunitiesPNI dangersChapter 14: Becoming a PNI Practitioner
The essential skills of a PNI practitionerBreadth and depth in story workEvaluations of story workChapter 15: Advanced Topics in Project Planning
Habits of story planningPlanning projects with the story uses trianglePlanning projects with stories in personalitiesTransparency in PNI projectsResolving tensions between needsPractical ethics in story workChapter 16: Advanced Topics in Story Collection
Habits of story collectionStory collecting venues and story personalitiesHow not to ask too many questions about storiesWhen you can’t ask questions about storiesTranscribing storytellingWhat to expect when you’re expecting storiesThe story fundamentals questions expandedChapter 17: Advanced topics in Narrative CatalysisChapter 18: Advanced Topics in Narrative SensemakingChapter 19: Advanced Topics in Narrative InterventionChapter 20: Advanced topics in Narrative Return
Part Five: PNI Stories
Chapter 21: PNI Stories from Other Lands
Collecting stories in a poor urban community (Jonathan Carter)Helping a community market listen to its customers (John Caddell)Evaluating effectiveness helping youth in foster care (Stephen Shimshock)Using a specific narrative process to face conflictual situations (Stephane Dangel)Chapter 22: PNI Stories from My Journey
Incorporating narrative into e-learningProbing a wound gentlyHolding up a mirrorWe said, they saidToo much and too littleContradicting ourselvesShooting the messengerThe near missDiscovering the obvious10-15 more of these stories left to clean up
Appendices
Acknowledgements and biographyGlossaryIndex
You could look at this and say, “What? You have so much left to do! All those shocking purple parts!” But of course the introduction, planning and story collection parts would be the longest. The other parts will be much shorter and faster to write, so I do see a sort of light at the end of the tunnel. I am working on the catalysis section now, writing by PNI phase, sorting into basic and advanced as I go.
The “PNI stories” should end up at between 20 and 25 when I’m finished: this will be a sort of (highly anonymized/fictionalized) “folk tale collection” of stories about things I’ve learned from projects I’ve done: not “case studies” or “best practices” but more like a trial and error parade. The format is the same as in the previous case studies, but there are just lots of them now. I have notes on all of these stories but about half remain to be cleaned up. Sort of like a nail fungus infection, which is no choice of mine or yours, just something that remains to be dealt with.
Why I am I telling you this? Because the blog was hungry; to let you know I’m still writing; because I wouldn’t mind some feedback on the organization of the material; because winter is coming; because I found such an excellent spam title.