Turns out it is a fair amount of work regardless of the approach taken.

Dorothy Hanson’s interview is the first one for Women Who RV Vol III (2011). Her Mission in Addis Ababa,  Ethiopia will keep her there for a year so we needed to record her “voice” earlier this month. I’ve decided NOT to do extensive audio and text editing until I get to the book in 2011.

What you will read and hear during the six August 26th thru September 30th podcasts to be posted  is the Mission that draws Dorothy back to Ehtiopia again. We are in the process of working out our communication timing given her limited broadband web access and my NAOPB book’s interview progress.

Click on the image above and you will see Dorothy and me  in the Studio. I’m the one behind the microphones. Now back to the NAOPB book…

My Perfect Bound Marketing (PBM) “WWRV niche” development and NAOPB in-process written interviews are the focus now. Answering the PBM question: “Who is your ideal reader?” is a key opportunity for these two books and the others to follow.

The real challenge for me right now: Developing SmartDraw professional opportunities that will strengthen my “…to give voice” passion while continuing my NAOPB journey.

“Ethiopia was my childhood home and so it draws me back…”

Please follow Dorothy’s Ethiopia Mission starting with my August 12th podcast.

Click for a closer look at the NAOPB “Prototype” Week visual used for my blog/podcast scheduling:

* Mondays and Fridays you can hear and read WWRV Volume I podcasts through September.        

* Tuesdays are blogs tracking the NAOPB book journey and its expected change in plans.

* Wednesdays will have ABPA-related blog content excerpts from their written responses.

* Thursdays will now be devoted to Dorothy’s Mission via her audio and text podcast content.

My July 20th blog noted the need for “author…patience to let the story develop…”  never truer now since Dorothy’s Mission impact on my own NAOPB journey. Basic text editing of her interview will be posted over six weeks (August 26th thru September 30th) once she approves my audio editing approach. A similar approach worked for the WWRV voices.

I’m researching whether a few minutes audio episode per week can be edited with a minimal amount of work. Dororthy and I share a mutual commitment to each other’s journey. You need to hear her Mission ”voice” about her third culture kid (TCK) childhood and the hold it still has on her 60+ years later.

Audio editing of Dorothy’s interview minimizes my ABPA-related resources time requests. A fair time trade-off for everyone involved with no negative impact on the NAOPB book.

Finally, I bought a disposable camera and had “audio” John take some Studio photos of Dorothy and me after the interview Saturday. I’ll post those visuals weekly with the text once I get them developed.

Godspeed Dorothy Hanson with your AIDS-related Mission for Ethiopia…

My interview was a nursing professional in her early 70’s on her way back to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for her second AIDS-related Mission in two years.

Another woman with RV experience…

Below is a sample of the unedited voice recognition software text excerpt from the 39 minute interview (5,261 words total).

“…Ehtiopia was my childhood home and so it draws me back and the reason it was my childhood home is my parents took me there when I was seven and so I got to know not only the country but the people there with it from the United States and so I have a deep love in my heart for the country and for the people and this makes me a third culture kid TCK this was not well understood until only a few years ago but there’s many of us know you’re one to Marion whose parents started us off in one culture to this to a second culture but the mix of those create what we call the third culture and so were products of the third culture and that makes us unique and different willing to take risks and wanting to return to that place that we learn to love…”

You’ll notice what seems to be a stream-of-consciousness thoughts. The only way to edit the interview is to listen to the 39 minute audio and edit text with puncuation as you go. Been there done that for WWRV Volume I.

NO way audio interviews are going to happen with the ABPA-related resources visualized above – given our mutual time constraints. Their written responses will provide valuable insights without a follow-up interview.

One cool note – it was only $.98 to mail a “Welcome Home” card to Dorothy Hanson the soon-to-be-resident of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia! More on Dorothy’s AIDS-related Mission on my August 10th blog.

A time-dependent opportunity to record a voice for WWRV Volume III presented itself in late July. Key NAOPB priorities were revised including Step Four of linking this web site to interviewees’ web sites. 

A Studio interview (audio) was completed in early August. More on that in my August 3rd blog.

Two long term priority shifts occurred in early August as well. My SmartDraw tools commitment has grown beyond its initial NAOPB focus – as planned. The in-process “visuals” have impacted me far more than originally expected, however. They have forced me to take a serious look at professional and publishing priorities.

I signed on with Perfect Bound Marketing (www.perfectboundmarketing.com) to market WWRV Volume I through high volume “niche” sales avenues. Their question: “Who is your ideal reader?” has caused major refinement of an already identified market: Phoenix Valley RV Resorts.

The time commitment to pursue this RV marketing opportunity is being defined through SmartDraw. It has been a sobering experience - given my other goal is to work with the SmartDraw tools professionally while continuing to develop NAOPB Volumes II and WWRV III.

Finally, I’ve had to rethink my earlier plans to do audio interviews with my ABPA-related resources – based on their busy schedules and mine. More on THAT in my August 3rd blog.

“Who is your ideal reader?” will guide me into finding those of you readers who might benefit from my WWRV/NAOPB content series. I am also looking for interested readers willing to provide feedback as the NAOPB book continues to evolve this year.

You will notice when you click on the SmartDraw “visual” that the third step begins to shift our focus to the NAOPB book itself. The process of creating the book transcript actually began with the initial questions and subsequent responses. 

The individual interviews audio output – with voice recognition software – will also generate a Word doc of comments for editing into the book transcript. The author challenge at this point is to have the patience to let the story develop as each interview “voice” is added to the mix.

Oh, one other challenge is to expand the visual potential in support of the story and to blog and post audio podcast (excerpts) weekly as time permits…my time.

The evolving SmartDraw visual above and another one you will see in early August have proven to be a KEY issue for me. Earlier blogs were written with a one-interview-at-a-time focus. The evolving visuals have forced me to think of the group talent involved via these later blogs.

THAT will be a major influence from now on based on my WWRV transcript experience. The story will tell itself. My job is to guide its development. There will be no NAOPB audio CD this time. I need to concentrate on my digital storytelling “visuals” growth with this book.

“East Valley RV Voices” Volume III (2011) will combine my WWRV Volume I web, audio CD and book content experience with the growing NAOPB Volume II visuals expertise.

Finally, I move back and forth from the Wordpress maintenance format to a web page view. The latter provides a much more visual impact of the thoughts under development via the web page you see now.

Having received and reviewed the first written response, the focus now shifts to my interview role. One of my goals is to “visualize” a key insight from each response.

This one had a particular historical reference – one that has long been a fascination of mine. One that will you recognize instantly.

These NAOPB interviews will be similar to the earlier WWRV interviews in that a personal travel club - RVW – was a common link for these women who RV. The difference in the NAOPB focus is a professional association - ABPA – that is a common link for their mutual publishing passion. 

A link crucial to my continued development as a successful author and publisher.

The initial questions – SmartDraw flowchart jpeg – first response - now shifts the responsibility to my        “…to give voice” passion: 

1. Review of the written response in preparation for the first interview.
2. Identify unique insights that are at the core of my passion for people.
3. Meld my interview focus with their insights offered.
4. Explore themes that will resonate with you and with with others.
5. Begin the journey of identifying just who you are and how to find you.

The July 20th third step of the four step interviewing process will shift to the challenge of continuing the responses and interviews effort while developing the draft of the NAOPB book.

A key question: Can I find an editor willing to work along with me versus insisting that I complete the draft first? A crucial question as I’ll have numerous jpegs for this book where none existed for WWRV.

Friends gave me a single page overview of the ESPN World Cup 2010 Wallchart so I could get my novice bearings. The Internet supplied “How to Learn the Basics of Soccer” (shouldn’t it be football?) that provided some understanding of what was going on during the game.

Who knew you could watch TWO 45 minute halves with NO commercials? What a treat with intelligent and articulate commentary for every game. I may be new to the World Cup but I have lots of experience booing WNBA refs so I felt right at home. 

Finally, the rich history and agony of the World Cup resonated with me…as a tortured kindred spirit:

Super Bowl III: Baltimore Colts vs. New York Jets – January 12, 1969

I will NEVER forgive Joe Namath and the New York Jets for beating Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts…NEVER! And don’t even mention Earl Morrall. This is in red for a reason.

Now I understand the passion and the pain of our global sports neighbors. The incredible anguished memory of World Cup losses was a running commentary during the game. I am an avid WNBA fan and have been for fourteen years as a Day One Season Ticket holder. First hand experience with winning – very joyful – and losing – very painful – has taught me lessons I could frankly do without.

Diana Taurasi has taught me the privilege of being an X-Factor Phoenix Mercury fan when she is on the Court regardless of winning or losing. She speaks Spanish and that is no small gift for our Valley of the Sun community.

While she was rooting for Argentina, she can still share in the World Cup spirit with our Valley Hispanic neighbors – especially the girls – regardless of family Team loyalties. I plan to be at the next football (soccer) professional game whenever it returns to the Valley.

I just hope there are no vuvuzelas…