UPDATE: New Interactive Serial – What do YOU want?

Posted on by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Hello everyone,

As of Monday evening, most people want to start an all new serial from scratch.  If that’s not the option you’d choose, then be sure to cast your vote!

The poll will stay open until Friday, January 16th.

No need to re-comment on this update unless…

Whatever form the new serial takes, I’m going to bring back the culinary aspect of the story.  However, the “random things” do more to drive the plot.  So, this time I will ask you for a combination of Random Things and Food-related Things.  You are also welcome to send Recipes to share as part of an episode.

So if you want to see the first episode of the new serial (whatever it may be) next weekend, then leave a comment with three things/ingredients.

Sincerely,

Teagan

Sign FutureThis is your chance.  You can put the next serial story on a completely new road. Or you can keep it as it is.  Or it can be a little of both!

Last weekend I gave you the conclusion of the re-wind of Three Things. So now it’s time for a new, original, reader-propelled serial.  Once again I’ll put you in the driver’s seat.

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My main purpose in giving you a serial episode each week is to engage you, the reader. I do that by making the serial “interactive” — getting readers to send three random things or ingredients (food related things). As I write each episode I let those things inspire and guide what happens in the story.

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Doing that in the first serial is what resulted in the 1920’s setting.  It’s even what brought you the cast of characters.

Sign Gator

Now that we are ready to begin a new story-line, I want to bring you into the process right away — before a single word is written. That’s what I’ve always done.

In the second and third stories, most people wanted to keep the same characters. But it is time that I asked for your feedback again.  So I’m giving the WordPress handy-dandy poll thingamajig a try. (I’m crossing my fingers that I did it right!)

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This poll should let you leave comments as well, or elaborate on the option you chose.  I look forward to your feedback.

 

You’re behind the wheel! So — Please vote.

This poll will only be open through Friday, January 16, 2015.

If you have other thoughts that the poll doesn’t cover, then just leave a comment.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

Mega-hugs!

59 thoughts on “UPDATE: New Interactive Serial – What do YOU want?”

  1. Hi Eleni — thanks for the ingredients. Since I also include a recipe with each episode, and you’re a chef I’d like to use one of your recipes for this episode. I searched “Ribs” on your blog and found your Chocolate Chili Pulled Pork Sandwiches. http://elenisculinaryjourney.com/2014/04/16/chocolate-chili-pulled-pork-sandwiches/
    I can’t remember what episode number this will be, but it will be several weeks from now. I’m looking forward to writing this one! Huge hugs. 😀

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  3. Thank you Shelley. With that, the votes are in now and it’s for an all new serial. Hope you’ll be back for the first episode. That’s actually the next post after this one.
    Loved your latest adventure! You’re amazing. Hugs.

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  5. Wonderful things, Sally! They’re currently scheduled for Episode-5.
    My favorite bakery (thank goodness i love their salads as much as their bread) makes Irish soda bread on Fridays. Sadly I’m rarely over there on Fridays! I’m sure you would have sent a link to the recipe if it was online. But just in case…
    Mega hugs! ❤

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  10. Are you sure there isn’t a newspaper out there that would like a weekly serial? I thought about having Big Al cast a vote but I knew it would be the opposite of mine and thus rule mine out.
    While I have chance I’d like to offer, hydrofoil, quail’s egg and Wurlitzer organ.
    xxx Massive Hugs xxx

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    1. Thank you David! Oh, those are very interesting things. I’m delighted to have gotten several sets of things now. However, i’ve no idea where all of them will take a story. Suspense abounds! 😀

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  11. Okay everyone I am calling it a tie between John & Kathryn for the first set of things. Not sure which I’ll use first … Maybe I’ll get carried away & use both.
    But everyone is welcome to keep sending things & ingredients. We’ll need plenty.
    Hugs. 🙂

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  15. Pingback: UPDATE: New Interactive Serial – What do YOU want? | Teagan's Books

  18. Hi Lily. Thanks for dropping by. Plenty of things make me nervous, but this is not one of them. What I’m feeling about it is “impatient.” I said i would leave the vote open until Friday — but I’d like to know the outcome now! 😀 I’m excited to learn where the vote goes. Thanks very much for voting. Huge hugs!

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  20. Christy, I’m so glad! It’s all about getting the readers involved. Be thinking of 3 “things” to send. Next time, no matter what else about the story, each episode will be a combination of random things and food-related things. People are also encouraged to send entire recipes. Huge hugs!

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  23. Because I think a new year calls for new beginnings, I voted for a whole change. Yet your work in 2014 kept us entertained and it should remain your choice in the end. But it looks like many of us opted for change, so…
    Looking forward to seeing what you are up too, Teagan. Best, as always.

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    1. Thanks for voting, Evelyne — and especially for the feedback.
      Of course, when it comes down to it, i would put my own spin, influence, whatever on the serial, and do what i thought i could make the best story from.
      But the whole point of me doing the serials is to engage the readers. I want everyone to contribute a thought/thing, and be part of it. Think of it as community outreach.
      Thanks for “coming out to play” and — hugs! 😀

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  24. It’s hard to make a choice, Teagan. As you mentioned, why don’t you let the three things in episode one lead the story and see where it goes. I voted for new as well and look forward to see what develops. ❤ ❤ ❤

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  25. Hey everyone! Thanks for all your votes so far.
    Naturally i could just write whatever story. There are scores of them floating around in my head, just waiting to see daylight. But the entire point of me writing the serials is to engage you — the reader. It’s all about your participation. Otherwise, I’d just upload a chapter to Amazon every couple of weeks. The thing that makes these stories enjoyable is the fact that everyone is involved.
    So thanks for voting. And if you haven’t, come on… vote. Mega-hugs! 😀

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  26. I’m all for everything new, since I’ve only read snippets of the past ones. For this serial, I’m going to be there from the beginning and follow it all the way through! I’m excited Teagan! And I’m sure whatever you do, it will be fantastic. 🙂

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  27. Oh I was torn on this one Teagan. One part of me wants to keep the characters – and I love the 1920s setting – another part of me wants to see what new wonderful characters you’d come up with! I do like the magical aspect, whatever you decide to do, but then that’s just me, I like a little magic in my life 🙂

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  28. David, Thanks for dropping by. And thanks for the poll comment you made. Admittedly I’m not a web developer guru.. I removed your poll comment because (at least on my screen) your email showed, and I wasn’t sure if the whole world could see it.
    So many thanks for taking a moment to comment. I read and appreciated, even if you can’t see it here. Mega hugs! 🙂

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  29. Hey Tim. Thanks for the encouragement! 😀
    LOL, so many different stories and characters are running around in my brain… It makes me wonder if i must have split personalities to sort them all! LOL. Huge hugs!

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      1. Sometimes in earlier works i could see my characters getting similar. It helps to have a really clear idea of each one before the writing begins. But as they say, like attracts like. So friend characters might be a lot alike… in real life anyway. Thanks for dropping by. Hugs.

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  30. What if the protagonist and narrator is the granddaughter of Pip? Pip’s adventures and magical attributes spill over to the granddaughter. Mixed with her vivid imagination and constant daydreaming we are transported to a scene we can never be sure really exists. The genealogy allows the appearance of old characters and ushers in new ones with new adventures that occur between the 1920’s and now. Apologies in advance, Teagan. It’s just that your writing sets my imagination machine on hyper-drive 🙂

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    1. Daniel, i am absolutely delighted when anyone (especially someone as vastly talented as you) goes off on their own imaginary trail with this story and characters. It means a lot to me to know they have wriggled into the minds of readers to have further adventures in the readers’ minds. ❤

      In a somewhat similar vein, when i did the first "Cookbook" with the culinary serial i thought about letting it take place about 20 years after the previous one, but the "ingredients" just didn't seem to go there.

      Anyway i love this kind of uninhibited, spontaneous brainstorming storytelling. Mega-hugs! 😀

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  33. It’s so hard to decide Teagan, I love Pip and Andy and want to see more from them together. I want to vote more than once because whatever direction you go I will love it, your stories are exactly what I love to read and I am going to love whatever you do.

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  34. Thanks for dropping by Olga. Your questions are exactly why I did this poll. I let the “things” guide the story. So if everyone voted for an all new story, i would not know what kind of story it would be until i started working with the first set of things.

    I am surprised that so far, most people want to keep most things but have a different character than Pip narrate the story.
    But regardless of characters, current or as yet unknown, I’ll let the “things” lead the way — whether it goes ghostly, syfy, or what.
    One thing i’m definitely bringing back is the culinary element. Those were the most viewed. So i will ask readers to send a mix of random things and food-related things. As well as entire recipes if they choose.
    Have a lovely weekend. Hugs! 😀

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  35. Difficult as I like all the options although I seem not to have been the only one to go for the option I chose…I’m sure it will be great whatever it is? Are you thinking of keeping up with magical things…I wondered (if you’re keeping up the same period) about bringing some interesting inventions in…I know we’d talked about Steampunk…It would do for awesome images!

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    1. Hi Sally. Thanks for the feedback. I certainly enjoyed writing the bits about the animals. However, we might run through a “zoo” pretty quickly… Or maybe the setting could be one that would already have a lot of animals…
      Feast for thought. Huge hugs!

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