Release the book inside of you!

Published by Karie Millspaugh on July 9, 2018July 9, 2018

Release the book inside of you!

I’m currently visiting my hometown of Traverse City, Michigan while I’m writing this blog and I’m feeling very emotional.

These past 2 weeks of visiting my family has brought back a lot of memories.

My childhood was simple.

Pastors kid.

One of 5 children.

We were abundant in all the things that money couldn’t buy, which was a good thing because money wasn’t something we were familiar with.

These past 2 weeks I’ve seen all 4 siblings, nieces, nephews and my sweet daughter that has been in Michigan with her father for the summer.

As I spend quality time with each sibling I am reminded that I see a little something of myself in each one. From my sister’s passions around her business and drive for success to my brother’s silly antics as we drift off into funny dialects from our theater days.

One of the reasons I wanted to make this trip was to gather my dad’s work regarding the book he is writing.

Some of you may remember that back in September 2016 my dad had a terrible fall in the woods while putting a tree stand up from a 12-foot ladder, which resulted into breaking his neck and back. 3 ½ hours later he had crawled out of the woods and was able to get into his car and then drive another 35 minutes home to get my mom’s help.

Well, 3 months before that happened, he told me he wanted to write a book about God’s timing. Little did we know that he would live through the worst chapter of his life and we are grateful that he survived to write about it. Needless to say, that chapter is his grand finale to his book now.

Now when you tell me something, I’m going to hold you to it. So sure enough, I reminded him of this book idea while he was struggling for his life in the hospital. Unfortunately, he went from bad to worse after his injury and had to be in an induced coma and didn’t come home for 2 months.

I knew that writing a book would be a challenge for my dad, as he is approaching age 79, so we had to get creative. He doesn’t type, and he never looks at a computer screen, so us kids decided to buy him a recorder, so he could speak his book into existence with the help of a transcriber. Well, that wasn’t in his comfort zone either.

So, he did it the “old school” way, pen to paper.

I now have his notebook in my possession and have been transcribing the book word for word to get it safe and sound on a flash drive for editing purposes.

I’ve written 8 chapters for him so far and have read many of his short stories of how God’s perfect timing has allowed him to witness many miracles in his life. Dad has always been good at the sermon side of sharing information, which is what this book reminds me of, multiple mini sermons in one book.

My inspiration for you is that if my dad at age 78 can take a pen and write out his many life stories with arthritis in his crippled hands, then you can write that story that’s been inside of you too.

He had a lot of excuses and many obstacles, but WE WILL publish that book if I have anything to say about it.

In fact, we already have a waiting list for those that want to buy multiple copies to share around the nation.

So, what is your excuse for not getting that book written?

Is it lack of time?

Clarity?

Resources?

Energy?

When I help my clients write and publish their first book I give them some simple advice.

What is a need in the marketplace that I can add expert advice on?
Start with the ending in mind, so you don’t feel overwhelmed of where to start and stop.
Be sure that the book is thick enough to see the spine on a book shelf, 150-300 pages, about 50,000 words.
Create an outline of chapters that feels like mini blogs or articles so that writing doesn’t feel so daunting and then chip away a chapter at a time.
Only write when you feel inspired, pushed energy results in sloppy writing.

I will be spending the rest of this summer and fall writing and editing my father’s book in my spare time. It will be our shared project that will live on forever. I won’t lie, most of his stories are pretty tough to write with tears streaming down my face, but I’m always inspired afterwards.

So, my dear friend, do you have a story inside of you?

I always state, don’t die with the story still inside of you.

If you would like me to consult you on writing and publishing your book, please feel free to fill out an application to see if we are a good fit to co-create your first book.

As a publicist and marketing expert for public figures this has become just one more step that I consult my clients with.

Fill out Application HERE

I hope my dad has inspired you as much as he has inspired me!

Yours in Abundance,