I had just finished writing the first draft of a story for young readers about an abused colt. I thought the story was really good and was actually crying at the end. I went upstairs to my husband’s office and told him the story. He was in tears, too, and I felt like the story really was as good as I thought.

Some friends were coming over for dinner that evening, and I couldn’t wait to tell them about the story. It felt like the story still wouldn't really exist until someone took the time to listen to it and witness it.

We were playing darts in the garage before dinner, and I asked how everyone’s day went.

“Great! I enrolled a couple of new clients today,” the wellness coach said.
“I had to fire an employee today. That sucked,” the business owner said.

The kids chimed in, “we had a great day playing in the cul de sac with our friends after school!”

We talked about how their days went, but when we were done, no one asked me how my day went, and I was bursting at the seams to tell about the story I wrote during the writing workshop I held that morning. So, without waiting to be asked, I just started telling about it.

“I had a great day! I wrote a story and your kids were in it." I thought that would pique their interest. They just kept playing darts.

I wasn't about to give up. "It is about an abused colt. Someone asked me to pet sit for them and they told me they would put the kennel in the foyer of our house and that I should give it water as soon as I got home. When I walked in the door, I thought I was going to find a cute, little dog curled up in its kennel on a soft cushion. What I found was a colt who had been kept in the kennel so long it was covered with dried poop and had so outgrown it that….”

“Oh, I got a bull’s eye!” the coach exclaimed.

“Wow! See if you can do that again,” someone else said. “Let’s play round the clock next.”

I stopped talking and no one noticed. They just kept playing darts. I sat there feeling like the amazing story I wrote didn’t really exist because no one witnessed it. It was about their kids, for heaven’s sake! Why wouldn’t they be interested in it?

No one asked me to continue, and I could feel the magic around the story dying. Maybe it wasn’t worth telling.

So, a little ticked off, I swallowed my story, picked up the darts, and played my turn.
I knew the power of being witnessed. When I would have an idea and tell my husband about it, it took on more life and began to expand. I knew the story about the colt was fantastic and didn’t want it to wither and die. I wanted it to be witnessed and live.

So, I gathered the energy I felt for the story, started over and spoke with a little more conviction.

“I wrote a really great story today that I'm going to publish and I'm excited to tell you about it!"

Everyone stopped and looked at me listening.
I continued, "The abused colt turned out to be a champion jumping horse that your daughter rode in competitions.”
They listened and being witnessed, I could feel the story being born.
Who can you witness today?

Keren Kilgore works with visionary leaders and entrepreneurs who are gifted at what they do and know that becoming a published author would create a quantum shift in their business. But they are stuck in how to get started. Keren coaches authors in how to plan for a successful book, writing and designing a page-turner, and then building a best-selling marketing blueprint to sell as many copies as possible. She helps entrepreneurs write stories to use in public speaking, closing sales, social media, and books. Keren leads writing workshops throughout the year. She has ghostwritten and published hundreds of books for authors and is currently writing a book about her experience as a foster Mom to 26 teenagers and a book called Blink for young readers.

Keren Kilgore, Author Coach & Book Publisher

Schedule a call with Keren to talk about your book project.