Many people think about writing a book filled with history and stories about their family and themselves, but not a lot grab the reins and gallop away on the project. Leo Lake is one person who now has a hardback copy of his life which is a treasure for his family. He had a bit of inspiration in the way of a gift. But let me move to an interview I had with Leo, a retired educator.
NJK: What inspired you to write your book?
LL: My granddaughter had given me a small book to respond to some things about my life. I found it interesting, and then my daughter-in-law actually enrolled me with a company known as "Story Worth." It was well organized and lead me through the necessary process.
NJK: How long was it from the idea for a family book until it was a finished book?
LL: "Story Worth" sent me a question each week for a year. After I had responded to those questions, I was given a period of a couple months to do any revisions, things I wanted to expand, change, etc. I then revised the order of chapters in the book to meet what appeared to me to be a better timeline. It was approximately 14 months from start to finish.
NJK: Where did you begin?
LL: Several questions sent to me revolved around my parents and my early childhood. Those questions came over a period of a year, but when completed, I wanted to start with my very early childhood.
NJK: What kind of problems did you run into? Or did it go smoothly from start to finish?
LL: "Story Worth" made it very easy all the way. There were a couple of questions ent to me that I chose not to respond to, and that was even suggested to be a possibility by the company. My biggest problem was separating what I actually remembered from what I'd been told over the years that had become a memory. Another problem for me was the possibility of repeating the information in different chapters. Editing, however, was easy to do and I made numerous corrections in the months following writing. The company suggested using pictures, and so it was easy to add to the storyline of each chapter.
NJK: Where did you have the book printed?
LL: "Story Worth" handled all the printing. On the back of the book, "Copyright 2020 Leo Lake. Written and printed with "Story Worth."
NJK: How many books did you have printed?
LL: This entire process was my wonderful daughter-in-law's gift, and she handled all the details with the company. She ordered copies of close family members.
NJK: Did you enjoy writing the book, or was it a chore?
LL: It was a labor of love. It was refreshing to think back over my life and think about how my life was shaped, those who helped, etc. I looked forward to each week's new question. At the close of writing, the only chore came in editing what I had written. I went through the entire book several times making small changes, relocating pictures, erasing a few duplicates thoughts from one chapter to another, and, of course, trying to find any errors in grammar.
NJK: What advice to you have for others who might like to write their own book or one similar to the way you wrote yours?
LL: Certainly, the "Story Worth" plan sets a stage for you to write your memoirs. What it had me realize is how much family members want to know about my life. I highly recommend anyone should start and any point in their life writing details about interesting happenings in their life. Keep a file, keep writing, and even if you never get a book published on your own, the notes you will have kept will be a wonderful gift to your family. Include the good life and the struggles.
NOTE: IN TOMORROW'S POST, I'LL TAKE A LOOK AT PROGRAMS LIKE "STORY WORTH' SO DO COME BACK.
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