Writing Through Depression
Six time published author and Air Force veteran Brandon Abby has been through some dark times in his past. As a kid who didn't like to write or speak in front of crowds his late wife set him on a path of changing that. As a successful author herself she encouraged Brandon to get into writing to help process through his feelings during a dark period of time. Her love and passion for writing as well as encouragement has helped Brandon remain resilient even through darker times. He tragically lost her to COVID in the fall of 2020 and has continued to run their publication company and even release her last book. Throughout the unimaginable, Brandon has been able to use writing to deal with his life and create books to provide joy and entertainment for countless others.
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Transcript from Episode 41 with Brandon Abby:
Keith McKeever 0:01
Welcome to the battle buddy podcast with Keith McKeever. Alright, welcome back to another episode of the battle buddy Podcast. Today, I have a gentleman on who I have known for many years, probably more than I want to count. This is like an original battle buddy for me, we serve together, we were in Iraq together at the same time for a little bit overlapping times we were in Ecuador together, this guy really means a lot to me that a good friend for a year. So excited to have Brandon Abbey here, Brandon, we're talking about today is writing, you're an author and a publisher. And we're gonna kind of talk about writing and writing through depression. And I will say, I didn't know that you were even into writing. That's one thing I didn't know about you until just a handful of years ago, we started putting out some books. So I'm excited to talk about that. But before we get into that, share a little bit of your story, you know, how'd you get in the Air Force? Would you do with that story like for you?
Brandon Abby 1:00
Well, I appreciate you for inviting me on the call man referral. And, you know, I mean, it's taken time out of your schedule. For me, this, I'm not started off, man. I'm gonna take it all the way back, you know, what makes it interesting, that much more interesting was in third grade, and fifth grade, I hated writing, I hated getting in front of people, I hated all that stuff. Um, I dropped out of high school at 17, because I failed a third and fifth grade. Um, and today, I am a sixth time published author, public speaker sliding into the motivational speaking. So it still baffles me a lot, because I've never liked to get it from, you know, I would take zero just so I have to do a book report and speak in front of people. So we talking about, you know, 20 some years later guy has a different plan for you know, I'm saying and utilizing that, and I've always been a motivator type person anyways, you know, even time when we was in service, um, you know, it was in Japan, and we was in Iraq, and Ecuador and stuff like that always been that guy in school and things of that nature. Right. And so, um, you know, I did a tour in Iraq, I did two tours in Iraq, and Afghanistan, went to Ecuador. And then, and so, when I was Afghanistan, that really I was, you know, I was on a path to, to really do a lot of great things in the military, the United States Air Force. I was I wanted, I seen chief, it was nothing less than that. But I went to Afghanistan, and I got hit on a no notice. Afghanistan. And, you know, I felt that it was it was my time to hang my boots up. You know, I mean, because it was, felt that like I didn't get a no, no, I didn't get a notice when I asked, you know, I'm saying like, Yeah, I know, some people is like, oh, that's our job or whatever. Um, but, you know, after you put in so much work and so much time away from your family, you know, as you know, me, um, it was military did my family, not the family, and then military type deal. Because always, you know, in the military, I hit, you know, in 27 months, I get Air Force airman of the year, um, you know, all the wars onto that, you know, Airman of the quarter, and one of the, you know, all these different awards or whatever, but everything for my family. And so I felt slap in the face. So Afghanistan, I thought about going to OCS, because I had a bachelor's degree, got my bachelor's degree in three and a half years on active duty service on three deployments to Iraq, and then went to Afghan and one to Ecuador at the time. So we talking about, I'm out there, you know, I mean, like, I wasn't just shortchanged, in the military, I was, you know, excelling in both ways. And so, you know, um, that hit me with that little depression right there. Because it's like, dang, you know, you just a number, right? You just a number to the military. And that's all you are. And so I thought that was a slap in the face. And, and so that, that really mess with me a lot. And because I wanted to do 20 years, you know, I had motivated people to do a lot, I wanted people to go to school, and I wanted to do all these different things. And, you know, God just had a different plan for me, you know, and I had shoulder surgery when I came back from Afghanistan, and, you know, I was just a different person, you know, the, the PTSD was kicking in and, like, my temper was, like, a fuse, like a short fuse suit. I'm ready to pop off. You know, I'm saying so, I'm just after a couple of times of, you know, knowing yourself and wanting to, um, you know, wanting to teaching in Excel and not getting kicked out. Um, I went to I went to when I got treatment, you know, And because I had some crazy thoughts, I'm not some crazy thoughts or whatever and, and all that. So I just kept on going with that. And
Brandon Abby 5:10
when I went to Arizona, I was just like, Okay, it's, I'm going through this treatment. So I went through a six month, six, seven months prolonged exposure treatment, and what they expose, you know, helped me out with my PTSD a lot. And so, you know, because I think, because I waited so long, and, you know, allowing the military to, you know, going that direction, they become a little bit more than that, just PTSD. Um, so, just kind of seeing what I seen, you know, no minds really experienced that type of stuff. So, oh, you know, I just kept on going in, in 2013. For me, I met an Afghan and Wanda Ecuador at the time. So we talking about, um, out there, you know, I mean, like, I wasn't just short chains in the military, I was, you know, excelling in both ways. And so, you know, um, that hit me with that little depression right there. Because it's like, dang, you know, you're just a number, right? You're just a number to the military. And that's all you are. And so I felt that was a slap in the face to me. And so that, that really mess with me a lot. And because I wanted to do 20 years, you know, I had motivated people to do a lot, I wanted people to go to school, and I wanted to do all these different things. And, you know, God just had a different plan for me, you know, and I had shoulder surgery when I came back from Afghanistan, and, you know, I was just a different person, you know, that the PTSD was kicking in, and, like, my temper was, like, a fuse, like a short fuse suit, I'm ready to pop off, you know, I'm saying so, I'm just after a couple times of, you know, knowing yourself and wanting to, um, you know, wanting to teaching in Excel and not get kicked out. Um, I want to, I want to, I want to get treatment, you know, and because I had some crazy thoughts. I had some crazy thoughts or whatever, and, and all that. So I just kept on going with that. And when I went to Arizona, I was just like, Okay, it's, I'm going through this treatment. So I went through a six might six, seven might prolonged exposure treatment. And would they expose, you know, helped me out with my PTSD a lot. And so, you know, because I think, because I waited so long, and, you know, allowing the military to, you know, going that direction, they become a little bit more than that, just PTSD. Um, so, just kind of seeing what I seen, you know, no minds really experienced that type of stuff. So, oh, no, I just kept on going in, in 2013. For me, I met there's kind of keep on going from there and for me, and just kind of, you know, just kind of go up on Warner and circle and I separated the military. And when I separated I had, you know, I was like, I won't be an entrepreneur, you know, there's no other burning breeze, you know, I ain't going to get no gig or whatever. I'm gonna go to school, and then I'm gonna figure this thing out. And, um, you know, when I came out my wife, she had flatlined. Well, she flatline when I came back, they brought me back from my ride, early in 2010. And she flatline again, because she flatlined, and then when she flatlined again in 2012, when I came right after I came back from Afghanistan. And so I'm still dealing with that, you know, dealing with that and family, and we haven't out issues and things of that nature. But we will keep on going with this thing or whatever. And we ended up we've separated time, and we ended up getting back together and when I separate it, and no. When that was the case in which the ball rolling in it began back together and was like, Okay, we're gonna try this thing again, one more time. And so, you know, she had already written two books at the time, no, three books to read two poetry books, and an actual novel, right of her story, telling her story like it was flatline, almost don't count. I'm on does count. And so we got back together, and she was writing on the next book, right was flatline necessitated. So start writing on that, and I'm seeing her doing it. We know it's kind of I'm going to school full time and things of that nature. And we just kind of kept on rolling with that and, you know, it came to the summer of summer of 20 2015. Then, which is an interesting sidebar, right and so, on that we she was talking to one of our friends that is a Walmart or a mainstream author at this point.
Brandon Abby 10:01
She got books in Walmart and Target and all that stuff. So she was talking to her give her a book title for a publishing company. And so they talk and, you know, I'm a numbers guy I got, you know, I had already a bachelor's degree and all I always been a numbers guy. So I looked it up, and I said, Oh, man, the book industry is $26.3 billion. So wow, that's a lot of money in, you know, I mean, like, my therapist just told me, hey, you need to sit down and you need to write down your thoughts. You know, you need to write down your channel, your thoughts, is that's one of the biggest things is kind of harping you on sound like, okay, cool. And so I looked at that and say, Oh, my wife is right. Not the guy can write today, you know, um, so she, you know, they talked about that, and I'm like, okay, so he said a name. It was mme. And I was like, boom, a book title came in mind, my name, my head. And the whole storyline in my head. Wow. Okay. Like I said, I didn't really I read personal development. That's all who I've been, you know, I mean, in military type books, whatever for studying, right? So I'm just kind of rolling with that. Just keep going on in. And I tell my wife, and it was funny. So my wife and say, Hey, I'm gonna write a book. So oh, that's, that's dope. Um, that's it. And I came back to again, say, Hey, I'm gonna write a book. So that's cool. Then I said, Hey, I'm gonna write a book. Shit. Don't talk to me about that book ever again, until you write it
Keith McKeever 11:32
first, right.
Brandon Abby 11:36
So when you told me to like that, that's what I'm thinking in my head. You know? Oh, I was thinking in my head. I'm like, Oh, she talked to my dad. Okay, I'm gonna show her. Right. Because she was, you know, she held me accountable for things wherever, just like I know her to come up with things too. So no, I'm saying we was friends first. And so it's kind of rocking rock and roll with that. And we got on a trip. Let me tell you a mental I mean, like what we were financially at the time like I couldn't believe I was I was so jacked up by the VA was jacked up with doing my it was jacked up, we're doing my own. My disability, right? It was jacked up, we're doing my disability. And so they hadn't really gave me the disability. So I'm in school full time. We weren't she was collecting disability herself. We went to, um, we went to New York on a trip, right? This is this is this is a nugget right? To never put your dreams to this. I want to tell you this, to never put your dreams to the side and say you can't do some things. We went to New York on ball tires, no insurance, no registration. Ball ties, no insurance, no registration. Today, between me and my wife, we got 22 books. We have over 200 We've published over 200 books you know, I'm saying so don't let that that be. Because if we just oh man, we can't do that. You know, I mean, cuz I got inspired to write while I was on that trip, wrote Madame sec. Oh, which got a madam secretary was the only book we read, we wrote together. I have it in there on a screen. Screen, right. I'm going to script and as well as looking to do some amazing other things with that book. So don't ever say I can't do this because you got a situation. You gotta you gotta your faith got to be bigger than your fear.
Keith McKeever 13:48
I think that's what I like about that. Because because I've known that that story for a couple of years now. But I think it's important to put that in perspective. It was what 2015 So that was seven years you know, you went from bald tires, no shirts, no registration, driving from Atlanta to New York. Just following a dream like New York, like this is it like That's why someone may not have right was like the opening lines of a movie. You know, it is just follow your dreams take that leap of faith you know and and see what the heck is on the other side.
Brandon Abby 14:23
See what the heck is up and we get pulled over out like the charts. You know, I'm saying I'll take it but we you know, I'm saying we've made it back safely. We got tired. No, we ended up building kept building and building buildings don't you know in another nugget is don't win when it comes down to it. Um, you know, not saying you can't do something, you know, I mean, because that inspires me now. Because even on two disabilities in my company, because we started a company who's able to borrow $265,000 house, but no, no, no W two job. You know, I'm saying no w two job. We was a little small company. And whenever we still was able to continue to go on. And so I just dropped Book number six. All which I'm super excited about was part two. And it's the first book that, that that launched after my wife passing, or whatever, you know, I didn't want to let her go. I felt like I had to get out here and put this working. You know, I'm saying so it's this book right here. This will pass it around to I just talked to one of my readers yesterday. And she was like, Oh my gosh, that's the only thing she can say is Oh, my gosh,
Keith McKeever 15:46
I should tell you something right there.
Brandon Abby 15:48
She said, Oh, my gosh. She partially said that was the best book she did. She read for me on all of them. Like, she's like I loved the first one is probably the best book to read from you. Right? And it was, it was a little bit of everything.
Keith McKeever 16:06
Now these are fictional, like romance life, all intertwined, kind of kind of books, right?
Brandon Abby 16:12
Yeah, this urban, urban, yeah, urban books, or whatever it is talks about life. Yeah. My life. And what this book, you know, I was, you know, I was in different areas of my life. And when I really dove into it, as okay, I'm about to put this book to work, you know, and, um, you know, it's prayer near somebody is about to die. So you on the edge, you see, you know, you you're captured and like, the beginning of the book is this thing. And then at the end of the book is like, oh my gosh, so it's a coordination of things. And I'm like, so when I was going to read through, I'm like, wow, this is a movie. Yeah. So is anybody going back to the throne to?
Keith McKeever 16:59
And I you know, I'm just kind of curious, because actually told some of this the other day, I think writing is really no different than grabbing some play and making a pot or put some paint on a on a canvas. It's, it's an art form. On and I am probably the most uncreated person out there. There's a reason I don't
Brandon Abby 17:18
know what one thing I've been thinking back then. We're not gonna put that energy in the universe. Okay. Um, because you don't know what you don't know. Okay? You don't know what you don't know. If you never try it. You don't know if you good?
Keith McKeever 17:38
That's good point. The things I am artistic in nature. I have not been terribly good at, but
Brandon Abby 17:45
it takes 10,000 hours. Have you tried 10,000 hours at it?
Keith McKeever 17:50
I definitely have not tried 10,000 hours of art.
Brandon Abby 17:54
You know, I'm saying I'm sure you you read submit several different books at those 10,000 hours. I can't remember I got there from his home for 10,000 hours. I think it was from thinking grow rich. I mistaken. The 10,000 hours, you haven't tried 10,000 hours? You don't know you try to once or twice. Now I did it. I'm gonna keep on moving. Right? But just like real estate, right? Your real estate agent? You um, you know, you try your first sale. You're like, Oh, I didn't make that. Shama quit, right, you kept going at it. Right. And then you became the top real estate agent in your area. The top you know, I'm saying like, and that's why I salute you, man. Like, it's hopping your area your you know, I'm saying President of associations and things of that nature. But first time you win it. You're right. I don't quit because you had to do it.
Keith McKeever 18:50
UPS and bruises along the path. Yeah,
Brandon Abby 18:52
that's it. Right there. I see. You didn't give up. Just like your basic training lights. These push up. So he's, he stood up to these, you know, like, oh, man, I can't eat food in two minutes.
Keith McKeever 19:06
No, you figured, we all know. I'm ashamed to say I still eat my meals in like two minutes. Right? These days? How do you do that? I'm like, I don't know muscle memory. Like I'm afraid that the tables gonna get up and I'm gonna have to have to be done early. Right, right. Right. And yeah, so the books in the writing man I'm just curious because of the creative side of things like how much did did you know what you gone through depression wise or what's going on in society or just other things play a factor into that creative process of like developing the storyline and writing all that out?
Brandon Abby 19:49
Oh, um, the depression aspect of it or whatever. I I personally, I asked some motivational stuff in there because I try not to breathe I'll probably touch on that, like a person's feelings in that, but I try not to bring into a depression because I don't want anybody to get depressed as they are, you know, um, and is a part of life, but I don't want to dive too deep in there, I want to play anyway to end it. Because it only takes one second to get into pressure, but it takes a hell of a lot of one one second to get out of that. That's a good point. So, um, you know, I can't even take our perspectives like, oh, man, this sucks. You know, if you look at that as depression type deal, yeah, tough spot, man, this sucks. I'm I'm overcome it, though. It's always I'm gonna overcome this, like, I'm not gonna be stuck here forever, you know, and this next book, so whatever I have is a pretty, somebody pretty legit. Pretty, pretty legit. I'm actually really honing in on the craft. Now, after I read the wrote that book, I'm honing in on the craft to to really put in, I've started doing research on the next books and all that stuff, too. So I'm honing in on the craft to really put that work
Keith McKeever 21:11
in there just like anybody, anybody does, you should go back and review. I mean, I do that on this podcast, I think after every episode, I'm like, okay, you know, what we good, but we bad? You know, what kind of what other questions that I miss out an opportunity to ask, you know, you just got to reflect on all those things to grow, to get better? You know, and I would, you know, imagine even writing the same thing and be like, you know, what did I leave out of the storyline? You know, was there was there? Was there a point in the book that I, you know, missed an opportunity for a good life lesson to interject or something somewhere along lines? Or did I miss an opportunity to, you know, to kind of hands on something that's, you know, going on in society these days, you know, tie it into, to a timeline. So, way So,
Brandon Abby 22:00
right, right. And that's one of the things about a book or whatever it is, it allows that sure, is what people, that's not a smart look to do. Surely, I got a lot of things on my plate that I want to do. Whenever my mind is continuing to run, but a book is your own, that's your new business card. You can add that to that's your business card right here. All right, cool. I got a business card. But I got a book right here, here's how you can be you know, you join a you turn to a new client, whatever, Hey, check this out. Here's what if you're looking for something, here's the things to look for. When you're doing a house, when you look for an out, like you shared with me one time. So here's the things you look for, I'm trying to find a house, you know, find make sure you find a great mortgage company, make sure you find before you even really dive into it. More or less company, you know, a gray area school, whatever. So outlining that type of stuff would enable this person as they like, Oh, he's an expert at that. You can sell that on Amazon. That's another stream of income, residual income.
Keith McKeever 23:07
True. Yeah, you can do workbooks off things you can and book exactly what I need to frame the, it doesn't have to be a two or three 400 page book. You know, you can be a published author with something drastically shorter. You know, you have to have something that people want to pick up and flip flip open. For sure. But, you know, you can I think anybody can, can write something, not to tip my hat or anything, but I, you know, I'm in that process myself writing one on real estate, you know, for for veterans that, you know, try and get out there and just help people make better informed decisions about real estate
Brandon Abby 23:45
and from yep, yep.
Keith McKeever 23:47
Because there's a lot of there's a, there's a lot of junk on the internet that you can read, it may not be applicable, you know, so there's a lot of things that people can do. There's a lot of amazing books out there, whether it's your own story or making one up or sharing your expertise. So there's a lot to that. So another thing I wanted to ask you, which I think is really neat, because you got into writing, because your wife, but your son is also an author, correct? Mm hmm. How does that I'm just curious from just a parent child relationship. How's that? Like been a bond for you guys and a connector?
Brandon Abby 24:30
Oh, well, one of the things is when his mom was alive and like we was it was mostly me, him and her, I will go to book signings, which would be pretty cool or whatever him his mom, they sat down and they just kind of, you know, I'm saying they just kind of wrote their books, you know, and, you know, he was located, you know, and they kind of started that and you know, she was kind of honing in on on the craft and legacy type deal. So, one of the things is, I say, I'm actually gonna start promoting a lot more from therapy to legacy and you know, like, people don't understand, like, you can be able to write your stuff. And it helps him because he, he actually had leg surgery, right? Yeah, leg surgery, oh, he had a cyst, and leg and all that. And he was able to, you know, have surgery, we put them out the football season, for the whole year, then he had surgery, then a pandemic hit and so that now surgery again, to get the rod taken out, and all that stuff. So he had to go through it, you know, but doing that before that, you know, that writing? So now and so from there, you know, so he's actually thinking about I'm writing a book this summer. No, just just thinking about the team book this summer. He just wants to
Keith McKeever 25:59
it's got to be quite an interesting thing for somebody like yourself that did like to be up in front of people or to do the writing you know, as a preteen somewhere around at age izany and just creative and writing so what's what's on the horizon after after this book? No, you got some some others what's what else you got?
Brandon Abby 26:18
Man? I got this book man is so tough, all tall corporate deal. Well, this guy is, um, this guy's you know, he was in a game. And then he went to prison. And then now he's out of the games entrepreneur is open a cigar bar, and you know, all that stuff. But he wasn't a game, but he's now he's gonna be funneling money. So I guess that's just gonna lead into some other stuff. Some other books got six part, like, series that's going to be dropping. Right after that. That one's going to be I've already started looking up to the details of that. That one's called filthy money. And, man, oh, yeah, that one's that one's it's gonna change the game, right? Sounds interesting. Just the title is called filter it filter money. It's already, like I said, I do research on some different platforms and stuff. And yeah, I was right there, it's gonna be dope. I can definitely, you know, as it's in my head, oh, I'm definitely really want to start a continue to put this workout and then, but I'm also doing this business thing too, because I got my MBA. So I'm sliding into a business course I'm putting together um, I got an author course I'm putting together and also have this how to overcome grief, how to overcome grief, of course, I'm putting together that one's going to be a very detailed course. But anybody that's going through any type of route, whether it's grief out the military grief, and a relationship grief or divorce grief, for my transition, that one right here is going to be very detail I'll have that coming up here shortly. I've already started like putting that together. So, you know, as an entrepreneurial brain, you gotta keep your mind going because keep these these different things in transit income going in. But, you know, those are things that have been dropping within, you know, a year or two. But, you know, I got my time devoted to my business partner, say you need to put some time to something, so I got something super exciting that I'm doing to help people launch their business and things of that nature. My business course
Keith McKeever 28:57
was course out on spreading stuff. And that sounds really impactful to have something especially with grief. You know, because you hit on a handful of different things a lot of people can go through like it can it can be anywhere. So that's that's good stuff for some people. So you have to let me know when once those get a little closer man, we'll we'll share with the battle buddy podcast networks and get and get that out there man because it can be some helpful helpful stuff for people. But going through your website down here at the bottom, but I want to talk a little bit about what you guys do on the publication side because I think it's something that will kind of talk about writing and how it can kind of be beneficial for healing right and CMF stuff but anything that you want to say about the publication side that people should know about, you know, what that looks like and how long it takes or you know, some some things like that.
Brandon Abby 29:48
Well, the publication sighs it can take you know, just depends on the person though. Like, how dedicated you are right? If you got your book already completed, you know, you got your book completed already, you know, you can come, you can just hit me up on email, they might say publications@gmail.com. And, you know, we converse and whatever about consultant, I do self publishing consulting, you got your book finish and I'll I'll get the editor pretty much you just pay a fair number, you pay a number, which number is like $1,500. And I do the rest of it for us with the included with the editing. I do that, you know, you know, getting your book set up and you know, getting your own, can you prove done and, you know, you haven't got your logo and making your book cover not all that stuff, I will complete all that stuff and make sure your rights is you got to 100% and you keep 100% of your rights. And so I pretty much set up a whole entire business for you. I mean, you know, you didn't just take it from there. Um, and then if it's right, you know, a person want to launch their own publishing company, you know, I do that as well. That's a lot more, a lot, a lot more, but it's a little bit more, oh, this story require a lot of different paperwork to be filed.
Keith McKeever 31:29
Whatever state that's what I feel like, that's probably a block for a lot of people would you say? Just like writing the book is one thing, but putting it together and editing cover and, you know, getting everything set up on the other? That's a whole different beast.
Brandon Abby 31:45
I was all different viewing done
Keith McKeever 31:46
before as a block. Yeah.
Brandon Abby 31:49
Yeah, um, you know, I'm saying, like, I've done it, you know, I've been doing it for the last, what, seven years now at this point. So, you know, this is just like, a breeze for me, you know, and, and all that stuff. So I could, I could do it, you know, in you know, I set up two publications are my main setup, the whole publications, and I set up the whole platform for him and, you know, get the book edited, and, you know, all that stuff, get it, you know, just kind of go through the process, and we set up a date. Now, if somebody wants to, you know, books to drop this summer, I would advise them, go get it done. Now, you know, I'm saying, you know, reach out the monthly publications@gmail.com A million reach out, now, let's go ahead and put that date on it, you know, I'm saying a slap a date on it. You know, and that way, we got time to release on a rush and, you know, if it's important date, and then all that stuff, and, you know, I can go ahead and get it done. And, um, you know, when it comes down to my clients, I made sure that they got my most time, you know, I'm saying they like, to ensure that it's all put together the correct way. And so that's one of the biggest things for me, I'm diving into that, and I enjoy doing that, or whatever, but also enjoy, you know, not just to enjoy helping people. I actually got a, like I said, the author course or whatever, that's going to be dropping shortly. So they want to learn how to just, you know, it's a basic author course. Whereas, me, when I do it, it's going to, I'll teach you, but when I do it, it's going to be like, vulnerable is what's opened my time.
Keith McKeever 33:29
Yeah, makes sense. I would imagine for some people just even getting started is like a little kid trying to figure out where to where to start cleaning up the room, I start, you want to look at art, but how do you how do you organize it stuff like that, but you're not one of my goals of this podcast is to educate, inspire, and I just, you know, kind of kind of thought of something but everybody should just go do it. You know, just write even if you're just writing for yourself, like just go write and put your story down, but where we all have a story? Oh, absolutely. We all we all have a story and you may not think your story is anything special or unique, but it is just as unique as our fingerprints are, you know, it's it's all unique, but I'm curious from, you know, kind of educating the listeners on this process. What would you say is probably easier than most people think about getting a book done and published and what do you think is probably a harder step than people think?
Brandon Abby 34:28
Um, the easier part of it is the writing part because one people thing I think people you know, misconstrue, I think that's the biggest thing that people misconstrue, that. You don't have to write a book to be an author. You don't have to write a book to be author. Night. You can be able to be you could pay somebody to be a ghostwriter for you. You can pay somebody or you can sit down with the person that is is an author that you can Co Co write it with, or whatever, him just put your name on and give them pass that information along. Right? Um, you can do an anthology, right? Where, you know, you bring in down thoughts, right? It's multiple ways to skin a cat. Multiple ways to skin a cat. And so, I would say that with people because they like, I know, right? I know it. I know, right? You know, I'm saying I hear that so much. Right? Who's going to tell you a story better than you? Nobody, right? Boy? Yeah, we, we all have been to school before we know how to write, we just, that's a mental lie that we tell ourselves, just like, um, when you when you mentioned before, like, Oh, I am the most an artistic person in the world. But no, we have to stop telling ourselves. Right? Because if we, if it was between life or death, we're gonna choose life. Right? And we don't make it happen. We don't figure it out. Yes, the lies we tell ourselves sometimes, um, that's probably the hardest. I mean, that's why I say when people say the blog, no. To get it published, to publish it, finding a platform that you would like to be on. There's multiple ways you can kind of like, say, You go independent, you can go go to Amazon go through all these different websites. I mean, we just those go to, what is it? You know, I chose iBooks, go to Google, go to all these different things.
Keith McKeever 36:51
You see, anybody ever just go like, publish, like write to an audio book. Like, you know, just don't actually get anything printed like ebooks and audio books, and, you know, there's a route that that you could probably go there to it, just
Brandon Abby 37:03
do what you have to, you just have to, with that you will have to, you still have to have words,
Keith McKeever 37:09
right? Or you take like an ebook and turn it into an audio book to, you know, and then you don't have the printing and the physical books, like, you know, you can you can kind of choose your own path, right?
Brandon Abby 37:21
You you choose your own, you know, thoughts, like, that's one of the things like we all have skills is 7.8 billion people in the world. We all have skills, and I think we fall we we falsify ourselves to believe that we're inadequate against our own measures. But that's not true. I'm gonna say that, again, we falsify our thoughts to believe that we are inadequate against our own measures. That's not true. We can do whatever we want to live. We're creators. We're all creators in life. Right? We're all creators in life, but what are they be publishing? You know, whether it be like, you know, we both served in the United States Air Force's security forces, military police, you know, I haven't done that stuff in seven years. Right. So yeah, almost eight years now. I can still go and clear a weapon out and I can hold a post. If I had to. I'm not, you know, I'm saying. But, yeah, oh, I could still go and put slap on my uniform. And, you know, you know, you know, go do some training, you support training. I'm not whatever, but I think in the day, you can write it stuff Roofing and Construction. I haven't done that stuff. And even longer internet. It's been 17 years at what I think about 17 years. I know like, like, I'm like the house up here. I did the valley up here and I hadn't done in ages and don't even like 14 years. 13 years some freakin because our mind subconscious. We know how to do we just got to do Oh, I remember how to do it now. Like changing a tire that says it's our you know, I'm saying of course I'm changing tire but
Keith McKeever 39:22
it's not right. Just go get it done. Just like you hadn't ridden a bicycle forever. Like it's just muscle memory. Yeah, you get on it. You'll be fine.
Brandon Abby 39:32
Yeah, we're all in ninth grade. We would all ninth grade. We had to write this one. I tell people man, this is this probably gonna bring home a little bit. For people. Um, ninth grade. We were on we were all there. And we had to write essays, right? We have to write essays and turn it in like dew points, points of view, right, and outlines and all these different things to turn it in. To turn these essays soon and write a full paper. Yeah. So write the full papers in bone, man. Okay, you know, you do good, you you, you get it right? You don't know that you don't get a good, right?
Keith McKeever 40:15
Absolutely. And it's the same principles to kind of sit down and write. I mean, I just finished my bachelor's degree. And in all the papers, I wrote, congratulations, by the way, thank you. And, you know, didn't write it to have elevators, but you'll have to amass amazing feeling to be done. But you know, you just see the same, the same structure, you know, you just structure it the same way come up with a bullet points, things you want to talk about, tell you what it's a lot easier to write about things that you have a passion about, or things that you know about, versus something that that you don't, it kind of sucks being in school writing about, you know, writing strategic plans for, for an automobile company. He doesn't like I don't know anything about the automobile industry, it kind of sucked, it was painful. But you get through it, you know, but if you're gonna write it, write a story about yourself. Like nobody, like you said earlier, nobody knows yourself like you do. Nobody in this world knows you like you do. So it should be pretty easy. Out outline and start writing. Or if you got some crazy, crazy story made up story in your head about aliens and spaceships, or write it out,
Brandon Abby 41:22
they sell to everything fills me so do
Keith McKeever 41:26
you know there's so many different genres of books, just just pick something and write it. So? Yeah, like, you know, you can, you can say you're an author, you got something out there something that can bring people joy, you can educate people, you can inspire people, whatever. And that's the power of books. Everybody gets a little something different out everything. You know, your, your stories are our you know, they're for entertainment, telling a story. You know, other people's, you know, educate so. So I, you know, once again, I appreciate you being on here, man. For those who are listening, it's DMR a publications.com, I got to scroll across the screen for those who watch it. So you can reach out to Brandon air, if you got a book idea something or hit me up on the show, and I'll get you his contact information, get you in touch with them. So any any last words on on writing Brandon?
Brandon Abby 42:22
On Writing, man go out and be your best self go and publish a book, like he said, he said, um, even if you just you know, get it published, get it, print it, you said it on the show, go and go and do something, you know, you know, go to your store. So tell your story. You know, you got to come to Brandon, or DeMonte to get your stuff published. You don't? Well don't get your stuff published. By going get go write your stuff down. Go talk you talk about, like all these military idea made, like things we've been through in the military? Oh my gosh, right. We made a lot of stuff. That's history. We created history. And so you know, write down just stuff when when you're no longer here, somebody can be able to say they know it from your point of view. They know it from your point of view. You know, I mean, when your kids is 3040 years old, you no longer here. They know it from your point of view, you know, and now you go and now you're looking at it like we're looking at me like, oh, I went through this. Like we created history at Camp booga. Iraq. You know, I'm saying so, those are the things that we have to really put in perspective. I'm not I'm not talking about to talk about this in the world. Oh, we have to put it these guys are listening to this podcast. You know, right. Let me tell you, I see my wife pass. You know, I bring it home for me. I see my wife that. I mean, just I was at the story my day. I see her take her left broke. After 13 years. I seen her take her last breath. So when it comes down to the life experiences, we got to take life. Oh, very serious. We have to take life very serious. I had to call the ambulance I had to call and notify every single buyer in the family. My wife was a 17 time public offer 17 Time publish author. All right. So I posted that the next day per post went viral 16,000 likes 4000 to 5000 shares. Wow. Um, her Her funeral was viewed by 6000 people As 6000 views
Keith McKeever 45:04
it's important to note that during a pandemic, too,
Brandon Abby 45:07
that was during the pandemic, oh, in all that stuff, so, you know, and then it came back cycle back around, you know, it's I think it's like, eight nine is people that still, you know, because it went viral that still click on it or share it or like the this the third, it pops up on my, my inbox. On my on my feed is something. So we're talking about, you know, take life serious, because if you don't take it serious, who will? It's gonna take life serious. And it'll go on vacation. Do things do the things you want to do? Don't put it off, right? If you want your wife to going live the best life and she wasn't going this this place or that place, money is only monetary, you can get that stuff back with experiences and regret. You can't get that back.
Keith McKeever 46:01
Then you kind of mentioned something earlier legacy, you know, and your wife is a perfect example. She was 17 books. Those books are out there forever. You know, they're they're things that somebody could read. Hypothetically, somebody could be reading her book 400 years from now. And and get entertainment out of that out of her book, 400 years from now. Like you never know, like, it's your legacy. So, anyway, man, I appreciate you being here. We'll go ahead and wrap it up. And, you know, I'll get all of your links for anybody who's listening. It'll be it'll be on the YouTube, it'll be in the in Episode show notes and everything like that where they can reach out to you. So once again, Brian, I appreciate you being here, man. Thanks for being about
Brandon Abby 46:52
Yeah, absolutely.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
