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A Friday Analogy & 3 C’s

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

A Friday Analogy:
Seeking publication is like being stuck in a horrible traffic jam when you’re super excited to get to a show. Any creep forward makes you ridiculously excited. Like, “Alright. This is it. Things are moving now!” Then all of a sudden, you’re in a standstill again, wondering if the road exploded. Wondering if you’ll ever get there. Craning your neck out the window, trying to see what’s causing the backup, only a big stupid truck’s in the way.

Cares:
Some Fridays, I sit and scratch my chin, trying to think of what to write for 3 C’s and other Fridays, I have to narrow things down because there’s too much to say. From now on, I’m only writing a 3 C’s post when I have a Friday like the second one. I mean, do you really care that my son didn’t eat his green beans? Probably not. So, I’m thinking of doing a Friday Analogy on the days there’s not much to say. It will probably be an analogy on the writing journey – usually silly, occasionally serious, rarely profound. I’ll still pose the question: What are your 3 C’s today, because I enjoy reading your updates. Whadaya think?

Concerns:
The beginning of my WIP is edgy. Like, really edgy for the CBA. Here’s the thing. It’s not edgy for the sake of edginess (that’s silly). It’s edgy because my heroine is completely broken. She’s chasing after happiness in all the wrong places. I’m not glorifying her lifestyle. I’m writing about it to magnify the severity of her brokenness and the beauty of God’s grace. Those are the novels I like. The ones that don’t shy away from reality. The ones that aren’t afraid to get a little grit under their fingernails. However, I can’t help but feel nervous about it’s future acceptance in the eyes of potential publishers.

Celebrations:
I finished major revisions for my novel. Now I’m polishing, which is my favorite part.

Junior High Ministry had their kickoff for the new school year this past Wednesday. Talk about energy (and volume)! God’s doing some amazing work in the lives of these students.

Questions to Ponder: What are your cares, concerns, and celebrations today? What do you think about the Friday analogy idea?removetweetmeme

The Key Ingredient

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

I like the idea of a lot of things.

For example:
Gardening. I see people gardening and eating home-grown vegetables, and I think, I want to garden.

Cooking. I run into these people who cook organic, healthy meals for their family every night, and I think, I want to go organic and learn how to cook.

Big family. I see big families. Those mothers with a passel of kids (Hi, Jody!), two hugging their legs, another starting high school, yet another graduating, and I think, I want a big family.

Scrapbooking. I see friends who catalog every moment with their children and put all the memories into a scrapbook, and I think, I want to scrapbook.

These are things I see and think, “Yeah, I’d like to do that.”

But the idea of doing them versus the reality of doing them exists on different planets. Sure, I may want a garden, but am I really willing to sacrifice the hours spent bent over dirt, digging, planting, and watering? I may love the image of my family around the dinner table eating a home-cooked meal, but am I willing to spend the extra time in the kitchen, putting together dinners while my kid is begging for attention and I’m tired from working all day? I may like the idea of a big family, but wow, am I willing to sacrifice all that sleep, all that me-time, all that sanity?

Reality is hardly ever as glorious as the idea. Ideas are easy. Reality is hard. Ideas are pretty and pleasing. Reality can be ugly and frustrating.

A lot of people like the idea of writing a book. But not many people sit their butt in front of the computer each morning when they’re feeling tired and insecure and type word after word for 300 plus pages.

A lot of people like the idea of getting an agent and finding a publisher. But not many people care to withstand the mind-numbingly long waits, the rejection, the doubt, the naysayers.

The thing of it is, reality takes commitment. It takes stamina. It takes a passion that is alive and pulsing. Because without the passion, the commitment and stamina won’t last. I might dig up a patch of land in my backyard, even plant some seeds, but lose interest when the cucumbers don’t grow like they’re supposed to. I might buy a new recipe book and a spice rack only to watch them collect dust. You see where I’m going. Passion needs to be there.

If you’ve got the passion, it’ll keep you committed when you want to quit. It’ll keep you going when you’re exhausted.

Passion is key.

Passion is mysterious.

Passion is not in our control.

It’s not something we muster up in our own strength. It’s something God gives us, like a gift. It’s that undefinable quality, the yeast in our work, whatever that work may be, that makes it rise.

Questions to Ponder: What passions have made your ideas into realities? Do you have the passion it takes to write? Do you have the passion it takes to write for publication?removetweetmeme

3 C’s – It’s Friday!

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

Cares:
The bad news – I need to rewrite the last one hundred pages of my WIP. The good news – when I finish, the story will be one hundred times better than it is now.

Concerns:
Lots of headaches and shoulder/neck aches lately. I think I carry all my stress in the upper third of my body. Didn’t have a single shoulder/neck ache ALL summer.

Celebrations:
Right now, as I type this, I’m eating a Milky Way candy bar. None of that fun-sized business either. It tastes like heaven.

Nothing’s happened yet as far as Pub Board, but the editor emailed my agent to say they are hoping to get it there soon.

Either my students and I are still honeymooning, or they are a really well-behaved class.

Question to Ponder: What are your cares, concerns, and celebrations today?removetweetmeme