Category: Katie Ganshert

When Things Go Wrong

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

God calls you to do something. Through prayer. Through scripture. Through the words of other believers. Through the Holy Spirit inside you. You sense His calling. His direction. You know what He wants you to do.

So you make a plan. You write goals. You set forth with purpose and passion. You pray something like, “Lord, if this is your will, please open the doors. Work out the details. Make this thing go smoothly.”

And you’re off.

Excited. Expectant. Maybe a little nervous.

So what happens when you hit a snag?

Never mind the snag. What happens when you hit a giant roadblock?

I just finished this life-changing book called Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. There’s a whole chapter devoted to circumstances and how we often let them dictate our decisions.

We hit that snag or that roadblock and we too quickly conclude that something got lost in translation. Maybe God didn’t want us to do this thing after all. Maybe He’s shutting the door.

But wait a minute.

What about Moses?

God tells him to ask Pharaoh to let his people go. So Moses does. And what happens? Pharaoh refuses, gets angry, and makes things worse for the Israelites. What would have happened if Moses would have assumed he misunderstood God? What if Moses would have turned back? Given up?

He would have missed out on leading the Israelites to freedom. He would have missed out on experiencing God’s deliverance in a huge, miraculous, mind-blowing way.

Here’s the thing.

Sometimes, our current circumstances stink. And oftentimes, we’re all too quick to turn and run. Claw our way out. By our own strength and our own will.

But maybe, God doesn’t want us to.

Maybe, we’re right where we’re supposed to be.

Maybe, in the midst of the hardship and the confusion and the unmet expectations, God wants to show us something we wouldn’t see otherwise.

Maybe, in those weak helpless places, God’s strength is made perfect. And we see, along with a watching world, that He’s still God. And He’s still powerful.

Let’s Talk: How much of an influence do your circumstances have over your choices? When something goes wrong or something gets tough, do you assume you’re off course? Or do you sit still and seek God’s guidance?

*Photo by Jacqueline ter Haar on Flickrremovetweetmeme

Reaching a Broader Audience

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

Do you fix something that isn’t technically broken? How about tweaking it to make it more effective?

Over the last week, I’ve read best-selling author Kristen Lamb’s two books on social media. We Are Not Alone: A Writer’s Guide to Social Media and Are You There Blog? It’s Me, Writer.

Her books have encouraged me, because there are things I’m doing right. Things I enjoy. Like connecting with others and building relationships. I like doing that stuff. I like that I get to spend time on Facebook and Twitter and call it work.

Her books have also challenged me, because there’s always room for improvement.

One of the things I wrestle with is blog content.

I blog about writing. And a lot of times, I feel like I’m repeating what’s already been said a hundred times before. In craft books. In workshops. In articles. On other blogs.

I’m writing to an audience of writers when I’m trying to reach an audience of readers. 

Granted, some of you (hopefully), will read my book when it releases in May. But I’m also alienating a whole population of readers who could care less about writing.

Here’s the thing.

Remember that post I wrote about creating a social media plan? The one where I encouraged everyone to ask important questions? Questions like why are we blogging, or Twittering, or Facebooking?

I had to take my own advice. I had to ask myself those same questions.

Why am I blogging?

My answer isn’t: To help writers grow (as awesome as that is).

I started blogging and continue to blog because I want to build a relationship with readers.

The majority of my readers are going to be Christian women who love romance. They aren’t going to care about Motivation Reaction units. And those who do can pick up a book by Dwight Swain.

So what am I doing?

I think I’ve gotten so comfortable blogging about writing that I haven’t stopped to think why I’m doing it. And really, it’s sort of been working. My blog has steadily grown in its readership and I’ve formed some really cool friendships because of it.

So if it’s not broken, why mess with it?

It’s a question I battled with all last week. And here’s what I decided:

Even though it’s working doesn’t mean it’s working as well as it could. I don’t want to miss out on connecting with a wider audience because I’m afraid to try something new.

Which means…..

I’m going to try something new. Especially after reading Kristen’s post on blog content.

After a few months, I’ll assess. If it’s a flop, I can always go back to what I’ve been doing. But if it works? I will kiss Kristen Lamb’s feet and enjoy building a relationship with readers before my book hits the shelves.

So here it goes. My new content and schedule:

Writing related posts on Monday. Because writing is my passion and I want to continue serving the audience I already have (writers). Plus, I enjoy sharing my journey as a newly contracted novelist in a rapidly-changing industry.

Faith related posts on Wednesdays. Because the Christian faith plays a big role in each and every one of my novels and an even bigger role in each and every day of my life.

On Fridays? Romance. Family. Books. Life. I was thinking of limiting it to romance, since that’s what I write, but then I thought. What if I want to write about books? Or parenthood? Maybe it would be best not to make this too limiting.

So there you go. My new schedule. If any of these topics interest you, I hope you’ll join in the conversation!

Let’s Talk: Why do you blog? Why do you read blogs? Do you read blogs that don’t focus on writing? Do you wrestle with content? Do you think non-writing readers are looking to connect with authors via blogs?removetweetmeme

I Write

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

I spent much of my childhood laying in bed, scratching unfinished stories into notepads. I’d read them to my parents. They’d listen and smile.

People would ask, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

I’d hold my pencil to my chest and say, “A writer.”

But then I got older. And I read a short story written by one of my high school classmates. It was good. Really really good. It was the first time I remember thinking, “I can’t do that. I can’t write like her.”

People would ask, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

I’d hide my pencil behind my back and say, “I’m not sure.”

I graduated and went to college. A place where being a published author was a cute kid’s dream, but not realistic as an adult.

People would ask, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

I’d stare at the pencil on my desk and say, “Maybe a teacher.”

Then I went to Africa and words piled high in my chest. A great flood of words. A story that needed telling. So I picked up the pencil and let them spill onto the page. And afterward, I felt good. I felt like that little girl laying in her bed. A little girl with stories to find.

People would ask, “What will you do when you graduate?”

I’d blink at the pencil in my hand and say, “Oh. Right. I’m going to teach.”

But the stories wouldn’t leave. I had to get them out. So I did. I wrote them. I wrote them and wrote them and wrote them. When I told people what I was doing, I’d occasionally run into a curious look.

That’s….nice, their looks would say.

Those looks reminded me of that girl’s short story in high school. The one I wasn’t talented enough to write.

But the stories still came. Despite my fears. Despite my doubts. They came. And somewhere in the middle of all that writing, I stopped caring that I wasn’t the best. That this might not be realistic or practical. The joy of putting words on paper drowned all that other stuff out.

So now, when people ask, “What do you do now that you’re all grown up?”

I clutch my pencil to my chest and say, “I write.”

Let’s Talk: What stops you from chasing your dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up?removetweetmeme