Tag: Katie Ganshert

Waiting for the Bubble to Surface (Otherwise Known as Writer’s Block)

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

My husband insists it’s idea block.

I have no idea why he’s so adamantly against calling it writer’s block.

No matter. The possessive noun is unimportant here. The word to focus on is block.

Basically, I’m attempting to write a synopsis for a potential novel, only I can’t get a grip on the story.

The thing is slipperier than a wet penguin.

I find reassurance in the fact that this isn’t the first time I’ve faced this problem. Nor am I the only creative person who’s faced it.

So I wait expectantly and excitedly for that moment when this slippery penguin-of-a-story dries off and stops hopping around long enough for me to grab it by the wings. (Just to be clear, my story has nothing to do with penguins.)

Writing is one of those ticksy endeavors where it’s your best, most exciting friend one minute, your worst enemy the next.

When everything is moving and shaking and jelling and the words are gushing from my fingertips?

Best. Feeling. Ever. Completely euphoric. (Cue Titanic music and picture me with my arms spread wide, shouting, “I’m king of the world!”)

When everything is stagnant and empty and uncooperative and the blank screen is giving me heart palpitations?

Not quite so warm and fuzzy. (An issue I address on my Q&A page.)

Thankfully, the solution is like a water bubble. I know it’s down there, working it’s way up. It’s just a matter of how long it’s going to take break the surface.

Let’s Talk: What do YOU do when you’re stuck? Are there things in life that you love and loathe all at the same time?

Guess what surfaced exactly 45 minutes after writing this post? The bubble! I figured out the climax of the story! This is how I’m feeling inside (oh how I love my alma mater and their choice of 90’s music):

Friday Faves

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

This week’s roundup is a short one! Not because the internet was lacking in awesome blog posts, but because my week was so full (celebrating my son’s 4th birthday, visiting a friend in Madison, brainstorming a new story idea), I didn’t have time to read everything in my Google Reader.

Despite the hectic schedule, these four grabbed me….

Chin-Grabbers for Everyone:

  • In Other Words: Hope and Havingmby Beth Vogt

    I found this short and sweet post super applicable, since the balance is one I’m constantly wrestling with.

  • Haiti, Personal Crisis, and a Manifestomby Jen Hatmaker

    I know. Jen Hatmaker has made the Friday Faves THREE weeks in a row. But I really had to. This one is so incredibly powerful! It reminds me of something I read in my Beth Moore study:

    We can underline our Bibles till our pens run dry without a drop of ink splattering our lives. The self-deception slithers in when we mistake appreciation for application or being touched with being changed…..The Word of God is meant to do more than penetrate. It’s meant to activate. Simply put, the Word was meant to work.

 Chin-Grabbers for Writers:

  • Conscious and Subconscious Actionmby Jessica Nelson

    A new, interesting way to approach characterization. I especially love the concrete examples from the movie, Book of Eli (which I haven’t seen, but would like to).

  • Should All Authors Blogmby Rachelle Gardner

    More thought-provoking thoughts about the ongoing debate on whether or not fiction authors should blog.

Happy Friday! I hope you have a fun-filled, blessed weekend!

If you’re looking for a book to read or you like giving books as Christmas gifts, you can read the first three chapters of Wildflowers from Winter for free. I always like to sample a book before I purchase it!

4 Handy Building Blocks of Story

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

I don’t do character charts. They are the opposite of helpful for me.

Instead, whenever I endeavor to begin a new story, I sit down, write the protagonist”s back story, and thanks to Jeff Gerke and now, Lisa Cron, I search for….

A dark, significant moment from the character’s past

This could be anything….

As a child, the character could catch his mom having an affair.

She could discover she was an “oops” baby while eavesdropping.

Bullies might call her ugly or fat or any other mean thing bullies like to say.

Whatever moment we choose, it should lead to…

A false belief

The character who caught his mom having an affair might believe that only fools fall in love.

The character who eavesdropped might believe she’s a mistake or a burden.

The character who was bullied might believe she’s unlovable when she’s herself.

This false belief results in…

A debilitating fear

The character is afraid of opening his heart to a woman.

The character is afraid of being a burden  to her parents.

The character is afraid of rejection.

This fear gives rise to what craft book writers refer to as…

The fatal flaw

Otherwise known as the knot or internal issue. Basically, it’s any practice or habit or personality trait that shields the character from the fear, but will ultimately lead to his or her death. Whether that death be physical, emotional, spiritual, social, or psychological.

The character pushes women away, because that way he’ll never find himself in the same position as his father all those years ago.

The character is an overachiever, because enough success will make up for being a mistake.

The character starves herself and acts like the popular kids, because that way, she won’t be rejected.

Once we’ve decided, we should remember to….

Let the fatal flaw steer the plot.

Each conflict should rub against it. Jeff Gerke calls this the escalating arms race–where external forces continually and more aggressively challenge the protagonist’s old way of doing things. In return, the protagonist holds on to the old way even tighter. Because that knot is important. Take it away and our character will have to face his fear.

Which is the crux of the story, isn’t it?

As much as we might say story is about achieving a  goal, it’s really about facing fear. Ironically enough, the very thing the character has been avoiding or flat-out fighting (facing that fear) is exactly what the character needs to accomplish the sought-after goal.

Let’s Talk: What false beliefs have you held onto in the past? What fears have you had to face?

In my debut novel, my protagonist definitely has a dark, defining moment (hello, prologue) in her past that leads to false beliefs and fears and a fatal flaw that she must overcome. If you’d like to give the book a try, you can read the first three chapters for free here.

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