tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1036843894999783533.post4123101719430340123..comments2023-05-29T07:15:27.839-07:00Comments on Finding Kat Heckenbach: My A-ha Moment (Or, Realm Makers Part 1 1/2: My Thoughts on the Birth of a Genre)Kat Heckenbachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17690721679155795038noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1036843894999783533.post-39732651270486770412013-08-11T21:12:46.586-07:002013-08-11T21:12:46.586-07:00Thank you :).Thank you :).Kat Heckenbachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17690721679155795038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1036843894999783533.post-68516045422339155672013-08-11T20:01:37.993-07:002013-08-11T20:01:37.993-07:00I enjoyed reading about your trip and Ah-ha moment...I enjoyed reading about your trip and Ah-ha moment, Kat, and about the birth of a new genre. Your fans at Brandon Christian Writers have all been impressed by your "little successes" along the way in your writing journey. Do not quit! You're right about God's blessing through those...they are His way of encouraging you and connecting you to all the new and many friends you have now as a result. Can't wait to see what this next year holds for you. Loved the pics, too!<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1036843894999783533.post-70017479265236307232013-08-11T19:36:13.641-07:002013-08-11T19:36:13.641-07:00You're so welcome, Rich. And thank you for com...You're so welcome, Rich. And thank you for commenting! It makes ME feel good to know the inspiration is being shared :).Kat Heckenbachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17690721679155795038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1036843894999783533.post-85291042963079163822013-08-11T19:26:42.613-07:002013-08-11T19:26:42.613-07:00Hang in there, Rich. Never give up on your art! Mo...Hang in there, Rich. Never give up on your art! Move in the direction of joy and purpose. The money may not follow, but contentment will, which is more valuable.Kristen Stieffelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06716097889143393543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1036843894999783533.post-81924868061789756252013-08-11T18:29:43.014-07:002013-08-11T18:29:43.014-07:00Thank you for writing this. I saw it posted on th...Thank you for writing this. I saw it posted on the RealmMakers Facebook page, and I'm glad I did.<br /><br />I'm a fellow writer, but I'm also an artist, and I find I do best when I can express my stories in visual form, so I draw a webcomic. My dream is to one day publish paperback comics, and maybe even do full-budget TV animation.<br /><br />I've spent a decade going back and forth over whether I actually want to seriously pursue this, but time and again I keep finding myself called back to these artistic pursuits. I have a bad habit of getting discouraged, of thinking I'll never measure up to my dreams, of losing faith that this is really what God wants from me, and then abandoning my art for months or years at a time. But I always wind up miserable without it. And every time I pick that pencil back up and rededicate myself to my art, I get filled with joy and purpose.<br /><br />Your thoughts here have really helped me. From now on, I'm not going to be looking for big-ticket success, fame and acclaim. I'll look at all the little successes along the way, and remember that those are the signs on the trail to let me know I'm in God's will.<br /><br />Thank you so much, Kat!Rich Dursthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04168946002440316868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1036843894999783533.post-550965489914576812013-08-11T17:31:39.122-07:002013-08-11T17:31:39.122-07:00Sonja, from what you've said to me in emails, ...Sonja, from what you've said to me in emails, I think you're on your way! :)<br /><br />And thank you, Kristen!<br /><br />Becky, I agree--so many things just clicked for this event. I expected glitches all over, not out of doubt in your abilities or anyone involved, but just because "first time" ANYTHING will have glitches. But things went so smoothly--it just felt like God was working all over the place. I can't wait to see what's in store, too. And you can SO count on me for next year!Kat Heckenbachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17690721679155795038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1036843894999783533.post-54725943271850684172013-08-11T17:24:28.506-07:002013-08-11T17:24:28.506-07:00Kat, you are so right about the fact that any succ...Kat, you are so right about the fact that any success I had in getting this conference together had nothing to do with me or any talent of mine. I just said "OK, I don't know how to do this, but I'll step out. It's going to be up to you to bring me the people who can make this work." And out of nowhere, people like Ben Erlichman and Matt Yocum emailed me and said, "I need to help you with this." Or people like Morgan Busse said, "I'm in touch with Kathy Tyers... I think she might be interested in being involved." The stories go on and on, all the way down to little things like the car rental place having to upgrade us to a small SUV, and if they hadn't, all the stuff we had to bring never would have gotten to St. Louis.<br /><br />I, too, share your sense of frustration at the writing end of what I'm doing, but I do believe God has used this conference to assure many of us that he has plans for this genre, or for Christians writing speculative fiction to the broader market. I can't wait to see what he wants to do going forward. I'm terrified, but I also can't wait. ;)<br /><br />Thanks for the excellent thoughts!RebeccaPMinorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06433599770860270767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1036843894999783533.post-3037298164657406642013-08-11T17:05:12.579-07:002013-08-11T17:05:12.579-07:00Amen, Kat!
Thank you for putting this so eloquent...Amen, Kat!<br /><br />Thank you for putting this so eloquently. You really crystallized the vision!Kristen Stieffelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06716097889143393543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1036843894999783533.post-45246606921864007132013-08-11T16:01:38.483-07:002013-08-11T16:01:38.483-07:00Kat, you're not alone. I also feel frustrated ...Kat, you're not alone. I also feel frustrated at times. And I'll admit that I'm envious of your "success" - you have stuff published! You might not be on any best-selling lists, but you have books with your name on them. I'm happy for you in that. I especially love that Christian spec-fic is finally catching on, because I have three novels that fit so neatly into that genre and currently have no place to pitch them. I'll keep plugging away, and I know you will, too. What a journey! God is good.Sonja Hutchinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11798852629122148462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1036843894999783533.post-35529374846023869772013-08-11T15:03:01.913-07:002013-08-11T15:03:01.913-07:00Cool story, Elizabeth! (And Elizabeth's mom :)...Cool story, Elizabeth! (And Elizabeth's mom :).<br /><br />Thanks, Jill. It was like some kind of weight lifting--that this isn't about *my* writing career, but about our whole group, our whole genre, and that I'm sharing that with a group of awesome people.Kat Heckenbachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17690721679155795038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1036843894999783533.post-16216094641379608322013-08-11T14:26:40.257-07:002013-08-11T14:26:40.257-07:00I've agonized over the same. Writing takes up ...I've agonized over the same. Writing takes up so much time--time that could be spent with family or serving others in a more tangible way. It's not just any career. It's a way of life. <br /><br />Because I understand so well, I congratulate you on your aha moment. You're part of something very important. It's good for you to recognize the value in what you do. Jillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05536293384635588296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1036843894999783533.post-27144326034531646632013-08-11T13:28:15.463-07:002013-08-11T13:28:15.463-07:00YES! I totally sympathize about the spiritually fr...YES! I totally sympathize about the spiritually frustrated bit. And that is a great ah-ha moment. ;)<br /><br />My mom likes to tell me a story, when I'm agonizing over a decision, of a friend of hers who was short of money and didn't know whether to buy a trailer or continue living in a rental house. She kept praying and praying and finally she said God told her "I can bless you in a house, or in a trailer." He's so reassuring. xDElizabethLibertyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04764460773277702121noreply@blogger.com