Keeping the Balance- School vs. Writing

       Before I even start, I want to make it clear that I am by no means an expert at balancing anything, much less schoolwork with writing. This is kind of going to be a maybe-this-will-work-for-both-of-us kind of post, because I'm still figuring it out, too.
      Disclaimer aside, it's getting to be that time of year. I don't know when all of you start school, but I'm going back Thursday to start my junior year of high school. And while I'm excited for the classes, I'm also trying to figure out how I'll balance my writing with my grades, because, as annoying as they are, grades kind of are important.
      This is also the first year I'll be editing one novel and writing another, so I've been trying to figure out how to balance work between those.
      My tentative plan is to plan three tasks a day at the beginning of the week. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I'll edit Dragonchild. On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, I'll write my as-of-yet-unnamed WIP. I'm not setting any tasks Sunday so I can focus on church and family that day.
      These tasks are to be completed during free time at school, after-school activities, and home. As little as I usually want to write, I like math even less, so I'd get a lot of writing done while I was supposed to be doing homework, but there's kind of an obvious pitfall to that. So, I'm going to adopt my writing sit-your-butt-down-in-the-chair-and-get-it-over-with policy. Also, pretending to do vital research for the Doctor. . . That always helps.
      Another balance I need to find is how hard to push myself. That's where the tasks come in. I assign myself three a day, planning at the beginning of the week. Since I haven't done as much writing as I intended this summer, I'm starting small and working my way up-- Tuesday involves worldbuilding and 200 words, Thursday character development and 250 words, and so on. I'm only setting two tasks Fridays and Saturdays so that every week, I write a blog post one day and save EVERYTHING to Dropbox the other.
     I really have no idea if this is going to work, but it's my plan, and even if it doesn't help me, it might help you. Also, having it on the internet for people to see might give me more motivation.
     The main thing is the same thing you need to remember when you don't want to write-- you won't want to do your schoolwork, but it's got to get done. Maybe you could pretend to be doing research or something. I don't know. But I'm convinced that the universe hinges on balance, from the placement of planets to the details of managing everyday obligations. Writing and school are very important. You need both. Just make sure to take some time for yourself, too. Burning out won't help anything.
     So, what do you all think of my plan? When does your school start? How are you going to balance writing with school and everything else? Let me know in the comments!

Keeping Organized: The Writing Binder

      I thought about making a post about the most essential tools a writer could need (other than, say, an imagination). But, when it came to thinking about which tools I really couldn't function without, my mind kept coming back to one. So today, I'm going to be covering how I made and organized my binder. You can follow it step by step, or disregard it entirely, but I hope it'll at least give you some ideas.

      My binder is just an old, kind of beat-up two inch binder (it might be three; I'm not good with estimating measurements). I've put some scrapbook paper in to decorate, along with a few quotes I like. The front pocket holds random papers that aren't related to writing or are short-term storage. During the school year, it usually has important school papers, since it's the only binder I make sure to keep track of. I also keep a pencil pouch with pencils and pens and sometimes sticky notes and random scraps of paper.

     Inside, the first two sections are for my current WIPs. I use those folder divider thingies with pockets to hold papers that I haven't punched holes in yet. In each section, I have a clear sleeve with reference images, then my character sheets, then worldbuilding, then plot. I have a few sticky notes stuck throughout it, with little ideas relevant to that area.
     The next section is entitled "Other Stories," and contains partially developed snippets, some creative writing assignments from school with bits I could use at some point, and some of my old writing. When I feel bad about my writing, I pull out "Lightning Speed Animal Rescuers" from second grade. It makes me feel better about how far I've come.
     After Other Stories I have Reference. I have character development tools, body language keys, a lifesaving chart on realistic travel (it's on Pinterest here), limits of the human body (here), a list of all the people whose MBTI types I know in case I have a question. . .really, just a random assemblage of things I can reference without wi-fi.
      After that, I have For Copying. These are blank copies of my character and worldbuilding worksheets to copy so I don't have to track down the links every time I run out.
      Next is Conference Notes. That's where I keep my notes from writing conferences, and I reference them quite often. This section tends to grow in large bursts, since I don't have many writing conferences nearby, but when I can go, I usually get over twenty pages of notes (to be fair, some of these are five lines of WHAT EVEN when the presenter has brought up a really interesting point.).
      My last section is unnamed, but has blank character sheets and a LOT of lined paper for when I need it. This is helpful, both in writing and at school (once again, this being the only binder I keep track of.)
     I've kept this binder for about a year now, and it's grown and developed with my needs. I can always get a bigger binder if I need more room, and the tags on the dividers let me switch out WIPs or create new sections when I need to. It's my slightly-larger-than-pocket-size Pinterest for when I don't have wi-fi , plus it keeps me focused. Having all my information about my story in one place makes it much easier to access while I'm writing, too. This may not work for some writers, but for me, it's the best organizational tool out there.
    What do you usually use to organize your story papers? I'd love to hear from you, so go ahead and comment!