Writing Holidays

         I wasn't going to post this week, with it being Christmas, but A) I've posted once in the last month. I think I've had a break. B) Since I got off school for Christmas break, I have nothing but time. And a lot of cookies from neighbors, but that's beside the point. I figured a short post wouldn't kill me.
         In honor of the holiday season, and because I haven't posted about writing in way too long, today I'm going to share some ideas about holidays for your storyworld.
         Holidays aren't necessary per se, but they can add a lot of depth to a storyworld. A huge part of culture is holidays, and they can provide new ideas and conflicts. (Expectations not being met, crowds blocking ways characters need to go, etc)
         Think of a holiday. Any holiday, really. I'll bet that whatever it is, it's celebrated because of some historical reason. Halloween is celebrated because it was seen as a day spirits walked the earth, and a ton of our traditions for the holiday can be traced back to that. Christmas is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Jesus. Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah to celebrate when the people rose up against a Greek king for religious freedom (correct me if I'm wrong about this, I looked it up but I might have it wrong). Thanksgiving is celebrated in America to commemorate the first harvest of the pilgrims. Boxing day is a British holiday celebrated the first day after Christmas, and was originally celebrated because the house staff had to work Christmas for parties. They were given the day after off, often with a box of goodies from the party.
          Do you see what I'm getting at here? Every holiday I can think of has its roots in history. I've recently learned the hard way that history is extremely important in a storyworld, and that it isn't always pulling-hair-out frustrating and dull. Think of the holidays I mentioned. Each one has its roots in a story. So thinking of your history as another story can be immensely helpful in worldbuilding. So look at the history you already have. Maybe a holiday could commemorate a great battle, or the beginning of a new era, or a great discovery. What events do you already have in your history that could be celebrated?
          Like I said, you absolutely don't need holidays. But if you're so inclined to make them, they can add a lot to a storyworld.
         Have a wonderful holiday season, everyone, and may your writing flow!

3 Slytherin Stereotypes that Need to be Destroyed

           It's been a while since I last posted. Maybe now that NaNoWriMo has wound down, I'll get better at this. Lol. We'll see how long that lasts.

            Today I'm continuing my series of Hogwarts house blog posts. This time I'm focusing on Slytherin house.

            Slytherins tend to get demonized. Of all the houses, they get the worst reputation. Which is a shame, because in my opinion, Slytherin is one of the coolest houses (I've got a bit of a bias towards Ravenclaw). So here's three of my least favorite Slytherin stereotypes, and my personal experiences and arguments to destroy them.

1- Slytherins are evil.

            No. Just no. This one drives me insane. Some Slytherins are evil. Some Gryffindors are evil. Frankly, by clinging to this stereotype, the wizarding world created a self-fulfilling prophecy. Imagine being an eleven-year-old, so excited to be learning magic in this amazing place, and you're sorted, and people boo at you. The only people who will accept you are other Slytherins, some of whom are involved with bad people. Saying Slytherins are evil only exacerbates the problem.

            Slytherin stereotypes affect members of the house on a personal level. I asked a few Slytherin friends about stereotypes. My ENFP best friend said, "[The stereotype says I'm] evil and manipulative don't trust them they'll cut you. I hate it. It makes me want to cut them. Which makes them right. Which I hate even more and then I want to cry."

            Shortly afterwards, she sent me a message reading, "FOREHEAD KISSES!!! ARE THE CUTEST!!!!!!!!"

            Another friend said, "I suppose the worst one is that all Slytherins are snooty and/or rude to everyone outside our house. Another one is that all Slytherins turn into death eaters. Not only is this upsetting for me, it lowers self-esteem. I don't aspire to be a death eater solely because I'm a Slytherin."

2- Slytherins don't care about anyone but themselves, and they’re all the same snotty rich kids.

            I started writing this in paragraph form, but it's much simpler to make a list.

            -My best friend is a Slytherin (I mentioned her earlier). She's also the sweetest, most compassionate person I've ever met.

            -I know a Slytherin who loves theatre and is amazing at improv.

            -I know another one who is very quiet and loves sports.

            -Another Slytherin friend is a feminist, also in theatre, and he sings and dances in the school show choir.

            -Another one is amazing at sewing and is in charge of costumes for theatre (Most of my friends are in theatre, if you can't tell).

            -Another one has an incredible mind and a great sense of humor, and drives our seminary* teacher crazy by taking everything literally.

            -I know another Slytherin who plays Magic and is on the wrestling team and regularly wears a "Viva La Pluto" t-shirt.

            Slytherins are people. They’re just as messy and colorful and diverse as anyone else. Reducing them to a few traits based on a few unfortunately prominent members is both fallacious and limiting.

            Ambition isn't necessarily getting to the top no matter what. Sometimes it's stubbornness. Sometimes it's having huge, impractical dreams that you will achieve, because you're just crazy enough to take the risks to make it happen.

3- Slytherins are manipulative.

            This one is actually true. But everyone is manipulative. Manipulation is such a common thing; we don't even look at it most of the time.

            Manipulation is actually fascinating because it's such a common, everyday thing that everyone does, but the moment you put the label manipulation on it it's twisted and wrong and evil (Sometimes I wonder why people react so strongly when you call it manipulation. Like hmm. Why are you so personally offended by this? Do you not want to see yourself as a villain? And really, what people are defensive about is a really good indicator of their insecurities).

            Coming back to the main point, manipulation is not a Slytherin trait. It's a human trait. Saying that it exclusively belongs to another group of people is an excellent way to feel better about yourself at the cost of demonizing said group and missing an opportunity to learn and become self-aware.

           

            Guys. Slytherin is the house of tradition, of huge, impractical dreams, of impossible things. Slytherin is the house of people who fiercely protect the people they love. It's the house of pushing the limits of what you can achieve and having the hard-working spirit to pull it off.

            Slytherins are like Gryffindors in their devotion to their causes.

            Slytherins are like Hufflepuffs in their work ethic.

            Slytherins are like Ravenclaws in their imagination.

            It seems to me that Slytherin house is a combination of some of the best traits of the other houses. Slytherins are fabulous. Stop telling them they're not.

           I'd love to hear about you in Slytherin house, your Slytherin friends, and how you feel about these stereotypes! I'm also doing Gryffindor sometime soonish, which will be a bit more difficult for me as I have a bit of a bias towards them. Hopefully, in writing the post I'll educate myself and others, but if you're a Gryffindor and have any input, I'd love to hear it.

*If you don’t know what seminary is, I’m part of the LDS church. We’re also known as Mormons. We have a program in many schools where we go early or are released for a class hour to go to a class to learn about scriptures, and we call it seminary.

6 Problems with the Relationship in Phantom of the Opera

So I feel the need to get this off my chest. I love musicals. One of my favorites is Phantom of the Opera. I love the music and the story. But, in looking at Pinterest, I've noticed a rather disturbing trend.
It is ridiculously hard to find someone who doesn't ship Christine with the Phantom. Nearly everyone argues that he's lonely and misunderstood. Yes, maybe he is. But that doesn't make him Christine's responsibility. Here are the top 6 reasons why I find this trend problematic.
1- First and foremost, this is not a healthy relationship, on so many levels.
Last time I watched the movie, I took note of whenever the Phantom was manipulative or controlling. My total came to eighty times. That's not counting the things that are just creepy, like hanging out in her dressing room mirror (let that sink in for a minute) or having a mannequin of Christine in a wedding dress. If you average that out, it makes the Phantom manipulating or controlling someone every one and a half minutes. On one occasion, the Phantom hits her and shoves her to the ground for taking his mask off. I get it. It's a touchy subject. But for heaven's sake, it's very rarely okay to hit anyone. It is NEVER okay to hit the person you're in a relationship with, unless it's in self-defense, in which case I'd question the wisdom of remaining in that relationship.
2- I don't care what you say. The Phantom does not love Christine.
This is another case that I see a lot. But let me make this very clear. The Phantom lusts after Christine. He does not love her. The Phantom makes it clear that what he wants comes first. He tried to kill her fiance, for crying out loud. Love understands that sometimes what you want need to take a backseat to what someone else wants. If the Phantom loved Christine, her would accept that she chose Raoul and is happier that way. If you want to see unrequited love in a musical, look at Eponine and Marius from Les Mis. Eponine lets Marius love Cosette, even if it kills her (sorry, couldn't resist). She respects that Marius deserves to be happy with whoever he chooses. She remains kind to him and helps him. That is love. Contrast that to the Phantom, who kidnaps her and tries to force her to marry him.
I'd also like to take a moment to point out that the Phantom acts like the lake is too deep to wade in until he's confident Christine will not leave. He let her believe she was trapped. That is not love.
3- Can we take a minute to discuss the ew factor?
Madame Girry says at the very beginning that Christine came to live at the opera house after her father died, when she was seven years old. Ever since then, the Phantom has been communicating with her, pretending to be her father. She was seven. Years. Old. The Phantom is a bit younger than Madame Girry, her best friend's mother. Conclusion- the Phantom is old enough to be Christine's father, and has had his eye on her since she was a young child. Then the Phantom tried to begin their relationship by saying he's her dead father, which is both a cruel lie and disgusting.
4- His past does not excuse his behavior.
I understand this. The Phantom was abused. He had a terrible childhood. But that does not make his behavior okay. I've done some research, and I believe that the Phantom could be diagnosed as a sociopath (caused by childhood trauma or abuse, disregard for laws and social rules, disregard for others' rights, volatile, prone to emotional outbursts, etc. If anyone want to hear it, I will explain my reasoning more fully.) But he still needs to be punished for his crimes. His happiness is not Christine's responsibility. Her responsibility is her safety, and she does a terrible job at standing up for herself.
5- The Phantom is a terrible example.
This is honestly the thing that scares me most. I'm going on the assumption that a large portion of the Phantom of the Opera fandom is female, based on whose pins I've seen. The Phantom's behavior is not romantic. And it's dangerous to present it as such. I scares me how many pins I've seen saying things along the lines of, "If a masked man appears in your dressing room mirror, you should follow him into his lair." The comments on these are overwhelmingly in support of the Phantom. How many girls (and guys) are going to get into relationships and think that that is romantic? How many people will tolerate their dehumanization because there's a romantic musical that portrays it as okay?
6- Still not convinced? Take direct quotes.
"My power over you grows stronger yet." This is one of the first things the Phantom says to Christine. Am I really the only one who recognizes how harmful that is?
"The Angel of Music is very strict." Christine says this when discussing the Phantom. I'd just like to take a minute to point out that trying to control every aspect of someone's life is an early warning sign of an abusive relationship.
"Only then can you belong to me." I really don't think this needs explanation.
"D*** you! You little prying Pandora! You little demon, Is this what you wanted to see? Curse you, you little lying Delilah! You little viper! Now you cannot ever be free!" This is where he hits her. This is not healthy.
"You will curse the day you did not do all that the Phantom asked of you!" Can I make it any more clear that the Phantom does not respect Christine?
P.S. I haven't even brought up the sequel, Love Never Dies. If you ever want to get angry, read the Wikipedia synopsis. 

 

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!

Lessons from Finding Neverland: Write from the Heart

     I've recently discovered an amazing new musical called Finding Neverland. It's centered around J.M. Barrie's journey as he wrote Peter Pan. As a writer, I was immediately drawn into his struggle of finding ideas, and aside from being a fabulously entertaining soundtrack, I think it carries a real message for writers.
     The musical is about J.M. Barrie finding the inspiration for and writing Peter Pan, despite growing personal problems, a lack of inspiration, and no one believing that the play will ever sell. The plot revolves around Barrie choosing to write what he's passionate about, rather than what the crowd wants.
     In the beginning, Barrie "[Hasn't] had a new idea in years." He meets a family of four young boys and their widowed mother, and uses their imaginative games to inspire a far-off, idyllic world called Neverland. He frequently tells the boys how the world is far more than meets the eye, and that imagination is the key to living.
      After having Peter Pan initially rejected by his producer, Barrie must decide whether to follow the story he's passionate about. In what sounds like a dream scene, his "Dark Side" talks to him, saying, "You have to use your pen for something other than satisfying them." It inspires him to keep going, and despite many criticisms and discouragements, he manages to make his play a success.

     In addition to being an inspiring story about following your heart, there are a few very interesting ideas about writing through doubt. Many scenes in Peter Pan are inspired by Barrie's games with the boys, including the pirates, mermaids, and crocodile.
     Another bit I found fascinating was that Barrie's "dark side" said to write a part for him. It eventually became Captain Hook. It reminded me of something I read somewhere about writing your villain around what you hoped you'd never become. I loved that the moment I read it. We don't like to imagine ourselves as the villain. But it can make a truly amazing antagonist to give him/her some of your own traits.
     I also noticed that Barrie had problems with writer's block whenever he tried to write for the crowd. I've mentioned earlier that forcing a character to do something they don't want to will block you. Remember not to do the same thing to yourself.
     This has kind of become a rambling thing, and I'm not certain of how best to conclude. I definitely recommend finding the soundtrack. It's inspired me. And even if you never listen to a single song of it, I hope you'll remember that no matter how few people believe in you, how discouraged you get, there is always someone who will recognize the passion in your work. When you write from your heart, that shows in your writing. When you love your story, it opens the gate for others to love it, too.

Utopia

     For a blog that's supposed to be about writing, I do a lot of not-writing posts. At the same time, I want to write what I want to write. I want to write about what I want to say, what I want to tell people. So, today, I'm writing about Utopia.
     Unless you've been living under a rock, I'm sure you've heard of all the shootings lately in America, all of the tension and the hate. It feels like the flag is at half-staff more often than not. Add to that all of the foreign problems, and it feels like humanity is imploding on itself. Like we're an old wooden house, depending on a few cracking beams to stay upright. It's overwhelming to think of the future, all the problems my generation is going to have to live with and fix. I'm watching history unfold, and it seems like it's overwhelmingly negative. All of a sudden, some dystopian novels seem less impossible.
    With all this going on, it makes me think of the flip side-- utopia. How could we make a perfect society? A world where everyone gets what they need, where there's no reason for violence. Where we can just talk out disagreements instead of going to war over them first. Where we don't have to worry about whose land or country is whose. Why do we draw all these lines? We draw them on the earth, in our air and water, and between ourselves. And then we treat them as absolute, and we treat people who live within different sets of lines like they're not people. Yes, we have come light years from the social views of the eighteen-hundreds, but we can never forget how far we still have to go.
    I've already decided against ever trying to implement some huge system. I trust myself to have good intentions, but good intentions can easily pave the way to bad implementation. I wouldn't trust anyone with a large system to create utopia. If we're going to be better, we have to work on an individual level.
    I've thought about it a lot, and I've decided that the biggest obstacle to a perfect world is selfishness. That's why we can't have all resources be free-- we can't trust ourselves and others not to take more than they need. We live our whole lives trying to have more. And we end up with people who have so much excess, they can't even count it, and we end up with people trying to survive without the most basic needs.
    I guess what I'm trying to say is that, so long as human beings remain selfish, utopia can't exist. And we can't just remove selfishness. But. We can help ease the problem. Each and every one of us can choose to be selfless. I'm not even talking about Divergent-Abnegation selfless. I'm talking about doing just one thing every day to help someone, even if it's not convenient for you. I'm talking about understanding what we don't need, and giving our excess to people who need it far more. I'm talking about ignoring those lines I was talking about. I honestly believe that if we spent half as much time trying to understand each other as we do judging and stereotyping and hating, the world will be a far better place.
     I know this post won't reach the entire world. I know my words won't change the course of history, or stop all the violence around the world, or end all suffering. I accept that. But if I can make life better for just one person, I will have changed the world. If five people, including myself, see this post and try to do something for others once a day, then in one year, 1825 days will have been brightened. In five years, the number grows to 9125. That's nearly ten thousand. So please, for the love of the human race, give it a try. You might be surprised.

Hufflepuffs are not Potatoes

    Wow. I kind of forget that people actually look at this, and that it isn't some isolated exercise to try to get me to meet deadlines (it's not working so far). And then I look and eight people have seen my blog this week and... wow. That is cool. And a little scary. And a reminder that I really should try to post more often.
     So, in my quest to post more often, I'm writing today about a topic near and dear to my heart-- Hogwarts houses (again). Because it's largely ignored, today I'm going to talk about Hufflepuff.
    The first thing I want to say about Hufflepuff is summed up in this quote by Queen Rowling herself- "This may surprise people, but Hufflepuff is my favorite house. There comes a point in the final book where each house has the choice whether or not to rise to a certain challenge... the Slytherins, for reasons that are understandable, decide they'd rather not play. The Ravenclaws: some decide they will, some decide they won't. The Hufflepuffs, virtually to a person, stay- as do the Gryffindors. Now, the Gryffindors comprise a lot of fool-hardy and show-offy people. That's just the way it is. I'm a Gryffindor, I'm allowed to say it. There's bravery and there's showboating, and sometimes the two go together. The Hufflepuffs stayed for a different reason. They weren't trying to show off. They weren't being reckless. That's the essence of Hufflepuff House. Now my oldest child, my daughter Jessica, said something very profound to me not very many days ago, actually. She said to me-- and she, by the way, was not sorted into Hufflepuff house-- but she said to me, "I think we should all want to be Hufflepuffs." I can only say to you that I would not be at all disappointed to be sorted into Hufflepuff house. So I'm a little upset that anyone does feel that way."
     I have very strong feelings about Hufflepuff, and, in particular, that it is not the potato house.
     HUFFLEPUFF IS NOT THE POTATO HOUSE.
     Hufflepuff is full of the people who have their priorities sorted out. Hufflepuffs are the ones who are brave enough to fight, but understand that sometimes the greater difference is made by caring for the wounded. It's the ones who are intelligent and creative, but care more about helping the people around them than simply studying and thinking, who think that their knowledge is worthless if they can't use it for good. They're the ones who have huge goals and the cunning and ability to reach them, but would NEVER EVER step on someone else to do it, people who will take the long, hard way over the short, easy one. Remember "those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil?" Hufflepuffs are hardworking, and caring, and really excellent people. And they're so much more. My youngest sister is a Hufflepuff. She's also a born performer, ready to make people laugh at any opportunity. One of my best friends is a Hufflepuff with a deep love for art and a dark sense of humor.
    My point is, Hufflepuffs may be friendly and accommodating. That's not an excuse for you to ignore them or make them the butt of your jokes. And, for the love of all that is good and holy, stop calling them the potato house. Learn from them. Admire their strengths. The four houses show four values, but they are not mutually exclusive. And of all the values the houses show, I think Hufflepuff is the most important. In fact, if we all tried to have a little more Hufflepuff in our lives, I honestly believe the world would be a better place.
    I suppose this has turned into a series now, so I may as well do the other houses at some point. I won't promise when, but probably sometime by the end of this year, I'll also discuss Slytherins and Gryffindors. In the meantime, what do you guys think? Which houses are you in, and do you agree with my assessment of Hufflepuff? Did I miss anything? 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!

Writing Characters with Anxiety

 

    As far as we've come in terms of mental health awareness, we are still hugely lacking in some things, including representing characters with mental illness in fiction. Even when we do see characters with mental illness, they're often in stories about having mental illness. We need more characters who have mental illnesses that affect their stories, but aren't the plot of the story. For this reason, I'm going to write a series of blog posts covering mental illness. Since most of my experience is with anxiety, I've decided to start there.
     The first important thing to remember with anxiety is that the symptoms vary. Some people have more severe anxiety than others, and even the same level of anxiety will manifest differently in different people-- or even from situation to situation. Common symptoms include stomachaches, lightheadedness, muscle tension, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, trouble sleeping, and numbness and/or tingling in the extremities.
    These happen because when someone is feeling anxious, their body begins to gear up to protect itself. You've probably heard of the fight-or-flight reaction. Sometimes I think of my anxiety as fight-or-flight gone crazy. When a person has anxiety, their brain will register ordinary things as threats. People have different triggers for anxiety. I feel anxious when plans change suddenly, or when I have to interact with people unexpectedly. Sometimes even anticipating triggers can trigger anxiety. People have all sorts of different triggers. Traveling, conflict (or perceived conflict) in personal relationships, and driving can be triggers. Even little things like standing up in class to sharpen a pencil, or being the first one to stand up to throw away extra food, can trigger anxiety. Sometimes we feel anxious without even knowing why.
      Most of the time, we are completely aware of how irrational our fear is. We're fully aware that to someone without anxiety, our triggers would seem completely normal or even enjoyable. If your character has anxiety, he/she will have developed ways to cope. Sometimes stress balls help. Some people use mindfulness exercises, like keeping a coin or other small trinket to examine and focus on the present. One person I asked said that mint gum helps. I pretend to play the piano on my lap. Breathing exercises can help, too.
      Not everyone with anxiety will have panic attacks, but they do happen. They'll feel different for everyone, but they're never pleasant. Sometimes it'll be hyperventilating. Sometimes it will be sudden anger or irritability. Sometimes it'll be nit-pickiness and hypersensitivity to disorder or a chaotic environment. Sometimes someone will start talking very fast, stuttering and stumbling over words, or not talking at all. I cry. A lot.
     The other things about panic attacks is that sometimes, someone will feel anxious for a long time before. But sometimes, they strike without any warning. Once, I was waiting outside for my mom after a performance. It was night, and there were fireworks, but I felt completely fine. And then, suddenly, I panicked. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think. I felt like I was going to die. I was crying and whimpering and felt absolutely pathetic, but any rational thought was sidelined by the panic.
     Attacks range in frequency and severity from person to person. Some people have panic attacks on a daily or weekly basis, and others can go years without having one. And some panic attacks will be easier than others. I once had a panic attack that lasted just a few minutes, just hyperventilating. It wasn't fun, but it was comparatively tame. Even in the same person, it will vary. 
      There are a lot of ways to deal with anxiety. Some people find coping mechanisms that work for them, but sometimes, more help is needed. Some people respond to therapy, others to medication. Some people use a combination. The important thing to remember about medication and therapy is that there is nothing wrong with it. When writing about medication and therapy, the most important thing to remember is to do your research. Therapy varies from doctor to doctor, and medication can have different side effects.
       Really, that's the most important thing with writing about mental illness. Make sure you know what you're talking about. I'd rather read a book that has no characters with anxiety than one that gets it all wrong. I hope that with the information here, and the other resources you can find, you can better write and understand your characters with anxiety.
      What points would you like to add? What other mental disorders would you like me to cover? Let me know in the comments!

The Types of Ravenclaws

    I'm sure I've mentioned how I'm obsessed with Harry Potter before. I've adored the series since fourth grade. And I love the house system, trying to figure out deeper meaning behind it, reading and coming up with my own headcanons, and figuring out exactly what the house does and doesn't account for.
    As a proud Ravenclaw (with more pride for my house than my high school), I think it's important to remember that there's more to Ravenclaw than good grades. We usually associate Ravenclaws with being smart. That's it. But when a narrow, traditional view of intelligence is used that it becomes all about academic performance, any person who is intelligent will think they are not. Albert Einstein once said, "Everybody is a genius. But when you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." When discussing intelligence, we need to keep this in mind. Therefore, using Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, I'd like to present a picture of Ravenclaw House. Remember, you probably use at least three of these well. Every Ravenclaw is different, and realizing that and embracing it is what gives our house its trademark quirkiness.
       Think about linguistically intelligent Ravenclaws, who keep painstaking journals and and write stories and poems and keep lists of their favorite words. Ravenclaws with ink-stained hands, who learn languages easily and adore identifying the latin roots in spells, and pride themselves on their huge vocabularies, but are so busy writing their own projects that their formal schoolwork never ends up getting done.
      Musical Ravenclaws who learn everything they can about their favorite composers and instruments, who write notes on the back of sheet music. Musical Ravenclaws who form bands, orchestras, and choirs, because dang it, there important things to learn besides magic and *long rant on the positive effects of music. . .* Ravenclaws who drive their roommates insane by playing music at night when they can't sleep, who devour new sheet music and spend hours composing their own. Ravenclaws who study by writing songs and rhythms for the information, if they ever get to studying.
     Intrapersonal Ravenclaws who can't focus in class because they're too busy exploring their own souls. Ravenclaws who work to find their flaws and fix them, who are more often than not lost in their heads, who see self-knowledge as teh most important knowledge. Ravenclaws obsessed with personality tests, who can tell you their Myers-Briggs type and Enneagram and Color Code and Archetype, but can't remember what that eighteen-inch essay was supposed to be about.
      Naturalistic Ravenclaws who always keep their windows open, much to the annoyance of their roommates with loose papers. THey're right up there with the best of the Hufflepuffs in herbology, and ace care of magical creatures. The ones who stare at the lake to observe the giant squid or linger at the edge of the forest, hoping to catch a glimpse of a bowtruckle or niffler. Ravenclaws who own dozens of books on plants and animals, who study best outside, and learn everything they can about Biology. Ravenclaws who argue ethics with their defense against the dark arts teachers, debating current regulations on magical creatures.
      Logical Ravenclaws who hate essays and busy work, but adore gathering statistics, who keep charts of the house points and figure out exactly the average amount of points each house gains per month. Ravenclaws who write and solve complicated equations because they were bored. Ravenclaws who love solving puzzles and riddles, who create their own, who ace the door question so long as it's logical (the more philosophical ones are harder), but never do their schoolwork because they don't see the point of it.
     Interpersonal Ravenclaws who hate classes, but thrive in between or after. Ravenclaws who don't read as often as their less socially conscious housemates, because there are people to be talked to and observed and learned from. Ravenclaws who are social butterflies, who talk to the intrapersonal ones about personality, who take the theories to heart and apply them everywhere. Ravenclaws who draw even the most introverted out of their shells, who know just how to put the new first years at ease. Ravenclaws who don't see the use of History of Magic, but adore learning about people and how they think and feel and act.
     Ravenclaws with Spatial intelligence, who fill their shelves with sketchbooks and own more paintbrushes than quills. Ravenclaws who doodle all through class, who draw detailed portraits of their experiences at Hogwarts to send home to their families, whose robes are stained in paint and fingers caked with clay, who can perfectly capture their roommate's faces or the common room or the great hall, but cannot for the life of them brew a potion.
     Ravenclaws who are kinesthetically intelligent, who are shocked to be Ravenclaws, since they can't even sit still through class, much less to study. Ravenclaws making up active games to remember facts, skipping class to practice quidditch or devise the next brilliant strategy for the upcoming match.
      Ravenclaws stressing out because they can't get perfect Os, sitting alone in the common room, convinced that the sorting hat made a mistake. Older Ravenclaws coming to them, sharing their experiences, and how intelligence isn't just in grades.
     The stereotypical nothing-but-studying Ravenclaws make up maybe 1% of the house. At the end of the day, Ravenclaws aren't just the smart ones. We're the ones with a passion for learning about our interests, who are creative and always seeking new ideas. Yes, we are smart. But we are so much more.
   

On Mental Illness

     When I was creating this blog, I put the "life" bit in the title to leave it open for me to talk about things that aren't writing related, but still important.

     So today I'm writing about mental illness. I've had depression and anxiety for years. And for ages, I didn't tell anyone about it, because I was scared of what they might think. I'm not sure when I started talking about it, but I'm glad I did. Not only because it's a relief to be able to tell my friend that I need to take a minute by myself to breathe, but also because I want others to be able to talk about it. I want to fight the stigma surrounding it. I want to make it so that others can speak out, without fear of being judged. And I also want to give those of you who struggle with mental illness a pep talk. 

        Mental illness is hard. It sucks. But you know what? I think we're some of the strongest people alive. Because we're fighting a war in our head every single day. And not only are we winning, but we're also going about normal life, to the best of our ability. Sometimes victory is having a great day, but sometimes it's making it through without having a panic attack. Sometimes it's getting your homework done, or talking to people. Sometimes it's being able to get out of bed. We know that this thing will always be in our heads. We know that people won't understand that we can't do this because of our mental illness, because there's this stigma. But we still manage to function. We still live. Sometimes just staying alive is a victory.

    So, I want to tell you this. You aren't alone. You are so brave. So far you have a 100% survival rate. That's pretty darn good. You will have bad days. But you've had bad days before this, and you've made it through those. You can make it through this one, too.

    One more thing-- please, please, don't hurt yourself. You don't deserve that. There are people who care. Even if you can't see that right now, people care. Even if I've never met you, I care. It breaks my heart to think of you, not knowing that. Having people who care about me has been my greatest blessing through this. Please, talk to someone. Your parents. A church leader. A school counselor. A professional therapist. These people can help you. It might be hard for a while, but one day, you will be glad you lived. I promise.

      Love,

          Katelyn

Avoiding your Baby Otters

    Will you do me a favor? Take a moment and google baby otters. (I would have included a picture here, but I can't for the life of me figure out copyright stuff, and I don't really want to get sued.)
    Have you done it? They're adorable.
    They also have nothing to do with what you're writing.
     In Kiersten White's Teen Author Boot Camp class, she discussed avoiding your baby otter scenes. You know those scenes that are so fun, but have nothing to do with the rest of the story? Yep. It's those ones.
     They may make you so happy, but you must cut them. You don't even have to delete them. Put them in a separate document. Turn them into an AU where everything is perfect. But for the sake of your novel, don't keep them.
    There's a reason these baby otter scenes are harmful. They drain the conflict like a leech. If your characters have time to be off riding a roller coaster while their parents are being held captive by the villain, then the reader gets the impression that either a), your characters don't care about their parents, or b), that nothing really bad will happen. It takes the urgency away.
    Now I'm not saying that your characters can't have little pockets of happiness in between the times they almost die. Just be sure they mean something. Maybe they take twenty minutes to ride that roller coaster, and those end up being the twenty minutes that get someone killed. Or maybe they find a vital secret taped to their seat. Whatever the purpose is, make sure it's there. If it doesn't tie back to the story's core, then it's probably a baby otter scene.
    I'm going to expand this metaphor a bit. You have baby otters in real life, too. Things that are keeping you from your writing. They're so fluffy, but they're not productive. I don't mean everyday obligations like homework or family here. You need to do those things. But that hour you spent on Pinterest isn't getting you closer to your goals. Neither is watching Doctor Who (though Doctor Who is awesome. Keep watching it. Just not during your writing time.)
    I'm convinced that the entire universe hinges on balance. The earth can't be too close or too far away from the sun, we can't have too much or too little water, and you have to make time to write without neglecting your off-page life. Your characters have to go through suffering without being too depressing. It's a hard balance, but practice will help you achieve it.
     What do you think about this post? What are your baby otters? I'd love to hear from you below!

On Dystopia

      I'm pretty sure most people have read a dystopian novel in their lives. Particularly teenagers. They're all the rage at the moment, after all. 

     One of my favorite dystopian authors, Dan Wells, gave a keynote address at Teen Author Boot Camp a couple weeks ago. (By the way I really apologize for not posting last week. I'm trying.) But anyhow, he brought up some excellent points about the genre. My head exploded a couple of times. 

    The first thing Mr. Wells brought up (or at least the first in my notes) was the question, what is a dystopia? My, very technical, definition is a society characterized by human suffering. He simplified it a bit. At its heart, a dystopia is a terrible place. A place where the power is not shared.

     Of course, one trademark of the modern dystopian novel is that they're under the guise of perfection. So, how does one identify a dystopia?

     Do we live in one now? (cue the head-exploding)

     Dan Wells discussed Ursula K. LeGuin's short story, The Ones who Walk Away from Omelas. It's a description of a utopic society, to each person. Imagine your utopia. That's what this world is. But then, at a certain age, children learn the truth about the city--a child suffers every day to maintain it. Some choose to ignore it. Others walk away, hence the name. 

     This story was published in 1973. It bears one major difference from the majority of today's dystopias--there is no rebellion. That's because, in the olden days (meaning before about 2005), most dystopians had the terrible society, but the characters either grinned and bore it or left. The first major trendsetter for the rebellion dystopian novel was Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series. 

      Dan Wells brought up the meaning of this shift. The previous generation had a "Life sucks, oh, well." attitude to their novels. Millennials and forward have a more save-the-world approach. This could be a good thing. But revolutions aren't the best way to bring about change (more on that later).

      I'm going to jump back to the question of whether we live in a dystopia. While this is a rather large question, Dan Wells went with yes, and his reasoning made disturbing sense.

      A dystopia, as highlighted by Omelas, is a utopia for everyone but the ones who are stepped on. If you look at today's world, you'll see that. We don't notice because we live in the Capitol. But there are people in third world countries laboring, starving dying, for our luxuries. Think about that next time you want to complain about your phone service. 

    So now we're jumping back to the revolutions bit. Older dystopian novels have an "accept it and leave" approach. But there's a third option. The option to stand and fight it.

    Now would be a good time to mention that I absolutely DO NOT CONDONE VIOLENCE. The number of bloody revolutions in dystopian novels is slightly scary for this reason. There is more than one way to fight. I'm going to fight it through my art--my writing. 

    You can quietly show the issues you are passionate about through the lens of a story. And there are plenty of issues. We may not even know about some of them. Women have constantly been underrepresented in media for decades, but we're only just noticing it. What else are we missing? These are the things you can explore in your stories--dystopia or not. 

    Of course, before we're writing to show important issues, we're writing to tell a story. And even before that, it's because we love it. Never forget that passion. If you can hold on to it, you can use your art to change the world. 

Finding your Story's Core

 
   I spent all of Saturday at Teen Author Boot Camp, a writing conference designed for teens. It was AMAZING. Plus, it gave me material for several weeks' worth of blog posts.
    Today I'll be sharing what I learned from Catherine Linka's class, Writing that's Ripped (or Make your Editor Swoon). The title came from an underwear model analogy, but I'm not going to go into that. Suffice it to say, she taught us how to tighten our story's core-- and how to find it.
      To get a great story, according to the presenter, you need it to diet and exercise--AKA you need to revise it. She brought up the point that there is no good writing, but only rewriting. And while rewriting is a large, and often daunting, process, knowing your story's core can help.
      At this point, I was confused. I'd never heard of a story's core (which just goes to show that as soon as you think you've got it figured out, you find something you don't know.). Basically, the core supports the characters, theme, and plot.
      Catherine Linka taught us three exercises to find and implement your story's core. She said they were simple, but not always easy. So, here they are--
     Exercise #1-
        What does your main character want? What does he/she yearn for? And what lengths are they willing to go to to get it? Sometimes they themselves aren't entirely aware of what it is, but you, as the writer, ought to know. My writing mantra is Motivation is Everything. What they want most will drive them throughout the story.
      To find what your character really wants, you can think long and hard about it. If that's not working, try reading through what you've written for clues. You can also ask a friend to help you--sometimes you need an outside point of view.
     Exercise #2-
         What is your story really about? The good thing about this is that it also works for a quick-ish pitch. Ms. Linka gave us a basic formula for this--
        -Who the character is
        -What they want/need/long for
        -Something that happens to change their life
        -They have to choose between multiple paths
        -But their journey is made harder by their flaws
      Once you have this core, you can use it to link each chapter. Each scene should be related to one of these five elements. And each of these should be present. If they aren't, find ways to implement them. You also may need to cut bits that don't relate to the core. I put my cut bits in a separate document. I can often find new homes for them later. 
       Element #3-
          Ms. Linka started this section of her presentation with a slide that said these four words-- Deed, Decision, Discovery, and Accident. Just because your character is doing something doesn't mean they're moving the plot forward. Each scene should fall under one of those categories.
        A Deed is an action that puts them closer (or further) from what they want.
        A Decision is a choice that affects the rest of the story.
        A Discovery is when your character learns something that affects the goal, their feelings about it, or how they need to achieve it.
        An Accident is an unexpected occurrence that affects the story goal.
        Each scene and chapter should have at least one of these; otherwise, it's not moving the plot forward. It's what another presenter, Kiersten White, termed a "baby otter scene." It's adorable and you want to keep it and snuggle it, but it just doesn't work (I'll talk more about that class another week).
           Look for the scenes that don't tie into the core. Rework them, or find new homes for them. Also look for scenes that repeat earlier scenes. It's hard to cut them, but your story will be 1000% better when you do.
     
     P.S. Catherine Linka's novel is entitled A Girl Called Fearless. I haven't read it, but it sounds super cool, so you should look at it.
       
  

An Apology

So I won't be doing my regularly scheduled post this weekend. It's one of those hectic weeks, and I have to get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow for a writing conference.
I might be able to post about it on Sunday. I apologize for the delay, and thanks for understanding!

15 Things I Love About Writing

   So, technically, this is a tag-your-fellow-bloggers thing that's been going around, but I saw it on one of my favorite writing blogs (You should look at it. It's at http://hannahheath-writer.blogspot.com/2015/05/15-things-i-love-about-being-writer.html ) and wanted to do it. I'm also not going to tag anyone, mostly because I don't actually know any other people who have a writing blog. So, if you have a blog, feel free to consider yourself tagged. Now, here are my fifteen things I love about writing--
     1- Characters
         I've mentioned this before, but my characters are my favorite part of writing. Creating them, fleshing them out, filling in character sheets, and then setting them loose on the page... it's incredible. Also occasionally frustrating, when they don't do what you want them to do, but the way they develop a will of their own is amazing. I don't write their stories. I stick them in a situation and see what they do with it.
    2- My desk
         While I do a lot of writing at school, when I'm at home, I usually use my desk. I adore that space. I love pinning random ideas and reference images and quotes to my bulletin board. I love the clay dragons that keep me company, and the dream catcher I hang nearby, because I'm not that superstitious, but it seems like a great way to invite ideas.

     3-The community
        Oh, where do I even start on this? The 'yes! I made my beta readers cry!' moment that we all take pride in. The joking about our search histories. All of us having imaginary friends. I joined the Go Teen Writers Community Facebook group a little over a year ago, and my first post was about character death. I had NO EARTHLY IDEA what I was getting myself into. But those are my favorite people on the internet. They can joke with me about the stranger bits, cry with me when I have feels, and cheer me on when I have a victory.
     4- Plot Bunnies
        Getting random ideas, listening to people talk for snippets of dialogue, and carrying a notebook and pen in my pocket to write them down. I love the a-ha! moment where I get an idea that ties everything together.
    5-First Drafts
         Some writers prefer edits, but I love the feeling of writing new words, creating new worlds and people and describing and developing. Edits are great, but nothing can match the magic of a first draft. Which brings me to my next point...
   6- The magic
      One of my favorite sayings about writing is, "I write because creating things that didn't exist before is as close to magic as I'll ever get." I love that thought, because really, writing is basically telepathy. You take ideas from your head and transfer them into a format that will put them into other people's heads. I think that's pretty cool.
    7- The flexibility
        I am not particularly fond of math, largely because all the hard work leads up to only one possible answer, and if you get something different, you're wrong. Writing is different. With only my fingers and a keyboard, I can craft the same idea in a thousand different ways, and it will never be the same as someone else's, because I'm different from all of the other writers in the world. It's individual. It's creative.
    8- I can give others what books have given me
       My dad read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to me when I was in kindergarten. I've loved books, especially fantasy books, ever since. I love the feeling of being so enraptured by reading that I forget what's around me. I love being in someone else's head and experiencing the fantastical with them. Through my writing, maybe I can do the same for someone else.
    9-Ships
        As a fangirl, I am all too familiar with ships, and all the emotions they cause (I'm still getting over the Doctor and Rose). I take a kind of evil pleasure in giving others the same feels. And writing little bits of romance, despite never even having been on a date. Those are fun.
    10-My crazy dreams can be useful.
        I once had a dream in which I was stabbed in a surprisingly well-developed fantasy world. It was scary, but then I woke up and wrote it down because PLOT BUNNIES! Same with the descendant of Midas, and a thousand other nonsensical dreams.
    11- Random Facts
         I pick up on the oddest little facts when I'm doing research. For example, you can die if you get air in your bloodstream. It's called an air embolism. The earliest forms of biological warfare were people catapulting bodies of plague victims over their walls. Lots of creepy, but cool, information.
    12- Making Collages
       I spend a large potion of my time procrastinating working on my novel by finding reference images on Pinterest and making collages with them. They're rather pointless, but they're fun.
    13-Because I love thinking of the future I could have with it.
       Even if I don't have a bestseller, just being published would be incredible. Holding my hours of work in my hands, in hardcover format, seeing my book on Amazon, reading reviews...it's a distant dream, but so real in my mind. And if I work hard and keep writing, I could make it come true.
    14-Because I can experience anything
         Through my writing, I can fly and travel to amazing places and touch the stars. I can live my character's lives with them, and I can cheer them on and explore. I can have a thousand first kisses (despite not having had one). I can live all of these lives, and see anything, without leaving my home.
    15-Because I don't know what I'd do without it.
       I've only been writing seriously for less than two years, but I've always dabbled in it. I've come across hand-scrawled pages of stories I wrote in second and third grade. I've always had these ideas in my head. Some people can't imagine living without sports. Some people can't imagine living without drawing. I can't imagine living without writing.

Using MBTI to Develop Characters

   

   I don't know about you, but developing characters is one of my favorite parts of writing. Figuring out who they are, and why, is incredible, and seeing them run loose on the page is, while occasionally exasperating, really quite cool.
    But sometimes they decide not to talk to me. That's a problem. I know something will happen, but I have no clue how they'd react. This is where Myers-Briggs comes in handy. I can hop onto the writing group on Facebook that I'm part of, type up a quick question addressed to people of the same type as my character, and get some ideas of how my character would react.
    By the way, for those who don't know, MBTI stands for Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (or instrument, depending on who you ask). Each person will be a four-letter type, and use four of eight functions (which are super confusing and I'm not good at them, so if you want to know about them, google MBTI functions). So, for a quick rundown of the system--
    Introversion/Extraversion- This is where you get your energy. Introverts expend energy in social situations, while Extraverts gain it. Introversion is abbreviated as I, and Extraversion is abbreviated as E.
    Sensing/Intuition- This is how the inner world is structured. Sensors prefer concrete details, while Intuits tend to lean more towards the big picture and what it means, rather than what it is. Intuition is abbreviated as N, to differentiate it from Introversion. Sensing is shortened to S.
   Thinking/Feeling- This is how you make decisions. Thinkers rely on objective reasoning, while Feelers are more likely to 'follow their hearts.' These two abbreviations are easy; just T/F.
   Judging/Perceiving- This is how the outer world is structured. Judgers prefer schedules, order and tidiness, while Perceivers would rather go with the flow. The abbreviations are J/P.
   Each person has one of eac of these, and you put the letters together to make your type. I'm an INFJ, which stands for Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, Judging. My four-letter opposite would be an ESTP, which stands for Extraversion, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving.
    If you want to find out your type, there are online tests, but those aren't the most accurate. If you have to, use a test that measures the funtions, rather than letters, and then read about types to figure out the best fit.
    To figure out your character's type, follow the same process.
    Anyhow, once you know your character's type, it gives you a good way to figure out reactions you're not sure of. My current main character is an ESTP, so I'm often lost on what she would do. Because I know her type, though, I can either Google it (ESTP and anger, for instance), ask ESTPs I know in real life, or ask other ESTPs on the internet.
   It also gives a framework to work with for your character. While Myers-Briggs isn't a cookie cutter mold, it can give you a good idea of some common traits. When I create a character, the first thing I usually do for personality is MBTI type. It gives me a good idea of some basics, and helps me get a good foundation for further detail.
     P.S. Here are some of my favorite MBTI resources-
     http://oddlydevelopedtypes.com/survival_quiz  This is mostly just fun. It has short stories about each type in a zombie apocalypse, and is...definitely interesting.
     http://www.keys2cognition.com/explore.htm   If you MUST use an online test, this one is decent. It measures the functions, and will suggest the main type it thinks you are, plus the next two.
     http://typelogic.com/fa.html   This gives a description of each type, using functions.
    Do you have any questions? What are your characters' types? What are yours? Let me know in the comments!