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.