Redecorating My Shell!

Introverts, in my experience, are definitely creatures of habit. Which also applies to our habitat. We don’t like change. Even if our spaces aren’t quite the way we want them, we tend to leave them alone because familiar equals comforting.

Yeah, I’m one of those. Granted, I have a pretty small bedroom to work with in the first place. But that doesn’t mean I can’t make it work for me.

In the last year, I did a lot of things that surprised even me. I’m not the same terrified little introvert that crawled out of her shell, up to the top of a tower, and rode a zip line. The creature inside is changing, so it makes sense the shell should reflect the new creature.

So a plan has been “hatched,” so to speak.

Walls shall be painted green (my favorite color).

A glass cabinet of some sort will be acquired so my bedroom door can be open without my cat ripping my plants apart:

A  bank for my future adventures:

Desk set to keep my world more organized so I don’t get frustrated while looking for things:

Boxes to keep my important documents in:

Plus a few other things I have planned to help me stay organized.

Here are the main points for me:

• The things I need should also be a pleasure to use. (Office supplies, pens, stationary, etc.)
• If everything has a place, chaos and anger can’t take hold when I need something. It will be in its very own spot. The same spot, every time.
• Highlight what I value: fandom things, collections, memories, etc.

So I’m trying to organize, simplify, and make my life easier while also appreciating the things that make me happy by being able to see them. Plus I have keepsakes that have not seen the light of day in years because I have a cat who likes to break things. (Which is basically what cats do, right?)

Cats are why we can’t have nice things.

But anyway, this little introvert is going to change shells. Get rid of the pile system on the floor; I mean, do I really feel comforted being closed in by things when I know there could be spiders hiding in those piles?

Yeah, no.

Al progress is made, I will post pictures on my Instagram and Twitter!

Who else is making changes to their “shell” this year?
I know my friend Rachel mentioned making some changes to her room in this year. Rachel also just started her own blog, so make sure you check it out and subscribe! She’s had some very interesting things on there so far!

 

The Benefits of Using a Storyboard

Note: none of the pictures in this post are my own, they are screenshots from my Pinterest boards.

There are lots of ways to organize ideas for your book. And everyone has their own preferred way of doing it; lots of us outline, but we each do it in our own way and it’s the same with story ideas.

Personally, I like to make storyboards on Pinterest. You can use other platforms too, or collect pictures on your computer or even use a paper scrapbook or on notecards in a recipe box. And it’s not just for fiction — a storyboard would work for nonfiction like travel guides, cookbooks, memoirs and anything else you want to write!

For me, there are five benefits of using a storyboard to help move my story along and keep me focused:

1. One location for my thoughts.
   Usually, I’ll still have some ideas jotted down in a notebook. But I like my Pinterest boards because I know that’s where each board is. “Storyboard: Kya,” “Storyboard: The Fall,” “Storyboard: Dragon Key.” It’s all right there for me to access and see.
2. Gives me a visual.
   I am a visual person. So I love being able to see locations, characters’ faces, even things characters might say or own. It helps me keep track of what characters look like, what their personalities are like, and where they are or where they are going. Obviously, I’m not trying to make them look just like the picture of the person I pinned and I’m not going to use words as my own unless they are a free-use writing prompt; but having those things readily available for me to see is a huge advantage, especially if I’m dealing with a large cast of characters.
   
3. Can make sub-categories.
   This is very easy now with Pinterest’s new feature which allows me to make categories within each board, but you could use this approach no matter where your storyboard is. This is helpful for keeping track of protagonists, antagonists, minor characters and all their motives, habits, and appearances.
4. Can be private or shared.
   All of my storyboards are private, because I feel more secure in adding ideas if I’m the only one who can see them. My stories are my babies and I don’t really like to share any part of them until they are complete. I don’t want you drawing conclusions from the grub, I want you to see the butterfly. But, if you choose, you can make your ideas public and maybe take suggestions, or have one or two close friends help you collect ideas. This would be good if you’re working on a collaboration or if you have friends who know your stories as well as you do.
   
5. It’s a place for all your ideas, even if you don’t use them all.
   Underwriters, overwriters, any writers — it’s my opinion that you should keep all the ideas that come to you for your story, even if you don’t end up using all of them. Having extra ideas on hand or added insight to a character is always helpful, it can get you through a spell of writer’s block or fix the little plot holes that come up when outlining. I have boards for my novels as well as my fanfics. Sometimes I can even use an idea from one to help another.

Do you use any sort of storyboards or character files for your stories? Tell me what you use, I’m always looking for new ideas!
You can check out my Pinterest boards (sans storyboards) here.