How To Write a Diabetic Character (TYPE ONE)

First off, I would like to bring to light the fact that there is, in fact, a difference between Type One and Type Two Diabetes. This is VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND. I know a lot of people who have one or the other and I will tell you, the amount the two are confused is amazing.


So, I will put this blatantly:


TYPE ONE: WHEN THE BODY ATTACKS THE PANCREAS/PANCREAS STOPS PRODUCING INSULIN
(Typically diagnosed in children. There has yet to be a cure)  


TYPE TWO: WHEN THE BODY GET'S RESISTANT TO INSULIN 
(CAN BE RESOLVED THROUGH TAKING BETTER CARE OF YOURSELF)


In this post, we'll be discussing TYPE ONE, and I'll do another post for type two another day. For now, we'll focus on contributing factors that go into a diabetic's daily life.







GETTING DIAGNOSED:


So, if you're starting at the VERY BEGINNING of your character's diabetes showing up, you need to know how it all begins and what the symptoms are. One thing to note is that you can get Type One at any age. It's pretty much when your pancreas (what usually produces insulin for the body) stops working, and you get sick.

So, let's begin with the first signs of Type One:

• The first sign can usually be either The Flu or Strep Throat. 
  (Removal of tonsils won't help the symptoms, and you will continue to have a sore throat, with the issues it comes with)
  (The Flu is also more typical then Strep)
• The next sign is a Constant thirst and always going to the bathroom.
  (Kids will typically drink anything they see just to try and satisfy the thirst, so that means drinking out of other peoples' cups too)
• You are going to feel like your going to pass out, nauseous, and dizzy, constantly.
• If you aren't treated for this you could end up in a Coma/DKA/or even Die, so eventually, you have to go to the doctor. IF YOU ARE HAVING ALL OF THIS AND ARE READING THIS NOW, GO TO THE E.R. IMMEDIATELY.

The first place to go when you notice the symptoms is the ER. Here, they will level out your Blood Sugar and put you on an insulin drip through an IV. After This, They contact a hospital to transfer you to.

When you get the Hospital and everything is stable, you and others you care about will be trained on how to check blood sugar and inject insulin (I'll teach you that next). You will be given a kit full of the supplies you need and can then leave the hospital. This process will probably only take a few days or longer, depending on how deep you are in DKA (Diabetic ketoacidosis).

CHECKING BLOOD SUGAR (GLUCOSE LEVELS):



This is a process most diabetics have to go through before they consume anything that retains carbs. Sometimes, this must be done throughout the day and the night, depending on how badly diabetes affects them.


This process is accomplished by a gadget that pricks your finger after washing your hands. One typically has to squeeze the area around the finger to get a droplet of blood, as the area is probably calloused from months to years of the process. when you have enough blood, you put it on a small test strip (there are many of these in a prescription sized bottle), Then you plug the test strip into the meter (the gadget that reads your blood sugar).


On the screen of the meter, it will tell you in big letters what your blood sugar levels are (generally, a log is kept, as to show doctors). The results tend to vary, but to keep in mind that below 69 before a meal is low (and dangerous!), and over 180 is considered high after a meal (ALSO DANGEROUS).


So let's go through the process once more:

• Wash hands
• Prick finger and Draw Blood
• Place The Test Strip To The Blood
• Put The Test Strip In The Meter
• Document Results If The Meter Doesn't Do It For You

Now The Levels:

• Under 80 Before a Meal IS CONSIDERED LOW AND DANGEROUS
• Over 180 After a Meal IS CONSIDERED HIGH AND DANGEROUS
• Anywhere In Between Is Considered Just About Normal

Got it? Awesome :3

FIXING GLUCOSE LEVELS (INJECTING INSULIN):

So, this is where the shots happen...

• If you are too high in your blood sugar levels, you take a shot with a measured amount of insulin.
• When you eat, you take the number of carbs and divide it by a given number from your doctor and the number you get is the amount of insulin you inject.
• Shots are typically where the most fat is located.
• If you're low in your blood sugar levels, you don't typically take a shot when you eat. In fact, if you're low, you generally have to drink some juice or anything really rich in carbs to get back to safe levels.
  However, you still may have to take a shot.
  

Something else to keep in mind is; not every diabetic takes shots. Thanks to advancing medicine and technologies, there's a pump you can get that, with a large needle in your body, will give you the needed amount of insulin. Since there are A LOT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF THESE, I'm not really going to go too deep into it. I will give you a few facts, however:

• They inject the needed amount after you put in your levels
• Some pumps will take your blood sugar for you and do everything on its own, and all you have to do is make sure you don't get low.
• finally, these can fall out... and they're pretty breakable... 

That pretty much sums that area up... (I really hate needles)

HUMAN TOO:



Ok, so what I mean by this is simple; Diabetics are just as human as the rest of us.  They still live their daily lives and have a life outside of being a diabetic. When a bug goes around, they can catch it, and it will affect their blood sugar, and they can get sick. So really, it's important not to have your character's life just about diabetes. It may affect every area of their life, but they still have a life and personality.


It is also important to know that some people may be shy about talking about their diabetes due to bullying in the past, or some people may be more outspoken about it. The main thing is, different people, different reactions, and it's usually ok to ask questions, just have patience with those shy about it.








CAMPS AND CONFERENCES:



So, since we're past the part where there's life outside of diabetes, now we can begin the life of diabetes. There are camps and conferences all over the place for diabetics to go to and learn how to take care of themselves better, as well as have fun under a doctor's watch.


These are great opportunities to go to, and relatives can attend these as well. Typically, it will cost more for a nonie(non-diabetic) to attend, but it is worth it and is lots of fun.








I hope this was all informative and helpful for your writing/research/whatever. I will state that I am not a physician and therefore will not take any responsibility for any misuse of this post's information. If you are diabetic, you should talk to your doctor about how to take care of yourself if you have any questions, as I am merely going off of information I have gathered from diabetics I know and websites dedicated to Diabetes Type one.

Now that that's over with, good luck loves!
~Rey Brooks




EXTRA LINKS!!!:

Diabetes Type One Basics
A Camp For Diabetics

How To Write Show Don't Tell

Ok, so the 'Show Don't Tell' thing is pretty much showing the effects that the emotion your character is feeling with what they're experiencing through that emotion, rather than just saying.




 For example:

 She was heartbroken. 




So instead of saying that, you would go along the lines of what people feel during heartbreak. This is also pressing to know your characters and how they would respond to situations. By knowing your character, it will make writing their responses to situations easier on you.




So, the instead example:

After hearing the news, Amanda's hands began to tremble. A numbing feeling passed over her arms and legs, making her feel weak as she sank to the ground. holding back her sobs, she clutched the spot over her heart that felt empty.

How could this happen to her?




Wala
(I hope I did that right XD)

Do you see how that lengthened and made you experience it more? When you show your readers the emotion rather than tell, your readers get more immersed in the story and are able to enjoy it even more. 



This tip is especially useful in romance, suspense, and horror genres, as those types of stories tend to be based on emotion. I feel like when you show the emotion in the story, your readers will experience it just as much as the characters you're writing. 





Just some things to keep in mind loves~,

~Rey Brooks

How To Write Your First Chapter LIKE A PRO

So, you're beginning/rewriting/editing your story and are looking for some advice. You've come to the right place, so sit back and relax. we shall begin this together and I will show you how to kick butt at your chapter and it'll be great. You'll do wonderfully, I'm sure.
So let's get to it.






STEP ONE: THROW YOUR READER INTO IT

There are many ways to accomplish this, and here's a small list of basic ways to choose from:

• Action
• Dialogue
• Setting

My personal favorite would have to be; to begin with Dialogue, then go to Action, then describe the Setting. Basically, starting with a sentence from a character, that leads to the action that the sentence has to do with, and then have the setting be brought through as the scene continues.


For Example:

"What do you mean we don't have any flour left?!?!?!" a panicked, soft voice lowly screeched out at me, as the whisk that resided in her left hand prior to the news I had just delivered laid on the checkered floor, "What happened?!"

"Lisa... You've been baking all day, without sending anyone to the store for more supplies," I sighed, crossing my arms and looking around the disaster my girlfriend called a chef's kitchen.

"Did you send someone?!" Lisa began to panic, looking around in panic with her hands tangling in the hair net that was already falling off of her head, showing her bright pink hair spilling out. 

"Lisa," I began, "It's the middle of the night... Everyone went home,"

Her movements paused and her eyes turned went into a moon shape as she stared up at me. Slowly, she pulled out her phone and checked the time for herself as I proceeded to raise an eyebrow at her. I could actually believe she got lost in her baking, but it had been eight hours straight. One would think the idea of going to the bathroom was of consequence.
That is, assuming you could find it through the stacks of pots and pans that pilled ceiling high...



See what I mean?





STEP TWO: SPEND MORE TIME IN THE SITUATION, NOT INTRODUCING THINGS


What I mean when I say this is that you need to show your readers more of what's going on with action and dialogue than with monologuing. Keeping the pace up with your story keeps readers interested and ready for the next chapter. The basic thing to understand is; the first chapter is your pitch, the rest of the book is your playground to do whatever. You have to have the book catch the reader's eye, then they'll continue with the rest of it.





STEP THREE: KICK OFF THE STORY


Remember, this chapter is the one where the plot begins to work its way into your characters' lives. Make sure you do the kick off that will begin the story, as well as adding some mystery that your character has to find out so your reader can get hooked on the mystery part as well. 

I will say that having a lot of cliffhangers and unanswered questions really do help with hooking readers but don't overdo them to the point you frustrate your readers. You can mess with your readers later on when they're already invested in the storyline and everything else your story has to offer. 





STEP FOUR: DON'T CLICHE IT


A lot of stories that don't always go very far are usually the ones that possess:

•  Flashbacks
• Backstories
• Starting with Dreams/Weather/First Days/Mornings

Write what feels easiest to you, but do try to avoid these. They tend to bore the reader, and then you lose their attention.

STEP FIVE: EXTRA RULES TO FOLLOW

• Don't sweat it, you can always edit later
• Write first, EDIT LATER
• No Prologues
• Show don't tell
• Be creative with your writing, don't make it plain. let your readers see your world too.
• Know that this could be someone's favorite book, or even the book that get's them started on loving books like you do. 
• You. Got. This.

As always, good luck loves,

~Rey Brooks

Sources:
Me
Pinterest
jenichappelle.com

How To Build Your Fictional World Like a Boss

This subject is both tricky and hard to accomplish, depending on how deep you get into it. You could go far into histories, religions, races, etc., and honestly, it could never end. It should be noted that looking up questionnaires made for the purpose of worldbuilding can come in handy, and it's important that you actually take notes on the world so you don't forget what you built.

we'll break this down into the basics and go from there:
Knowledge
Environment
Emotions
Story


K.E.E.S.
ok, so now we begin.



knowledge:


What is known about your world?
What do the scientists know?
What do the people commonly know?
Who knows how to do what things?
Where do people learn skills, knowledge, and other things?
Who teaches, preaches, and spreads the word?
How does knowledge travel?
What's the Media like in your world?
Who runs the media and is it good or bad?
Are there bad sources of media?
How is information passed around?
Are certain species/areas/populations/etc. in your world a higher class of intelligence or lower class of intelligence?
What happens to the people who just don't cut it?
What happens to the people who do?
Gospel?
New ideas/inventions/etc.?
What about the science community?
How is money handled?
What's the money system???




now onto the first E...



Environment:



What kind of biomes does your world possess?
What kinds of people/species/diseases/cultures lurk there?
Are there any types of specific creatures/people that live only in certain biomes?
Are there places in your world that are uninhabitable?
Have some places in your world never been touched before?
What does it take to survive in your world?
Food/Water/Power/etc. sources?
How are supplies harvested/gathered/etc.?
Do people move around a lot?
Any migrations of people/creatures?
Diseases in certain areas/how are they transferred?
How do people travel?
Lighting when and if it get's dark?

[Cultures are pretty important, so make sure you build them up to be wonderfully bursting :) ]



NEXT E!!!

Emotions:


Differing opinions on things like:
Government?
Cultures?
How things are done?
Authority?
Other people?
Etc.?

How are differing opinions handled?
Any conflicting parties of cultures/politics/etc.?
How do the people of your world feel about what's going on in your storyline?
The people in your world, or even creatures, have emotions too, make sure you consider how you want them to feel.
How are things like dating/courting/arranged or regular marriage/etc. handled?
Are there classes in different societies?



ONTO THE FINAL ONE!!!




Story:



How does your story affect this world you've created?
How do people feel about it and your characters?
Are there major changes in peoples' opinions or how things are run due to your story?
What are the stories that are tossed around?
Any Legends?
Are the people in your story liked?
How does the media/government/people/etc. handle your characters?
What kinds of trials are your characters going to run into due to problems they've caused within society?





You can kind of see where I'm going with all of these. I know there are a lot of questions, trust me, I know, but when you know something, and you're passionate about it, you can write with such ease, it'll amaze you. If these still weren't enough, I know for a fact that just looking up some world building questions on Pinterest will satisfy you.


Best of luck,
Rey Brooks