Binding Options

By now you should have at least one Chapter cut down into clean, ordered stacks. This page is where you decide what to do with them.

There is no single right way to bind these pages. The “best” option depends on how often you plan to read the Journal entries, whether you want to rearrange or share them, and how close you want the finished thing to feel to a book.

I will walk through three main choices:

1. Three ring binders
2. Discbound notebooks
3. Stapled booklets

You can mix and match. A lot of people end up using binders for work-in-progress Chapters and something nicer for the ones they want to keep.

1. Three ring binders: tough and flexible

If you want something you can throw in a bag, open and close a hundred times, and constantly rearrange, start here.

A three ring binder is the most forgiving way to keep Journal entries on your side of the page:

• It is hard to break.
• It opens flat enough to read comfortably.
• It lets you pull Chapters out and move them without thinking too hard about the structure.

Each Chapter is written to stand on its own. As long as you know the main Charles Mandrake storyline, you can open a binder to any entry and read it like a side trail off the main path.

Binders also make it easy to share. You can unclip a single Chapter, slide it into its own small binder or folder, and hand it to someone without taking apart the rest of your collection. The librarian in In the Scholar’s Ward says, “A good story should never be kept to one’s self“. A three ring binder makes it simple to prove him right.

1.1 What works best in a binder

Full US Letter pages slide straight into standard binders. If you chose the Full US Letter version of the Chapters when you printed, you can:

• Use a three hole punch to drill holes in the margin.
• Drop the pages straight into a regular binder.
• Add clear sheet protectors if you want extra durability.

Half Letter pages can live in binders too, as long as you match the size:

• Use a half size binder made for 5.5″ x 8.5″ paper.
• Or place Half Letter pages into Half Letter sheet protectors and store them in a matching binder.

1.2 Punching and loading pages

Once you have a binder and a punch:

1. Set the punch guides for the paper size you are using.
2. Test on a small stack to make sure the holes stay clear of the text.
3. Punch the rest of the Chapter in small groups.
4. Drop the pages onto the rings in order.

You can keep one large binder for everything, or split by range:

• Volume 1: Chapters 001–010
• Volume 2: Chapters 011–020

Tabs or dividers help if you want to group by arc or location instead.

1.3 When to choose a binder

A binder is a good fit if:

• You plan to read certain Journal entries a lot.
• You want to be able to pull out a Chapter and lend it to someone.
• You like the idea of adding new Chapters in the exact place they belong as soon as you print them.

It is not the most elegant option, but it is the one that will put up with the most use.

2. Discbound notebooks: cleaner and more “book” like

If you want your Chapters to look more like finished books than school notes, a discbound system is the next step.

Discbound notebooks use a row of discs instead of rings. The pages have special slots punched along the edge, so you can pop them off and on without opening anything.

2.1 Why people like discbound for Chapters

Once your pages are punched and on the discs:

• The notebook lies flat on a desk.
• You can move entire Chapters to the front or back in seconds.
• The whole thing looks more like a custom journal than a binder from a locker.

Both Half Letter and Full US Letter pages work:

• Half Letter builds a compact volume that feels like a field notebook.
• Full US Letter gives you space in the margins to write your own notes.

2.2 Punching for discs

You will need a discbound punch that matches the disc system you pick (Tul, Arc, Levenger, and so on).

To set up a Chapter:

1. Adjust the punch guides for your paper size.
2. Test on a few sheets to make sure the slots do not cut into the text.
3. Punch the rest of the Chapter in small stacks.
4. Press the pages onto the discs in order.

You can dedicate one discbound notebook to each set of ten Chapters, or keep a single “working” volume where the latest Chapter always lives in front.

2.3 When to choose discbound

A discbound system fits if:

• You want something that looks more finished than a binder.
• You still want to move pages easily without committing them forever.
• You like the idea of matching your Chapter notebooks to the size of the main books on your shelf.

It takes a little more setup at the beginning, but the result feels closer to a book you made on purpose.

3. Stapled booklets: simple and compact

If you want a single Chapter to feel like a small, self-contained book, you can turn it into a stapled booklet.

For this, a long reach stapler (sometimes called a booklet stapler) makes life easier. It can reach the middle of the page instead of only the edge.

3.1 Getting ready to staple

Stapled booklets work best with Half Letter pages. Once you have a cut and ordered stack:

1. Make sure the pages are perfectly aligned on all sides.
2. Decide where the spine will be (usually the long left edge).
3. Tap the stack again so the spine edge is as even as you can make it.

3.2 Stapling along the spine

With a long reach stapler:

1. Set the depth so the staple will land a short distance in from the spine edge.
2. Place the stack into position.
3. Add two or three staples evenly along the spine.

With a regular stapler, you can:

1. Open the stapler so it lies flat.
2. Place the stack over a piece of cardboard.
3. Press the staples through the spine edge.
4. Turn the stack over and fold the staple legs flat by hand.

Stapled Chapters are best for shorter entries. If a stack feels too thick to staple without bending, that is your cue to use a binder or discs instead.

3.3 When to choose stapled booklets

Stapled booklets are a good choice if:

• You want to hand someone a single Chapter as its own small book.
• You like the feel of slim, individual volumes.
• You do not plan to rearrange pages very often.

They are not as flexible as binders or discs, but they feel satisfying in the hand.

4. Mixing methods

You do not have to pick one method forever. A lot of people end up with a mix that looks something like this:

• A large binder that holds every printed Chapter in order.
• One or two discbound notebooks for arcs or locations they care about most.
• A few stapled booklets for favorite single Chapters.

You can move pages between systems as you figure out what you like. The important part is that the Journal entries on your side turn into something you can flip through, lend out, and shelve.

5. Before you print the next Chapter

Quick questions to ask yourself before you go back to the printer:

• How often am I going to read this set of Chapters?
• Do I want to be able to rearrange or remove pages easily?
• Do I care more about durability, or about how it looks next to the main books?

There are no wrong answers. Choose the method that matches how you actually read. The next time a new Journal entry appears, you will already know exactly where the printed pages belong.