The DM's Binder

I know that for seasoned players/DMs, having some way to organize your material seems obvious. But this post isn't for seasoned DMs--it's for people who want to start DMing and are unsure how.

I started playing D&D less than two years ago. At the age of twenty-seven, I had my very first encounter with RPGs when my boyfriend (let's call him DM Night Shyamalan) invited me to play in the game he DMed. I literally had no experience. None. I can't stress that enough because I need you to understand where I'm coming from and why I think this post is important.

So when the day came for me to play and he pulled out this 3-inch binder full of adventures and backstory and world-building and everything else that goes into D&D, I was totally and completely overwhelmed. He'd made all that? He had this giant backstory and lore for this world? How much time had he put into this? How could I ever fit into this world he and his players had built together?

That was my first encounter with a DM's binder. It was scary and intimidating and overwhelming. It was part of the reason I thought I'd never, ever be able to DM. And that was very stupid of me. The DM's binder is nothing more than a tool for organization. And organization is the key to (my) DMing. 

So, let's talk about my binder journey. 

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