About Kate Orgera

If this were a musical, I could totally break out into song, and by the end you’d know all you need to know about me.

But, sadly, this isn’t a musical. So, let me explain the best I can in words:

I’m a recent college graduate from Long Island who wants to be involved in stories any way I can, currently learning about the publishing industry while working on my writing.

In personality, I’m pretty positive, whimsical, (over)sensitive, and a bit of a daydreamer, who has a hard time making decisions. I’m a little old-fashioned in my love of sweaters, musicals, old books, and tea of any kind (because, as Jane Bennet from The Lizzie Bennet Diaries would say, “Everyone deserves tea.”), but I’m as addicted to the internet as the next person.

Story of My Life (So Far)

Stories have been my life for as long as I can remember. I absorbed the books my parents read aloud to me until I knew them by heart, groaned when I had to be separated from a book or TV program, and rarely fell asleep if there was a movie on. And if prompted to talk about any of those things? I could babble on and on.

And then, I fell in love with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. At eight-years-old, I was already a voracious reader, but the magic, intelligence, and themes of self-discovery prevalent in Harry Potter really grabbed me, and soon I couldn’t get enough of middle grade fantasy novels: Chronicles of Narnia, Charlie Bone (aka Children of the Red King), and Matilda are just some of the many books I got my hands on, and I’ve kept many of them on my shelf after all these years.

That great love of fantasy and stories in general lead me to start writing my own at the age ten. Eight years later, I entered the Writing Seminars program at Johns Hopkins University in order to hone my craft. Along the way, I learned how to analyze a story and its voice, finding what makes it powerful as well as how it can be improved. 

I graduated in May 2014 and moved back home, and am now attempting to start a life outside of school.

Fun Facts

Pronunciation: Or-JEH-rah

Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw 

Wand: Cypress with Unicorn Hair, 10 in, Surprisingly Swishy

Sign: Aquarius

Stone: Amethyst

Coffee or Tea?: Absolutely tea! Earl Grey preferably, or a nice coconut or vanilla-flavored one.

Ice Cream?: Cookie Dough, Moose Tracks, Ben & Jerry’s Milk & Cookies, really anything with chocolate in it.

Dark, Milk, or White Chocolate?: Dark!

Extrovert or Introvert?: Introvert, though I can be quite social in the right circumstances.

Favorite seasons?: Fall and Summer. 

Guilty Pleasure?: Fan fiction XD. There’s some well-written stuff out there, and I love the insights fan writers can provide, whether within a work or between works in a crossover story. But, let’s be honest, most of the stuff I read isn’t exactly “top quality.”

Book I own more than one version of: What else? Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Currently in my house:

* The British original paperback, Philosopher’s Stone, bought in Canada in 2002. I underlined all the British-American word differences, took it to Platform 9 3/4 in King’s Cross in 2009 and to my first year of college. So, you can imagine it isn’t in the best condition.

* The audiobook on CD, narrated by the incredible Jim Dale. We had the cassettes first, but leant them to someone and never got them back.

* The Spanish version, bought in Barcelona in Summer 2013. It was printed in Barcelona, so I thought it was a nice tribute.

* The American original hardcover (bought by my mom, since we didn’t have an American version until that point).

* The new American paperback (included in the 7 book set, with all the spines lined up. Also bought by my mom).

Dogs or Cats?: Both!